Her winning entry, one page long, is now on display at Northlight Gallery in Memphis in a show called "Art of the Written Word."

Gault has been commended for her fine hand ever since her early school days, by friends, teachers and cohorts—even postal workers comment. Her cursive skills were honed when she was in first grade in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Idaho called Bear Creek School.

And, her handwriting hasn't changed since those days, she says. The Palmer method has obviously stood her in good stead. A retired teacher, Gault despaired of teaching her classes to write well. By fifth grade, their handwriting was already too sloppy and too entrenched to be changed.

The top writing hand in the country is an artist and calligrapher, too, and teaches calligraphy through adult ed at the Southside Community Center on Cottle Road in San Jose. She learned about the handwriting competition at a convention she attended.

The convention sponsor was the International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting. There's a challenging title. Did you have any idea one could become a professional engrosser, preparing the final handwritten copy of an official document?

In a totally different field, Marian and her husband, Ned, also a retired teacher, also teach international folk dancing. They teach classes through the continuing education program in Santa Clara.

POOLING THEIR EFFORTS: At 22, Saratogan Eric Herbert may be the youngest pool maintenance business owner in the state. It's obvious when he goes to association meetings. Herbert and partner John Lee, 25, own Aqua Techniques Pool Care, now starting its third year.

Lee is married to Herbert's sister, Leslie, an artist/craftswoman. Both partners are avid snowboarders, and both were on the Lynbrook water polo and swim teams. Eric spent five years in the business before starting his own company. Aqua's client base is made up mostly of Saratogans.

As for nonhuman Saratogans, the two regularly retrieve such residents out of pools they tend, including possums, rats, snakes and squirrels. On one occasion they answered a deer-in-pool call. Fortunately, the deer found the steps and clambered out, unaided.

Trust, reliability and maintaining clear lines of communication between client and worker are Aqua essentials. "Each pool has its own personality," says Lee. He is the son of Chong In and Kyung Sook Lee, both of whom work in the tech industry. Eric's parents are Gary and Jeri Herbert. He's a Realtor; she's a teacher.

CRAFTSWOMEN SHOW: Porcelain artist Cathryn Yoshimoto of Los Gatos and clothing designer Kavita Singh of Saratoga are two of the more than 150 artists participating in the Celebration of Craftswomen show at Fort Mason, San Francisco, Nov. 29­30, 10 a.m.­6 p.m.

Crafts include ceramic and glass vessels; sculpted wood and metal works; polymer clay, beaded, stone and precious-metal jewelry; woven, painted silk and leather clothing; furniture and accessories; sculpture, photography, watercolor and oils; and children's toys.

Sunnyvale jewelry designers Susan Terry and Gina Senzatimore and Cupertino fashion designer Sally Mbuto are also in the show. Free parking with shuttle service is available at Marina Middle School on Bay Street. For more information, call 415.383.3470.

CALENDARS READY: Calendars for 2004 of historic Saratoga scenes are now ready for purchase for $10. They're the work of Tom Lowdermilk of the Heritage Preservation Commission, who put the calendar together, and Don Armstrong of the Saratoga Historical Foundation, who did the computer enhancements of the photos from the museum's collection. April Helberstadt, curator of the museum, provided stellar assistance. The calendars depict scenes of Saratoga businesses, from 60­100 years ago. Calendars can be found at the Saratoga Historical Museum, Chamber of Commerce, Lillian Benson Antiques, Home Choice Pharmacy, Skin ProphecyBoutique and Cooper-Garrod Winery.

FOLLOWING OLYMPIC TORCH: Inveterate travelers Olive Stocking and Ruth Bauer follow the Olympic torch. In fact, Bauer has been an Olympic devotee for the past 30 years. This time they'll head for Colorado Springs in December for the Grand Prix finals in figure skating, sponsored by the International Skating Union.

JOY SHOW: Saratoga artists Theresa Robinson and Starr Davis are represented in the annual holiday show called "Joy" at the Gallery House in Palo Alto. Holiday hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.­9 p.m., and Sunday, noon­4 p.m.

Got a tip for Saratoga Sampler? Send email to maryanncook@earthlink.net.