Dear Reader:

Libby got me thinking along the memories of schools scents. She had texted us Ya’s yesterday morning to update us on the grandchildren’s new school year…who was at what school and what grade this year…and then nostalgically added:” “This is the time of year I just want to smell some crayons.” 

(So I turned to Pinterest of course) and sent her a pictured “bouquet of crayons” for being such a good grandmother and aunt.) * I agree that waxy smell of crayons can send me over the top…the first indicator that fall is coming!

But this did get me thinking…about the smells of by-gone school days. Schools do have an unique scent associated with them…especially old schools…which are my favorite.

So I searched around and discovered that everyone shares pretty much the same remembrances of certain scents associated with school….see if you can relate to any of these.

Come on…admit it…didn’t we all love sniffing glue?…It is kind of like smelling gasoline while filling up your car as an adult…you don’t want to admit you like it…but you do! And the best thing about a school activity using glue was getting to peel off the dried glue stuck to your fingers…that could keep me occupied all the way through arithmetic.

My favorite place at school…the library. As much as I loved reading…it was the smell of both old and new books that kept me asking the teacher if I could go there during lunch or recess on rainy days.

The big pink eraser…I needed it in arithmetic every single day…after one day of math…the big pink eraser would be black for the rest of the school year…lots and lots of mistakes! (But the smell was wonderful while erasing!)

Chalk, Chalkboards and chalk erasers have become almost historical artifacts from the past these days…but how I loved getting called on to come to the board so I could write on it.

I remember we had one little boy, named Freddy, who was always getting in trouble so he would have to stay after school and clean the erasers…making all that dust….but the teacher had to find something else to use for discipline. He loved it…favorite part of the day!

*( True confession: I would volunteer to wash the boards after school myself…I loved it too!)

The smells of the lunch cafeteria…such a mixture of food smells mixed in with floor cleaning mops left in every corner. Some of our favorite childhood cafeteria foods were:  Sloppy Joe’s, pigs in a blanket and square pizza…why square?….easier to cut I reckon!

The big red rubber ball…(the smell of rubber and terror)I believe I still have bruises on my arms and legs from this instrument of torture. Dodge Ball was the game that produced the most pain for me…I was always the weak link… the poor little antelope on the Serengeti. I just prayed everyday I would get hit first and taken out of the “game” so I could stand on the side and become a spectator to other’s pain instead of a “pained” participant.

And last, but not least, the smell of sawdust covering up digestive issues/accidents in classrooms, cafeterias, and hallways. The unfortunately victim never made it to the bathroom or the janitor would not have been called…but everyone held their noses and “oohed” whenever one tramped across these consistent problem areas at school.

Ah yes…the smells of back-to-school! If you can think of some more please let me know. It has been fun reminiscing down childhood “real estate” areas. School!

And so until tomorrow:

Sunday we had the “Blessings of the Packbacks”…each child was called up and given a Dorchester Presbyterian “fish” to attach to their backpack with the words “Go Fish.” I pray that everyone has a wonderful “Go Fish” year and catches more knowledge than ever before. Remember: You are never alone….you have already been “caught” in the net of  God’s Amazing Love.

Genevieve and little brother Andrew are ready for school!

Eva Cate and Jakie were playing detectives over the long weekend…what they were looking for…I am not sure…but hope they found it.

Their cousins, Rutledge and Lachlan, were playing “Farmer in the Dell” at a real “Friendly Farm” in Dublin, N. H.

After such a happy picture of the grandchildren with Papa and Nana…a scare came along yesterday that had the family holding their breath.

Mollie was flying home with the boys and they landed in Philadelphia where they would take the last connection home to Charleston. Unfortunately Lachlan fell and bashed his forehead resulting in a huge goose egg protruding from it.

Lachlan needed to be checked out by a medical physician concerning his head injury before he could continue flying. So Mollie found herself with the children in route to the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia in an ambulance.

They missed their scheduled flight home…and everyone was worried they wouldn’t make the last flight out at 6:00 pm. But Lachlan was given the medical OK to fly and they all made it on that last flight back to Charleston. Welcome home Mollie and the boys…so glad you made it back safely after all!

*A special thank you to my friends for the prayers and emails to Mollie letting her know she wasn’t alone…providing a support line. The power of prayer never ceases to amaze me.