Summer Eating

I know that this might sound strange, but when my kids were younger, I dreaded the end of summer. We had so much fun together that the arrival of August would make me long for the early days of June.

Summer brings a time for special foods. There are always lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, but my son and daughter share my love for good old Maryland steamed crabs. The smell of Old Bay seasoning gets us salivating! When they were both little and in high chairs, I would pick the crab meat for them and place it on the trays of their high chairs. Both of my children quickly acquired the skill to pick crabs, waiting for me to do it for them took way too long!

We would sit out on the patio at a long table covered with newspaper and spread out the feast of several dozen crabs. There the entire family would sit for hours, picking and talking, and talking and picking.

My two babies returned home this summer. Although it was only for a few days, my memories of summers past came flooding back. “When are we having crabs,” my son asked as we began to plan activities for their visit home.

We dug out the mallets, grabbed some newspapers, and called in our order. My son and I went to pick up the little critters, and drove home basking in the aroma of Old Bay. By the time we returned home, the tables had been set up on the patio, paper spread, and ready for the feast.

For the next two hours, we picked those crabs clean. It was just like always, with one slight new change. My granddaughter, Chloe sat in her high chair as my daughter picked small pieces of crabmeat and placed them in her mouth. She would wave her arms and kick her legs indicating that Mommy needed to continue the crab feeding!

As I watched my family, I was so thankful for the time we had had together, but I knew that it would soon be time for them to leave. My “summer,” my visit with my babies, was quickly coming to an end.

They’re all back at their own homes now. Summer vacation has ended for me. But the beautiful thing about summer is that it comes back every year, and I know that soon Miss Chloe will be picking her own crabs!