From the Desk of Pocket Dog: Precious New Art Work From Enzo's Mom

Humans don’t like plain walls.  Blank spaces bother them for some reason.  They go to galleries and buy expensive artwork to cover their empty walls.

My parents have been very fortunate.  They have framed paintings, photos, and pictures everywhere, but seldom have they paid for them.  Their walls are supported by our friends and family.

Daddy's Mom did two paintings in their living room.  He found them in her cellar shortly after she passed away.  She had them wrapped in garbage bags.  Like all artists, she found unseen imperfections in her work that caused her to discard the paintings, but the creator can only see those flaws, and to us the works are perfect.

Along two other walls are pictures of her seldom seen grandchildren and, above the television, which all stare at dutifully, are pictures of we three dogs, done by Freddy’s dad Steve and Leo’s mom Eileen.  

The kitchen is also the Connie Gross Art Gallery.  There are nine paintings and drawings along hallway and kitchen wall one by Zoe Boe’s mom.  They are all of Foley and I and chronicle our lives together.  Each one is cherished.

This week we received two new beautiful pieces of artwork from Enzo’s Mom Kathy.  I stole my Mom’s ringing camera and took two pictures of her very kind gift.

My parents love the sea.  They have come from generations of people who have stood on the docks and watched people sail off to risk their lives for a living then gratefully eat what they caught while complaining they got salt water on their good shoes.  One of the paintings Nana did is a seascape, so Enzo’s Mom’s picture fit perfectly at our house.

Enzo and his mom are a fantastic team.  They are a real renaissance couple having mastered writing, art, and humor.  They bring joy to our friends every day.  And now we have these drawings, which are true glimpses into the artist’s soul to brighten our lives each day.  There is no greater gift than art.  It is the gift of imagination more precious than a rare stone.

Aunt Kathy insisted we recognize Willie’s mom Sandy Von Nostrand, who has encouraged her artwork and patiently helped Aunt Kathy find the brilliant artist inside of her.  But we think Aunt Sandy would agree the credit all goes to Enzo’s fantastic mom.

Enzo lives with his mom on her mountain, and it is unlikely that my parents, who don’t travel further west than Worcester, will ever know the joy of meeting her, but now that Miss Kathy has treated them with this part of her heart they can experience meeting a part of her every time they look at it.

Thank you so much, Enzo and his mom.

You have made my mom very happy and, like the other artists whose works are on our walls, we owe her a great debt that we will spend the rest of our days trying to repay.