plumeria

It smells like Plumeria, not quite like the fresh kind (more like the candle kind, probably because I have a plumeria candle lit) but close enough to make me happy. We went to Hawaii when I was in high school. I don't remember what attracted me to the plumeria but I remember that I came home with a little plumeria tree. I was a new mom so didn't take care of it as well as my Mom did. This was apparent when it only would bloom a couple of heavenly scented flowers for me but made bunches and bunches for my Mom when I was off at college.

I spent my first year of college in at BYU-Hawaii and was surrounded by the flower. At any time of the day or night I could easily pick a fresh one to tuck behind my ear or harvest dozens to make a fresh lei for special occasions (although harvesting was best done at night when campus security was not around). They were so pretty in their shades of white, yellow and pink; they never ceased to being a smile to my face. Plumerias are simple, beautiful and smell like a little piece of paradise. 

David took this picture in Maui.

I wish I could grow a plumeria tree here. It would love the humid summers, but I don't think it would take well to the winter. Stupid snow.