Farewell, old friends

Poncho Herman & Lynette Hattie

Remember me mentioning that I am cleaning out my basement? Well, in my quest to get rid of junk, I decided that, as much as I love these old chums of mine, they have been unloved and sitting in a box for way too long. The time has come for another child to embrace them. So, I took a picture and sent them on their way. Lynette Hattie ended up in my kids doll box but Poncho Herman, sadly ended up at the DI (thrift store).

These are the only two toys I kept from my childhood, and each one has a story.

Let's start with Poncho Herman. Once upon a time, when I was about 6 years old my two bottom teeth became very loose, as teeth tend to do. But when the roots wouldn't dissolve, it became apparent that those stubborn teeth needed some coaxing. So, my mom took me to the dentist. To calm me down and get me ready to have my teeth pulled, the dentist let me choose a toy from the toy closet. Dentists were very generous back then, I guess. My kids don't get things like that. They only get silly little bouncy balls or little sticky hands or something else equally useless. But hey, it keeps them happy.

Anyway, as I sat in the chair, the dentist asked me what I was going to name my new dog. Without any hesitation at all, I proudly declared his name to be Poncho Herman. I remember my mom laughed and laughed but let me explain why I named him that, as that is a peculiar name to say the least.

The coolest people in my life, at the age of 6, were Peewee Herman and my Uncle Poncho. Hence, the name, Poncho Herman. Gotta love it!!

Now, let's talk about Lynette Hattie. She was my very first Cabbage Patch Doll. I was probably about 5 or 6 when I got her from none other than Santa Claus! I looooved my new doll! She was my best pal. Over the years, I acquired several more Cabbage Patch dolls. All of which had names equally as beautiful as Lynette Hattie.

Actually, the plan was always to name my kids after my Cabbage Patch dolls. Unfortunately for my kids, Anthony wouldn't go for the names I wanted. ;) Too bad! Here's how it would have played out.

"K" - would have been Lynette Hattie
"A" - would have been Dina Melva
"H" - would have been Faline Dawn
"C" - would have been Ed Gilbert
"B" - would have been Carl Mac

If only I could have convinced my husband...