Tag Archives: St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

April 14, 2009 · 5:14 pm

Holy Week, Passover, Egg Hunt

Last week was Holy Week for the Episcopal Church, ending the Christian season Lent with the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday. 2009 was one of those rare calendar years when the Jewish Passover celebration coincided with Holy Week. So, St. Andrew’s celebration of the
Last Supper or seder on Maundy Thursday actually took place on Passover.

Our family was in church on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and on Saturday night for the Easter Vigil. John and I both read Genesis passages during the mostly-candlelit Easter Vigil. He read the story of
Noah’s ark and I read about the Sacrifice of Isaac. There were five baptisms, wonderful music, and lovely flowers.

However, Easter morning itself was dedicated to a private celebration of Spring’s renewal of life: our family Easter Egg Hunt. We worked on the garden for weeks in preparation. We hosted ten happy children, plus twenty adults for our annual egg hunt and
garden party.

The Easter Bunny hid over 150 eggs, including the gold and silver
eggs for adults. The Bunny leaves two poems as the only clues:

Gold Egg Poem

You can’t see me even a bit,

But I can see little birds fly.

On the uppermost tier I sit

Hard earth protects me ‘though I’m high.

Silver Egg Poem

Dark and dirty, I’m down low,

Between the sleepers to be found.

Don’t hit your head or hit your toe,

Be careful looking for my mound!

The silver egg was under WP668, our backyard caboose (in the ballast). It was found quickly. However, the gold egg took hours to locate: it was under a flowerpot sitting on the retaining wall. I traded big chocolate bunnies for the gold and silver eggs to the two children who found them. They were delighted with the prizes (and to have found the eggs intended for the grownups!).

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday Procession

Palm Sunday Altar

Joyous Haggadah

Parts of our seder

Maundy Thursday

Easter Vigil Baptisms

Cross over altar

Easter flowers

Floral Golgotha

Gold and Siver Easter Eggs

Easter Bunny with Eggs in a Basket

Flowering Jasmine

WP668 Caboose

California Poppy

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February 24, 2009 · 12:21 pm

Caboose Permits Signed Off!

I am delighted to announce that WP668, our 1916 backyard caboose, is now fully signed off! The City of San Jose building inspector came, saw, signed and left this morning. After almost three years of working with the city, we are done – hooray!

Other WP668 news – at Sunday’s successful SAMA auction at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, we sold a caboose brunch which will be cooked by John Plocher. This popular item was offered for the second year at the charity fund raising event. SAMA is a major outreach program for St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church (Saratoga, California). Auction money goes to support medical programs in the Holy Land and Africa. For details, see the SAMA web page.

Work in progress on WP668:

Welding cleanup and metal coating for the stair railing
Install roof walk, attach it to existing ladders
Install bay window seat
Restore the rest of the windows (1 done, 5 to go)
Complete the back deck and step woodwork (steel is done)
Restore brake rigging and wheels
Reattach and restore battery box
Restore (replace?) the doors

WP668 Electrical Plan

John Plocher installing the wiring

31 March 2020: updated photos, links, and text

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February 19, 2009 · 2:00 pm

Healing for Holy Land and Africa

The SAMA (St. Andrew’s Medical Assistance) auction and dinner will be held this Sunday, 22 February 2008. The fund raising event will be held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Hall, starting with a silent auction at 5 pm, followed by a Middle Eastern Feast and live auction.

Tickets are $30/adult – $15/child – $100/family (pay at the door)
All are welcome!

St. Andrew's Medical Assistance tile, 2007 photo: copyright 2008 Katy Dickinson

Outreach programof
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

13601 Saratoga Ave. Saratoga, California 95070 USA

(408) 867-3493,
http://www.st-andrews-saratoga.org/

SAMA Programs

SAMA exists to provide hope and healing to a hurting world. SAMA raises support annually through the annual Middle Eastern Feast and Auction, Christmas Crafts sale, and other fund raisers.

