My olfactory sense is super strong. I smell certain things and they always remind me of how I felt when I first smelled them. Whether it was joy, anger, contentment, whatever; I am always "taken back" to the situation by the particular smell.

Recently it was contentment, joy, happiness. My fiancé (now husband!) and I went to pick up our Christmas tree a few weeks ago and we somehow managed to stuff it into our rather small car and drove home from IKEA, squished into the car with a much-too-large-tree. It smelled like heaven; strong, almost overwhelmingly so - I must have grinned like a madwoman all the way home, thinking about Christmas and how much I love it.

It's not the gifts (although I do love presents), it's just the feeling of the holiday; it's the time of year when people are a little less grouchy, a little less stingy and a little less self-absorbed. It is the time of year when there are always cookies baking in the oven and smiles on people's faces. It is the time of year when the days are crisp and sunny and the nights are filled with howling winds and the smell of wood burning. It is the time of year when I can play Christmas carols on my stereo and no one complains, they just smile and hum or sing along for a few bars. It is the time of year when even my scroogey husband (eek!) sings Christmas songs, without even realizing it.

As I sit here, cozy in my parents living room, looking out onto their quiet, now snow-blanketed street, I put my hands up to my face and smell a few memory-inducing scents. Cocoa and icing sugar from the viennese chocolate sablés I indulged in earlier, evergreen from the Christmas tree and a just a whiff of peppermint from the cup of tea I just finished drinking. These are a few of the smells that make me think of happiness and comfort. These are the scents I love to smell and take myself back to Christmas time, when everything in the world seems somehow "right" and at peace. Like there could not be a thing wrong and not a thing out of place in my life or anyone's that I know.

It is less than one week until the "big day" and though we are a bit broke this year from paying for the wedding, I am really looking forward to it. Our tree is up and decorated, cookies are being baked, plans for our annual Christmas present fight/game (I'll explain later) are being laid, cards are being sent and received, some shopping is being done and my family is all getting along harmoniously...for the time being. I love the holiday season and am so sad to see it go every year. I can't wait to have kids so that I can make it last longer; take them to see Santa and buy them a zillion presents and bake cookies and build gingerbread houses and generally spoil them and their father rotten. I am terminally addicted to Christmas and all that it encompasses. I wish it could last all year. Oh, how VISA would love that!