May 2011

Spring Flowers at Foothill- photo credit Kromrey


A Note From Pastor Ben

Friends,

Here’s something I mentioned in a sermon a few weeks back but I want to mention it again because I think it’s important: I want you to celebrate on May 21.

You may have seen the billboards: “Cry Mightily Unto God! Judgment Day is Coming on May 21! The Bible Guarantees It!” Such announcements have popped up all over the Bay Area. Apparently someone read the Bible, made a few assumptions, took an illogical leap of faith, did the math, and came up with a calculation: Jesus is coming back in a matter of weeks.

This, of course, is nuts. People have been using the Bible to predict the end of the world for as long as there has been a Bible and they’re never right. The history of the Christian church is filled with stories of great disappointments that occur when communities get hoodwinked into believing the rapture is at hand; true scholars of the Bible know that biblical passages about he End of Days are poetry, not meant to be taken as actual predictions. Not everyone listens to the smart people, however, and so come May 22 a goodly number of folks around the world will be confused and disappointed.

Nonetheless, we should celebrate on May 21 because I once heard a wise man say that if the world comes to and end, the only thing you really need is a bottle of Champaign and a couple of glasses, and so I say let’s make May 21st a holy festival, not because the world will come to and end but because it won’t. Celebrate life and the ongoing beauty of the world we are blessed to call home and the human family in which we are privileged to claim membership.

And maybe you don’t like Champaign or you cannot drink the stuff. That’s OK. Celebrate in some other way: make cupcakes and eat them off fine china, drink lemonade from heirloom crystal. Put on a tuxedo and dance, wear a ballroom gown and cowgirl boots and go fly a kite at the beach. Do whatever works; just have fun because life will go on.

And if for some whacky weird reason Judgment Day does come to pass on the 21st of May, you will be in a state of grace, entirely prepared to stand before your God.

Peace,
Ben
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A Note about Natalie Gatzke

As you all know, we have recently gone through one of the most difficult ordeals with Natalie’s recent surgery. On April 7th, she had her brain revascularized to protect her brain from strokes caused by an extremely rare condition known as MoyaMoya.

Three years earlier she had the right side operated on. This time, it was her left side. We entered the situation fairly confident. After all, it’s only brain surgery and we had gone through it before. We knew what was going to happen this time and it would be a much better experience than the previous operation, which was a nightmare.

Unfortunately, Natalie had drastically worse side effects from this operation. There was a time when we didn’t know whether she would be able to speak properly or not. They weren’t sure if it was due to parts of the brain not getting sufficient oxygen or if it was caused by swelling of the brain. Fortunately, it was caused by the swelling and when the swelling went down, she returned to normal.

I have to say that Natalie is extremely strong. After her previous operation when she came home from the hospital, she still had a large bandage on her head with the words “No Pressure “ written on her right side. It was placed there by the surgeon to ensure that no one put pressure where the surgery had occurred. Never before had a sign had the reverse effect. As she walked in our house for the first time after being in bed for a week, we were very nervous she would fall over and hurt her head. As Greg walked behind her ready to catch her, she suddenly started skipping. She is unstoppable.

While Natalie is stronger than anything, I don’t know if we could have made it through this ordeal without the support we have received from our Foothill Family. Your thoughts and prayers truly made a difference. I don’t know if I could have gone through the experience without your support.

Pastor Ben was with us every step of the way. His support was unbelievable. Thank you for your calming influence and confidence.

Also, a special thanks to Dana. You brought me a loving friendship and comforted Natalie. She and I both loved your visits.

Thank you to everyone. We are so pleased to have you all as part of our family. Your support will never be forgotten and your cards will remain as a memory of your caring and loving prayers for Natalie.

In Christ,
Toni Ann Gatzke
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We are saddened by the passing of Charlie Klotz on April 22, 2011.
Our sympathies to Helen and their family.

A memorial service for will be held in the sanctuary on
Monday, May 9th at 11AM. A lunch will follow in the Fellowship Hall.
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Spring Flea Market
May 21st from 8AM to 2PM











Mark your calendars! Saturday May 22nd we’re having a HUGE flea market! We’ve only got a few weeks to go and a whole lot of work ahead of us. We’d be SO grateful for any help making this event an awesome one, which we hope it will be!

We need stuff. Lots of stuff. While you’re getting your Spring cleaning on, don't forget about us...please consider donating to the sale. We’ll take whatever you’d like to bless us with. So what exactly should you donate? This can be a tricky question. You may have a ton of things to get rid of. But ask yourself, is this something that can still be useful for someone else? Anything that you have used but is still in fairly good condition gets the chance to be in our flea market! The way we see it, if we had a thousand things to sell and sold each for a dollar, we would have $1,000! (Of course we are better at pricing than that!)

