When I was a very young child, possibly pre-school, we had a very special neighbor down on north 17th Street in Woodward, Oklahoma. Her name was Jean Spencer and she had four (4) very ornery boys that I kind of tagged behind and observed their activities.
Anyway, this isn't about the four boys it's about their mother. She called me to her porch one day and gave me a small Christmas gift that I think of every year at Christmas time. It was a mouse trap that was decorated in silver. It was trimmed in lace and the entire thing was painted silver. She gave me a little talk of which all I remember is that every Christmas tree must have a mouse trap.
That mouse trap has long since disappeared but the sentiment has remained with me all these years.
This is one of my earliest memories.
