Stone's road to the master's was bestrewn with a good many boulders, including a bout with cancer as well as surviving the pitfalls and triumphs of owning her own piano school of some 200 students for more than four years. Her thesis topic was "Teaching the Preludes of the Well-Tempered Clavier." (Note: The clavier has nothing to do with the human breastbone—clavicle—but rather is a generic term for instruments with keys.) J.S. Bach is the composer of the Well Tempered, etc. Stone delighted friends earlier with a presentation on Beethoven's humor displayed in his bagatelles.

The perennial student was rehearsing the talk for a class on sound. In other Stone news, Kerstin's son Rick and his wife, Karen, were featured in a recent Bill Moyers TV program called "Speaking to Power," which was about the Riverside Church in New York City. James Forbes is the senior minister at Riverside and noted as an inspirational preacher.

One of the Rev. Forbes' tenets is that poverty is a weapon of mass destruction. Riverside's preachings show that not all Christian churches are right wing. Rick is president of the church council and Karen is a member of the choir. The family travels two hours each way from their Long Island home to attend Riverside.

THE WRIGHT (PARTY) STUFF: One of the delights of the Christmas season is the annual party Jeanine Bugh and husband Curtis Wright throw. It's a very ecumenical celebration that packs their Monte Sereno home, though the emphasis is on English traditions of the holiday.

Still, there are touches of other cultures' rituals, including druid, what with the winter solstice being observed. That calendar highlight is noted at midnight, with candles, reflections on the past year's triumphs and tragedies and resolutions for the coming year.

English patterns that are followed include crackers (wrapped packets containing hats and small presents), wassail singing and morris dancing. Other Euro touches this year included the Three French Hens (host Jeanine, plus Carole Shaver and Lynn Waters) and Two Italian Tenors, Mark Wallace and Joe Haracal.

Shades of Saturday Night Live echoed what with blessings from the Swami Beyondananda (comic Steve Bhaerman). Local politicos in evidence included LG Mayor Steve Glickman and wife Judy; MS Mayor Erin Garner and wife Susan; and four former MS mayors—Dave Baxter, Jack Lucas, Suzanne Jackson and Barbara Nesbet.

Former mayoral husband Steve Jackson read The Night Before Christmas. "The Twelve Days of Christmas," on the other hand, called for audience participation. This was the 20th annual, and Los Gatans Jeff Killeen and Pam Hinz have been to every one.

Groups on hand were the Los Gatos Mountain Biking Club, Tuesday night yoga and Thursday morning French class. New this year was the Buche de Noel from Fleur de Cocoa. Wright is mayor pro tem of Monte Sereno, Bugh a French teacher.

Some 30 guests were felled by flu and weather or the seams would really have been stretched.

ADDENDUM: Speaking of Monte Sereno mayors, the colon cancer campaign being waged there—proclaiming itself a colon-cancer-free city and urging regular colonoscopies for all its citizenry—must somehow be related to its founding.

The city's founder and first mayor was Thomas Ingles, an admiral. I like to assume that he was a rear admiral.

GENEROUS SEASON: When your neighbor is a hospital, can you count on more beneficence than normal? Perhaps so. At least that's what the neighbors of Community Hospital of Los Gatos found when the house they rented burned two weeks before Christmas.

The family of six found the fire had left their home in ruins. Hospital staff members checked out the situation and found the family had no renters insurance to cover the substantial damages and losses. The next day hospital employees started up a collection and raised $1,707 for the family.

Strictly from employees' pockets, the outpouring showed how people come together to help someone in need, said Jennifer Kwapinski, business development assistant. No one knew the family, yet they were very willing to help. Kwapinski is listing furniture donations that can be made, as well.

"We can't imagine how they could replace their possessions all at once without any help." To aid the family, call Kwapinski at 408.866.4058. ART DEMO: Moises Roizen, retired head of the West Valley College Art Department, will be the speaker at the Jan. 8 meeting of the Saratoga Community of Artists at 7 p.m. at the Saratoga Library. He'll give a painting demonstration about color mixing.

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