Ongoing Medical Programs SAMA supports in the Holy Land include:

Ahli Arab Hospital (the only Christian hospital in Gaza)
The Four Homes of Mercy (a home for the severely disabled based in Jerusalem)

SAMA also supports health programs in Africa:

In 2008, SAMA supported St. Mary’s Hospital in Odibo, Namibia. St. Mary’s is an Anglican-supported hospital for which SAMA provided linens for 50 beds as well as funding expansion of their birth delivery room from one bed to two.
In 2008, SAMA also supported the Chiedza Clinic, in Harare, Zimbabwe. The clinic is part of the Chiezda child care center which serves perhaps 300 kids, many of whom are HIV positive, and their families.
As part of St. Andrew’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2007, SAMA raised
almost $5,000 which (in conjunction with Episcopal Relief and Development) purchased 965 specially-treated mosquito nets to prevent malaria in Africa

Auction Catalog

Click HERE

to see the draft (Feb 19) auction catalog (PDF format).

There may be some changes in the published catalog version.

22 February 2009 – Live Auction Items

WP668 with new Western Pacific herald photo: copyright 2008 Katy Dickinson

Item # 2004

Caboose Brunch
– by John Plocher – Brunch for six in a private 1916 historic railroad caboose (Western Pacific Feather River Railway WP668) in
Willow Glen, San Jose.

1964 Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon by Martini photo: copyright 2009 Eleanor Creekmore Dickinson and Patricia Martini

Item # 2005

Wine – 1964 Treasure from Louis M. Martini
– Martini Family wine collection – 1964 Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a very good year – well known for excellence.

1959 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon by Martini photo: copyright 2009 Eleanor Creekmore Dickinson and Patricia Martini

Item # 2006

Wine – 1959 Treasure from Louis M. Martini
– Martini Family wine collection – 1959 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. A sleeper year but now one of the best. Delicious!

Eleanor Creekmore Dickinson etching of Edward Hopper and Walter Hopps Rabbits photo: copyright 2009 Katy Dickinson

Item # 2007

Rabbit Etching by Eleanor Creekmore Dickinson
– Original delicate and realistic black and white etching of two rabbits by famous San Francisco artist Eleanor Creekmore Dickinson. “Edward Hopper and Walter Hopps” 1983 14″x17″ framed with glass.

flight over San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge photo: copyright 2008 Charles Jackson

Item # 2008

Private Flight Plus Brunch
– Private flight plus lunch. Experienced Palo Alto pilot

Charles Jackson of the
Shoreline Flying Club will be your host for 2 hours in a 4 seat
Cessna 182 Skylane II. Want to tour the San Francisco Bay and see the
Golden Gate Bridge from the air? Here’s your chance!

SAMA - St. Andrew's Medical Assistance tile photo: copyright 2008 Katy Dickinson

Item # 2010

Middle Eastern Dinner
– Middle Eastern Dinner for eight on a date after March 2009 that works for both cook and auction item winner.

Soquel Vineyards Partner's Reserve 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon photo: copyright 2009 John Plocher

Item # 2012

Case of Wine – 2006 Soquel Vineyards Partner’s Reserve
– 2006 Soquel Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Partner’s Reserve case of wine (12 bottles) from the Garvey Family Vineyard in the Napa Valley

Exquisite Designer Necklace by Erin Mac photo: copyright 2009 Erin Mac

Item # 2013

Exquisite Designer Necklace by
Erin Mac
– Necklace by Erin Mac who designs jewelry for the Hollywood Oscar event – Veridian Art Deco Venetian Master-Cut Briolette with an 18k White Gold and Diamond Enhancer on a Stainless Steel Cable with a 14k yellow gold lobster clasp. From the House of Erin MacGeraghty fine jewelry and watches.

