Gee My Dad Smells Terrific

Father's day. A day to celebrate your father. I've already posted one missive about my dad Joe here.

There are many things that remind me and my daughter, Isabella, of Joe, most of which have to do with scents.

Herewith, a small list (with pictures) of just three of the many scents of Joe.

1. Dial Soap

The other night, I washed my hands with Dial soap before going in to say goodnight to Isabella. She inhaled deeply and said "Oh! That smells like Joe, I can't wait to go to New York this summer." When I recounted this to Joe, he laughed and said that though we grew up using Dial soap, it wasn't always in our house. Apparently, this was the soap they used in the Navy boot camp Joe was at in the '60's. He said he couldn't stand the smell of it for years because it reminded him of boot camp. Go figure, one girl's great scent memory is another man's nightmare.

2. Tide Detergent

I recall a lot of laundry going on around our house, everyday, several loads a day. With five kids and two adults, I suppose it was necessary. Joe is the king of laundry. He taught us how to sort, which temperature water to use and how much detergent to put in. There were definitely rules around when you could do the laundry, timing the drier just so, making sure the end of the cycle coincided with whatever TV show was on that night, so folding might be a bit more enjoyable. The Tide I show here is my own scent. Joe and Gran Fran use the original style Tide.

3. Mrs. Meyer's Geranium Scent Cleaning Products

Several years ago during one of our many New York visits, my sister Danielle invited the entire family over to her house. She was doing dishes when we walked in with a new dish soap that smelled fantastic. Joe went over to the sink and stood quietly while he inhaled the beautiful geranium aroma. It was Mrs. Meyer's dish soap, and Joe was immediately hooked. My sister Nicole and I, who both live out here in San Francisco, are kept in Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products sent in shipments by Joe. What a treat, huh?

There are many more scents from the present (cedar mountain shampoo) and the past (vanilla pipe tobacco) that are Joe-tastic. Happy Father's Day to you, Joe Claro, you wonderful smelling guy!