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. Recently Patty and Parker attended the wedding of their favorite niece. It was quite an affair. They had nine bridesmaids, three cakes and a live band at the reception. Everyone really had a great time. Oddly enough, the family pictures taken before the wedding created a storm of emails, Facebook posts and even a few snail mails being sent back and forth between the great and grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends as they compared, contrasted and labeled an impressive collection of family tintypes, photos and portraits scattered in cedar chests from Missouri, across Texas and into California. Some knew the names, others asked for identity assistance.It was amazing to see just how much the 1928 wedding pictures of now deceased ancestors resembled the gathering of wedding guests in 2015. There was the plain-faced spinster aunt whom everyone loves and relies on for advice and acceptance in both decades.  Just to one side was the cousin with the numerous children who slightly resemble out of control chimpanzees in both looks and behavior. The great-grandmother in her soft blue dress and soft blue hair was the spitting image of her grandmother in attendance at the roaring 20’s wedding except for the color in the photos. The dashing uncle and playboy cousin clowned in every shot, the diva posed for maximum affect and the sister and brother of the bride laughed and cried and toasted in picture after picture as the newly formed family unit was celebrated and honored. The similarities and correlations were astounding.

After the tuxes were returned and the flowers tossed out and all the pictures were developed, two startling discoveries were made. First, the short mink fur cape worn by the modern and very hip young bride appeared on the slim shoulders of her great grandmother in honeymoon photos from the early 20’s. The bride had discovered the beautiful vintage fur in the depths of her grandmother’s storage closet on a recent visit. New frog closures and a freshen up cleaning made it new and chic. She wore it proudly never realizing how it thrilled the older generation to see the display of family fashion history.

Secondly, the bride, matron of honor and bride herself carried vintage hand-embroidered  and lovingly preserved handkerchiefs carefully created almost 100 years ago by their great grandmother and great aunt who would never be seen in polite society without a fresh ‘hankie’ that at the very least coordinated with their ensemble. While not used commonly today, all three wedding participants’ dabbed tears or twisted nervous hands in their hankies at some point on the wedding day.

Then, as vintage photos posted and shared between family members in the weeks following, there in one picture of a particularly fashion forward couple touring in 1928, who just happened to be the bride’s great great aunt and uncle was a photo legacy.’ Auntie Em’ as she was lovingly called smiled from an old black and white photo and dramatically waved a ladylike hanky with embroidered flowers identical to the bridal party hanky. Amid doubts and questions, squeals of delight and pure pleasure, the bride saw the living legacy of love, the heritage and history, the bequest and birthright of family, of commitment and marriage where people actually meant forever. She was pleased and proud to have the mementos of such an inheritance.
The bride and groom are on their honeymoon. I am sure they will come home to more presents and more pictures and start making memories of their own, but they will never forget their special tokens from their and others wedding days.

As Parker and Patty returned home, they realized that Port O Connor is like that too. Yesterday’s leaders are the parents and grandparents of today’s up and comers. Our community is in good hands with a legacy such as ours.

