SATURDAY SCOOPS
Faith and fun in the park

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Religion & Ethics Writer

Tips for a good church picnic Bring friends, family, even people who don't attend your church. The more the merrier! Hot dishes are always appreciated, especially in the event of rain. Find out if someone's bringing their camp stove, though, so you're not stuck rubbing twigs together. Organized games keep things mixing: softball, beach volleyball, etc. Don't forget the Frisbee. Source: the Rev. Wayne Ibara, senior pastor of Makiki Christian Church Illustration by Greg Taylor • The Honolulu Advertiser

Is it church picnic season already?

When spring and summer roll around, you'll find churches planning their annual outdoors social, a day to spread the fun as well as the faith.

Barbara Okabayashi knows you can never plan enough. And as she's learned the past two years: You can't predict the weather, and always expect the unexpected.

"Last year, it poured," remembered the head of the Makiki Christian Church's Sunday-school program. "Then it stopped. We were cooking in the rain."

This year, they hoped for a lovely day at the beginning of spring break. It poured again.

But good fun — and plenty of food — was had by all the 90-plus members who came out last month.

"We always have more than enough food," said Okabayashi. "We ask people for side dishes: salads, fruits, beans, drinks, desserts."

They also plan loads of organized games, especially relay games and mixers that allow for groupings by age.

"It's really a good time for families, to bring friends," she said. "Worship doesn't only have to be indoors."

The most important thing to remember about socials like these are the bringing together of the congregation, said the Rev. Bruce Nakamura, resident minister of Jikoen Hongwanji Mission, which will hold a keiki day picnic for the Honolulu district of the dharma school May 2 at Kapi'olani Park.

"This type of outing, I like to see it as intergenerational," said Nakamura, adding that it's a chance for members from all services — Japanese-speaking, English-speaking and dharma school — to come together.

It saddens him when he hears that people who have been sitting the next row over from each other in church for years still don't know one another's name.

"That's the impersonal aspect of formal church services," he said. "... We tend to be segregated by age. What I want to see is kind of re-introduction to one another, acknowledging we are part of a larger community."

Reach Mary Kaye Ritz at 525-8035 or mritz@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Brunch on the Beach will serve up food, entertainment tomorrow in Waikiki

As usual, restaurants will offer food (buy it with scrip) and entertainers will perform for those gathered.

Among the food offerings: a double onion steak sandwich on open-face focaccia bread, with rosemary garlic steak fries; grilled pork with Okinawan sweet potatoes; Portuguese sausage or bay shrimp frittata; and a bunch of other goodies.

Entertainment begins with the Royal Hawaiian Band Glee Club at 9 a.m., followed by hula by Halau Mohala 'Ilima, the trio Kahua and headliner Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom (pictured at right).

Hours are 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Yee haa! Back at the ranch, there's that Ulupalakua Thing

Among the attractions: a plant competition and exhibit, lei-making and flower-arrangement contests, arts and crafts, food, entertainment (Keali'i Reichel performs at 12:15 p.m.) and the Chef's Challenge, a sort of "Iron Chef" battle hosted by Mark Ellman.

Hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. today. Admission is $20 at the gate, free for keiki 10 and younger. www.ulupalakuathing.com.

Bring canned eats for the food bank

The big push is on for the 2004 food drive by the Hawaii Foodbank. Bring your nonperishable goods or cash gifts to these sites today — 8 a.m.-5 p.m.: Restaurant Row, Koko Marina Center, Mililani Town Center, McCully Shopping Center, Pearl City Shopping Center, Wai'anae Mall Shopping Center, Windward City Shopping Center, Waiokeola Congregational Church in Kahala and military locations.

What to bring? Canned meats or tuna; canned meals such as spaghetti, chili or corned-beef hash; canned soups; canned vegetables and fruits; canned beans.

Solution will spiff up your woods

Here's a formula for cleaning and polishing your fine wooden furniture.

Mix together equal parts of boiled linseed oil, turpentine and vinegar. A few ounces of each should do it. (Raw linseed oil is flammable and should not be boiled at home. Use a commercial product called boiled linseed oil. Do not boil the linseed oil.)

Blend the ingredients by shaking well. Spray it on and then wipe it off.

Temari fair offers textile lovers a fine fabrics fix

Ask anyone who sews creatively and they'll tell you: Exciting fabrics are few and far between in Honolulu. University of Hawa'i-Manoa fashion design senior Jennifer Cho gets positively teary-eyed when talking about trying to find beautiful silks with which to whip up her senior line.

To the rescue comes Temari with its first-ever fabric fair, called "Bolts of Fabric and Fun," 9 a.m.-1 p.m. today at the Honpa Hongwanji Social Hall on Pali Highway.

Offerings include textiles, ethnic garments, notions and crafts. Textile talks will be offered at 10 a.m. (a sachiko demonstration), 11 a.m. ("Something Old, Something New with Kimono") and noon (Philippine textiles). Food will be available. Admission is free.

Celebrate spring at St. Francis School in Manoa

Correction: A commercial product called boiled linseed oil can be used to restore, clean and polish wood furniture. Raw linseed oil is flammable and should not be boiled at home. An item in a previous version of these Scoops was wrong. Do not boil the linseed oil.