Some good examples of items we need are:

* Books, Children's, cookbooks, how to
* Sofa's and large pieces of furniture
* Clothing, especially jeans and kid's clothing
* Electronics
* Video games
* Old Jewelry
* Kid's toys
* Leftover building and repair supplies: Paints, tiles, stones, brick
* Sporting goods including swim items
* Bicycles
* Small household items
* Wedding Items
* Flower pots
* Old power tools
* Paintings
* Gardening Tools
* Music CDs
* Lawn care
* Clocks
* Dishes and glassware

You can email us at foothillpc@gmail.com if you need help getting your donations to the church.

Spread the word! We are renting out spaces for just $10. If you, a family member or a neighbor want to be a part of something amazing and at the same time get rid of your stuff – give us a call!

We need volunteers to help at this event. Please contact Kathy Havis-Faler at falerjk@comcast.net to choose a time slot. Blessings to you all!
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Sealcoating the parking lot.

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*Bible Lesson*
Chapel Day with Pastor Ben
Wednesday, May 4

*Spiritual Message*
Faith
Romans 3:28 – For we maintain that man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

*Special Days in May*


5/5 - Mother’s Day Lunch

5/20 - Crazy Hair Day

5/27 - Picnic on the grass

5/7 - Cooking day- We’re making S’mores

See’s Candies Fundraiser
Hip, Hip Hooray ! We made a profit of over $1,000.
Thanks to everyone who participated in our fundraiser. We hope you enjoyed the candy.

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The Semibreve
Jay Jordana, Director of Music Ministries

CHRIST IS RISEN! CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED!

With much love and appreciation to all the Foothill musicians and guests who participated in the Easter service.

Thank you for your time, and continued dedication and commitment to creating transformative worship experiences here at Foothill. You are appreciated by many.

MANY THANKS…
To Benjamin and Dana Marino, Patty Potter, Carol Tillman, Kraig Williams, for the successful production of the Flauti Dolci and Amici II, NACUSA sf concerts. Congratulations to Kraig and Joanne for on their performances.


WE’RE ON YELP!
What is Yelp? *“Yelp is an online urban city guide that helps people find cool places to eat, shop, drink, relax and play, based on the informed opinions of a vibrant and active community of locals in the know. Yelp is the fun and easy way to find, review and talk about what's great — and not so great — in your world.”

Well, guess what? We’re on it!! Check out this link.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/foothill-presbyterian-church-san-jose

Thanks to all who have supported and who continue to support the Music Series.

* http://www.yelp.com/faq#what_is_yelp


MAY PERFORMANCES

Doris Williams
Sunday, May 1st, 3 PM

Performing Love Songs of the Renaissance, vocalist and lutist Doris Williams will feature works by Dowland, Morley, Hofhaimer, Johnson, Guedron, and Attaignant. www.doriswilliams.com


South Bay Philharmonic
Friday, May 13th, 7:30 PM

This All-American Concert will feature Ron Miller’s Overture to a Summer Afternoon, John Knowles Paine’s Overture to Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Aaron Copland’s Prairie Journal, George Gershwin’s An American In Paris, and a medley from Les Misérables.


Monteverdi Brass Quintet
Friday, May 27th, 8 PM

Trumpet players Richard Roper and Robert Wilkins, trombonists Don Benham, Frank Bunger, and Mike Cushing share their passion for chamber and Renaissance music featuring works by Palestrina, Schein, Isaac, and Victoria.

Suggested Donation: $10/person per concert

WHAT’S UP IN THE HOOD?

As you know Vivace Youth Chorus (East) meets here at Foothill on Tuesdays from 4 – 6:45 PM. My class (Intermediate) will have a concert here at Foothill on May 21st at 4 PM. The Peralta Consort has been invited to play in several of the pieces.

For more information, go to www.vivaceyouthchorus.org. Let’s support music in the community! Go East side!

APRIL TIDBIT

Congratulations to Woody Moore for getting the correct response to the question:

Who was the first musician that was mentioned in the Bible?

The correct response is Jubal.
Genesis 4:21
“His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the ancestor of all those who play the lyre and pipe.”

More on Jubal…
(Genesis 4: 17-22)
Okay so here goes:

Adam + Eve
‡
Cain + wife (unknown) , Abel (deceased)
‡
Enoch + wife (unknown)
‡
Irad + wife (unknown)
‡
Mehujael + wife (unknown)
‡
Methusael + wife (unknown)
‡
Lamech + Adah (first wife) + Zillah (second wife)
‡ ‡
Jabal, Jubal Tubal-Cain, Naamah

Whew! Did you get that?

-Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version


MAY TIDBIT

Who was the first female musician named in the Bible?


Please email me your response. If yours is correct, you get to choose the closing hymn of the final worship service this month. First one to let me know the correct answer gets the prize! Hurry!

