Sophie's Story

One thing I do on the mornings of my day off is make a 'to do' list. After breakfast I search for a piece of paper to write on. Despite the fact that I know I have several pads dedicated to writing lists on, I can never find any of them. I have to hunt for an envelope or something else to use. Having found some paper, I sit down with my pen and get to work. I write down everything even those things most people wouldn't. Things like 'check mail','wash dishes' and 'practice instruments'. I even write down 'write column'. I know if I don't do this, I might forget and it doesn't get done. If I have to go out I write down every place I need to go and what to get while I'm there. If I'm meeting someone for lunch I write that down. I may forget. The average list has about eight to fourteen items on it. I try to be reasonable and list as many things as I can do in a day. The bad part is that during the day I find more and more things ...

I saw Eve the first time we went to Hobgoblin Music just outside of Red Wing. We had gone there to pick up Margaret, the lap harp, who had some minor clean up work done and was ready to come home. Eve was sitting in a corner with some other lap harps. She caught my eye instantly. She looked lovely sitting in the corner. The lady helping me told me that someone had bought her and then decided that she really wanted a floor harp instead. Eve stood proudly, her golden brown finished cherry wood frame beckoning me. I gave her strings a tentative pluck. For such a dainty instrument she had a delightful tone. As much as I wanted to take her home, I had never played the harp before. I didn't want to invest the amount of money she cost into something I might not like or be able to play. Also having just brought Margaret into the house, I didn't think it was such a good idea to abandon her until I got to know her. I gave Eve a pat on the soundboard and told her that if I was ready for a...

I'd like to give you a bit of background before I launch into my topic. The sign in front of a chapel of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has the name of the church on it and "visitors welcome". If you go inside to attend Sacrament meeting, you'll find that it is quite different from other churches you have been to. While they sign hymns during the meeting and have what they call the Sacrament (called Communion or the Eucharist in other faiths), there is no sermon. Instead after the Sacrament has been passed, people asked ahead of time by the Bishop (who leads the ward) give talks on various subjects. Every month there is a topic and the speakers talk about various aspects of that topic. A couple of weeks ago one of the members gave a really good talk on enduring to the end, which is this month's topic. I was certain it would be a good one, she has taught lessons in the women's class before and they were very good. I knew this wasn't goi...

Hi everyone! This is Colby. That's C-O-L-B-Y, like the cheese, not K-O-B-E like the basketball player. I am one of the two house cats that lives with Sophie and C. I know all of you have heard from my big brother, Scamp. He likes to talk about himself. Most of you know very little about me. I would like to tell you a little about myself. I was adopted about three years ago. Before that I lived with a foster mother and several other cats and dogs. My birthday is in July. I will be three years old. Everyone thinks that Scamp is the best looking cat. He's hard to resist I'll admit. That black silky fur,paw tufts, the fringed tail all make one handsome package. Add those big green eyes and his very confident air and you've got someone who is hard to resist. I am very good looking too. I'm an orange short hair tabby with white paws,chin,chest and belly. I like being a short hair, it means that I look good without much grooming required. (Hear that Sophie, I don't nee...

Have you ever had one of those times where you do something and then wonder why you did it? This week I had two bouts of very unSophielike behaviour that had me wondering what the heck was going on. I have reached the conclusion that I might have an evil twin. It's the only way I can explain it. The first incident happened Wednesday. I was nearing the end of the Wednesday 12 hour shift and was working with my intern and a tech. The tech and I usually get along well, but today we were getting on each other's nerves. She said something that I thought was a little out of line and followed it up with a smart remark. Normally I would have let this go as it is just the way she is, but I didn't like that she was doing this in front of the intern. The smart thing to do would have been to take her aside and explain to her that she needed to be a bit more careful about what she said. Instead, I chose to stew about it. While I was stewing I was trying to get some work done and was hav...

Every so often in catalogs that I get I see a T-shirt that says, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy". Now, while I have enjoyed the occasional beer root and otherwise,I must disagree with this statement. Beer is not proof that God loves us. Gardens are. Why do I think this? Well, it's in the Bible. Adam and Eve did not live in or near a bar. They lived in a garden. I think most people agree that when they think of paradise, a garden of some sort is part of the picture. I think that if you want to see small miracles, put a seed or seedling in the ground. Seeds are the most amazing things. They are small and look lifeless, but they aren't. Give it some water fertilizer and some sunlight and a living organism sprouts up. The reason why I'm so excited about plants is that our garden is finally in this year. The perennials that I have planted the past few years have come back. This is good news as it means I don't have replant everything ever...

A few columns ago I pleaded for some sunlight. Not much, just a little. All I wanted was a few days without rain so that people would feel more cheerful and I could get my plants in the garden. I didn't ask for 80 degree weather. I didn't ask for the streak to continue for a few weeks. That would be greedy. All I wanted was few days,preferably one of them on a day I have off. I guess someone must have heard me because for the past few days there has been a strange light in the sky. I can only assume it is the sun. I'm seeing things I haven't seen for a long time,like shadows. When I look up I see the colour blue. I thought perhaps I was going colour blind because when I looked up all I saw was gray. Days like this must not be squandered. I had a hair appointment this morning. after that I went to lunch with a friend. It was a small restaurant/wine bar that I'd never been to before. It was new and bright with olive oil vats along the walls and pitchers shaped like fi...