Best Christmas Present Ever

In October, 2010 my short story entitled, "In Anticipation of Doll Beds" was included in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book entitled, "Christmas Magic." The story was about a simple pine desk my grandfather made me in the kitchen of his old farmhouse. My cousins and I were kept out of the kitchen when he was working. I convinced myself he was making me a set of bunkbeds for the dolls I'd asked for. But it turned out I was wrong. It was a pine desk with a single drawer and stool.  When I sat down at that desk at age 7 and opened the drawer I found a pad of lined paper and a single #2 pencil-sharpened and ready fo me to create. I'd known I wanted to be a writer. I know my grandfather knew for I'd sit with hm in the parlor of the old farmhouse while he read Saturday Evening Posts and Zane Grey novels. Grampie was a wise man.