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Call of the Wild
-Darlene Ristrim

Staff at the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley wish to thank the following who recently answered a call for help in labeling 6,000 envelopes: Joyce Banks, Fred Kromrey, Rosemarie Nelson, Glenda Parmentier, Patty Potter, Darlene Ristrim, Jeanette Roberts, Lila Slanovec, Jane Wallace and Tine Ude.

The Wildlife Center located on Penetencia Rd is a rehab and release facility. You are encouraged to take any injured or orphaned wildlife to them. For more information go to www.wcsv.org. (FYI - Spaulding Norris, a long time Foothill member, was instrumental in the establishment of the Wildlife Center.)
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Celebration of Women
Sunday, May 22nd during the worship service.

Come celebrate the Women of Foothill Church during this special worship service.



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Clothing to Inn Vision
-Darlene Ristrim

A trunk load of clothing was taken to Inn Vision the last week in April.
Suggestions for clothing donations:
• Please see that all donations are bagged
• Paper bags tend to tear in the transportation process
• If possible, please use plastic bags and “tie them off”
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Session Notes- April 2011
-Darlene Ristrim, Clerk of Session

• Building/Grounds requests all committees to complie a “wish list”. This list will be published at a later date
• Reviewed and made recommendations regarding status of roofing
• Nominating Committee seeking two officers to fill vacant positions
• Katelyn Gatzke and Grace Takeda having completed the Confirmation Class will be received into membership on Easter Sunday
• Set May 15 for a Congregational Meeting
• Worship Committee preparing for Holy Week events
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Congratulations to Joanne Reinecker

Joanne has completed her music CD project. The following is Joanne's bio.

Joanne Katherine Reinecker (Trallis)
Professional Singer, Composer, Teacher, and Abstract Artist

Joanne was born Nov. 19, 1932, in Los Angeles, CA. She was raised in Santa Barbara, CA, by a single working mother during the Great Depression. From 1937-1950 she completed her basic education and her introduction to music. Joanne started taking piano lessons at the age of 6 and voice lessons at age 13. In 1947 she studied with the famous concert singer, Judith Litante, who introduced her to the amazing world of German Lieder. In 1952 she took private composition lessons with Donald Pond. Her music studies included University of California-Santa Barbara, University of Southern California an Idyllwild Music course and Light Opera Workshop in 1954.

After completing her BA degree with a music teaching credential in 1955 at San Jose State College, she went to study voice specifically opera in Europe. There she had the opportunity to perform professionally in numerous cathedrals and churches in Germany, in opera like “Rigoletto”, “The Magic Flute”, and ”Orpheus”. Joanne was a member of the renowned Bachchoir Freiburg and lead singer in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “H.M.S. Pinafore”. She performed with Ingrid Sahlin in a Vocal Recital in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1960. As Soprano soloist, in Germany and the U.S., she sang Bach and Mozart Cantatas, Pergolesi’s Passion Music, and Lieder Concerts. She also performed in various local choirs and senior resident homes as a pianist, vocalist and choir member.

Her graduate work continued in Germany at The Freiburg State School of Music in 1955 and a master class in voice in Lucern, Switzerland in 1957. 1957-1962 she was a student at The Conservatory of Music/Opera School in Wiesbaden, Germany. She had four years of private voice lessons from the famous Professor Paul Martienssen-Lohmann. During this time she also attended a master class in opera in Salzburg, Austria at the famous Mozarteum.
Joanne got married in Wiesbaden, Germany, 1962 to Hans Wolfgang Reinecker who recorded many of her songs.

When she returned to San Jose, CA in 1963, she started teaching private piano at her studio. Since 2005 she has been taking private piano lessons from James F. Farber, culminating in a duo recital of piano and voice with original compositions at the Foothill Presbyterian Church in 2008.

At a religious summer conference, 1950 in the Santa Cruz Mountains, “Camps Farthest Out”, Joanne was exposed for the first time to painting and fell in love with pastels. Classical Music, dance motions and rhythm encouraged her to pursue he work in abstract art. The following artists inspired her: Vasilii Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and American geniuses, Jackson Pollock, Vance Kirkland and Lyonel Feininger. Joanne chooses to express herself in bright or (pastel) colors, and rhythms and emotions, like “Water Lilies” by the French Impressionist, Monet.

As a composer, Joanne has 17 original pieces: 14 for piano, 1 for organ, 1 for piano-voice, and 1 for choir. April, 2011, she performed her original piano tone- poem, “The Glory of the Dawn”. She is grateful to Anne Delaney for introducing her to NACUSA and its members enabling her to perform her own works.

“Passion, Expression, and beautiful tone.”
Peter Gaskell Clarke (Played with the Beatles in Liverpool.)
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Vivace Youth Chorus of San Jose Spring Concert
May 21, 2001 at 4:00PM

Ticket prices are $15.00 Adults, $8.00 Youth, 3-17 years
Free admission to Foothill Kids. Contact the church office for details.


