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Writer's pictureSuzanne Guest

Happiness Is Home Grown Tomatoes

There is nothing like home grown tomatoes. I may be biased but they taste miles better than shop bought ones but, he real reason is that I love the smell. I have a confession, I have a bit of habit of sniffing tomato plants and not just my own. Some people think that they smell of wee, but I think they smell of happiness. It reminds me of my Auntie Winnie's greenhouse as a child. I say as a child rather than when I was little because ... well if you've ever met you know.

My lovely Auntie Winnie and Candy the Dog some time in the late 70s. Note the contrasting stripes of our outfits. Purely accidental ( I hope)









I don't think I have a very good sense of smell, but it is something that can be a real problem if it's lost, or anosmia of you want to get technical. Lots of people lose their sense of smell after a brain injury and it can be overlooked as being trivial, but it has a massive impact on someone's life. Smell can have a massive impact on the way we appreciate food. Think about the smell of freshly


baked bread or if you're lucky enough to live in Wigan think about the smell of the Uncle Joe's Mint Ball factory, they do add to the enjoyment of eating. Eating is so much more that just getting nutrients, it's a big part of my social life, I Iove going out for meals and cooking for people, but imagine not being able to smell if the milk was off.


When it comes to socialising, imagine wondering if you have body odour, you know you showered in the morning, but if you need to go out a few hours later and it's been warm, do you need to shower again or wear deoderant, I've known people who worry about this and get a family to check them before they go out. Imagine not being able to smell your partner's perfume or aftershave or even just their natural smell. Smell is a part of attraction.


Most worrying of all is thinking about safety. I mentioned the food earlier and food often smells bad when it's off, but what would alert most of us to a gas leak? It would be the smell. This could be the difference between life and death and I would strongly advise anyone who has any difficulty with smell to get a carbon monoxide detector.


There are some tips with the other stuff such as having food that stimulates the other senses so it looks nice and has different textures and try stronger flavours. Also take note of use by dates on fresh goods and get someone else to give milk a sni


ff if you are in doubt. With personal hygiene it can help to just know that you've showered changed clothes regularly.


I don't have many memories that I consciously associate with smells, but I do love the smell of tomato plants and I'm grateful for the immediate link it gives to happy times.


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