It is time once again for the Adopt a Christmas Angel program in Port O’Connor, to provide Christmas gifts for our less fortunate children. This is how the program works: From now until December 10, you can pick up paperwork at POC Hardware. This consists of a numbered envelope containing the “vital statistics” for your chosen child – age, gender, grade, clothing sizes, shoe size, and coat size. Shoe and coat sizes will only be available if your child needs these items. You do not need to purchase any toys. The Toy Run, another annual Christmas program, provides these.

The Adopt A Christmas Angel committee recommends a spending limit of $100 per child. If you would like to participate but feel that you cannot afford this amount by yourself, enlist a friend or two to split the cost, and share the fun of shopping and wrapping, along with the glow of knowing you have helped a child have a nice Christmas. After you have shopped for your Angel, wrap the gifts, place them in a bag, and put your Angel’s number on the bag (not on the gifts). Please take your gifts to POC Hardware Store by December 14. The store will keep the gifts until time for their delivery/pick-up. The employees at the hardware store are most gracious in helping to complete this project each year, and they have an alarm system which keeps everything safe.

If you want to participate but are unable to do the shopping, you may let Judith at the POC Hardware know. Santa’s elves will be glad to help. Help these children to have a Merry Christmas and it’s very likely that your Christmas will be even merrier!

If You Need To Put A Child On This Year’s Angel List:

Angels will be accepted until November 30. Do not wait until the last minute! This is a large program and it takes numerous people to get it up and going. You should contact Judith at the POC Hardware (983-2708) during the store’s business hours. Strict confidentiality will be maintained. Even the kind souls who adopt these angels do not know the identity of the child. The parent or guardian only may put a child on the list and make arrangements. The child must live in Port O’Connor and be between the ages of one year and sixth grade. School-aged children must attend Port O’Connor School. Do not put relatives’ children on the list unless they live with you.

You will need to furnish the child’s age, grade and clothing sizes. You may also include any special interest that your child may have. Please use this program if you need, but do not abuse it. If you have used the program in the past, and if you can, maybe this year you can adopt an angel.

Each year the Service Club hosts a Christmas Luncheon for all of POC’s wonderful Senior Citizens, and this year’s Luncheon will be held on Friday, December 2, at 11:30 a.m. at the beautifully decorated “Merry and Bright” POC Community Center!

All Senior Citizens are invited and encouraged to join us for this huge Christmas Celebration, help us ring in the Yuletide Season, and partake of a delicious meal of home cooked goodies prepared by the Service Club Ladies!

Come help us celebrate with fun and festive Christmas caroling and merriment as we “Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly”! There will be prizes galore, lots of fun and laughter, and it’s all completely free!! You don’t want to miss this wonderful Christmas Event!

The Seadrift School along with the Seadrift Boy Scouts, the School Principal, the teachers, and the staff did a great job remembering our veterans on Veterans Day, November 11th.

A large group of veterans as well as relatives, school parents, and well-wishers were in attendance at the school gym that day.

It was truly a “Thanksgiving Moment” as hearts were touched as the students sang patriotic songs, read poems, and honored each branch of service with a flag presentation. The Seadrift Scouts did a beautiful presentation of honoring the different branches of service with their well-crafted posters.

Mary Hodges gave an oral tribute to veterans and invited guest Gilbert Ramon was the speaker. Gilbert was a Marine Gunnery Sergeant who recounted his many experiences while serving in the Marines.

Those present took away with them a greater appreciation for all who have served our country.

Port O’Connor area veterans were also honored with a program at Port O’Connor Elementary.

Fundraisers are continuing for the Facelift Project at the POC Community Center. On Saturday, November 19, at Josie’s Mexican Restaurant, there is a Turkey Cook off with proceeds going to benefit this undertaking. Besides lots of good food and fun, there will be a Silent Auction, Raffle and games. Come out for the festivities and contribute to a worthy cause at the same time. A big THANK YOU to the Port O’Connor Community Service Club for collecting and/or donating most of the items for the silent auction. They have worked very hard on all the events so far to raise money for this project.