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Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

Disaster Relief--Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Disaster relief donations can be made to Foothill and we will forward your money to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.

Disaster Relief--USA Disasters & Emergencies DR000015

Disaster Relief--Japan Earthquake and Tsunami DR000117

These designated accounts supplement the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering to enable a significant response for relief and disasters in affected areas. Your faithful giving is deeply appreciated. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) shall honor the requests of donors concerning the use of their gifts for PDA programs; however, if the need for the funds for that specific project no longer exists, then those funds may be applied to a similar project or need at the discretion of PDA.

For more information regarding the PDA their efforts go to http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/pda/

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Foothill CSA Enjoying the Bounty of Creation
Local Produce Direct from the Farm to You





$25 per week. Price will increase to $30 per week in the summer.
Payment: produce shares are on a pre-payment, monthly subscription basis.
Total prepayment is due the last Tuesday of each month

Pick up dates and times:
Foothill Presbyterian Church narthex
Tuesdays 10:30am to 9pm

To register
email or call peg:
foothillpc@gmail.com or 408-258-8133.
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Church eDirectory
This year the church directory is available in PDF format. Traditional paper directories are also available. Contact the church office to request a copy of the church directory.


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The Life of a Seminary Student & Chaplain
-Maxine Millender

He who holds the stars in space holds HIS people in HIS hands-SPER

The month of March was a busy month for me with deaths (8), strokes (3), stabbings (4), crisis calls (13), motor vehicle accidents (9), heart attacks (4), miscarriages (2), rape (1), code blues (4), and assaults (1) and this is in addition to the regular visits I make.

As I walk the halls to the room, or head to ER, or labor and delivery, I am thankful that I get to work doing what I have been called to do. When I make the phone call to a family in the middle of the night to say, “Your love one is in the hospital” it can be an anxious time for them. When I have to verify a birth date or something else to be sure I am talking to family, this scares people. Since I have learned to identify myself as an employee of the hospital, sometimes the person feels more at ease. When I put the RN or Doctor on the phone, they feel better about receiving a medical update but still pretty anxious.

Read More Life of a Seminary Student & Chaplain

Before they leave for the hospital, I inform them to ask for me by name at the ER desk and this helps them feel a little better. It’s the joy of finding a family that makes my search worthwhile. Sometimes I am on the phone with a police person or on the internet trying to find family if there is no wallet or cell phone. When the family member comes to the hospital and I meet them, they thank me for being there and immediately ask how the person is doing. Of course I cannot give any medical information to the family but I explain why and most times they are ok. When they realize that I am also an advocate for them, they feel better.

There are many patients that I see and what I share with you gives you a glimpse of what I do at the hospital. As you can see from the above numbers, I have had many crisis calls and recently women being raped. What happens is I speak to the patient, the RN sees her and then we have to tell her she will be going to another hospital because ours is not equipped to handle rape cases. I found out today that our hospital will have a rape RN and crisis counselor to support women who have been raped so they can stay in one place. This was excellent news given to me.

The miscarriages were difficult calls because both patients wanted their babies and questioned why it happened to them and they had been doing everything right. There are no easy answers to give them but what I can say is I am here for you and I don’t have the answer for you. In both of these calls, the husbands have been crying with his spouse. I am a non-anxious presence who is with them in their need and this is a blessing.

One of the deaths was a 1 day old little girl who was born at 23 weeks with abnormalities. She was born alive and her Mom wanted her baptized. I provided a service for the family, baptized the baby, held her, and hugged her Mom. The entire family was in tears and when I informed the Mom that she would receive a baptism certificate and naming certificate, she was very happy. She wanted to hold her baby and could not decide if she wanted to bury or cremate her. We discussed what each meant and I asked her to decide what she wanted based on her faith tradition and what she believed, but to take her time. What joy I receive when I am able to be that non-anxious presence who is willing to meet them where they are.

Death is never an easy thing no matter if you have prepared for it or not. When EMS brought a 69 year old man in, he had a mechanical pump pumping his heart to keep him alive. His family was enroute to the hospital but he died before they arrived. When they arrived, I put them in a family waiting room; got the Doctor who was a little anxious but I informed him that family was waiting for him to tell them something. When he informed them that the patient had died, the son threw his keys on the floor, hit the wall, and ran out of the room cursing. He was in shock. When he came back into the room, he said. “My Dad can’t be dead; he was alive when EMS was there.” When he didn’t realize was EMS had been doing CPR for 40 minutes and it continued at the hospital. It was sad and all ER deaths have to be reported to the medical examiner’s office. Sometimes the family wants prayer and a service and sometimes they just want peace and quiet, which I give to them.

