NO, GEORGE, NO: Kathy Eder, who created Operation Hidden Agenda playing cards last year as an alternative point of view to Iraq's Most Wanted playing cards, has a new vehicle. This time it's a book called No, George, No! The Re-Parenting of George W. Bush.
In hardback, and illustrated by Clay Butler, it looks like a children's book, but it's a far cry from that. "I was walking through Yosemite in October, and the title came to me: the story of a young boy named George who is taught important lessons in life by a Truth Fairy," says the author.
Half the profits from the book will be donated to peace organizations. The price is $15.95, and the book is available through Tower Video in Campbell or at www.nogeorgeno.com. Eder teaches social justice and morality at Bellarmine during the school year and devotes herself to peace causes during the summer.
This summer she'll be promoting No, George, No. Some 23,000 decks of Hidden Agenda were sold, and Eder gave 50 percent of the profits to peace agencies and veterans dealing with the effects of the Gulf War.
"I had a hard time finding the truth about the war. After the war was declared officially over, I noticed the devastation that was all around us due to the war and to U.S. policies. Without truth or access to truth, we are in truly terrifying danger," the Los Gatan says.
Clay Butler is the creator of the political comic strip Sidewalk Bubblegum and owns Claytowne Graphic and Web Design in Santa Cruz.
NICE TO BE (NEAR) NICE: Peter Mayle (A Year in Provence) did it for a year or more. Barbara and Ira Spector do it for a month—escape to France, that is. The Spectors have been renting the same house near St. Tropez for the past nine years. In fact, they are there now.
And they have written a book about their adventures called A Month of Sundays. I won't say the Spectors' is a persuasive book, but note this: their publisher will be renting the house just after their tenure there this year.
The senior editor of Readers Digest and her daughter will arrive the day the Spectors leave. The four will meet at Cote D'Azur airport in Nice where the Spectors will hand over the keys.
In other book business, Borders will devote the weekend of Aug. 13, 14 and 15 to celebrating three books by local authors, and in so doing benefit the library's history project. Some 15 percent of everything sold at Borders on those days will go to the history project.
Besides the Spectors' A Month of Sundays, the other books to be featured are Spirit of Northern Italy, a photo art book by Marco Zecchin, and Nuts from Hazelhurst:True Stories and Poems, written by Laura J. Sears, who was a Burrell School teacher, and published by her grandson Richard Lake. Special speakers will present programs each night during the August weekend hoopla.
RETRO BRIDAL SHOWER: Here's a bridal shower where guests are expected to go retro-dress in vintage bridesmaid or mother-of-the-bride outfits. So consignment shops and Goodwill are doing a landoffice business for those headed for the shower for Tracy Gingerich July 17 at Kuleto's.
Tracy, daughter of Judi and John Gingerich (former Saratogans, now living in Los Gatos), graduated from Saratoga High in '82. So did her groom, Mike Gruber. The two were high school sweethearts, but parted for 20 years. Neither one married. Then Tracy went to her 20th high school reunion.
Gruber didn't go, and she wanted to find out why. So she called him. That call jump-started the romance and led to a retro romance, you might say. The couple will live in Auburn, where Tracy teaches high school math. Gruber is an electrician. His parents, Barbara and Walt Gruber, now live in Healdsburg.
They settled in a vineyard called Healdsburg County Gardens, where they grow grapes for Rodney Strong wines. Their setting is also continually booked for weddings, and the Gingerich-Gruber nuptials will be held there Aug. 14. Walt taught at Foothill Elementary in Saratoga before he retired.
THIRD WIN: Linda Pfeiffer's team, Linda's Marvelous Supporters, won the Top Fundraising Trophy in the MS Walk again this year with a total of $18,572, the third straight year they've won since they've been a team. They raised $7,000 more than last year's total.
Pfeiffer and Ruth Yoder both were awarded Mission Possible plaques for raising more than $2,500.
SERVICE WITH A SMILE: A new volunteer program, SMILE (Students Making Illness a Little Easier), started this month at Good Sam Hospital. Teens work in pairs to visit, play games, help with meals and offer liquids, grooming, blankets or pillows to patients.
These bedside services will be offered 47 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.7 p.m. weekends by 77 volunteers. Mary McCall is program director at 408.559.2344.
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By Mary Ann Cook