The Port O’Connor community came together originally to build the complex almost 25 years ago. Now it is in need of some TLC. Phase one will be work on the Pavilion. The goal for this part of the project is $150,000.00. The two small fundraisers we have had so far and individual donations have raised approximately $ 16,000.00.
Slowly, but surely, we will reach our goal for Phase I, and once that work is completed, we can concentrate on Phase II which will include the community center itself. Consider what you can do to help preserve this important part of our town “at the end of the road”. Get involved to save the community center.

Other fundraisers are planned for next year. Stay tuned for details. If you would like to donate, you can drop contributions off at FIRST NATIONAL BANK in POC or online at PayPal for portoconnorcommunitycenter@gmail.com

 

Feeling Thankful and Blessed on the Island

Abundant and thankful greetings from the island this nice Fall morning.  I hope that everyone is doing well, and not waiting until the last minute to stock up on your Thanksgiving meal-preparing necessities.

As I sit outside on the porch enjoying the sunrise and drinking coffee, and steadily typing away with my right index finger on my IPhone, I’ll occasionally glance up and look out over Matagorda Bay.  This particular morning, Nov. 11 and Veterans Day (a very big THANK YOU!!), the bay is an unusually slick calm, with just a hint of sea fog haze hovering above the warm water.  But I know from the weather forecast, which I keep track of like nobody’s business, in 12 hours that bay and the weather will be entirely different.

A hard blowing 25-35 mph norther will descend upon us, dropping temps and turning the bay into solid whitecaps and easily 3-4’ seas.  Thank goodness my island cabin is situated on a somewhat protected inlet, and not on the direct shoreline, which offers no protection from the incoming waves and subsequent erosion from northers.  My front downstairs kitchen door is exactly 38’ from the Matagorda Bay lagoon inlet, so even though it’s not much, I do have some level of protection on this barrier island.

I made the trip across the bay yesterday for supplies, knowing that this norther, and another lingering one on the way in a few days, would prohibit me from going in for awhile.  So now it will be 15 days before I make another trek across the water, putting me on the mainland the day after Thanksgiving.  I’ll join the family in having a late turkey day get together, and we will also celebrate my dad, Henry, on his 90th birthday on Nov 26.  Corky and I are hoping for an assortment of leftovers to bring back to the island.  And while I was in town last week, I gathered up and brought Dad’s three chickens back to the island, as it was getting difficult for him to look after them. They will join the other chickens, ducks and guineas that make up the Bennetsen Island Compound.  I got the funniest looks at the dock loading those three chickens into my boat and pulling away!

Not only am I constantly dealing with mechanical issues and breakdowns on the island, which is a never ending saga with this harsh corrosive island environment, but recently my little truck, that sits 24/7 at the dock, has had problems.  Last month I had a major issue when the lower swing arm connected to the left front tire, basically rusted completely apart and broke.  Luckily it happened in POC and not while driving on the highway, so I limped it to the dock, and the best mechanic in POC, Randy Smart, was able to do at least a temporary fix for me.  Once again, our coastal salty air environment, especially at and around the docks, takes no prisoners.  And then again last week, before I could start my supply run day, the 6-year-old battery went kaput, and I had to deal with getting a new one.  Oh well, such is island life and all that comes with it.
I want to wish a speedy recovery to my island friend, Louisiana Joe.  Joe comes to the island twice a year, every Spring and Fall, and stays a few months at his island place.  During his visit last month, Joe had only been here a week when his appendix unexpectedly burst, creating a very serious medical condition.  The Coast Guard was contacted and responded by boat and transported Joe to a waiting ambulance in town, where he subsequently underwent surgery.  After a three week hospital and rehab stay, he is back in Louisiana and doing very well.  Take care of yourself old timer; your island family wants you back soon!

That’s it from the island for now. Everyone take care and have a most wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.