What has been surprising and scary to me is the heart attack patients that are in their mid-50’s. I often tell the other Chaplains that this is scary because it is close to my age and when I visit, I sometimes see an image that says please be sure to spend extra time with me.


Seminary status
The time off from school was a nice break with lots of reading and writing. I received a B on my Christian Education paper and currently I’m working on the 2nd one which will probably be much longer because of the Sunday school teaching, which ends on 4/3. My Theology mid-term was completed and the only assignment left is the Credo which is due on 5/2. My conflict and reconciliation case study has been written and it is due in two weeks. I am waiting for my Religion paper on war to be returned and hope I received a B or better. We are now reading and discussing abortion. This is a difficult discussion for the entire class and our 12-page paper is due on 4/28.

I have registered for the summer school class which is Pastoral care to children and youth. The fall class is Disciples History and will be on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:30. It will be a blessing to have one class but it is a difficult class with lots of reading and writing that includes a 20-page research paper.

Thank you for your continued prayers.
~ to be continued~

Worry is pulling tomorrow’s CLOUDS over today’s SUNSHINE-Adrian Rogers



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Foothill Fellowship Lunch
Wednesday, May 25th
11:30AM @ Denny's
Capitol Ave & Berryessa Road









Fiber Arts Group
meets every 1st & 2nd Saturday
in Room 9 at 10AM.
All are welcome.





Men's Breakfast
Saturday, May 7
8:30AM in

April 2011

A Note From Pastor Ben

Friends,

Living, as I do, in California I have long lamented the fact that the fruit from the olive trees that grow all over the place goes to waste. I love to eat olives and I use olive oil every day in my cooking, and so I’ve asked around about why we don’t eat our olives, and why people don’t press the olives to make oil. Mostly, as far as I can tell the olives just get ripe, fall of the trees, and make a mess on the ground.

“These olives are too bitter,” is the usual response, often followed by a vaguely scientific warning: “curing olives is a complicated process, involving lye and other dangerous and noxious chemicals.” It made curing olives seem as mysterious and dangerous as hunting for mushrooms.

This advice was discouraging to me but I believed it until I read a book called Olives: The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit by Mort Rosenblum. Part travel writing, part natural history, part geopolitical commentary, and part cookbook, Olives gave me an appreciation for the rich history of that salty, savory fruit I like so much, and here’s something I learned: using chemicals is one way to cure olives, but for the most part, over the last five thousand years or so, people have used brine. This makes sense. Olives were first cured in the Mediterranean world, I don’t know if the ancient Greeks, for example, had lye, but I do know that they had a big ocean full of salt water, and that’s all it takes to cure olives.

So I’ve decided to cure olives. I picked a few pounds of ripe olives off a tree at the Gilroy Presbyterian Church (I was there for a meeting), and now they’re sitting on my kitchen counter in a glass jar of brine. They’re starting to taste good; by Easter they should be ready to eat.

Here’s the point of all of this: all too often we allow our world to be defined technologically. We expect our food to be grown on a factory farm and processed in a laboratory. We use our computers to form and maintain friendships. We text, we tweet, and there’s an app for much of what we need.

But the olives on my counter remind me that ancient rules and truths still apply. We don’t need technology any more than an olive needs a chemical bath to taste good. What we do need—our “brine” if you will—is the love of friends and the grace of God to sustain us. And if to that we can add a bit of beauty and a modicum of tenderness, we will happy in ways that cannot be delivered technologically.

Now, having said all that those olives had better turn out tasty. If they do, I might try to press some olives next year.

Best,

Ben
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Ray and Virginia Mignogna are moving East

Join us next week, Sunday, April 10th during coffee hour as we bid farewell to Ray and Virginia Mignogna, who we will miss dearly.

Ray and Virginia are leaving San Jose for the East Coast to be closer to Virginia’s family.

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Holy Week Worship Schedule

April 17, Palm Sunday
Worship service at 10:30AM

April 21, Maundy Thursday
There will be a Simple Supper at 6PM
in our Fellowship Hall, Worship service follows at 7:30

April 22, Good Friday
“Way of the Cross” worship service in Alum Rock Park at Noon
Worship service will be held in our sanctuary at 3PM

April 23, Great Vigil of Easter
Easter Vigil Service will be held at 8 pm in our sanctuary

April 24, Easter Sunday
Join us in the celebration of the Risen Lord
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Planning Ahead in the Garden
Jump Into Spring
-Marilyn Kromrey

The Community Gardens of Foothill Presbyterian Church will host a Saturday morning question & answer seminar featuring Bob Tanem on April 9th at 9:30am in Fellowship Hall.

