Somebody else's Poppa made me think of all my good times with Poppa Moone!

Today I saw an old fellow, dressed in white t-shirt, suspenders, and dickie pants. He was out in his garden....

Just like my Poppa Moone used to be. Of course Poppa Moone's shadow most days was a little Marcy.  He had a nickname for everyone, and I glowed when he called me "Sweetie Pie".

He took me in the garden with him since just about the moment I was born. I went back to my mother filthy, covered with soil, and as happy as a girl could be.

He taught me how to plant, how to hoe, how to water, how to pick. I loved every second with my Poppa, and I greedily think how lucky I was, because I was the first grandchild born, and I lived right next door to him.

When I was not in the little greenhouse or in the garden with Poppa Moone, I was on his lap, watching the ball game, or just looking out the windows. His lap was a safe harbor from those tormenting uncles in that house as well!

He took me in his truck for ice cream cones at 7am.

He had an old grain bin that he insisted a tiny lived family lived in. I was, and still am quite gullible, but I really was thinking that a little family certainly couldn't live in that grain bin. Much to my surprise, one day there were some little people in that grain bin! (He had bought some tiny little dolls and strategically placed them there for me to find). Of course my poppa would not lie to his sweetie pie.  To this day I still keep a few little tiny 1" plastic babies in my jewelry box to remind me of my poppa and that little grain bin family.

So, today as I saw someone else's poppa out in his garden, it made me love and miss my old Poppa Moone very much.

I had and still have many influences in my life, but I can't imagine having gone through my early years without my Poppa Moone.

I hope everyone is lucky enough to have great memories of someone(s) special from their early days.

I am a Putnamaniac because I loved every minute spent with my Poppa Moone, and still enjoy him often, although he passed on to the green pastures beyond earth years ago!