Linda Hebert Todd

Author - Westlake, Louisiana

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A Trip To The Galvez

August 29, 2016 By Linda H. Todd 3 Comments

Linda Hebert Todd - Author, Westlake, LA“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

“Eat your vegetables.”

“Wipe your mouth.”

“You can’t have cobbler till you clean your plate.”

How many times have you heard these mealtime commands. Thousands, if you grew up like the Hebert kids. We heard them all, and then some. That was back in the day when the whole family sat down for at least one meal together.

“You’ll never eat at the Galvez if you don’t stop slurping your soup”—or whatever else we were doing or not doing. This was the one we were threatened with forever, it seems, mostly coming from Granddaddy or Grandma B. They were the only ones who had entered that elegant edifice. The admonition followed us into adulthood and into the next generation.

The Galvez, of course, is the jewel in the crown of hotels on Galveston Island. Still standing after all these years of tropical storms and hurricanes, the best word for it is “majestic.” We rode by it often in later years and we always had something to say about our childhood warning.

“No Galvez tonight. I’ve only got enough cash for hamburgers and fries.”

Finally, after our children were out on their own, Hillene and I decided we were going to prove our grandparents wrong. We could eat at the Galvez. Just wait and see. So we booked a room for a night and took a tour of the island during the day, ending at a live performance of “The Little Shop of Horrors” on the Strand. The original Broadway voice of “Feed me, Seymour” was in the cast that night.

We made our way to the hotel. Dripping with Old World charm, it was somewhat intimidating, and we tried not to come across as too countrified. We arrived at the room with no incidents. So far, so good. Don’t worry, Grandma. We’ll make you proud.

The next morning, there we were—at last. Our first meal at the Galvez. Seated at a round table covered with white linen, we picked up our crystal goblets filled with water and toasted our grandparents. Here we are, folks. Aren’t you proud?

Our waiter was a charming young man with a French accent. He put white linen napkins in our laps, just like in the movies, and took our order. I don’t remember what we ordered—it was a long time ago. I do know I didn’t order eggs because I don’t eat them. When he came with the food, we toasted the old folks again and tucked in. Hillene might have had cereal, because she spilled the sugar. I probably had toast because I dropped grape jelly on the white linen tablecloth.

Sorry, Grandma.

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Comments

  1. Sadie Smith says

    August 29, 2016 at 10:38 am

    Thank you. Brought a smile to my face. Love your stories.

    Reply
  2. Mary Helen Whiteard says

    October 3, 2016 at 7:31 pm

    Shame, Shame on you for spilling jelly on the white table cloth. Linda, you got talent, gal. Keep writing!

    Reply
  3. Aleah says

    October 22, 2016 at 7:17 am

    I’ve quoted that before having heard Grandmother say it or Dad joke about it. Either not knowing or not caring I have informed a handful of people in my adult life that,
    “No. You will never eat at the Galvez.”

    Hehe…they don’t have to ‘get’ it. It still tickles me. Good memories 🙂

    Reply

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About Linda

Linda Hebert ToddLinda has completed her novel—Wild Justice, a crime story with a revenge theme, and has started another one set in Labrador and Louisiana. She writes all her stories in longhand, bringing to life the beautiful bayous of south Louisiana. Read more...

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Linda Hebert Todd, Author, Westlake, LA - Mystery Novel
Mystery Novel

Wild Justice

By Linda Hebert Todd

Keeley Chesson, a crime reporter for a city newspaper, is orphaned at age fourteen, courtesy of a sheriff's deputy who killed her parents and got away with it. Now, fourteen years later, the deaths of her parents still a mystery and the deputy now her town's police chief, tragedy again rocks her…

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Short Stories

Sidonie and the Loup-Garou and Other Stories from the Bayou

By Linda Hebert Todd

The short fiction in this book introduces the reader to an interesting assortment of characters. The lead story—Sidonie and the Loup-Garou—features a high school girl who learns it is a good idea to heed the warnings of her Cajun grandparents. The final tale—The Ghost and Sadie Stackpoole– solves…

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