To Our Winter Texans (Female)

Come and join us at the next Bunco meeting on Tuesday evening, March 3, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. in the Back Room of the Community Center.  Celebrating the Ides of March will be the hostesses: Diane Cooley and Pat Eckstrom.  Further information can be obtained from Shirley Gordon, our Librarian at 983-4737.

To Our Winter Texans

Please plan to enjoy yourselves at our Tuesday Senior Citizens’ Luncheon.  Held each Tuesday at the Community Center on the Highway, we look forward to your presence to come and enjoy a delightful lunch with Bingo afterward.  Contact Pat Eckstrom 983-2070 for further information.

To Our Winter Texans

Do hope you will partake yourselves and visit and enjoy our advertisers.  These are folks in POC who have been in business for many years, and look forward to seeing new faces every Winter.  Spiced ham from Bubba’s makes an omelet fantastic; Josie’s has super-incredible buffet luncheons every day from Thursday through Sunday, and a haircut without par is available from Cut it Loose!   And we hope to see you all next Winter, 2016!

H-100, an organization founded to help individuals and others throughout the year is off and going for 2015!  Seeking members to become a part of  the endeavors to help those in need in our Community, the H-100 is an organization of strictly anonymous donors who desire to help others in Port O’Connor.  Last year donations were made to help Freda Howard and Janet Johnson as well as the Volunteer Fire Station and the Building Fund for the Library.  To get further information regarding this organization or to make a donation, please contact Hoop of Hurricane Junction, 361 983-4249.

CUT IT LOOSE is open once again after Julissa had taken a year off with the birth of Luna, the newest member of her family. As she is now working by appointment only, call her at 361 550-1100 for a scheduled time!

Friday, February 20th marks the 3rd year of operation for the POC Liquor Store, owned by Noral McCauley and staffed by Alyse Munch and Tifani Simpson.  Janet Johnson had been the manager since the opening date; however, she’s been ill for the past year.

Noral had started with a fairly substantial amount of inventory, but that has increased and increased to the point he’s looking for more shelves.  One cannot ever be disappointed with the many items displayed on the shelves; and if you are seeking something special, talk with Alyse and possibly she can find it for you.  Noral and Alyse are celebrating their THIRD YEAR with a 10% discount on several popular items; do plan to stop in on either Friday or Saturday and wish them a very Happy Anniversary and more to come in our very special Community.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade of decorated gulf carts has been changed!  No longer in March, due to the weather and lack of crowds, the Parade will now be set for May; date and time to be announced later.  Watch this column for further information!

A Very Happy Valentine To Our Women In Port O’Connor! Many of our female residents have arrived here in POC as the help-mate of their husbands who have become almost desperate to relocate to an area with WATER and FISHING and HUNTING!  And, if you are the wife of a man who was an Executive in a firm and had the responsibilities of entertaining and being a vocal member of various charity functions, you are now without a man to guide you.  However, being the enterprising soul you are, you have found a new outlet to express yourself and have fun.  And there are so many ways to have fun and learn here in POC!

Continuing with this, a new female resident will soon discover that she has dropped about 20 years of actual age here in POC; our females who have become involved in various activities have now found that when they arrived at the age of 65, they now are sporting a 45 year old’s attitude and energy.  And the same applies to those at 70 being a new 50; and even an 80 year old running around at the incredible age of 60.  And if someone challenges you about age, just shake your head at the unbelievable gall of the questioner, and tell them, their time will come!

And isn’t it more delightful to feel and behave and enjoy life younger because you have become involved in something YOU like?  For example, there is one incredible POC lady of the new age of 79 who’s beautifully designed and sewn needleworks claim a prize  at the County Fair!  And she also walks 8 or 9 blocks every day!

So Happy Valentine’s  Day, Ladies, And Here’s To More Of Them!

