The latest gathering of the Hooked on Books Club was held on Tuesday, April 8th. The wonderful hostesses, Susan Bertlshofer, Erin Turner, and Darla Miles, created a warm and welcoming atmosphere and complimented the assembly of members with a delightful spread of refreshments to reflect the book’s settings in Atlanta and Up Island in Martha’s Vineyard, which added a fitting touch to the afternoon.

The event began with a lively meet-and-greet, followed by a delicious assortment of appetizers, desserts, and beverages. Book club members enjoyed dips, crackers, and chips; peach jelly spread over cream cheese; stuffed jalapenos with crab meat, sliced cheeses; deviled “swan” eggs; clam chowder, Coke floats; and coffee and tea.  Guests enjoyed mingling, sharing stories, and soaking up the camaraderie before immersing themselves into an engaging discussion of Up Island by Anne Rivers Siddons.

Following refreshments, the hostesses introduced a fresh format for our discussion, leading to some truly engaging conversations. We explored a playlist of songs tied to themes from the novel, such as separation, isolation, healing, and divorce. The lyrics sparked deep reflections on Molly’s resilience and themes of loss and renewal. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons’ “Sherry,” Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good,” Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” and Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” were a few of the songs, and the format was an absolute “hit” of the day.

The various musical genres revealed the complexities of the book and rich character development. The lyrics also ignited discussions on personal transformation and how life’s challenges can lead to new beginnings. Many admired Molly’s journey from a sheltered, dependent wife to a strong, independent woman. Overall, we all agreed that Siddons perfectly captures the essence of personal growth and the bittersweet journey of starting over.

All in attendance agreed that it was an engaging and fun-filled afternoon. They thanked their wonderful hostesses for the ingenuity, expert planning, and hard work put into making it all happen. It was an afternoon to remember!

Hooked on Books’ next gathering will be on Tuesday, May 13th, the last meeting before our summer respite and promises another exciting literary adventure! Members voted to read another book published by our local author Megan Freeman. Away is a companion novel to Alone, a New York Times best-selling novel that members read in 2024.  We look forward to another great discussion with Megan!

Mark your calendars for our upcoming summer break during June, July, and August. Another intriguing discussion is in store for September 9th with our next selection, Run Brother Run by David Berg. This summer’s read is sure to inspire deep reflection and lively dialogue at September’s meeting.

 Everyone who has attempted to live in this world and make a commitment to following the Christ of the Cross and of the Empty Tomb is going to be a man in the middle! The “No Man’s Land” will be there between a commitment to the Lord and a desire to live in a real world, with all of its temptations. Our natural bodies will crave things that our spiritual man will say “no” to. Our spiritual man will be forced to say “no” to things our natural man wants to say “yes” to! How vividly this fact is demonstrated in the life and death struggle of Jesus during what we call Holy Week, which is even witnessed as He hangs on the middle Cross on what we call “Good Friday.”  

 Jesus came to become the bridge between the Old Law and the New Testament, which is based in Grace. The Law of Moses had provided for mankind’s sins to be rolled ahead of them with a blood sacrifice. The New Testament provided proof that the Christ provided the perfect blood sacrifice which will remove our sins eternally! Remember that Jesus had to cleanse the Temple before He died for the people!  

 Jesus came to fulfill the covenant between the Creator and His creation. The Tabernacle and Temple of the Old Testament was there to teach rituals and lay forth laws that help mankind to know the God of Abraham and of Mount Sinai. Jesus came to teach us that God wanted to have a personal relationship with us. Everyone who has ever had any kind of relationship understands that fulfilling a law brings fear, but a relationship spans love. It is much easier to follow a set of rules than it is to be ruled by a loving relationship! We often want to take the easy way and try to be good instead of developing a loving relationship with a Holy God. 

 On what we call “Palm Sunday,” the masses were shouting great things about Jesus, taking off their robes to make a path for the donkey on which He rode, and placing palm branches before Him as a sign of the acceptance of His Kingship. But a few days later, many of the same people were calling for His execution. All of His followers (Disciples) fled when He was arrested and yet after His Resurrection, He called them all to be the leaders in the New Testament Church! He had washed their feet knowing the betrayal of each, but empower even Peter who denied even knowing Him, to lead the Gospel Followers.  

 Hanging suspended on the Old Rugged Cross, we hear Jesus cry, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing!” And to the one repented thief hanging on His side, He said, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise!”  

 How could Jesus have been such a bridge for all mankind between sin and salvation? I believe because He knew that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life! For God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world through Him might be saved!” 

Port O’ Connor Bunco

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

6:30 PM

POC Community Center

$5.00 to play

All Ladies welcome!!

It’s that time of year again! Spring! The land reawakens from the dormancy of winter and new growth bursts forth. This is the perfect time to bring new greenery into your own gardens and yards! There are many reasons why and how we plan our landscaping, but I propose that you go “wild” this year. Wildscaping that is!

My Gulf Coast Bird Observatory colleague wrote a previous article talking about how you can make your gardens more friendly to birds and other wildlife through the use of native plants and other features. Now, I would like to narrow in on the native plant side of this proposal.

Wildscaping is a hybrid of horticulture and ecology, meaning a garden that imitates aspects of the native eco-system and translates them into an urban setting. Thus, the great thing about wildscaping is its versatility. It can be as simple as having a few potted nectar plants on a porch, or as complex as landscaping your entire yard with many varieties of pollen, nectar, and leaf food sources.

Besides attracting and supporting native wildlife, wildscaping has the added benefits of reducing the need for water and artificial fertilizer. This results in lower water bills and costs for yard maintenance. Plants native to our portion of Texas have adapted to the timing of the seasons, harshness of the weather, and water availability we experience. They have a high tolerance for poor soil and are more likely to survive the environmental extremes of our area without the need for additional protection. Native plants are also typically adapted to surviving local pests and, therefore, do not need chemical pesticides.

When designing your wildscape, there is a large variety of native plants from which to choose. By adding a range of native plants, you can ensure there is something blooming throughout every season to provide for wildlife year-round. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes incorporated into a wildscape also helps support a wide variety of wildlife.

An excellent one-stop shop for all of your native plant needs is the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory native plant nursery! The nursery is a self-guided retail space and plant propagation area, emphasizing local native and other naturalized plants useful for wildscaping. The nursery is volunteer-run and friends of GCBO are encouraged to help by bringing in seeds or plants which may be worthy of propagation.

The unique and ever-evolving inventory of the GCBO plant nursery gives visitors a wide variety of plants to choose from. Unique offerings vary, but may include many of the local pollinator-supporting plants such as Blue Mistflower, Swamp Sunflower, Tropical Sage, and native Hibiscus species. Woodland or shade-tolerant wildflowers such as Turk’s Cap, Heartleaf Skullcap, and Gulf Coast Penstemon may also be found here. We include many flowering understory trees such as Cherry Laurel, Persimmon, and hawthorns, along with canopy trees such as Live Oaks. Other offerings include Common Snowdrop, Scarlet Freesia, Virginia Creeper, Wood Ferns, Blue Iris, Mesquite Trees, Seaside Goldenrod, and Brazoria Palms.

GCBO specialties include many rare and unusual varieties of Turk’s Cap and Porterweed found nowhere else. Look for our locally developed hybrids denotated as “Bayou …” in honor of the adjacent Buffalo Camp Bayou. We encourage you to take a look around the native plant nursery, on your next visit to GCBO, for unique species you may want to incorporate into your own backyard.

Photo: Blue Mistflower Credit: GCBO

Photo: GCBO Native Plant Nursery Credit: GCBO