Lisa Scottoline, BETRAYED, an author of many books in the past, has returned to her original writings with the tales of the attorneys of  Bennie Rosato & her firm in Philadelphia PA.  Ms Scottoline is the author of several stand-alone books; all quite intriguing and all well written.  But, for me, my favorites are her tales of the happenings in the lives of Rosato & Associates, a firm of ALL female attorneys.  This time Judy Carrier, who is a Senior Associate striving to obtain partnership, becomes involved with the happenings of a beloved aunt, suffering from cancer.  As this relative faces surgery, she learns of the murder of her special friend, an illegal.  Somehow Judy finds herself trying to discover the “whys” of the murder as it relates to incidents drug smuggling, along with a reconciliation with her slightly stand-offish mother.
Beautifully written; the reader can definitely identify with the characters, and Ms. Scottoline has a wonderful talent of injecting humor into the lives of her characters.  I loved it and look forward to many more happenings of the firm of Rosato & Associates.
David Baldacci has done it again!  His latest, entitled THE ESCAPE, returns John Puller,  special intelligence agent with the Army, to the forefront.  Puller’s older brother, heading towards promotion to Major in the Air Force, has been convicted of treason and national security crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment in Leavenworth Prison in Kansas.  Somehow, he escapes. And John becomes deeply involved in trying to find his brother and then trying to prove him innocent of the crimes.
Baldacci gives an interesting view of Leavenworth; it’s layout with the many prisoners; it’s working and it’s security.  Learning of the high security area was eye-opening; I was lucky (?) enough a number of years to get a tour of Leavenworth; however, I was not permitted any where near the secure area where the very “bad” guys are kept!  More than a little eye-opening, but also a nail biting plot that keeps you awake at night!
MUSINGS
I don’t really review a television program; however, there is one that is currently on the air that should be acknowledged. I stumbled into this show, BLUE BLOODS strictly by accident and have been watching the many reruns.  Now, I’ve learned that CBS carries this show at 9 pm on Friday night, and I’m looking forward to seeing the current shows.
This program is written around the characters, an Irish-Catholic family dedicated to law and justice, and, therefore, the plot is not the primary part of this show, but it weaves in and  around each featured character in  daily life: Tom Selleck stars as the Father and also the Police Commissioner of NYC; his father, the previous police commissioner, a somewhat salty person,  is portrayed by Lou Caricou.  Children of Selleck consist of an older son who died in the line of duty as a police man; Danny, at times a little hotblooded, a detective with the NYPD; his younger brother, Jamie, a patrolman, and their sister who is an ADA (Assistant District Attorney).  The meetings around the dinner table in the evening with all of these family members and their children relating the day’s happenings are exceptional.  In one particular show the PC, Tom Selleck, takes the afternoon off to shepherd his grandson and other classmates on a field trip;  somewhat  unremarkable everyday occurrences.  This just denotes the lack of importance of the plot, but the importance of the characters!  Don’t miss it, if you have the opportunity to see it, you really won’t be disappointed.
I know I’ve used the following quote for several years, but it really makes sense.  Just think about it!
“When an old person dies, a Library burns down!”
  Karin Gillespie
And we certainly don’t want our Library to burn down!
 kubeckasue@yahoo.com
361 798-0560

February 21: Kendall Mitte

Feb. 22: Allyson Luna; Brooke Young; Christopher Pavlicek

Feb. 23: Carmine Gibson; Gene Boerm; Paige Satterfield; Bobby Perez

Feb. 24: Bao L. Tran; Billy Ragusin

Feb. 25: Tabitha Gonzales; Steve McManus; Melissa Rivera; Jasmine Gordon; Debbie Busby

Feb. 26: Michael Medford; Mark Stoddard

Feb. 27: Bill Satterfield

Feb. 28: Josie Covarrubias; Stewart Valigura; Maason Luckey

March 1: Juan Castro; Coy Lewis; Henry Anderson

March 2: Bert Haynes

March 3: Elizabeth M. Edwards; Travis Mapp; Henry Truett

March 4: Rebecca Lovett; Jimmy Crouch; Marcos Gohlke

March 5: Jessica K. Young; Zachary Taylor

March 6: Betty Hart

March 7: Grady Jean Clark; Tim Cobb

March 8: Jessica Trevino; Amanda Lento; Belinda Tigrett

March 9: Bridget Raby; Jerome Preslar, Jr.; Michelle Overton

March 10: John Michael Clifton II, Brenda Smith; Poke Wilkinson

March 11: Lamar Wilkinson

March 12: Daisy Lee Arnold

March 13: Duyen T. Nguyen

March 14: Mark Pendergrass Jr.; Cameron Manuel; Zackary D. Wittnebert

March 15: Gayle Wilson

March 16: Samantha D. Daniel; Kelli Stryker; Cameron Wisenant; Susie Onishi

March 17: Kelly Ryan; Pat Garner

March 18: Randall McLemore; Thomas Skalak; Stefani Spears

March 19: Cheryl Finster; Heather Osborn; Wanda Redding; Darin Luna; Lisa Pizanie; Shirley Harper

March 20: Johnny Johnson; Marian Stoddard; Sherry Ureste

Citizens of the Week at Port O’Connor School
Week ending January 16: PreK- Lexi Ruddick; K- Jayce Simpson; 1st- anthony Flores; 2nd- Rylie Ragusin; 3rd- Sergio Sanchez; 4th- Adalia Gossett; 5th- Tarah Munsch
Week ending February 6: PreK- Laela Aranda; K- Aubrey Ragusin; 1st- Lyric Lopez; 2nd- Christopher Richter; 3rd- Alex Lopez; 4th- Ashton Albrecht; 5th- Shayla Teel

