The mouse in the mitt

For some reason we had a horrible infestation of mice last week, one morning we caught six in traps. Normally we catch one every few days, and maybe catch none at all for weeks at a time. Last week though they were thick, we set up our repeater traps and were catching two or three every night in them too. I don’t know what caused it but they were just thick.
The last straw, though, was when I reached up onto the top of the microwave above the stove to get an oven mitt down and when I stuck my hand in my thumb wouldn’t go into the thumb hole. I thought maybe some mouse had started a nest in there or something so I pulled the mitt off and when I looked in all I could see was a tail.
I screeched. I will admit it. I am really glad he was in that hole nose down so he didn’t bite me. I pinched the top of the mitt closed and went to find Rick.
“I have a problem,” I said.
“What’s the matter,” Rick replied.
“Look,” I held the mitt out to show him and that is when that stinking little mouse ran right out the top of the mitt. It hit the floor in a place that is hard to access, but he ran right into a Croc type shoe I keep there to slip into when I go just out the door to get wood. I slapped that mitt over the opening in the croc and proceeded to take him outside. Rick took over then and took croc, mouse, and Scotchy out in the driveway where Scotchy made short work of the mouse once Rick let it out of the shoe.
I try not to be one of those dramatic women who jump on chairs and such when they see a mouse, and I normally succeed, but sticking my hand in that mitt and then realizing that it was a mouse in there just almost made me run screaming from the house.
This week the mouse population seems to have dropped considerably, we haven’t caught any in the kitchen, the back porch still has some, the repeaters get maybe one a night. So I think we are on top of it again. I know we weren’t the only one who had that happen either. I had a friend call me and ask about a concoction that supposedly kills them. He said his son was catching eight or more every night.
And remember we have three cats in the house. Three cats that apparently don’t earn their keep at all.

Rolled Filled Cookies
(Gloria Weeks)
I remember these cookies well from carry ins at the Baptist Church.
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ pound chopped dates
1 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup water
½ cup sugar
Boil together dates, nuts, water and ½ cup sugar for about 15 minutes. Then cool. Mix remaining ingredients adding enough flour to make a stiff dough to roll. Roll cookies out quite thin. Cut out cookies, place them on cookie sheet. Put some filling in the center of each one. Then put a cover cookie on top and push down carefully around edge to seal. Bake until lightly browned at 350º for about 20 minutes. Rotating trays once. These cookies freeze well. In fact, they are better out of the freezer than fresh.