Sponsored By The Port O’Connor Lions Club

Vendors – Check this out and join us by renting a booth or two! Booth spaces under the Pavilion are now all reserved. We have had a great response. But – there is still time to make your reservation for booth spaces outside the Pavilion at $20. for an approx. 15’x15’ space.

TO BE HELD WHEN: Saturday, March 8th, 2014

WHERE: At The Port O’Connor Community Center Pavilion in Port O’Connor

SALE TIME: Open to Public 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Plan now. Start your special crafting or gathering your items for sale. Additionally, please tell a talented friend about the event so they can start preparing. Not everything has to be completely hand made. We are just looking for good quality sale items. Please bring your own equipment and get ready for this event.

Patrons – please mark your calendar for this fun event. We will have plenty of special and exciting items you may find you can’t live without for your purchase from vendors coming from different towns.

For registration forms and additional information or for food vendor details:

Please phone Joyce Jordan, President, at Cell #361-655-7999.

Ginnie Lichac, President of Friends of POC Library (left) and Librarian Shirley Gordon (right) accept the $3,850 donation from Jim ‘Hoop’ Hooper.

The fifth annual Chili/Gumbo Cookoff was a huge success!  Jim Hooper very proudly and  enthusiastically handed a $3,850.00 check  to Shirley Gordon, Port O’Connor Librarian, and Virginia Dell Lichac, President of ”Friends.”  This handsome sum earned from the benefit hosted by “Hoop” at Hurricane Junction on a warm Saturday afternoon in October, will be added to the POC Library Building Fund and is one step further ahead in building a new library in Port O’Connor.

Shirley and the Board of Directors of “Friends” wish to thank “Hoop” especially for his contribution and everyone else who attended the event to help make this dream come true!  The six judges who did the chili/gumbo tasting, the nine cooks who brewed up their favorite recipes, the donors of an eclectic assortment of fantastic Silent Auction items, and folks that bid on the selections and went home with a treasure they couldn’t resist are all most appreciated!    Once again, this annual cookoff  turned out to be a fun affair which will benefit the entire POC community in the years to come.

Plant identification, barrier island ecology, water quality, wetland soils, phytoplankton sampling and endangered species are just a few of the topics covered in the Mid-Coast Chapter Texas Master Naturalist initial training program. If you love the gulf coast and yearn to learn more about it while embracing the commitment to conserve and preserve it, then you will definitely want to join the Mid-Coast Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists.

The Texas Master Naturalist Program is a volunteer training program sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. With forty four chapters state wide, the Mid-Coast Chapter encompasses eight coastal counties: Calhoun, Aransas, Matagorda, Refugio, San Patricio, Goliad, Victoria and Jackson. The goal of the program is to develop a group of well-informed volunteers who provide education, outreach and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources in natural areas in their community. Certified master naturalists can be found supporting our local environment in a variety of ways such as conducting van tours at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, emptying fishing line recycling containers in Port O’Connor, patrolling for nesting Kemp’s Ridley turtles on Matagorda Island, weeding out invasive species at Mad Island Marsh Preserve, monitoring water quality on the Colorado River, introducing children and adults to the wondrous species which live in gulf waters at the Rockport Aquarium and in many other ways and locations.

Each spring the chapter conducts initial training for those who wish to become a member. Conducted by local experts, the initial training program consists of eight classes held in various unique and exciting locations in the Coastal Bend including Matagorda Island, Welder Wildlife Refuge, University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas and Coleto Creek Reservoir. Most, but not all, of the classes will be on Saturdays. The fee for the training is $150 per person, which covers all fees and materials. Visit our website for a complete agenda and details www.MidCoast-TMN.org/Training/Basic

If you love the Texas Gulf Coast and desire to learn more while helping to conserve and preserve it along side like-minded good-hearted folks from all walks of life, then sign up for the training and become a Certified Texas Master Naturalist. Classes begin February 1, 2014 and space is limited to fifteen. For more information visit our website www.MidCoast-TMN.org or contact Dick Klopshinske at membership@midcoast-tmn.org

IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME IN PORT O’CONNOR! Well, almost. But to help to get you into the Christmas and Holidaze feelings, do come see us and possibly see some of the following books. I can attest to the fact that reading through them will definitely get the Santa urge going; not counting the food and other decorations. My favorites are the CHRISTMAS WITH SOUTHERN LIVING books to the point that I have almost 20 years of a collection. Here we have both the 1995 issue along with the one dated 1997. The book dated 1995 starts with information on how to make a lemon leaf wreath, continues with gilded apples, and a peppermint tower; under various decorations to make, a tree skirt with felt cutouts and a woodworking project of an angel should inspire plans for next year. But the recipes in this book are my favorite including the menu from Elizabeth’s from Savannah, Georgia, that ends with a Chocolate-Pecan Torte.

