Pick a Little, Talk a Little

My older sister  Rachel (who lives in Texas) flew here to  Maryland at 10 a.m.  two Fridays ago. By 7 p.m. we were fulfilling her request for a meal she can't get there, and  a MUST HAVE while here.

What's that, you ask? A Chesapeake Bay crab feast! Perhaps I suggested it?  After all, it IS my favorite way to welcome summer.

A true Marylander can pick crabs with her eyes shut.

This father is in his element when the family is together and happy, and when the O's are winning.
Not necessarily in that order. 

 Rachel introduced us to microwave corn on the cob. I admit I was skeptical, but I was impressed at how easy and good it is.

Sometimes there are nasty things inside the crabs. We analyze them, compare them to other nasty things, remove them, and keep pickin'.  Reminds me of the song from The Music Man: "Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, cheepcheepcheep, talk a lot, pick a little more."

 

My daughter-in-law Dee looks too put together for a crab feast.   Ben, not so much.

 

Joel got to play basketball with his oldest brother. Whatever time he spends with Ben is bliss.

Steve and Ambrey were celebrating 18 months since their first date. Gollee, ain't that just preshiss?

Whether family comes from the next town over, or the next county, or from halfway across the country, there's always something to celebrate. Being together is reason enough for me to celebrate the things I once took for granted--family meals with everyone there just about all the time. 

Now, in midlife, as I look across the table at the faces of my dear ones who gather upon invitation and after checking their respective calendars, I realize that having meals with them is one of the greatest joys of my life. And when that table is set with newspaper, crab mallets or butter knives, a roll of paper towels, something cold to drink, some sweet corn on the cob, and a boatload half bushel of Maryland blue crabs seasoned with a thick layer of Old Bay, you can hardly peel me away.  Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more.