Success!!

One squirrel in the trap, but at least two more playing on the roof as I type.  I won’t bother with pictures.  They would not be a pretty sight.  However, I needed to update those who have been following our saga.

We are determined to foil them.  They have now started eating our gutters.

Pardon the interruption.  I will move on to more pleasant things, like decorating for Christmas, next week.

Deck the Halls

Beginning December 1, Susan at Thoughts from Over the Rainbow will host Deck the Halls every Tuesday until Christmas. Be sure to mark your calendars.

I really hate getting ahead of Thanksgiving with the Christmas decorations, but I have to admit that I've been on the lookout for ideas. Here's one that I couldn't wait to share with y'all.

I refuse to climb on the house to do anything with lights, and Lbeau is no help when it comes to Christmas decorations. So any of you are welcome to steal this decorating scheme from the neighbors on the right. Just be sure to share the pictures.

Belated Birthday Blog

Since I've written about almost every other family birthday this year, I would be remiss if I didn't say a few words about my own birthday, which I celebrated last Saturday.

On November 14, 1946, I was born at Camden Hospital in Camden, Arkansas, the first child of Marion Reynolds Walker and Thomas Benton Walker.  My birthday always seems to fall on the opening weekend of deer season, and I think that year was no exception.  In fact, they probably had to retrieve Daddy from the deer woods when Mother went into labor.

This year, I am using deer hunting as my brother's excuse for failing to remember my birthday.  Although there is wifi at deer camp, there is no cell service, so I guess I'll let him off the hook.

My mother says she rarely got to hold me.  Since I was the first grandchild on both sides of the family, I got passed around a lot.  When I was still a baby, my grandfather built the bridge over the Ouachita River in Camden, and when they poured some of the concrete they put my footprints in it.  I don't recall crossing that bridge a single time that I wasn't reminded of that.

This year we celebrated my birthday in Little Rock.  On Saturday morning Claire's aunts had a baby shower for her and my granddaughter Lucy, who will be born in February.  Saturday afternoon, we celebrated my great niece Emma's birthday.  She was a year old on Friday.

My nephew Scott even offered me my own birthday cupcake, but I refused to wear the frosting coated birthday hat or to smear my face in the icing.  Best leave those things to the one-year-old.

Saturday night we enjoyed pizza at my sister Margie's house and watched the Razorbacks beat Troy 56-20.  At halftime the family "sang" to me, and presented me with my own birthday cake, a carrot cake made from scratch by Claire.

Footnote:  Earlier in the day Walker called and sang "Happy Birthday."  At 2 1/2 he knows all the words, and unlike the rest of my family, he can carry a tune.

Problem Solved (Maybe)

I heard the squirrel in the attic this morning when I came into the kitchen for breakfast. That scratching and clawing of little feet overhead was not something I wanted to hear at 6 a.m. or anytime for that matter.

But I think I may have found the solution to the problem.

LBeau says he had experience in college making similar contraptions. The fraternity boys used them to launch water balloons at the sorority houses. I'm sure that made a good impression on potential dates.

Anyway, I'll let y'all know how it goes.

Remembering Our Veterans

We’re back from our trip to London, and I’m just about over the jet lag. Since I need to get back to blogging, I’m going to join Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday Favorites. Chari makes it easy for bloggers by letting us re-post a favorite from the past, so be sure to head on over to see what others are sharing.

While we were in London we noticed that the British Royal Legion was in middle of its Poppy Appeal, a fund raiser held in conjunction with Remembrance Day, their equivalent of our Veterans Day and also celebrated on November 11. At Westminster Abbey, poppies were displayed on small wooden crosses in a Field of Remembrance to honor those who had died in service to their country, and they were also offering poppies to wear on your lapel for a donation of any size.

I was reminded of the small paper poppies from my childhood that people in this country used to wear on Veterans Day. They may still be worn, but it’s been years since I have seen any. So in honor of Veterans Day, coming up this Wednesday, I am reposting something I wrote last year.

A Sunday Favorite

On this Veterans Day I am reminded of my father, Captain Thomas Benton Walker, Sr., who served with the Timberwolves during World War II in Germany, France and Belgium.

After reading Scott Turow's Ordinary Heroes I became intrigued by The War and started going through a scrapbook that my Aunt Sissy, Daddy's sister, compiled with letters, photos and other things Daddy sent home from Europe. Unfortunately, I didn't even know about the scrapbook's existence until after Daddy died.


I'm sorry I never took the time to talk to him more about his experiences, but I'm not sure he would have shared much anyway.


Happy Veterans Day to all who have served in the armed forces, and especially those who served in war time.