The Blessing Hotel
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.
Just last month Nani Patty and Pop Parker had their youngest grandson for the day while Mom attended a conference. They decided on a day trip. They saw interesting places on their drive and had a good time, but they had the most interesting time at lunch. After driving most of the morning, they ended up at the Hotel Blessing.
The lunch was outstanding. Homemade smothered steak, real potatoes, garden tomatoes, fried chicken, sautéed cabbage; the list of delicious entrees and sides was lengthy. If you have not been there, they highly recommend you try it for yourself. Don’t miss the dessert table either.
The proprietor is a gregarious man, full of great stories and historic information about the over 100 year old building that is filled with articles, artifacts and remnants of a bygone era so lovingly preserved and presented in the period guest rooms, the family style dining room and the historic common areas. One lunch is not nearly enough to absorb the atmosphere and investigate the information of the historic and beautiful old landmark. And yet, that is not the story of our lunch.
Upon arrival, the front screen door banged nostalgically as Nani and Pop entered with young Payden. The house kitty purred welcomingly as Payden gave her a scratch on his way into the hotel. In the front hallway each guest room was painstakingly put together with charm of the bygone era. Each quilt and doily was placed just so. Payden asked if he might go in one room, and was granted permission. He promptly, in the fashion that only a busy and curious 5 year old boy could, touched and tugged, tested and tried each antique, old fashioned and historic touch in the room. He rumpled the quilt, rubbed the arm covers on the chair, clunked the pitcher on the washstand as he pretended to pour into the basin, and slid on his knees across the floor using the rag rug for momentum. And all of his innocently awful explorations took only moments. Nani and Pop were horrified and embarrassed. They tried valiantly to straighten the guest room and quickly corral the young whirlwind that was their grandson.
The group moved on down the hall towards the dining room where they found many of the family style tables were full of diners, but found one large table with seats available. They took them and moved towards the serving line. The entire way, Payden kept up a steady stream of loud questions. Who are they? Why are they sitting with us? What’s for lunch? Can I have chocolate milk? Etc, etc, etc…. Patty tried to answer patiently and quietly, but the stream was unending.
As they arrived at the antique stoves used to serve the superb looking lunch dishes Payden reached out to touch the doors, turn the knobs and test the hot plates.
After reigning in what felt like half a dozen busy hands, Parker got Payden a plate. As he served small bites and spoonful tastes of several dishes to Payden’s plate, he made the mistake of holding up a spoonful of sweet potatoes and asking the boy if he liked them. Without missing a beat, Payden stuck out his little tongue, licked the spoon, took it in his hand, shoved it into the serving bowl of sweet potatoes, heaped some on his plate and declared them delicious. Patty was pink with embarrassment, Parker was red with frustration and Payden was clueless. The nice waitress came over and calmly removed the potatoes from the serving line.
Fearful of what Payden might do next, they sat for lunch. Parker held Payden’s small hand and bowed for grace. As he said Amen, Payden pointed at the couple adjacent to him at the table and loudly announced that they did not close their eyes for the prayer. The couple chuckled and did not move, so the group ate a fairly quiet and uneventful lunch. Payden politely ate, and other than the steady stream of questions, had no issues that is, until dessert.
Parker and Patty often share dessert, so Payden thought nothing of taste testing the peach cobbler of the poor woman sitting next to him. She smiled kindly and offered him a second bite, but he was ready for something else. So, after several tastes of other desserts, the meal was finished, the bill paid and Pop and Nani were ready to leave.
They tried to cross the lobby and exit without any other incident at Blessing Hotel, but it was not to be. As they crossed the porch, Payden picked up the kitty and gently placed her inside the front screen door where she promptly darted across the lobby and jumped upon the period furniture.
When asked, Payden said the kitty was hot and wanted to go in and sit under the fan like his puppy always does. Patty thought for a minute about going in and removing the cat, but decided it was best to hurry away and so they did.
Parker, Patty and Payden enjoyed the visit, but were not so sure they were a ‘blessing’ to the beautiful old hotel.
