I lost a dear friend last Friday. Although Anthony Alonso was a world-renowned artist, to me he was an extra special friend.
We met because he was famous especially for painting thoroughbred horses and everything related to them. It was many years ago on one of his ventures to Saratoga Springs with his wife, Mary, that I was drawn to him.
I was society columnist for The Saratogian, attending one of the many racing-season events. I just happened to walk up to them and introduce myself. It was almost an immediate friendship, which continued to grow when we found out we lived less than 20 miles from them in Florida. My husband Augie and I owned a condo in Jupiter and spent about four months there during the winter. Tony and Mary lived in a beautiful gated community in Stuart year-round except when they made their trek to Saratoga. Tony had a show each season at the Gideon Putman Hotel and other venues.
While in Saratoga we got together on our free days, often going to one of their favorite German restaurants and also to our home.
When in Florida there was hardly a week that we didn't get together going to several different restaurants and making treks to Gulfstream Park, where Tony had some of his paintings for sale. We  always had lunch together and usually wound up at our place in Jupiter for a relaxing dinner at night. Those were fun times.
When we started to stay in Florida for the Christmas holidays, Augie would make a delicious prime rib dinner and Mary and Tony were always our guests. We shared recipes and lots of small talk about our lives and the past.
Unfortunately that ended when my husband's eyesight started to deteriorate; we sold our place in 2011 and no longer spent the winters in Florida.
What didn't end was our friendship. And they stopped coming to Saratoga for several reasons - one being Tony's health.
What didn't end was our friendship. It continued long-distance.
My life was certainly enhanced by Tony's friendship. And I am fortunate to have one of his last paintings which I dearly love. It is of Saratoga's backyard near the Red Spring with Tony sitting in foreground.
He had invited me and Augie up to see the painting while he was working on it and when I recognized the back of his head I knew I had to buy it. He said I was the only one to know it was him.
Now that painting hangs in our family room above our couch. Every day I now stop an say "Hi" to my friend. And I will continue to do so until I join him.
Dear friend you may be gone but certainly not forgotten.