Who remembers the Santa Claus cabin?

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Barbara Glenn.

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and safe travel! As I was wrapping up today's column, I, like many, were preparing for the arrival of houseguests. Richard and I drove up early with a loaded car and U-Haul trailer. I brought six new dining room chairs that my Mother would have loved; after all, it is her birth month! Richard and I took Interstate 40 between Little Rock and West Memphis this time, and it wasn't bad around Brinkley. The truckers were behaving, and traffic was moving, although at a slower pace for a couple of miles. For the past many trips between here and Dallas, we have been taking the back roads because of the construction in Arkansas. In doing so we always stop at the produce stand and visit with the Mennonite family at Yoders in Aquilla. If you like braunsweiger, Yoders has the best along with many other offerings.

The Christmas luncheon for the CHS Class of 1964 has been rescheduled to Dec. 13 due to the Chaffee Christmas Parade Dec. 6. The party starts at 11 a.m. at Delmonico's in Jackson, and gifts are optional.

Headstone help

Anyone driving by the Historical Museum has noticed the two headstones in front. There is quite a story, and we can thank several people for putting the Cox and a rebel soldier's markers in place. Richard and I first noticed one behind the city dog pound and the other one was at Dewaine Shaffer's farm. Through the efforts of Dewaine, Jerry Stroup and Richard, they were eventually relocated to the museum and placed on swivel bases for all to see.

Barbara Arnold tells us that they are still trying to get the museum up and running but could use some volunteers. You can also help out by joining the Chaffee Historical Society; annual dues are $10. Send your check and donations to P.O. Box 185, Chaffee 63740.

The recent winds brought out the rakes again. You can bag the leaves and call City Hall to schedule a pickup.

City Council meets tomorrow at 7 p.m. at City Hall. We also remind you that city and county taxes are due by the end of December. You can pay county taxes on Wednesdays (except Christmas Eve) from 3 to 5 p.m., when Collector Mark Hensley is in-house.

Tomorrow is the deadline for submitting your recipes to the Chaffee Library for their cookbook due out next spring. Sales of the cookbook will go toward the new carpet for the library.

Christmas parade

The "Twelve Days of Christmas" themed Christmas parade is Saturday at 1 p.m. It starts at Headstart and ends in the CHS parking lot. Keep your fingers crossed for great weather!

Christmas decorations are going up this weekend in downtown, Circle Park and at residences. The Jean Whitaker Memorial Park is all aglow and we thank WarChild for doing such a splendid job.

Back in the day, there was a cabin on a north/south street not far from downtown Cape in a parklike setting. People would line up in their cars during Christmastime hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus. Let us know if you remember the Santa Claus cabin and the location.

We wondered about Betty Heady recently, and Pat Moore tells us that she is a preacher and lives in Park Hills. Mary Ann Kagle adds that Betty's father was pastor at First Assembly of God in the 1950s.

Talk of the Toni Twins reminded Mary Ann of how proud she was of her first permanent at the age of 12, given by Mrs. Shell at Shell's Beauty Salon. Her mother later gave her an in-home Toni every few months. She said her dad would always comment on the distinctive smell when he came off a Frisco Railroad run. The Duncans lived down the street from us, and my sisters, Carolyn and Ruth Ann, often played with Mary Ann. One day they played beauty shop, and they all recall the commotion it caused in both households when Mary Ann gave Carolyn a haircut.

Walker Rice had a happy birthday while on a recent deer hunt. HB, his dad, tells us that Walker shot a 7-pointer, Donnie Kiefer an 8-pointer, Rodger Seyer a doe and Mike Lee a doe. Bring on the deer sausage!

We were hoping for a win in last Sunday's exciting Rams game with the Chargers, but at least former resident now of San Diego Jae Hopkins was happy. All the talk Monday morning was the one-handed catch by Giant player Beckham in their game against the Cowboys. Dallas won but we wonder how much of that catch can be attributed to the wearing of "performance-enhancing" sticky gloves. Do you remember when dropped passes were common?

Remember to tell those special people in your life you love them -- those three words mean so very much. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with those who have lost loved ones, our homebound, those in hospitals and nursing homes.

And then ...

Then there was the bumper sticker, "RV there yet?"