"Packing Panic"

 

            My tradition to pack away Christmas decorations on the first day of January meant I bounded out of bed extra early last Wednesday. This year, I simplified things a tad by unloading bins into only two rooms. The living room contained Bears, Nutcrackers, various stuffed animals and pillows along with the tree. The dining room displayed half of my Santa collection.

            I cleared the table top first to open that area for all of the tree ornaments. This year, I selected my son’s collection from his childhood, the ornaments we’d picked up on vacations, and special pieces we’d gathered over the years. These decorations I placed in new bins that matched the ones I purchased last year. The tree skirt, stockings, and items I use every year had their own new stackable container, too.

            Even with my husband’s help, it still took endless hours to replace each item back into its designated place. I focused on the living room slowly and carefully packing way each item. A quick glance at my watch reminded me to take a water break after working for a couple of hours. Our slow and steady work resulted in five bins packed neatly before I glanced at my wrist again to check the time.

            My watch was gone!

            Panic froze me in place. Which bin? Where had I last checked the time? Which container had something that would’ve tugged at the band and pulled it off? I envisioned us having to unpack the entire morning's work. 

            Taking deep breaths, I glanced at the bin I’d just completed and ruled it out immediately. It had smaller decorations that came in their own, original boxes. I swept over to the Nutcrackers. The largest Nutcracker, wrapped in an old throw, could’ve snatched my watch. Disappointment flooded me when it wasn’t there. I pulled out a box that I’d used new tissue paper to wrap about six Nutcrackers. Tugging out each one, I found nothing trapped in their soft coverings. My heart sank at the thought of unpacking more bins. Before repacking the box in my hand, I glanced inside. My victory whoop sang.

            My watch was there!

Copyright 2025 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

“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