Joe Gande: What an interesting, cathartic day-My "Gray"...Oil Painting & a visit from my Father....

What an interesting, cathartic day....My "Gray"...A wonderful gift by way of an oil painting & a visit from my Father....You know those days when you think for sure that it's going to go one way...and then ends up in another?:)lol Well that was today!Firstly...I woke up to find my Mom on the floor rummaging through an old box of stuff that was my Dad's...she had had a dream about him and felt the need to look through his things and decide what to do with some of them...My parents 50th anniversary would have been just a few days ago...maybe that's why....I was very reluctant to join her at first...wanting to just keep the things as is and leave them alone..even after being so long since he had passed on....but, after some coaxing... I did....Let's just say...I learned some things...heard some wonderful stories, laughed, and yes....shed a few tears...and I'm now sitting here writing this wearing my Father's favorite New York Yankees Baseball cap...:)I thought I knew it all and had done this already and had all of his things...I have been wearing his favorite T-shirt(and mine) for many years and have his Dogtags around my neck since he gave them to me and I have the paintings he did hanging on my walls...I even have his used Saxophone reeds taped to the back of my Gibson Les Paul Guitar for good luck and so he's with me every time I hit the stage...can you say superstitious...lol....or sentimental? lol....but, apparently I did not know or have everything... and there are always new things to learn and experience in life, each and every day...... As some may know...I loved my Father dearly and without even knowing the why, what or when of it.....I am so very like him...according to my family...more now so than ever....I guess it must be I'm getting older :)So after all that..I just sat down with my coffee....Then...a ring...the door bell...and a an unexpected mystery box...I opened it to find....A beautiful oil painting out of the blue of my best friend "Gray"....May she RIP....I miss her terribly....What wonderful work by such an awesome, talented, up and coming young artist...And though I thought it might be too soon and too painful to do so...I stared at it all day....I think the artist really captured "Gray" so well...and sometimes I found myself today catching a glimpse maybe walking by and thinking it is really her there...though I must admit I have been doing that a lot lately anyway...It's funny... I love animals...sometimes more than people, as so many say...but was always a Dog person...or so I thought...having 3 dogs over the years....and being allergic to cats....but... My cat "Gray" was very special....she was a stray that just showed up one day...and never left my side till the day she left this earth....she walked up to me and I said "hey gray kitty"....and the rest is history...She was a very loving, noble and "Dog like" or almost "human like" kitty...A Cat Doctor/Specialist friend of mine said upon meeting "Gray"..."Oh...I see you have a talking Kitty"....and she thought that she was a spirit...and my guardian....based on what the ancient Egyptians believed....and what I know to be true...I have to concur.... I know there was a strange, close bond and connection like I've never had before...and it was known and seen by all that know us....and I always thought she was sent to me....Ti manca la mia Grigia...tuo padre ti ama così tantoWell....thank you for stopping by and reading this post...I hope you may have enjoyed my rambling in some way...I'm not one to typically share and ramble on about such personal things here...well, maybe...occasionally...lol...but isn't that what a Blog is really all about? and what it supposed to be? or at least what they started out being?By definition a Blog is...."a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer""a Web site containing the writer's or group of writers' own experiences, observations, insights, opinions, etc"... Please let me know if you like this kind of post...or not....Have an awesome rest of the week!!Love,Joe

Some photos of my beautiful best friend....

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