Students of the Week at Seadrift School
Week ending January 16: PreK- Lillyan Gibson; K- Ashton Sternadel & Luis Zarate; 1st- Loygn Middaugh & Kingston Cady; 2nd- Kylee Green & Briley Christensen; 3rd- Rhiannon James & Tyler Salinas; 4th- Zach Moreno & Chase Harding; 5th- Nadia Vallejo & Austin Cameron  Junior High: Henderson- Franklin Rivera; Cady- Donald Morales; Parnell- Heather Glover; Coach Anderson- Alyssa Reyna; Coach Sternadel- Dylan Beaver; Charnetski- Nakita Yeakey-Block; Smith- Kellie Blevins; Coach Lillge- Maci Bryan; Mrs. Sternadel- Zachary Henson; Mr. Anderson- Austin Cameron
Week ending January 23: PreK- Angel Vallejo; K- Alexis Green & Gunner Martinez; 1st- Adyn Garza & Layla Myers; 2nd- Layton Davenport & Natalie Hunt; 3rd- Phillip Vazquez & Trinity Morgan; 4th- Mason Moncrief & McKenzie Bierschwale; 5th- Joel Zarate & Ethien Nguyen  Junior High: Henderson-  Fernie Mendez; Cady- Andrew Ragusin; Parnell- Haley Bales; Coach Anderson- Rayne Lamphier; Coach Sternadel- Matthan Morgan; Charnetski- Krislyn Key; Smith- Anna Sachtleben; Coach Lillge- Faith Peeler; Mrs. Sternadel- Brianna Cruz; Mr. Anderson- Adrian Munoz
Week ending Janaury 30: PreK- Ilan Dominguez; K- Brice Petrisky & Aspen Crittenden; 1st- Courtney Hannah & Chance Lewis; 2nd- Kyle Koliba & Trevon Ragusin; 3rd- Mia Salazar & Annabelle Thurman; 4th- Emma McWherter & Tres Canales; 5th- Ryder Morales & Trenton Goodman  Junior High: Cady- Alex Morgan; Parnell- Matthew Gordan; Coach Anderson- Morgan Sanders; Coach Sternadel- Jasmine Wooldridge; Charnetski- Mathew Lindsey; Smith- Karley Gregory; Coach Lillge- Deandre Moreno; Mr. Anderson- Mrs. Smith
Week ending February 6: PreK- Jonathan Grifaldo; K- Colten Evans & Matilyn Gibson; 1st- Jeremiah Mayorga & Jaxson Key; 2nd- Jesus Huerta & Braylyn Galloway; 3rd- Nevaeda Munoz & Cruz Mayorga; 4th- Emma McWherter & Tyler Henson; 5th- Nataly Rodriguez & Lysette Estrada  Junior High: Henderson- Joseph White; Cady- Jason Nguyen; Parnell- Karley Gregory; Coach Anderson- Coach Sternadel; Coach Sternadel- Emily Cain; Charnetski- Kellie Blevins; Smith- Anhiwake James; Coach Lillge- Johnpaul Morales; Mrs. Sternadel- Austin Cameron; Mr. Anderson- Jackie Cedillo
Week ending February 13:  PreK- Olivia Hunt; K- Clay Brummfield & Lillyan Brown; 1st- Addison Jonas & Yuliana Hernandez; 2nd- Robbie Mayo & Caden Clendennen; 3rd- Mia Salazar & Edgar Munoz; 4th- Ayden Maddux & Deandre Morena; 5th- Ivin Vazquez & Jayda Nguyen  Junior High: Henderson- Caleb Gregory; Cady- Chris Salinas; Parnell- Jairo Castillo; Coach Anderson- Antone Nguyen; Coach Sternadel- Jasmine Wooldridge; Charnetski- Tabetha Sylvester; Smith- Krislyn Key; Coach Lillge- Avery Flood; Mrs. Sternadel- Shawn Badgley; Mr. Anderson- Abigail Vallejo