But the issue of 1997 starts with satin stockings you can make to hang on your mantle and really exude elegance; goes on to feature a holiday brunch serving a Southern brunch casserole and cinnamon raisin bread pudding with ham scones and ambrosia punch. But the topper for all desserts in the stained glass holly cake, and luckily includes full instructions for how to do it.

And another book is Family Circle’s Christmas Treasury as issued in 1990 which features lots of gingerbread men, a stunning needlepoint stocking, and lists a typical Victorian Christmas dinner of nine courses plus champagne and ending with Amaretti Oranges. I’m sure that a dinner that extensive would require not only an extra cook, but several hours for the dinner party.

Some of our very favorite, and at times, prolific authors have taken to writing books all set in the Christmas season. Debbie Macomber is one who has four, some a part of a series, and others stand-alone. Call Me Mrs. Miracle is one that has become a Hallmark movie; Christmas Letters is part of the Blossom Street series; and A Cedar Cove Christmas is part of the series of Cedar Cove. And the book, When Christmas Comes reminds you of the many unintentional mixups during the Christmas period.

Thomas Kinkade, the painter, has several books all set at Christmastime; although I’ve not read these yet, I think I probably will shortly as the book covers are more than a little intriguing. The Christmas Angel, as issued in 2005, is a part of the Cape Light series, and the jacket design was executed by the author himself. And A Christmas to Remember with the sparkling trees on the book cover as accompanied by the ice skaters before a glitterly lit home incites the urge to remember the era of 1955 when doors weren’t locked and trust was normal.

Hope you all enjoy the foregoing; and Shirley and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed 2014 as our New Year to come.

We still have books for sale at the Library, thankfully, with donations from residents coming in regularly. Luckily for Shirley and me we have received a number of current books that cover a variety of subjects; even some for handcrafting special items. The monies received from these sales go to add to our DVD collection and to purchase additional books, many times those missing from a series. Do come and check them out! You won’t be disappointed.

“When an old person dies, a Library burns down” -Karin Gillespie

My neighbors Parker and Patty are always telling me how proud they are to be a part of Port O Connor, Texas. They say it is a great community and so friendly. A couple of weekends after Thanksgiving, Patty’s grandson Peter arrived to spend the weekend. He carried in a big tote bag full of things he called his ‘party project,’ and asked his Nana Patty if she would help him. Nana agreed they would start the next morning.

Peter got up early ready to work. He pulled out a cake mix and box of birthday candles and told Nana they needed to bake a birthday cake. While it was in the oven baking, Peter and Patty planned a special dinner menu. Peter explained he wanted to use the pretty dishes and they needed an extra place for the guest of honor. Patty asked who that might be and Peter told her not to worry. The surprise would be great. Peter talked to all the family telling them the birthday party dinner would begin at 6 sharp. Then Peter pulled out three boxes and asked Nana to help him wrap the presents and no opening the boxes. When the table was set, the cake decorated, the presents wrapped, the special dinner cooked and it was almost time, Peter washed his hands and face, combed his hair and came into the kitchen excited to begin the party.

Every member took their usual place at the table except the guest chair next to Peter stayed empty. Papaw asked Peter where the guest of honor was and Peter asked Papaw to say grace and pass the food. Nana wanted to wait for the guest but Peter insisted, so with clasped hands the family said grace and passed the bowls and platters around the table. Peter carefully placed a small amount of each dish on the plate for the guest of honor. When everyone was served, Peter started to eat. Again the others asked if they should not wait for the guest, but Peter was adamant.

When everyone had enjoyed their fill of roast beef, potatoes and vegetables, Peter asked Nana to bring out the pretty cake on the birthday cake platter. Nobody at the table was willing to cut the cake while the birthday guest was missing. Peter stood up from his chair and stood near the empty place and loudly began to sing, “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you”…. “Stop!” his mother demanded. ‘Who are we singing to,” she asked Peter. With a huge smile and a voice of confidence Peter said, “Don’t worry mom, He’s here.” Then he proudly sang, “Happy Birthday dear Jesus, Happy Birthday to you.” Nana clapped for Peter’s singing and told him his birthday party for Jesus was just right. “See, I told you the special guest would be here,” Peter said.

“But wait,” his sister said. “What did you put in the boxes as birthday presents for Jesus?” Peter said he knew just what Jesus wanted for presents, and he carefully explained each gift he so lovingly wrapped.

“The first is my heart I made in my science class. I want to use it to love Jesus and people around me all the time, even when they are not very nice, cause God said that is most important. The second gift is my new pair of gloves so I can use my hands to give more help and nice things to other people. The third box was a little harder, but I finally figured it out. It is my voice. I plan to use it to tell others about how much Jesus loves them and wants to be their best friend.”

The family blew out the birthday candles, cut the cake and shared in Peter’s special celebration. “Happy Birthday to Jesus, indeed,” said Papaw as he helped with the dishes. And a little child shall lead them….