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Sweet Aromas At Night

 

I live in a house that is 118 years old. It has had 6-7 owners. The master bedroom, which was added 40 years ago, is over the kitchen. Previously, this space was a lumber room or attic.

Every so often - probably at least a half dozen times a year - I wake up to the aroma of baking or cooking. It is often cinnamon toast, sometimes what smells like waffles or pancakes, or cake, or bread, or even bacon. Only two people live in the house and one - my husband - is usually snoring beside me when I wake up to these wonderful smells.

Sometimes, when he has fallen asleep on the sofa in the family room, I leave him there. If I wake up on those occasions, I alway think he's fixing a snack or an early breakfast. But he never is. He never smells what I smell.

There is no specific time of the year for these aromas. I think they happen a lot, but I only notice them if I happen to wake up when they are occurring. The last for maybe 30-40 seconds after I notice them, which seems to be when they are most intense, and then they fade until they are no longer noticeable.

Last night, I smelled buttery toast at 3:21 a.m. My husband did not.

About two months ago for the first time, I smelled baking AND a second odor - this one of fresh air and gasoline or oil. I was confused but something - don't ask me what - told me they were two protective spirits. I was afraid something had happened to my parents, but all was well with them.

There have been other incidents at my house, which I have briefly described in past posts. The scariest one is the sound of someone ascending the stairs in the front hallway.

But back to the aromas: I don't live near a bakery. The nearest one is two miles away. Our house is on a large piece of property on a corner and not near anyone's kitchen.

These aromas have been occurring for many years. At first I thought it was me, that my brain was short-wired or something, but I appear to be in excellent health.

Any ideas?

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, Argette, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will participate in the discussion and I need help with what I have experienced.

Melda (10 stories) (1363 posts)
 
7 years ago (2017-06-20)
Argette - Congrats on your 1000th post 😁

Melting chocolate immediately brings nice home-made vanilla ice-cream to mind - to me, they go hand in hand πŸ˜†

Regards, Melda
Argette (guest)
 
7 years ago (2017-06-17)
As I mentioned five days ago, not much olfactory action lately.

But I couldn't sleep tonight, came downstairs at about 2:30 a.m. And all of a sudden started smelling melted chocolate.

It lasted all of 30 seconds, maybe. And yes, we began a minor renovation project yesterday.
Argette (guest)
+1
7 years ago (2017-06-12)
Melda, it's been a bit of a dry spell lately, as far as sounds and smells go. We didn't do any DIY stuff this winter, and that is what triggers the smells. I have tried to keep track of them by posting them here.

As for the sounds, the voices, nothing lately. Something changed and I'm not sure yet what it is.

Anyway, thanks so much for reading and commenting!
Melda (10 stories) (1363 posts)
 
7 years ago (2017-06-12)
Argette - Every now and then I like to read the older publications and I usually click on somebody's name and go through their posts. Today you were the lucky winner 😜

I really enjoyed reading your accounts because I have had such similar experiences regarding aromas, hearing people calling me and so on. Usually I am called in my husband's voice, at times when I'm really busy and I get seriously peed off with the poor guy, only to discover that he didn't call me at all!

It seems that I don't have a cook in my house, otherwise surely I would get the wonderful baking aromas. That would drive me crazy πŸ˜†

I'm sure that by now you should have a few more experiences to offload 😊

Regards, Melda
Argette (guest)
+2
7 years ago (2017-01-31)
No baking aromas for several months then early this morning, about 4 a.m., I smelled fresh bread baking.

There is really no pattern to the aromas, but they do seem to happen more in winter.
Argette (guest)
+1
7 years ago (2016-09-27)
After almost half a year of nothing, we had the aroma of cherry-chocolate a couple of days ago. Same time, about 4:30 a.m., same place. I'm not sure why, unless it is related to replacing very old boards on our side porch, just off the kitchen. Maybe it was meant as a sign of approval?
Argette (guest)
+2
8 years ago (2016-04-24)
After a long dry spell with no unusual aromas, I thought about our "ghost" yesterday. Today I awoke to the blissful aroma of melted chocolate, milk chocolate, I think. Very sweet. I think she just wanted me to know she was there. I don't mind at all.

No other activity, except one night 3-4 months ago, we had a very putrid smell for a while in the TV room. Not sure what that was about. It was the odor of decaying flesh, I think. My husband noticed it, too. We investigated, and even laundered the sofa throws (essential in a 120-year-old house in winter). No source to be found; it was gone the next day.

