Hi Kerri & Gary I feel that I let my spouse do all the toasting but I have a few stories of my own. Kerri, I knew you when you were in your pink phase – everything pink and it suited you so well. It just made you happy and whatever made you happy Gary just loved. I remember early on, watching him watching you, and I could feel his lustful excitement. From the onset of your relationship, you could see that there was never a doubt in his mind that you would lead him to the happiest future possible. What I didn’t know early on was how deeply important he would be for you. Truly a perfect match. Why are you so rich in friends? Well, could be some of us wish a little of what you’ve got would rub off on us, like pixie dust. And I would say there was some of that going on at the party – it was a beautiful celebration. The two of you are wonderful to be with and a couple we can all learn from. After the slide show Andy said to me “look how old, we have gotten “ yet when I am with you both I feel forever young as if nothing has changed. I am sure I can still run you around the Pickle Ball court, dive off the bow of the Always Ready and swim ashore on our rafts for gelato or rock out on deck to Donna Summers wearing flash dance torn up t shirts. I love those moments of watching Gary twitch with excitement over beating you at a game that he never plays. The surprise of winning by Gary is so fun to see, the grin, the eyes getting bigger with the thrill of the competition and then the win. He’d like to gloat but ohh soo subtly. Then there are the morning biscuits on the boat (don’t take the last one) or the Scotchmallows from See’s Candies – how he can have just one a day and make a two pound box last several months. I have a few of Gary’s watercolors mostly from digging through rejects from the wine cellar. They are positioned in my home where I can enjoy them every day. They are good, they are very good but mostly they are a connection, a bond with a special friend, the time and effort that he put into them is time that I continue to share with him, a time when he was relaxed, not over scheduled, a time when he could just dabble and capture the beauty that his eye held that moment when he could take the time to just create. Thank you Gary for everything. You have such an eye for beauty. When someone asks me what is my friend Kerri like, I hardly know where to begin. All the obvious responses; beautiful, patient and loving but when one begins to think of the accomplishments it is what many of us dream of but don’t act upon. Her passion for language, music, travel, skiing , health, and sharing her talents and time with others to mention just a few. But my favorite memory to date with Kerri would be Central Park in December, wearing our wooly coats to keep warm, walking arm in arm through the park all the while Kerri is singing sweet dreamy French lullabies to me. There is so much more to come you two and I can hardly wait – I am just sure that Kerri will get me in a yoga pretzel at some point and Gary will finish teaching me how to windsurf. Life partners you are – mine Love Linda
