Graceland and family vacations

I love this album. Thanks to my parents, I've been listening to it for decades, now.
It's rare that I remember to take a cd of my choice to the car, but I did the other day and enjoyed a few minutes alone with this one. You know how you can have sight/sound/smell associations with things from your past that seem to stay with you forever? Well, for me Graceland is not only a great album that's fun to listen to and sing along with, but it's an escape through the Smoky Mountains and along part of the East Coast. It's nice to go on vacation for a minute or two.
On that particular vacation (or maybe it was a different one....I tend to blur them all in my mind, but figure those details aren't that important), my sister and I each took our "My Friend" doll (she had Jenny, I had Becky) as customers of our personal beauty salons. We took bowls of hair barrettes, ponytail holders, hairbrushes and combs. Funny, I never learned to do anything with my hair.
And, while on the subject of sensory-related memories and dolls, every once in a while I smell something that reminds me of my early 80s Strawberry Shortcake Blow Kisses doll. I had Angel Cake. You squeezed her soft tummy and she blew a powdery-sweet smelling kiss. It's amazing to me how long things like that stick with you.

I do intend to make some unnecessary but fun crafty things in the next few days and will definitely post about them. I'm a bit stuck in memory lane just now, though, as we've had lovely family company the last few days.

(Oh, and like a nerd, I did play this title song repeatedly while my husband and I drove by the actual Graceland on our way through Nashville one time).