"Father's Day"

 

Edna and Karl Abrams--1950s

            Words don’t come easily on days like today. I miss my father every day, but Father’s Day pushes his absence into the forefront. On days like today, I wish for Dad’s boisterous voice booming through the house as he prepares his first cup of coffee for the day. I long for a whiff of his Old Spice scenting the room. I yearn for another hug and kiss where his morning stubble scratches my cheek. I need one more corny joke that makes me groan and roll my eyes. I want to argue once again about those hot subjects of politics, religion, sex and money!
            So on days like today, words don’t flow as easily. My heart feels heavy, the hurt still painful even though this marks the tenth Father’s Day without Dad. Many of you celebrate today with your fathers. I hope you cherish the conversations you share and enjoy the time together. For those of you who mark today without your fathers, may your memories be sweet, kind, and loving.

Karl Abrams-retirement from Galveston County Sheriff's Department 1992

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

“Teapots and Faeries—Part Two”

Newest addition!

 

            Recently, I relocated my faery collection into the living room and kitchen instead of the family room. Because the statues had resided so long in one location, they’d shifted in my attention to background noise. New locations, spreading faeries throughout two rooms instead of one, attracts visitors' eyes, too. Our front window showcases several figurines that anyone walking up to the door can see. By drawing this collection forward, I’ve ended up adding to them with an outside faerie in the front garden.

             The ripple down from moving my faeries into the kitchen resulted in my teapot collection, which continues to grow annually, to find new locations. I have some favorites that I use when sipping tea in the mornings, and others stay perched in spots just for display.

Copyright 2024 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

 

“A Barnes and Noble Triumph”

 

            My faith in mankind tripled yesterday with the overflowing crowds at our new Barnes and Noble in Selma, at The Forum. Our Wednesday tradition of dinner out led us to one of our favorite spots, Papouli's Greek Grill. When we had difficulty finding a parking spot, I remembered that the book store’s Grand Opening was scheduled for June 12^th. We decided to walk over after dinner, not really anticipating just how large the crowd would be.

            Entering the bookstore, I couldn’t believe how many people milled around everywhere. Excited children pulled parents from one section to another while nonchalant teens browsed in clusters of three or four, attempting to carry an air of disinterest that evaporated as they moved through the store.

            People weren’t just window shopping. Lines snaked at each check-out station with the wait to make purchases taking about thirty minutes. Standing in line, joy filled me as I watched families stack book after book on the counters. Some added puzzles and Lego sets to their pile. For thirteen years, our area of San Antonio has longed for a bookstore. Yesterday, I witnessed the quenching of that thirst.

 

Copyright 2024 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

 

“Small Triumphs”

  

            These last few weeks add up to nothing super big or important happening. While some family and friends make life altering moves, I find myself happily relishing the smallest changes that don’t ripple to anyone else but myself.

            My first glory came when I finally found the perfect pair of sandals! My favorite sandals, from now long gone Payless Shoes, tore irreparably. I searched in frustration for replacements. Not too easy. Unlike most people, I cannot stand sandals that thong between my toes. Because I really walk in them, I need something with a back strap. I’ve tripped and twisted my knees enough over the years to know that I need a shoe that stays on my foot.

            As soon as stores started putting sandals out, I began my hunt. At this point in my life, a perfect pair of shoes can’t cost too much! One day, I swung by the Walmart racks. To be honest, I didn’t think I’d find anything. But then, there they were! Dangling from a hook, with crisscross straps over the top and a Velcro back strip to fasten them to my foot, the perfect shoe hung. I whipped off my heavy Skechers and slipped a piece of heaven onto my feet. Their unexpected cushiness coupled with the back strap’s security made my purchase decision an easy one. Added to their attraction? A $20.00 price tag!  Every week, I check out Walmart for these same shoes in other colors, but tan seems to be their only hue. I will purchase a couple more pair, even if they are exactly the same, because next summer they may not exist!

            My other small victory came when I mentioned that we need to find a bench for the front yard. Koi, now a wobbly fifteen-years-old, sometimes meanders to the mailbox to “check the mail” for us. During his younger years, he’d rush about marking bushes, edging onto our neighbor’s yards, and would dash back inside with a tempting call of “Cheese, cheese!” to lure him back. Although he still wants to do his daily venture out front, his slow pace means whoever watches him will be outside for a bit longer. A small bench would allow him to idle and dawdle.

            I started keeping watch for a bench to set under the Red Oak tree. We have plenty of places locally, plus a quick online search found us several possibilities that wouldn’t dint my budget. On a run to Academy, we spotted some lawn chairs on sale that we could also cluster under the tree. Going to the rear of the store to find more chairs, I spotted the perfect little blue metal bench. Comfortable, even without a cushion and something I can easily paint different colors if I want.  The best, small triumph? A marked down price of $30.00! I danced out of the store in excitement!   