I'm kind of using this space to chart experiences; hope that's OK.
Argette (guest)
+1
8 years ago (2015-09-28)
Just have to add that there's been no real activity on our side during the summer, and no aromas. But a few days ago my husband made some minor adjustments to something in the remodeled back room and sure enough, I smelled French toast about 4 a.m. The next day.
Argette (guest)
+1
9 years ago (2015-06-24)
Lots of activity lately. Last week, I tidied up the kitchen late one night, then as I turned off the light, I said goodnight to the woman in think bakes at night down there. Later, I smelled chocolate cake or brownies and smelled the oily, fresh air smell that comes with it when her husband is making his presence known. I think it wa her way of letting me know she heard me.
Argette (guest)
 
9 years ago (2015-06-02)
Val, I wondered about that, too - that someone wants to feed us. We have a big renovation project coming up in the next year. Could be interesting.
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
 
9 years ago (2015-05-30)
Argette, I think what really intrigues me is that you appear to be getting a wide variety of bakery/cooking smells. If this was residual, I'd think it would be a repeating odor, the same if it was held by the walls.
You also mentioned that these aromas appear most when you are doing DIY projects on the house. Something I do know, is back in the 1800's until about 1940 or so, it was not uncommon for the owners of a house to feed anyone who worked on or around the place. I wonder if there is a connection there.
Argette (guest)
 
9 years ago (2015-05-29)
This morning, a bit later than usual, it was chocolate chip cookies. I have to wonder if this is not connected to the work we are doing in our back room and basement stairwell area. When we redid an upstairs room two years ago, tearing off layers of wallpaper, we had a lot of occurrences. I also wonder if today's choice was related to the roll of Toll House cookie dough in the fridge. I just never know what to expect... Thanks for responding, Cornflakes!
CornFlakes (1 stories) (18 posts)
 
9 years ago (2015-05-29)
Coffee cake! Oh gosh this is killing meπŸ˜†now I can't wait read what will happen in Christmas! Although smelling plain coffee cake early in the morning is like Christmas for you anyway!😁
Argette (guest)
 
9 years ago (2015-05-25)
On top of the sweet aroma the other day, we had the sound of an old radio around noon on yesterday. My husband was working in the back room, which was built around the bulkhead. He is turning it into a workshop. All of a sudden, this noise comes out of nowhere. No radios, no TVS, nothing. And we get the sound of a radio, from the kitchen. Of course, we have a DIY project in progress...
Argette (guest)
 
9 years ago (2015-05-22)
Cornflakes, thank you for commenting. This morning, around 5 a.m., it was coffee cake. Just plain coffee cake. It seems to happen in early winter and mid-spring mostly. It does make me hungry.
CornFlakes (1 stories) (18 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-03-15)
[at] Argette- You have got some incredible haunting there my friend. If I was you I would have taken the aromas as my 'What's for breakfast or dessert?' menu and prepare my own meal. I mean if I smell cake I'm going to have cake, no matter what time it is 😁 I don't have to tire my brain anymore. And if the spirits are trying to shoo me away by doing their baking? I will get out of the house, to go to a bakery and gain some weight πŸ˜‰ there is no way to get rid of me that easily!

Thanks for sharing this I would love to read more of your good-smelling stories! ❀
Argette (guest)
+1
10 years ago (2014-08-03)
We recently had an experience with another aroma, this one very frightening. It was a summer night about 8 p.m. My husband was in the TV room downstairs. Our daughter, home for a summer break, was in her room sorting through some old family photos. I went upstairs to take a shower.

Emerging from the master suite, I smelled what I can only describe as multiple beeswax candles just blow out. My daughter smelled it, too, and we were both frightened that something was on fire upstairs as she had not been burning candles.

It was very strong, very powerful, almost overwhelming. It was pervasive in the front part of the house. We searched all over for a source. The only appliance that was running at the time, other than the TV, was the dishwasher, but that's in the rear of the house, bottom floor, and nowhere near the front steps and upper hall.

The smell has not returned. Our daughter thinks it was related to the old photos somehow.
Argette (guest)
+1
10 years ago (2014-04-21)
Just wanted to add that this morning around 10:30 a.m., the aroma of apple pie filled the house. I was in the TV room when I smelled it; this is one of the few times it has not been in the middle of the night. As usual, my husband was not around when it occurred. It was heavenly! His loss!
Fergie (40 stories) (1159 posts)
+1
10 years ago (2014-04-03)
Hi Argette, I must jump in with my 2c worth 😊. I know a sinus issue cannot be ruled out, but as in your case, I think that can be ruled out as your smells seem to have a *time frame* - at night or very early morning. My logic may be addled, but that is my opinion.