I value the input and comments from any of the readers; please contact me at the following address or phone number if you have an event to discuss, or not!  Looking forward to hearing from you ….

kubeckasue@yahoo.comn
361 798-0560

The Calhoun County Democrats Club meets Thursday, February 26, with a social at 5:30 and meeting at 6:00 pm at the G.I. Forum located at 2786 West Main (HWY 87) between Taqueria La Finca and REXCO. Dr. James Cowley, our brand new Calhoun County ISD Superintendent, will be our featured speaker. Come make Dr. Cowley welcome! All are invited. Come one! Come all! For more information, please call Evelyn Burleson at 552.2791.

You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone…

Sometimes we don’t know how much we will miss something until we don’t have it. I had some friends in for the weekend who were northern transplants to our coastal area a few years ago. They hesitantly settled in a bay house never knowing how quickly they would grow to love it. They became seafood eating, kayak fishing, boggy wading, and hometown loving coastal Texans. They did not miss the snow, or the cold or the north. They were successful transplants for sure. Last year work transferred them away. They still live in Texas, but like Dorothy they have found ‘there’s no place like home….”

When they were here this week I heard them over and over again say,” Oh, I have missed this.” They ate at Cathy’s and said even ‘good’ shrimp does not taste like our shrimp. They ate at Josie’s and lamented the lack of good Josie’s Salsa in their new hometown. While wade fishing at Boggy, they oohed and aahed over sunsets that are prettier than any they have seen lately. While launching the boat for a fishing trip they both commented on the smell…the good smell.. of our water, our sand, our sea air and the combination that just feels like home to them. They were almost emotional over the sight of the porpoise frolicking in the ICW. A sight common to us was absent in their days. We caught only a small group of small fish, but they were ‘home’ fish. We ate them for dinner! The fog made the air feel ‘softer’ to them, like home. Church felt blessed to them, like home. Being greeted warmly around town felt like home.

They are happy and doing well in their new Texas town, but both expressed it still felt less comfy, less welcoming, less ‘home than being here. On their last afternoon here, we walked on the front beach and both expressed that they weren’t aware how much they loved their coastal home until they did not have it. As they waded barefoot in warm water and wiggled bare toes in the sand they talked of coming back real soon to visit all the things they did not know they would miss until they were gone. We should be thankful today for all the simple blessings we have in our everyday lives. I know I am! I am thankful for ‘home.’

Dr. Kenneth Motl from Bayfront Animal Hospital was the guest speaker at the February meeting of the 4H Mariner Club at OLG. He spoke about animal safety and the importance of having our pets vaccinated for rabies. He also answered lots of questions and told good stories about what it is like to be a veterinarian.
-John Hernandez, Reporter

POC Women’s Service Club is busy and growing in this New Year. 20+ members are meeting bimonthly to plan and execute our ongoing plans and projects, and to create and develop new ones.

Coming up quickly is the spring rummage sale at the community center. It is set for April 18th, so you still have time to donate gently used clothing, décor and home goods as well as volunteer to help if you would like. Our sale funds our projects, so the more you give and buy, the more we are able to do in this community. Have questions? Call Marie Hawes for information or assistance. 361-983-2322.

The club is also funding and installing bike racks at front beach. We hope to encourage the fun and fitness bikers in our community by providing them a safe and handy parking space when out biking. Plans are also underway to build and install a pet potty station with pick up bags and a disposal sight at front beach. Nothing spoils a beach walk or a good pair of flip-flops like a little dootie. We hope to help pet owners ‘put poopie in its proper place’ real soon.

Do you have a club cookbook? Have 2, or 3 or 4? Then you know they are really good resources. We are printing a limited number of the most recent edition for sale this year. We are also starting the daunting project of collecting and editing recipes for a new club cookbook. With so many great cooks around, it can be a big task. If you have a palate pleasing family favorite, share your recipe and we might just make you a local star in our next edition.

Scholarship awards for 2015 graduates are fast approaching. POC grads are eligible to apply. If you qualify, check with your school counselor for more information. And to all those proud of our homegrown protégés, make a donation or buy a cookbook, shop at the rummage sale or donate time. You too can help our grads achieve their future dreams.

So, until next time, be safe, live simply, love openly, forgive generously and remember what the author of The Power of One Mr. Steve Maraboli said; “Don’t wait for other people to be loving, giving, grateful, forgiving, generous, friendly or selfless….LEAD THE WAY!”