Bob is a retired nurseryman and is referred to as "America's Happy Gardener". Bob hosts a Sunday morning radio show from 7am - 10am Sundays on Hot Talk KSFO 560 AM. He has a great sense of humor and a wealth of knowledge about gardening. He will be answering your questions about garden pests (ants, deer, varmints), fertilizer, sprays, organic gardening and composting to name a few.

His books "Annuals for Northern California", "Perennials for Northern California", "Trees & Shrubs for Northern California" and "Gardening Month by Month in Northern California" will be available for purchase.

So if you have garden questions now is the time to ask an expert. Pass the news along to your gardening friends and neighbors. Come join us for morning coffee and a chat with Bob Tanem. Call the church office if you have questions at 258-8133.
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Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

Disaster Relief--Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Donations can be made to Foothill and we will forward your money to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. If you would like to make a donation directly to PDA, you can go online and reference DR000117.

This designated account supplements the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering to enable a significant response for relief and disasters in Japan. Your faithful giving is deeply appreciated. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) shall honor the requests of donors concerning the use of their gifts for PDA programs; however, if the need for the funds for that specific project no longer exists, then those funds may be applied to a similar project or need at the discretion of PDA.

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Per Capita Progress
$1,908 Still Uncollected

Thank you to all who have paid per capita. We’ve still got a way to go. Here’s our progress:

Per capita bill $5,975
Collected to date $4,067
Variance $1,908

As you can see, we still could use your help. Per Capita amount is at least $30 per person again this year. We ask that you pay your per capita as soon as possible. If you are unable to pay your per captia, please contact the church office.

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Foothill CSA Enjoying the Bounty of Creation
Local Produce Direct from the Farm to You

Cost: $25 per week
($100 for months with 4 Tuesdays & $125 for months with 5 Tuesdays)

Payment: produce shares are on a pre-payment, monthly subscription basis.
Total prepayment is due the last Tuesday of each month

Pick up dates and times:
Foothill Presbyterian Church narthex
Tuesdays 10:30am to 9pm

To register
email or call peg:
foothillpc@gmail.com or 408-258-8133.

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Recipe Corner

BAKED APPLE AND CARROT CASSEROLE

5 tart apples such as Granny Smith, thinly sliced
2 cups cooked carrots sliced
6 T sugar mixed with 2T flour, dash salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg
3/4 cup of orange juice
2T triple sec (orange liqueur)

Place layer of apples in a 9 by 12 Pyrex. Cover with carrots, sprinkle with 1/2 of dry mix. Repeat layers.

Pour juice mixture over all.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Test apples for desired tenderness.

Nutrition Facts based on 8 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 129, Calories from Fat 1, Total Fat 0.2g, Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol, 0mg 0%, Sodium 335mg, Total Carbohydrates 30.4g,
Dietary Fiber 4.4g, Sugars 26.4g , Protein 0.7g
Vitamin A 135% • Vitamin C 34% •Calcium 3% • Iron 3%
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*Bible Lesson*
Chapel Day with Pastor Ben
Wednesday, April 6

*Spiritual Message*
Kindness
The generous person will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.
-Proverbs 11:25

*Special Days in April*

4/19
We are making Cascarones. A Mexican tradition. These are eggs that have been hollowed out and have a surprise filling.
4/20
Easter Egg Dyeing Day
4/21
Easter Egg Hunt
4/29
Fieldtrip to Bounce-A-Rama

Just in time for Easter
Foothill Christian Preschool’s See’s Candies Fundraiser

Foothill Christian Preschool is having a See’s Candies Fundraiser and we are inviting all the members and friends of THE FOOTHILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH to join in. Order forms with more information will be available in the Narthex.
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Refugee Foster Care Team

The Refugee Foster Care Team is urgently looking for a temporary foster placement for a 13 year old Sri Lankan youth.

He has family in Toronto, Canada and will likely reunify with them but there are several steps his attorneys must take first. We think that he will need placement for about 6 months or less while the legal process is completed. He has cerebral palsy which came about because of a head injury he suffered when his village was attacked by Tamil rebels when he was a young child. Shrapnel entered his brain and caused some physical disability: his arm is deformed and he walks with a limp. He is on medication for epilepsy and has not had a seizure in over a year. Aside from the physical disability, he's quite a charming young kid, bright, energetic, active, and a normal 13 year old. He's been in a shelter with 25 other youth for 6 months now, and should instead be in a family environment.

If you know of anyone who might be a match for this boy and is willing to get certified, please contact Pastor Ben.

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Church eDirectory
This year the church directory is available in PDF format. Traditional paper directories are also available. Contact the church office to request a copy of the church directory.



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No More Household Battery Collection

The County of Santa Clara Household Hazardous Waste Program has discontinued it's battery collection partner program. As of March 30, 2011 Foothill is no longer a battery recycling partner with the county.

