Dear
Jeri... You have been a joy from the first. (and I said it all before here, so I'm trying not to
repeat myself!) You have made us so proud, not only with your accomplishments, but
with the beautiful person you have become. I love your compassion, your caring for
other people, your sense of adventure, and all of your other talents. I love our
recent bike adventures and hope we have more of them.
It's
been a wonderful 37 years, honey and I hope you have a fanTAStic day today! It is,
after all, your day--remember that. --Mom
To my precious child, my
granddaughter: You may be far away, but every time I think of you, I hug you in my heart.
Have a great birthday and remember your Grandmother loves you!
A long time ago in a
galaxy far far away...called the Varsity theater...two girls were working one
night...there was this crazy fraternity hosting an evening of bands...the headliner being
CAKE....so anyway we were working trying very hard to keep the beer drinking to a
minimum...but nobody was listening to us...we figured these frat guys just did not like
being told what they could and could not do.by a couple of girls who were in
charge....after a while we escaped to the office upstairs...there was this terrible
wanna-be heavy metal band playing and we were really wishing for some ear plugs....we were
talking about how much this band sucked.....but we must be the only ones who thought so,
because everyone else seemed to be having a great time....then there was a knock at the
door.....it was the lead singer of CAKE, he wanted to know if he could hide out with
us.....then he turned to us and said...."does this band suck, or is it just
me?"....Jeri and I looked at each other and just cracked up....so we all hung out
making fun of the dumb bands....until CAKE went on...after that it was an o.k. night...at
least CAKE was good........ anyway.........it's not a very good story, it's just what
happened
;)................HAPPY BIRTHDAY JERI!!!! i hope you have a good one....
xoxoxox Jessica
My first thought is that
picture of Jeri and Jenny in the crib with heads poking out of the blanket at each end. Of
course there were the weddings in Mendocino. I do think of Jeri as my daughter-in-law.
--Char
I was living with
you guys and she and the other kids would start singing Pujee-face, that would always get
a smile out of her. The other took place a few years back when I was visiting you guys and
she gave me a ride to the bay area when she was living with gradma Alice in Walnut Creek,
on the way from Davis she stopped at a gas station for gas and she asked me to pump, I had
no idea how to use the pump or use the damn machine, being that I had never done it
before, I remember how she started laughing. I have to say that now, every time I'm at a
gas station pumping gas I think of her, and how silly I used to be. - Pujol
During the Comedy
of Errors show it was really hard to get Jeri to cut her hair, even a little, so we
would look alike. Then when she finally succumbed to the scissor, she and I were mistaken
for one another - by Bev!
--Cindy
If I knew you'd be on
the east coast and I'd be on the west coast, I would have baked a cake, and over-nighted
it. But since there's a freshness factor and an internet "easy-bake" situation
still has a ways to go, here is my carrot, angle food, chocolate-fudge, poppyseed, German
chocolate cake wish for you: 37 is fine and most divine, except for an occasional twinge
of the spine. Define your time on what lies ahead and not behind! Felize Compleano Baby!
(I know not how to say Happy Birthday in German, my bad, but my Spanish is still right
thaire) --Phil
Hauo'li la hanau! Hi Jeri--I
"think" that is correct Hawaiian for Happy Birthday-- My favorite language these
days! Aloha
--Nancy S.
Saw some great likenesses
of you last night, I think you'd agree. Ah, both the good old days, and the days
which have not yet spilled their secrets, enjoy both for what they are. I can't think of
another language to say it in, so how about the good old fashioned way--Happy B-Day :)
Peace... --Vicki S.
Happy Birthday from Bill
and Jeri
I remember how proud I was to be chosen by your parents to be your Godmother. I watched
you grow and I enjoyed many Piņata Family events. I followed you through your many
achievements in school and with your musical and dramatic endeavors. One of the other
proud moments was when I watched you get your MFA at Davis (I have forgotten the year - It
seems like yesterday.)
I will never forget how I spent your second birthday...in the labor and delivery room! I
was wheeled into delivery sometime before midnight. They were very busy that night and at
times it was just my OB-Gyn and me. This was delivery number three for the two of us
together. A nurse came in and out...no anesthesiologist...I was tough. I pushed and I
pushed to have this baby on my Goddaughter's birthday, but Kevin was stubborn and did not
make his appearance until 12:04 AM April 27, 1968. I tried to get the Doctor to fudge, but
being a good Catholic, he could not tell a lie. (Kevin says that it was not that he was a
procrastinator, but you were an overachiever and came a day early.)
Well you did procrastinate at something...you took long enough to have your first tooth.
We kept looking and hoping, but you passed your 11th month with no tooth. When your mother
called me to announce the event I thought we was fooling me, it was...April 1, 1967.
Bill and I remember the time we visited you in Newark, Ohio at the Theater. I was really
impressed by all of the things you were doing. I know we are unique. I think we can each
count on one hand people we have met with their first name Jerilyn spelled the same as
ours. Every Christmas time I remember the time you joined me, Bill, Colleen, Liam and
Kevin on a trip to San Francisco at Christmas time. As we strolled through the stores the
carols were playing, but I kept hearing different words. Since that trip, I have never
listened to Silver Bells the same way. Silver Bones...
My favorite visits with you have
been in Boston where you've created your own world, made new friends and gained the
respect you deserve for your talent. I'm proud of you for following your dream.
I only wish we could have you over for dinner more often!
Love, Richard Adrian From Canada
I loved my first visit to your home--as I walked down
D__ St., I could hear your music coming from the open window. Can't wait to come
back!
