Sophie's Story

   Hi, this is Colby. I'm writing this because Sophie is making me. I did a bad thing and this is my punishment. She told me that I have to write about what I did and then promise never to do it again.   We have this really cool ceramic basket of fruit on the dining room table. Sophie bought it someplace and brought it home. I really like it because it has orange in it like me. I like rubbing my face on it. There are edges on it that feel really good.   I thought it might be a good joke to have the ceramic basket of fruit write a letter to the people that used to own it. Maybe they were wondering what happened to it. I'm sure that if I sold something I would want to know if it was being taken care of.   Once day while Sophie and C were at work I got on the computer. It took a long time, but I was able to write the letter. I was even able to get the printer to work! I've never done it before. I folded up the paper and put it by the ceramic basket of fruit. I waited to s

   A few months ago, at a white elephant party, I bought a ceramic basket of fruit. The donor of this basket was my friend, Helen, who really, really wanted to get rid of it. It had been a present given to her and her husband long ago. It had been sitting in their basement packed away for many years. She brought it to the sale hoping to find it a good home.   Oddly enough I had my eye on the basket. I sort of liked the look of it. The problem was that I really didn't need more decorative items in the house. I had enough already. Helen did not want to bring it home and the money was going to a good cause. I made a bid on it. It was the only bid. I paid my money and carried it home.   Since then it has been sitting on my dining table. I had no other place to put it and I thought it looked good there. A few weeks ago I found a piece of paper folded next to it. It was a letter from the basket of fruit to Helen. I had no idea now it got there. It's not a bad letter, so I thought

   Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have customs and practices that are not found in any other denomination. The Sunday services consist of the passing of the Sacrament followed by prepared talks by members of all ages on subjects assigned to them by the Bishopric. The Sunday meetings are three hours long. Latter-day Saints do not drink alcohol, coffee or tea. The do not smoke and are encouraged to get regular exercise and rest. Members are assigned to visit other members to check up on them and to assist them with needs they might have. Young men are strongly encouraged to spend two years serving a mission before completing their education and starting a family. Young women and older couples may also serve missions and these missions range from proselytizing to service, to retrieving and recording records for those who are researching genealogy.   Many comedians and comic writers have made a lot of money mocking the beliefs of members and some of their pra

  Many of my friends on Facebook are returned missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Some of them are also newlyweds. The wife of one of them posted a comment about her husband asking her out on a date and how it still gave her butterflies just like it did when they were dating. I love stuff like that and I couldn't resist commenting that it's even better when you have the same feelings ten years later. Deep down I am a little bit of a romantic.   It made me think of the first Valentine's Day date I had with C. We had met a little over a month before. C was a musician, working in a coffee shop. Not the most lucrative of professions. He wanted to take me out on a Valentine's Day date, but obviously couldn't afford much. We went to Culver's.   I think he was probably a little embarrassed at taking his date to a fast food place, but I didn't mind. I like Culver's. Besides that it was truly the thought that counted with me.

   C and I attended a Toastmasters party recently. One of the party games we played was for each of us to write down one thing that no one else knows. These would be read off and others would have to guess who the person is.   This was not easy for me. I'd been a member of the group for a long time. Most of my speeches and Table Topics tend to be stories from my life. There isn't a whole lot that group members don't know. I originally thought that I would write down that my nickname as a child was "motor mouth" because I used to talk too much. I decided that I really didn't want to use that. It was kind of a painful nickname and I still think I talk way too much. Then it occurred to me. I always travel with a pink striped towel.   The towel was a high school graduation present from my Aunt Mari. It wasn't my favourite present. I thought it was a little silly. A towel, big deal. Aunt Mari told me that I would think of her whenever I used it. She was rig

   Every day on my day off, I draw up a "to do" list in the morning. The list has all kinds of items. It could be running errands, paying bills, doing things around the house. Today's to do list has two phone calls that I needed to make. I had also indicated that they needed to be done in the morning.   I did several items on the list. I completed an online training course for work. I did a continuing education lesson even though it wasn't on the list. I was about to start writing this post when it occurred to me that I had better make those two phone calls. My stomach started to churn and my hands started to shake and get cold.   I know it sounds odd, but I get nervous when I have to make phone calls. This is really bizarre because I make phone calls all the time at work. It's not that hard. All you have to do is pick up the phone. I've determined that it's all right if I'm calling somewhere or someone that I know. It's a completely different