The program is ending because it is too successful. The cost to pick up and process the batteries from non-retail battery recycling partners was too great and cut from the operating budget. By allowing drop off only at stores, the cost of the program is transferred to the retailer.

Household batteries can be dropped off at Orchard Supply on Alum Rock. For more drop off locations go to http://www.sccgov.org/SCC/docs/Environmental%20Health,%20Department%20of%20%28DEP%29/attachments/HHW%20Attachments/Battery%20Recyclers.pdf.
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The Semibreve
Jay Jordana, Director of Music Ministries


MANY THANKS
to Greg Hill, Dawn Imada, Benjamin and Dana Marino, Patty Potter, Jerry Siegfried, Carol Tillman for help in concert production of the Gabrieli West. Many thanks to Kraig Williams for the work he does in promoting early music at Foothill, and in the South Bay.

APRIL OFFERINGS
Flauti Dolci & Amici II
Saturday, April 2nd, 3 PM

More recorder consorts and mixed ensembles from around the Bay Area: Camerata California, Quartetto Paradiso, Ensemble Sonoma, and SDQ come together to perform early music and recent works.


National Association of Composers USA (San Francisco Chapter)
Sunday, April 10th, 3 PM

Composers & Friends Concert II presents new American music for piano, guitar, violin, clarinet, and voice written by outstanding Bay Area composers: Michael Barnett, Mark Behm, Simon Bokman, Robert R. Conrad, L Peter Deutsch, Hubert Ho, Joanne Reinecker, and Davide Verotta. http://www.music-usa.org/nacusa/


Harmonie Felice
Saturday, April 16th, 3 PM

Featuring music of the late French Baroque, Kati Kyme, baroque violin; Yueh Chou, Baroque bassoon; Amy Brodo, cello and viola da gamba; and Katherine Heater, harpsichord will perform works by Marin Marais, Elisabeth Claude-Jacquet de la Guerre, Francois Couperin, and others.


Suggested Donation: $10/person per concert


SNEAK PEAK
Doris Williams - Sunday, May 1st, 3 PM
Featuring Love Songs of the Renaissance, vocalist and lutist Doris Williams performs the music of Dowland, Morley, Hofhaimer, Johnson, Guedron, and Attaignant. www.doriswilliams.com

Monteverdi Brass Quintet – Friday, May 2th, 8 PM

WHAT’S UP IN THE HOOD?
West Valley College Music Department boasts of two choirs: Chamber Singers, and West Valley College Masterwork Chorale. The latter is a chorus of 30 members whose ages range from 19 – 70 years. As members of West Valley College Masterwork Chorale, Libby and Woody Moore performed in a successful concert on Thursday, March 24th in the school’s Performing Arts Theatre. Conducted by Director of the Choral Department Lou Dela Rosa, the well-attended concert featured Faure’s Pavanne, local composer Henry Mollicone’s When the Stars Are Gone, Paul Halley’s Ubi Caritas, which featured Gregorian Chant over West African Yoruba. The exciting part is that our own Libby Moore was the featured soloist in a Norman Luboff arrangement of All My Trials.

For more information on their upcoming May concert, stay tuned!

Congratulations to Libby and Woody!


MONTHLY TIDBIT
Congratulations to Joanne Reinecker for getting the correct response to the question:

What is tactus?

More on tactus…
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the word beat was called tactus. Marked by the rising and falling of the hand, tactus was thought to equal the pulse of a man breathing. That would be 60-70 beats per minute.

*Randel, Don Michael, ed. The New Harvard Dictionary of Music, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1986.


APRIL TIDBIT
Who was the first musician that was mentioned in the Bible?

Please email me your response. If yours is correct, you get to choose the closing hymn of the final worship service this month. First one to let me know the correct answer gets the prize! Hurry!
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Presbyterian Women’s Spiritual Nurture Retreat
Saturday, April 30th, 9 am- 2:30 pm

Santa Teresa Hills Presbyterian Church
5370 Snell Ave, San Jose.

The theme of this retreat is “Letting Scripture Read You: Experience God Through Guided Meditation”. Registration fee is $30 (before April 9th), $35 (after April 9th). The presenters are The Rev. Kim Engelmann and Nancy Aird. Anyone interested in attending should contact Claudia Hamm (408) 356-6665 or Jane Odell (408)279-0220 (Presbytery Office).
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Foothill Women’s Fellowship Group

Women’s Brunch was held on February 22, 2011. Thanks to everyone who attended and especially those who contributed food.

The women of Foothill decided to create a committee to carry out the goals that the Foothill Women’s Fellowship Group hope to achieve. Suggestions for goals are: focus on friendship and service; keep the projects local (i.e. Teen Challenge); create a phone tree for the group for communication purposes; encourage support for each other (i.e., visits with those who are ill); put together the cookbook; bible study group; and continue having the Women’s Brunches. A suggested alternative to brunches is a Coffee and Dessert gathering after church on Sunday.

