Remembering my Grandpa

My Grandpa died almost 6 yrs ago now. I really miss him. He was a WWII vet & had Navy tattoos on the inside of both forearms. I remember asking him when I was little how you got a tattoo & he told me that first you had to get really drunk. My Grandpa was tough, I figured if he had to get drunk to get a tattoo that it really hurt & I was NEVER getting one.

My Grandpa was not a big talker, he only talked when he had something to say, and usually it was something that you should listen to. He taught me how to drive a nail w/only two hits from a hammer, that tomatoes and peas tasted best fresh from the garden, and that riding on the back of an old tractor was a lot of fun.

My Grandpa liked cats, when I was really little, he had Stinky Cat...a tabby who thought he was a skunk-the skunks disagreed. When I was a little older he had Cat, until she had kittens, then she was Mama Cat. My first kitten was from Mama Cat and was a tabby named Tiger. The last cat he had was a stray he adopted who turned out to be pregnant. She had a litter of 5 kittens. When they were about 6wks old Grandpa went into the hospital for some routine surgery. After 2wks he came home. I came to see him at home & all the great-grandkids were outside playing with the kittens & telling everyone how fun they were. He looked a little wistful, so I asked him if he wanted me to bring him one of the kittens. He said yes. That little black & white kitten sat on his lap & snuggled with him for an hour. It's the last time I saw my Grandpa happy. He went back into the hospital that night & never came home again. I brought my Grandpa's kitten home & have him to this day. He's not little anymore, he weighs over 20lbs, and his name is Cookie (Monster).

My Grandpa always carried a pocket knife. He told me when I was old enough to have my own pocket knife that they were the most useful tool & you never knew when you might need one. I bought him an Old Timer pocket knife for Christmas the year Doug was born. When Grandpa died my Dad asked me if there was anything in particular I wanted. I said Grandpa's pocket knife & his kitten. Well, you know about Cookie. Dad asked which pocket knife, since Grandpa had a few. I told him I wanted the one he carried everyday...turns out it was the one I got him for Christmas. I have that pocket knife, but the since I'm afraid of loosing it, it's not the one that I carry in my purse. Eventually, I'll pass it on to Doug.