 

Copyright 2024 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

“Nightmare Smash-up”

            Last night, I found myself trapped on I10 in a van driven by the principal from Abbot Elementary. The quirky faculty sitting all around me, we protested in unison against the cars that ensnared the vehicle and prevented forward movement. Frustration fomented and fumed because there was nowhere to go, no exit ahead. My brain dragged out my personal experience of Hurricane Rita’s 2005 nightmare where we spent more than twenty-four hours in stopped traffic watching our gas gauges dipping lower with our anxiety shooting higher.

            Slapping the alarm clock to silence this morning, I woke up puzzled by this peculiar dream. Then I remembered the real nightmare created in Texas by our malicious Governor Abbott as he viciously ties public school spending into his pet private school voucher program. Texas public school districts face millions of dollars in deficits even when the State has the largest surplus of funds in state history. Abbott insists that school districts caused their own problems with mismanagement of funds.

            Before I went to sleep last night, I read the struggles of Judson ISD board members as they face a $32 million dollar deficit, and no way to continue with pay incentives they implemented in the 2023-2024 budget without bleeding more red. Districts also have to fulfill House Bill 3, Texas’s response to the Uvalde slaughter, to force districts to implement new guards and security standards with inadequate funding from the State.

            Internalizing the no win scenarios from the most recent news facing Texas public schools put me back onto I10 blocked into the far left lane. Now that I’m awake, I recall the panic I felt when I got out of my car to chat with my brother and son trapped in traffic directly behind me. My mother, already overdue for her medications, went into a Huntington’s disease tirade as we discussed our options. With nothing to lose, I knocked on the windows of the cars immediately in front and behind us in the next lane, begging for help from the drivers to squeeze their vehicles forward, or back, just enough for us to maneuver into the lane. Once our two car caravan settled into the middle lane, I repeated my plea with the next set of drivers, who edged just enough for us to move over and ahead again. We snaked ourselves to an exit in this way—one car at a time cooperating—until we steered of the stalled interstate and onto an access road.

            This solution to forward movement may be the only choice for Texas public schools. One person at a time: one parent, one faculty, one district needs to pressure by voting against a governor that implements slash-and-burn policies.

      Vote.

      VOTE.

      VOTE!

  

Copyright 2024 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman    

“Umbrella Paradiddle”

 

walking in the morning rain
steps confidently secure
not a single fret for pain
morning’s aura warm and pure
thunder threads a distant plane
raindrops offer a soft cure
bold grackles dive into drains
tempted by the water’s lure
paradiddles tap refrains
against my shelter’s contour

Copyright 2024 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

 

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“Brick and Mortar Revival”

  

            Rolling Oaks Mall opened in 1988 and became a go to place for our family with anchor stores of Penney’s, Dillard’s and Sears. When temperatures topped 100° day after day, we’d cool off by strolling through stores and grabbing lunch in the food court. My son’s passion for playing Pokémon cards found us sitting in competitions at the mall. Our annual Halloween parties ended with a round of parading for the various store’s treats. We took Santa pictures there. We practiced driving in the parking lots.

            Like so many malls throughout the country, this small mall struggles. The pandemic hit hard with places like Sears finally closing doors. To be honest, we neglected swinging by the mall in favor of places now much closer to home. Occasionally, we found ourselves dropping into Penney’s and swinging around to one of my favorite shops, Earthbound. Sometimes many months go between visits, and with malls trying to stay open and relevant, changes happen quickly.

            One Saturday, noticing an abnormally large number of cars in the mall’s lots, we let curiosity drop us into a slot and ventured inside. People flowed around the usually empty center with individual stalls set up selling almost anything imaginable. A quick conversation with one of the vendors revealed that the mall now holds weekend for specialized sellers. The calendar for 2024 promises “Cartoonapalooza” in a few weeks followed by “The Bad Decisions Sports Cards, Toys, Comics and Collectibles” event. Every month, different merchants will fill the malls interior spaces.   

            In addition to this weekend draw, the stores within the mall have changed, too, to provide unique shops that compliment Bath and Body Works, Zumiez, and Hot Topic. Our new favorite shop, Perfect Love and Perfect Trust, contains art and items that tap into whimsy. The new Radio Control Headquarters provides a place for enthusiasts to purchase and play with radio control toys. At the opposite end of the complex, a huge Battle Pub Games spreads out and draws in game players, too. Wrestling Shop Trademark and Collectables provides a wrestling ring on site!

            I can’t help but feel optimistic that the unusual and unique collection of shops and events will save Rolling Oaks Mall. The mixture of holiday traditions with a twist may prove enough to draw in customers for special events and draw them back again to participate in new hobbies and interests.

Copyright 2024 Elizabeth Abrams Chpaman