--Alice Nan
"Dearly Beloved, we are
gathered here today to honor the blessed matrimony of Jeri and ... What? This is Jeri's
birthday party?? Oh, I'm on the wrong page. Hold on a sec..."
--Tim
Jeri, I remember all of the fun
New Years and other Piņata parties and camping with our families. I had lots of great
times at Lawsuit concerts. It was great to go to a concert and really know the band.
Happy birthday to a god-sister I almost shared a Birthday with. --Kevin
I can still see you as a little girl, dancing around the
living room, which always brings a smile to my face.
--Grandma Sykes
I think of you, Jeri, as
someone who is truly following her passions. Too many of us just end up doing something
(whatever may be convenient), but you, over many years, have come to realize what you want
and need and you are following your heart. (At least that is what it looks like from
here.) I am sure it is not always easy, but it keeps getting better and
better... We miss you out here in California, but are very proud of you making your
way back there in Boston.
Happy Birthday! Love, Jennifer (West)
Your dad says:
One memory that always makes me smile is when you introduced soft drink can recycling at
Weathervane Playhouse. Household recycling was virtually unknown in that part of Ohio, so
you had to search around to find a place to get rid of the cans. You succeeded and became
a regular visitor to the Legend Smelting Company. When I came to visit you, we grabbed a
garbage bag full of cans at the playhouse, threw it in the back of your trusty Toyota
pickup, drove to Legend Smelting, and took our place in line with a bunch of giant trucks
with all manner of scrap metal construction debris. Fortunately, they had a little scale
inside. We were the only ones to use it.
One of my fondest memories,
ever, revolves around your birth. I was holding you and I felt a special connection
as we seemed to genuinely gaze at each other. This moment is captured in a
photograph somewhere and I always recall it in April when I think of your birthday.
Have a wonderful day. --Norm
My favorite sister-in-law...ok, my ONLY
sister-in-law....but who could ask for more? I was friends with her before I even MET Ned,
and lucky for him.
I figured since Jeri was so cool, he must be alright too. She was nice to me even when I
was just a lowly freshman, she challenged me with her own unique talent to be better than
I thought I ever could, and she constantly impresses me with her drive and ability. She's
more talented and wonderful than she'll ever realize, but I think in the last several
years she's gotten a clearer glimpse of herself through the eyes of people who haven't
known her all her life. I miss having her around, but I'm thrilled at what being across
the country has brought her. You go girl! -Marta
Hi Jeri:
Though we had a good time at Easter not seeing you at our table made it not quite whole.
You were missed. On your special day, eat, drink and be merry - and above all else - Have
a Happy Birthday!
Love, Olivia
Happy Birthday Jeri! I can't
believe how long we have been friends. I wish we weren't so far apart, but looking
at pictures like this keeps me smiling!
Love, Jenny
Happy Birthday Jeri! Woo-Hoo!! Everybody knows
how great Jeri is... everyone already knows that she's one crazy broad, got loads of
talent (plays the snot out of the entire "reeds" family of horns, arranges
amazing harmonic gems, yada yada yada, etc), and wears a top-hat better than anyone else.
So I thought I'd submit a highly abridged list of nuggets I think of, when I think of
Jeri.
* Jeri is one of the few people I know who truly appreciates and understands Alan Arkin's
best work, and that's a very exclusive club.
* Jeri is of course a talented and highly accomplished arranger... we already went through
that. One of the things about her arranging that demonstrates her generosity is that she
can write an amazing part for
an instrument she herself plays wonderfully, and then give it to some schmo to butcher
instead of playing it herself.
* Jeri founded and managed a weekly pub night in the Bay Area, which provided a great
opportunity to get together with and meet new hip and happening folks, so one too could
feel cool at least one night a week.
Jeri was the personality that enticed a bunch of people from all sorts of backgrounds
(think of a range of people from Francis to Tyler) to get together every week on a school
night to drink crappy microbrewed
beer, stay up past their bedtime, and architect their Friday hangovers.
* Jeri is the best car-pool partner. She always is ready to listen to some whacked mix
tape or ridiculous talk radio program that one may need to put on the stereo, and actively
engages a discussion about the tape or talk radio. She will also gladly drive and let you
snooze. Finally, if your windshield wipers ever crap out during a snowstorm on the way to
Tahoe,
or your car ever breaks down in Auburn when driving home from Tahoe, or your fan belt ever
blows out on a drive to Davis, or...well you get the picture... Jeri is just the kind of
calm, cool, collected person you want to have with you. Plus, she happily shares her AAA
card privileges.
Rock on Jeri. Happy birthday, and here's a wish for many future birthday celebrations for
you back on the west coast.
Love, Anderson
No more weddings in Mendocino at Eric's
Property? Can you still hear the call of the wild huckle?
We still very fondly remember your college graduation. I think Richard or Eric made us
paper hats from the programs to keep the sun off our heads. It was a beautiful location,
and a beautiful young woman with so very much
promise who was graduating. It was a very happy time.
We always feel so proud and pleased when we hear of your many accomplishments and
achievements in the music and artistic fields. We remain in awe witnessing so much talent,
capability, and dedication.
So in the end, I guess it really does just come down to: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JERI! We think of
you and hope that you are on the path to finding your heart's desire.
With very much love, Richard and Michele
Jeri, my birthday buddy!
What I remember about your birthday are the parties we shared. In particular I remember
the one where Donna and Roger Anderson brought us antique soda bottles. Do you still have
yours? (I do). I seem to remember someone gave us barrettes and we wore those around. I'm
sure we looked very cute! Here's wishing one talented woman a wonderful birthday. Love, Sue
(with additional birthday greetings from Michael and Alex)
Dear
Jeri... You have been a joy from the first. (and I said it all before 
