It feels like everywhere in the western US is on fire. California has been fighting fires for so long I don’t know how anyone can even live there. Oregon, Utah, Colorado… The fires in my area are awful. While I’m not so close to them as to be in any danger of burning, many people have been evacuated from their homes. That’s got to be so frightening. Where I am, the biggest danger is the smoke. When you step outside, it smells like a camp fire with weeds thrown in. While this makes recovery from bronchitis difficult, I can only imagine how much harder things are for the firefighters on the line trying to protect people’s homes. What an exhausting work, both physically and mentally. I don’t know how they do it, but I am so grateful for them and I am praying for their strength and safety.

It’s day two of my new perfume sampling. (This is so weird for me to even be thinking about, let alone writing. I have never been the perfume girl.)

Follow up on the Hanami from yesterday. I loved it, and I could still smell its honey tones (probably the fig does that) for a long time. I don’t know if Mr. Hot Stuff could really smell it well. He said he could, but it was really light. He likes light fragrance, so that’s good, but I don’t know if he’d have noticed or commented on it if he didn’t happen to read my blog first. Hanami is the lightest scent offered by Phlur and it’s only supposed to last about 4 or 5 hours, so his reaction is about what I would expect.

Mr. Hot Stuff’s smeller (please appreciate my word creations) has never been as sensitive as mine, (except for the one-year stretch where I was recovering from the bizarre illness) so I really need feedback from someone else. Maybe I can gather some opinions at Sunday dinner. Arctic Boy (dude, guy – what am I calling him these days?) has a fairly acute sense of smell, we’ll see.

The Phlur scent that I’m trying today is Olmsted and Vaux. Of the three I bought, this is the hardest one for me to consciously notice. That’s not a bad thing. It just merges with my subconscious really easily. I love the clean smell of it. It makes me wish my shampoo and conditioner could smell like this. (But then, how would I get to enjoy the Hanami?)

I’m a woman (obviously) and I really love wearing this, but I think it would also be an amazing fragrance for men. One of those, my-rich-genius-boyfriend-is-so-hot, kind of smells. (Which might be partly why I like it so much.) Okay, maybe I’ve been reading too many romance novels. But guys, don’t blame me if your sweatshirt goes missing.

What will Mr. Hot Stuff think? Who knows if he’ll even notice. I will wait to post until after date night tonight, so he’s not reminded by this to notice anything.

In my devotional reading today, I was impressed by how Captain Moroni (Book of Mormon) was so willing to jump into full-on warrior mode to protect the welfare of his soldiers. He gets all adamant and aggressive about it, “You WILL make sure my soldiers and their families have food, and you WILL make sure they have the supplies they need to fight to protect our cities from being overrun by our enemies. Otherwise, I will order them to come and force you to step up and do your job. You weren’t elected just to sit your backside on a throne and keep it warm. Do your job and provide for the men who are protecting our freedom and our people.”

BAM. What a Man. Strong, courageous, and righteous.

“34 And now behold, I, Moroni, am constrained, according to the covenant which I have made to keep the commandments of my God; therefore I would that ye should adhere to the word of God, and send speedily unto me of your provisions and of your men, and also to Helaman. 35 And behold, if ye will not do this I come unto you speedily; for behold, God will not suffer that we should perish with hunger; therefore he will give unto us of your food, even if it must be by the sword. Now see that ye fulfil the word of God. 36 Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country.”

Alma 60:34–36 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/60?verse=34-36&lang=eng#p34

Thank you to everyone who has fought so that I can have the freedoms I have. I appreciate the sacrifices you and your families have made for me. May God bless you and yours.

Proverbs 17:17 NIV
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

Note: I’m not affiliated with Phlur. I’m just sharing my random customer experience. (Yeah those Facebook ads…)