Petula Poppy : What's in a Name?

I was chatting with a jeweler last week at the MAGIC Market Week trade show in Las Vegas. I had been handing out my Petula Poppy business cards every where I went. But, she was the first one to ask me, "What does your name mean?"

I told her and thought, "I should share this."

Petula was the name of my dog that my parents surprised me with when I was 6 years old. I was born cross eyed and I had been in the hospital having surgery (one of two) to fix my vision. I was in a hospital in San Francisco and I remember my Dad coming to visit me early in the morning. He was a stockbroker and left for work very early in the a.m. He would find me awake because I did not sleep well there. After the second stay I came home and found an adorable little puppy. She was black and white and had long fur - a real mutt and a real buddy. My Dad suggested I name her after Petula Clark because she was a small lady with a loud voice and big personality, just like my puppy. So, Petula it was and I LOVED her! She lived until she was 22 years old!

Poppy came from "Pops" which is what I called my Dad. I did not always use this name and we had some rough patches in our time together. But, the last years were grand. He asked that my kids call him, "Pops" and he was a wonderful Grandfather and I called him that too. He was a man who kept his promises and when I needed him most, he showed up without hesitation.