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Dear People of Laredo

I plan to call former Laredoans and report on them here in San Antonio. Mary Offer Girard wrote a card to welcome me. Her husband Mark was ill, so our meeting is in the future. I plan to get in touch with Abraham Ramirez, Col. Gil Treviño, and Mendel Pogel.
I said "No" to parties on leaving Laredo as my life has been one party after another, and I feared I would leave out someone. But Christ Church Episcopal honored me with a gift, a silver cross by James Avery, bestowed by Rev. Sheridan Walker. After church, a reception in the parish hall took place with Sheilah Glassford, Patricia Keck, and Elena Holloway spearheading the affair. Many people brought sandwiches and the Holloways brought a beautiful cake.
Aurora Alexander had six for lunch with the piece de resistance being her famed Spanish paella.
Ruth Fierros invited ten members of her choir, the Blessed Sacrament Choir, over for supper, and I was presented with one of her famous poems on a plaque and an album for photos. Good food and good company with many of my ex-students.
And about Ruth, retired head of the Martin High School English Department, following me, she and her son Steven, my former student who now lives in Houston, came to visit with me in Helotes.
Steven is with Exxon and talked of his recent trip to Russia. He was able to speak the language because he had studied Russian for two years in preparation. He extolled St. Petersburg which he found superb, telling us that he thinks Russian architecture and art surpass all others.
I gave him a throw from North Africa that had once belonged to the late Elpha Lee West. He will use it over his grand piano which he recently purchased. He is an accomplished pianist. Ruth and Steven were spending Christmas in San Antonio with another of Ruth's sons.
Sam Johnson pulled a fast one and invited me to dine with him at Chez Mauricette near the Laredo Center for the Arts. Among those present were his sister Betsy Gill, Minita Freeman, Mary Jo Brenner, Julieta and Frank Staggs, Suzy Mayo, Ina Poole, Bebe Hood, Pepita Omedes, Asta Vega, and Peggy Dietrick.
Shopping the Mall before Christmas with Bertha Garza, whom I chanced to meet, we encountered Judge Solomon Casseb, who wore silver nail polish and a tie that was signed with his name. He is a trustee of the Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust.
Before Christmas Ella Spruiell came by to get photos of Jerry's mom that I had. Kate had assisted me with Martin High's La Pithaya one year. Ella spoke of her children -- Kay, married to Scott Ellis and living in Mountain Air, New Mexico; Sue, married to Bill Flaugher and living in San Antonio; and two sons, Jerry, living in San Antonio, and Jake, living in Laredo.
After Christmas, the Michael Portmans, Sam Kowalskys, and the Glassfords were guests of Sheilah and Chris' children George and Rosie, whose parents and other relatives came from Washington.
Two former students who asked me to lunch at Pelican's Wharf were Mary J. Solis, who retired from city employ in the personnel department, and Emilia R. García, who owns a ranch and dotes on her five sons. Such good people.
Annie Bruce Babb, who once taught at Martin High, lives in San Antonio in a retirement home. We learned that both her son and her husband are gone. Gerald died in a plane crash a number of years ago, and Crawford died during the past year.
Consuelo Haynes Novoa, who collects angel figurines, sent me a bell with an angel handle, in case I need to call in the family.
My son Sterling Sorrel and his wife Myrene of Colorado Springs flew into San Antonio to join us in Helotes, where I live with my granddaughter Virginia and her husband Scott Lynn, M.D., and my three beautiful great-grandchildren, Annabelle, Emma, and Henry. A trip to the Riverwalk was a treat just before Christmas. The colored lights, the garlanding, the river, the Smith Young Tower in green and red, boatloads of tourists on the river, and a delicious dinner at a restaurant in the hotel made for a gala evening.
Happy New Year to all you wonderful people.
Elizabeth Sorrell

Shirley and Irving Greenblum are proud of Jeff, an oil and gas attorney who lives in Washington. He has been with the Department of Commerce, at one time chief of African affairs. He and partners are in the mining business.
Ladies in red, so becoming -- Elizabeth Quiros and Suzy Mayo. Jean Adams in some massive jewelry.
Sheilah Glassford lamented the long hours on the International Bridge after taking her son Tommy Glassford and his little son Poncho to the airport. They live in Mexico City, where Tommy is an artist.
It was wonderful to see all the Glassfords home for family celebrations -- Peter from Guadalajara, Kristina and her husband Robert Handley of San Antonio with their children Morgan and Robert.
Missed the opportunity to get a photo of Louis, Josie, and Diana Lafon at the party.
Julia Watson Jones talked of a trip to Monterrey.
No, the World Trade Center disaster did not affect relatives of Claudia Kowalsky.
Angie Borchers, so lovely in blue, getting around well.
Josephine Brand and Linda Deutsch report that business has been good at Joe Brand. They were having a display of antique jewelry.
Irma Richter, up from Zapata, recalls the late Margaret Gonzalez, who was once her mother-in-law.
In the late fall, Evan Quiros went pheasant hunting in Scotland at the estate of a nobleman.
Dr. Holcome Austin, who lives in Norton, MA, sends a Christmas message embellished with many pictures describing visits to their Colorado retreat.
Michelle Gonzalez, mother of three, has graduated from Laredo Community College and is now attending Texas A&M International University. She is helping part-time as financial secretary for Christ Church Episcopal.
Mine Barrera, retired teacher, and her husband, who often ran in the Boston Marathon, went to Dallas to meet and spend some days with their compadres and then to Santa Fe. They took other family members in a three-car caravan.
A happy new year from Col. Gil Treviño, who with his wife now lives at the Towers, a posh retirement place in San Antonio. He misses his ranch and the social life of Laredo.
Gracias for the message from Judge George Kazen who suggests I write about old Laredo. Scandals and all?