The picture above is a digital print we bought and had framed from the store associated with Grant Design Collaborative in Canton, GA. It was purchased many years ago and placed above our fireplace. It is a one of a kind which the store made for us based on MUCH smaller masks that they had on sale at the store.
Today on a video chat involving work someone remarked – “I see a cat head”. I gave a brief explanation and promised to post a picture on Facebook so they could see exactly what it was.
It turns out, Bill Grant of the design group that made it, saw the Facebook post and I finally learned the cat was real and there was an entire story. Excuse me, a saga.
Grant recounted -
“The photo is from our office cat for many years, Joe Lean. He was a stray at my home, and I thought he was a “she.” He/she appeared one night when Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” was playing on the Side Porch, so we named “her” Jolene. After a couple of years, she disappeared for a week and came back with a broken hip. We took her to the vet to have it fixed, and they informed us Jolene was a fixed male! So, we brought her back to the office to heal, and changed “his” name to Joe Lean! He never left the office and was a great addition for many years. When he passed, we made these masks in his honor! Glad he is still, literally, “hanging around” in Canton!”
That is the Saga of Joe Lean.