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November 18, 2008 · 4:23 pm

Excellence in Preaching Series – Schell, Lyman, Countryman

On 4 September, I wrote about St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church holding a three part Excellence in Preaching series. Three remarkably gifted, different, and distinguished speakers and authors each had one day to preach twice and then offer a ninety minute seminar. The series is designed to better equip the listener to recognize and respond to different preaching styles – and to appreciate even those styles that may differ from personal preference. Photos follow of the speakers:

14 September 2008: Rev. Donald Schell, All Saints Company Consultant and Creative Director and founder of St. Gregory’s, San Francisco
26 October 2008: Rev. Dr. Rebecca Lyman, Professor Emerita of History, Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP), Berkeley
16 November 2008: Rev. Dr. Bill Countryman, Professor Emeritus of Biblical studies, Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP), Berkeley

This was an inspiring and thoughtful series! I learned from and admired each of the speakers. I hope that St. Andrew’s continues to offer excellent education opportunities like these. In the final series sermon two days ago, the Rev. Dr. Countryman considered three of the more difficult stories told by Jesus – the parables of the Ten Talents, Prodigal Son, and the Workers in the Vineyard. Each parable presents a question of generosity and fairness in human versus divine context. Every time I hear those stories, I secretly sympathize with the third slave who was cast out, with the older brother who felt ignored, and with the grumbling laborers who worked all day.

Rev. Dr. Bill Countryman at St. Andrew's Saratoga, CA<br /> photo: copyright 2008 Katy Dickinson

Rev. Dr. Rebecca Lyman at St. Andrew's Saratoga, CA<br /> photo: copyright 2008 Katy Dickinson

St. Andrew's Saratoga, CA Excellence in Preaching series brochure<br /> photo: copyright 2008 Katy Dickinson

Rev. Donald Schell at St. Andrew's Saratoga, CA<br /> photo: copyright 2008 Katy Dickinson

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September 4, 2008 · 2:45 pm

Excellence in Preaching

My home church of St. Andrew’s Episcopal is hosting a free three part series on how to listen and what to look for in sermons. Three remarkably gifted, different, and distinguished speakers and authors will each have one day to preach twice (at 8 am and 10 am) and then offer a ninety minute seminar (11:30 am – 1 pm):

14 September 2008: Rev. Donald Schell, All Saints Company Consultant and Creative Director and founder of St. Gregory’s, San Francisco
26 October 2008: Rev. Dr. Rebecca Lyman, Professor Emerita of History, Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP), Berkeley
16 November 2008: Rev. Dr. Bill Countryman, Professor Emeritus of Biblical studies, Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP), Berkeley

The series is designed to better equip the listener to recognize and respond to different preaching styles – and to appreciate even those styles that may differ from personal preference. All are welcome, whether or not they are members of the Episcopal church. For more information, please call 408-867-3493.

I am particularly looking forward to hearing the Rev. Dr. Rebecca Lyman again as I very much enjoyed reading her 1999 history Early Christian Traditions. My favorite passage from that work:

“Whereas uniformity requires enforcement, consistency demands discernment. Discernment is a more complicated task, requiring
that we recognize the fundamental similarities between apparent differences. Many of the ancient struggles over theology and authority reflect this difficult institutional and personal process.”

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April 16, 2008 · 1:54 pm

SAMA Auction

John and I ran the checkout table at the SAMA, or St. Andrew’s Medical Assistance, event last Sunday night. Thanks to our many generous volunteers, donors, and guests, SAMA’s Middle Eastern Feast and Auction were a delightful success. We are still counting up expenses and collecting payments.

For auction catalog and bidder management and check out, we used the Auction!, Version 3 product of Auction Systems, Inc. in Colorado Springs, CO. In general, Auction! worked well for our relatively-small charity auction (about 200 people and 70 items). Below is my view of the positives and negatives of the product. Bear in mind that I am a 26 year veteran UNIX user and I love my Mac laptop. I have been publishing hypertext documents for 16 years. I only use a PC when there is no alternative. Auction! is a PC-based product.

