October – 2013 – TALESetc.

Back on my own manor, I sometimes have a word with myself about it, and cringe. I mean, it wasn’t exactly emigrating, just a temporary change of scene: a short shufti at how the other half earns a crust, that’s all. I have to tell you, there’s some really weird people out there!

I used to do a scam down Pettycoat Lane, nothing leery. You know! The bloke who shouts things like: “Not thirty quid, not twenty-five, not even twenty—-” that old Jackson Pollocks. I sold ‘iffy’ gear from the back of a van, with the engine running, before

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There I was, sitting on the steps that led out into my garage from my house once again late and trying to make up time by rushing through things that never should have to be rushed through.

I grabbed my favorite pair of black Rockport shoes, put them on my feet, and quickly attempted to tie them tight. By the way, they are my only pair of black Rockport shoes. Wouldn’t you know it, one of the laces broke. This is not the first time because looking down I saw multiple knots attempting to keep the lace in working order. But, this time was the last time. There was no lace left to tie.

When I am I going to learn to let go of those favorite things in my life when they finally wear out or break. Sitting on the steps understanding that my first period class would once again have to survive without me I pondered other things in my life I should throw away. Looking around my garage I saw things I should have thrown out years ago. In fact, since many of these things came from my father of which he probably got from his father I hypothesized they should have thrown them away before they ever got to me.

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The leaves are finally off the trees and the clocks have been set back, so that we all now drive home in the dark! As to why we continually do this is above and beyond my comprehension but then again most things are.

The end of day-light savings time does remind us all that the winter is not far off and it is time to evolve. from our summer systems to the winter ones. One of these changes includes taking out the winter wardrobe to replace the summer clothes of our closets and drawers. Usually around this time of year my summer wardrobe consists of cut-off jeans that are more strings than cloth, t-shirts that have been washed a bit too many times and have now become translucent, and white socks that have more holes in them than white.

A basic problem here is that the winter clothes take up more room than the summer ones did. This makes it necessary to squeeze heavy jeans and sweatshirts into an area that was originally made for less bulky items. This also makes it impossible to open the drawer without tearing off the front panel. This is something that is a bit traditional for me when I change from summer to winter garb. At least the price of dresser drawers has not increased over the years too much! Another problem is that I can never remember whether or not I washed my winter clothes before I put them away in storage. My wife tells me that I don’t have to remember because all I have to do is smell them when I take them out of their summer home. In other words, I never remember to wash them!

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Iwas in my office one Monday morning when someone was knocking at my door. It was a miracle I heard it because it was ever so faint. Opening the door I observed a young girl holding a clipboard filled with papers.

The young lady with shiny blonde hair explained that she was asking people in our neighborhood to sign a petition allowing the ice-cream truck to come back. Come back? I thought. Not being a child anymore I never knew it left but it did. It seems that my town’s board of selectman rescinded the license to sell ice-cream in an ice-cream truck. There was some sort of ordinance dating back to 1982 that prohibited people from selling food from vehicles in public areas.

It seems that sometimes laws made to protect local businesses from competition forget about what made all of our childhoods and our old neighborhoods enjoyable. It wouldn’t take long to search out a person who remembers listening for those ever familiar bells of the white truck that made our mouths water even before it was seen. The shiny white truck with the man wearing the remarkably white suit and white hat was a favorite part of all of all our summer days.

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When The First Galaxy was virtually complete, only a mishmash of Evil Spirits remained, unused and unwanted. Light of Day gathered them up for The Maker, who rolled them into a ball to form a comet, dipped it in green light and threw it towards The Vastness of Nowhere.

As the day was ending, Twilight, mother of Night, was busily spreading Peace and Tranquility about the skies. Suddenly, low on the horizon, she caught sight of the green comet about to leave the galaxy. Fearing for its safety she called out to Darkness, father of Night, for help.

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Most of us remember the big events in our lives. These usually have to do with important dates like weddings, birthdays and holidays but, lying on my back in front of my rider lawnmower recently, I realized I had just experienced a big event in my life that I would never forget.

It had started out, as these things do, with the best of intentions. The rain-heat-rain cycle of our summer had not let up all through early fall. Not that I was complaining, I am very well aware that winter is just around the corner but all this sunshine and rain meant the lawn kept growing. Like everybody else, I was out there mowing as we headed into the home stretch for Halloween. I also wanted to get my chores done early because there was a Red Sox game on later and I had visions of a Red Sox win and a couple of beers with friends.

This vision of baseball and beer must have blinded me to my progress across the lawn because about then my ride-on mower hit the water valve, hidden in the long grass and came to a complete halt but, I did not. I once again proved Newton’s Laws of Motion by flying out of my seat and performing a perfect somersault over the handlebars and landing on my back in front of the mower. Until this moment I never believed the safety stop on a ride-on mower was really necessary but now I was glad the manufacturers had taken people like me into consideration when they built their mower.

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When I was an adolescent or maybe I was a bit younger, I knew a man. He worked across the street from my uncle’s cafe. His job was working at a scrap-yard, and on most days I would notice him on the side of the building.

He had a large sledgehammer that he often used. This hammer looked HUGE to me, at my age, and I was amazed he could even pick it up, much less swing it with the brute force he did. His swing was like a work of art, and I would often watch him when I had free time. He taught me many things that I will always remember.

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It’s soft, dark water helped to soothe and quiet her mind. It took her away from the noisy, squawkish world of the cat-walk and let her lie untroubled at its side, listening only to the gentle lapping of its waves. She felt at peace. Alone. Unhindered and free. Free to do nothing but watch and listen and dream. London, Paris, New York – names, only names.

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My beauty is ageless, though lines scar my face,
I radiate and shimmer with green patterns of lace.
My arms, although gnarled, give me no pain.
I blossom at Springtime, with finery grand,
an arrangement in keeping with nature as planned.

When days turn to cold and frost chills my limbs,
my greatest performance of all then begins.
And people are spellbound gaze with much awe,
my beauty, my grace, my curtsy, my fall.

No debutante fair could ‘present’ with such glee,
in my Autumn of Life, a mere single old tree!

The old Trouper by Wendy R. Chapman.
All copyights reserved.

When Ava awoke, a pair of sappy, wet eyes stared at her. Ava rolled onto her stomach, grimacing as she turned over stony ground. Ava tried to stand and when she straightened her stiff body she realized the eyes that stared at her belonged to a donkey. He was skinny and curious, and edged closer to Ava. Laboriously, Ava reached out for the donkey and scratched his ears.

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October 2013

The Insulated Conductor.

Learning to let go of those favorite things.

Getting ready for winter.

Rights for ice-cream.

The Green Comet.

Why it’s always important to climb back on the mower.

I knew a man who was a giant.

The Lover.

The Old Trouper.

The Visit.