TYE DYED SUPRISE

..................let me start by saying that i have the most amazing family a man could ever ask for....kindness was bottled by these relatives and always ready to be served...chilled or warm it is all i would ever need to drink.......what started out months ago with trying to figure out a date that all the "cousins" could get together to the actual drive to new jersey (getting lost again even with a gps sytem and two extra humans to guide the way)......to driving up the driveway of my beautiful cousins loraine and donny..(ok donnie is handsome) home.......thinking it was our typical family get together....i knew this would be special because most of them read my blog every day and lived the journey with me and it was going to be "good for the soul" to see and feel their hugs.....as we turned the corner of their driveway i heard my favorite grateful dead song playing (ripple) i knew we were going to have a real good time....but never did i expect to see the sight i saw that day........it was a sea of pink tye dyed shirts...cousins wearing afro wigs...all in my honor.......all out of love......all for one...truly one for all.......( turns ou all the hand made ..hand dyed shirts did not start out pink but when they washed them to stop them from bleeding thay kinda ran together) it was like a flaming breast cancer awareness moment only it was for me......the photo above only tells half the story ..the day was filled with music i love.....( not a single complaint from the sinatra crowd)....food i really love knishes..chicken....bean salad.....home made italian ices....cookies...cake......beer.....pulled pork..beer......brownies........ice cream...beer.................i know i forgot something oh yeah everthing except the beer was made by one of my relatives......the highlight of the day is when you have a pome written about you from my uncle vinny..... i am honored to have one written for me ( i will post it this week)...man oh man did he nail it on the head....my writing pales in comparison to his and was honored to have him think of me so fondly,,,,,,,,ok just when i think i cannot be suprised anymore my nephews luke and gabe (who are next to me in the photo) wrote and sang (and played drums) a rap song to me........it is the highlight of the day...........thank you family......aunts and uncles thanks for being great role models growing up .........i only hope i have been able to be the same for all your grandchildren whom i love and hold so dearly............barbara......loraine...diane......steph.......jan...christopher.....anthony........you have the most beautiful familes and "continue to bless me with your undying love and support throughout my journey.......you have made my "walk in the park"...........remarkable......you all are park of my "post-op" recovery......saturday i was the "luckiest man on the face of the earth".......tom