Pro

The Auction! product was easy to buy and was shipped promptly. A down loadable version was available immediately.
The Auction! product worked well out of the box. That is, I was able to make it work without more than a quick read of the documentation.
The design incorporates many good ideas on managing a charity auction that I would not have otherwise known.
Auction Systems’ tech support staff pick up on the first ring and are cheerful and helpful once they understand the question.
Tech support was available by pager on the event day. We did not have time to ask them any questions but I liked knowing I could if there was a total mess up.
I liked the Hint button – a good error checker.

Con

The design has many assumptions which are not documented about how auctions are best run. For a first time auction manager, this is a challenge. The information is implied but not explicit. There is minimal introduction to running an auction and why the product features are set up as they are.
There is no way to export the catalog to HTML for web page display. It is possible to export a PDF version. I ended up typing auction item information twice – once into Auction! and again for the SAMA web page.
The catalog does not allow the inclusion of photos. We prepared a JPG photo of each item for our SAMA web page. When I asked how to include these in the printed catalog, Auction Systems’ tech support staff actually suggested that I use scissors and a glue stick!
Document formats can only be changed within tight limits. For example, it was very convenient to be able to print labels with the bidder names and numbers to put on the back of each catalog. However, I could not resize the bid numbers to be really big. So, one of the SAMA team had to write the bidder number by hand on each catalog under the label. This allowed the catalog to be used as a bidder paddle.
When printing checkout receipts, the minutes-long print cycle required by Auction! became a major bottleneck. Sending a print command is a lengthy 5-step process that took several minutes each time:

create the document or report

click Print

review the preview print document

click Print

pick the target printer

The single-user software version was a challenge to use even for our small auction – many activities required multitasking. (For example, I could not answer a question about who won an item at the same time as printing out a checkout receipt.) We needed the higher-priced network version. I am not sure the single-user version is appropriate for any auction.

John guessed that the Auction! software was written 5 to 10 years ago and is “good enough” – so a wholesale rewrite has not happened. The design is showing its age. Nonetheless, I plan to use Auction! again now that I have some experience.

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March 24, 2008 · 4:43 pm

Associate Bunny Memoir

The Easter Bunny is an important and very busy personage at this time of year. Our family understands that, unlike Santa Claus, The Bunny cannot be everywhere, so each year there is an Associate Bunny who helps out. In recent years, my daughter Jessica was Associate Bunny but now that she is at college, I returned to that role. Of course, the Associate Bunny cannot participate in the great Egg Hunt, so my son Paul declined the nomination. He did help dye the eggs.

This year, we had over 20 guests for Easter. Early in the morning, The Bunny hid 240 eggs (real hardboiled and dyed eggs, also plastic eggs with candies inside). Before the hunt, the children old enough to hunt are briefed by the Associate Bunny. During the briefing, every child picks a stuffed animal to be their personal advisor (since parents are not allowed to help hunt), plus a basket for their eggs. Egg Hunt Rule #1 is always There are no eggs in the flower beds. After the briefing, children line up inside the house in order of age. The youngest (5 years old) goes out first and has one minute by the clock before the next child leaves the house. The last three (ages 12 to 15) went out together.

For the adults, The Bunny hides the Gold and Silver eggs in very difficult places. The only clues are offered in two poems:

Gold Egg Poem
My hiding place is off the ground
My holder here is partly round
I can see you through the bars
Colored like the planet Mars
If the gold egg you would find
Seek the string which does me bind

Silver Egg Poem
A dark dry home looked good this year
And becoming cold wasn’t a fear
You will find me warm and snug
Trying to avoid both bug and slug
Would you find me hidden here
Lift me up and give a cheer

This year’s Gold egg was hanging from a thread behind some red wooden steps (found by my brother). The Silver egg was under some boards in the wood box (found by Jenny even though she was carrying Baby Emma while hunting). Here are some images from our Easter:

Hardboiling 5 dozen eggs