Anyway, I am glad that you will keep a journal. In my case, I have found it invaluable. Maybe a pattern will emerge, not that it will tell you where or who your appetizing smells originate from, unfortunately.

I have been lucky. On a few occasions my hubby has 'shared' a smell of perfume with me. On most occasions, when I have smelled something, the aroma has reminded me of someone, but not always. I haven't had a *smell* in quite some time now, so I take it that I am not getting so many visits lately. At one stage I had a certain smell every time I sat at my PC, and that lasted for nearly two weeks with absolutely no discernible source. πŸ˜•

BTW, we are the first owners of our house.

Thank you for sharing your intriguing tale Argette.
Argette (guest)
 
10 years ago (2014-04-02)
Thank you, Gemzxxx. My house was built in 1896 by a city official who lived there with his family for less than 10 years. After 1905, several different families lived there in 10-12 year increments until about 1944 when a farm couple purchased it for their retirement home. The husband died a few years later, and the wife rented out rooms to young women studying at a nearby college during the later 40s and into the 60s. I wonder if she might have baked for them? I know she kept chickens in the back and had a wonderful garden, including a grape arbor. She died about 1975, and the couple who owned it after that did some remodeling. My husband bought it from them much later. I am not aware of any commercial enterprise that operated here, but it is possible that previous owners baked a lot.
Gemzxxx (6 posts)
 
10 years ago (2014-04-02)
I agree with cornflakes once again lol. I think its someone who has passrd and is keeping up wigh their routine. Maybe your house was used as a bakery once upon a time? A woman maybe? Most likely, as the house is quite old and back in the day it was women who did all the cooking lol. I don't think you have anything to worry about though. Maybe try looking into whk used to live there, or what the house was used for before.
Thnks for posting this, its nice to here pleasant experiences x
Argette (guest)
+1
10 years ago (2014-04-01)
What wonderful responses!

Lately I have had the scent of stew or soup a few times. I know that brain issues can cause you to think you are smelling something, but these scents are always the same time. I will now keep a journal to see if they have a pattern, or could be seasonal. Sinus issues? Could be.
spiritwaiting (42 stories) (843 posts)
 
10 years ago (2014-04-01)
Argette, yes smells can be considered resdiual or imprints on an older home. And that may just be what it is. Or it could be a spirit trying to tell you to go. Cook some bacon and waffles! This sounds so good! I want to. Wake up with a resident spirit spreading those delicious aromas around my home! Yummy. 😊 Great story.
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (4999 posts) mod
+3
10 years ago (2014-04-01)
Argette - as far as living with scent-associated hauntings (for lack of a better term LOL), baking definitely takes the cake πŸ˜† Sorry, could not restrain myself πŸ˜† I just had a donut and this story was the next one I read so it was just perfect for my humor today.

I agree with the others. Many times we associate perfumes, tobacco, flowers, and even music with someone who has passed. There's even a story on here about Blackberry Vinegar. Aromas are wonderful things. Help us remember our loved ones, and those we may not have known but they don't want to be forgotten.
BadJuuJuu (guest)
+1
10 years ago (2014-04-01)
I like CornFlakes' idea of a residual. It seems like a possibility. I also like Griff's suggestion that walls can hold scents. Sometimes they do. The scent of smoke for example never completely goes away. Another non-paranormal possibility, and its a little gross, sometimes a sinus infection can cause phantom smells.
I do think your phantom smells just might be, well, phantom. 😊 You may have the coolest haunt ever. Not that I'm jealous. If I had that going on here the cravings would drive me to distraction.
❀
Griff84 (5 stories) (289 posts)
+1
10 years ago (2014-04-01)
I wonder if the walls can hold smells as well as sounds etc.? Either that or as CornFlakes said is residual from a previous occupant.

I enjoyed reading your light, refreshing post, thanks 😊
CornFlakes (1 stories) (18 posts)
+4
10 years ago (2014-04-01)
Might be the previous owners doing their usual everyday baking, kind of residual maybe? I'm not sure if aromas count as residual. I bet you have a good time and a great appetite! 😁

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