The committee members are: Karen Withrow, Joyce Banks, Glenda Parmentier, Isabelle Taylor, Pat Heisey and Marilyn Kromery. We welcome and encourage all of the women of Foothill to become involved with the Foothill Women’s Fellowship Group.
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Just Coffee Group Order

If you are interested in trying this fair trade coffee, you can get in on the next group order by contacting Peg in the church office. By placing group orders we are able to reduce our cost by sharing the shipping expense.

To see what products are available and to learn more about Just Coffee, go to http://www.justcoffee.org. Contact Peg in the church office to place your order.
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The Life of a Seminary Student & Chaplain
-Maxine Millender


Losing your temper is no way to get rid of it-anonymous

The month of February is a month to remember because we had a week off due to bad weather. During this month I have seen many deaths, gunshot wounds, multiple assaults, motor vehicle accidents, heart attacks, withdrawals from life support, and a bull riding accident.

When I am called to a crisis and family is not available, I immediately put on plastic gloves and go through the patient’s personal belongings. If the person has a cell phone I am hoping it has ICE (in case of emergency) in the contact’s list and this way, I can make a call immediately. If not I call the police department, get on the internet, or call information. Sometimes it is difficult to get a family member to come without giving them medical information due to the HIPPA laws. I have learned never to say I am a Chaplain because this can cause anxiety in some people. When a family member comes to the hospital, this is my joy because I have connected the patient with someone familiar. Sometimes the patient does not want anyone called and I spend a lot more time with them.

When a young man (28 years) was brought in because he was involved in a bull riding accident, I could not imagine what type it was. The clouds were not right for care flight to bring him so they had to put him in an ambulance and drive for one hour but we were all ready for him. When I saw him, my mouth hung open and I thank God his brother in law rode with him. The bull’s head jerked up and the patient went forward and both met in mid-air. Most of the patient’s jaw was missing and I am not sure if he had many teeth left. When I spent time with his brother in law, I was informed that he is a professional bull rider and his Dad is also. The patient has been hospitalized before but this is the worst accident he has had. He was rushed to OR where they worked on him for 4 hours. His Dad drove from New Orleans and his Mom drove from Corpus Christi. His sister came from 1 hour away and his girlfriend drove with her. I spent a lot of time with this family and when the entire family was together, I advocated on their behalf to the RN and was able to get them to his room, especially his Mom and Dad. This is the joy I get when everyone can feel and breathe much better. He is in intensive care and will be for at least one week.

A lady (51 years) was brought in from church because she had a headache and then passed out. When they took what’s called a CATscan, they discovered a very large mass which was inoperative. This was a very large family who were in shock. The patient’s husband was so shocked, he could not speak. Imagine going to church, you have a headache, and never wake up from it. The family was informed their loved one would never have a quality of life and they were asked what they would like to do. The Father said his wife would never want to live this way. Her children (2 daughters and 4 sons) was crying hysterically and trying to understand how this happened and how they would live without their Mom who was their lifeline. I offered prayer but they did not want it because they informed me they were Mormon and explained to me their Pastor had been with them and prayed. After making a decision to make her a DNR (do not resuscitate), she was withdrawn from life support and immediately taken to our palliative care unit. She was in this unit for 15 minutes and quietly died with her children at her bedside. Her husband had left the hospital to find a funeral home. When we called the medical examiner, they worked with us and said if the Doctor would sign the death certificate, they would release to the funeral home. The RN called the emergency doctor and he said he would sign and we were happy about this. Before leaving the hospital, the family hugged me and thanked me for being there with them and explaining everything to them. I don’t look for praise or anything but when it comes, I am happy that I can be there to help a family in crisis.

I don’t particular care for guns now with so much violence and know if you are not careful it can go off when you least expect it. This was the case of a young man (25 years) who was partying with his wife. He got jealous, left the club, was driving down the freeway, reached into his glove compartment, took out his gun, and was trying to balance it on his lap while driving. The gun went off and he was shot in his right leg and private parts. He drove himself to the hospital and when I went into the room, he proceeded to tell me what happened and said, “I know it was stupid but I was mad.” When I called his wife she did not want to come to the hospital but I convinced her it was the right thing to do. When she arrived, I took her to his room and spent time with her. She thanked me for being there for him. He was released after being stitched.

Seminary status
I received a B on my 2nd Religion and Violence paper and a B- on the third one. I have one due this week and I have to complete the reading. I was able to complete my 15 page paper for Education and hope to get a good grade on it. I am enjoying teaching but it is a lot of work and I have 3 more classes to complete. We are all looking forward to our spring break during the week of March 14th.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

~ to be continued~

Worry is pulling tomorrow’s CLOUDS over today’s SUNSHINE-Adrian Rogers