I baked a cake today. Not really for Jerry, though it is his birthday today. I got to see Jerry play on his birthday one time, back in 1984 at the Stone, in SF. If it weren’t for my friend Jeff I don’t think I would have made it into the show that day, as the Stone was a tiny venue(maybe 500 people) and the line to get in was, shall we say, not the most orderly. We did make it in, and while the show was fine, what I remember more to this day is that August 1st, 1984, was the day I was introduced to the (instant) Dr. Seuss classic, The Butter Battle Book, a timeless story loosely based on the mutual ignorance evidenced by the Cold War.
Hard to believe it’s been 21 years since that day, and harder yet to believe it’s been 10 years since Jerry last celebrated his birthday with us.
All the years combine, they melt into a dream …
Speaking of birthdays, it’s Aunt Adelia’s birthday tomorrow. She’ll be 90 years young, and after a few too many premature departures these past few years it’s great to see someone still thriving, living at home and generally taking care of herself (cue up the song “I get by with a little help from my friends”).
Oh, and the cake? A fine cinnamon poppy seed cake that I’ve only made a couple of times before.
Image courtesy of Herb Greene and used with permission.