Thursday, August 17, 2017

Fourth of July, or You Can Go Home Again


If you look closely at this somewhat blurry, scanned-in photo from an earlier century, you might be able to see me on July 4th, 1999.  Actually, I'm probably out in the boat, which is conspicuously missing from its dock beyond the pier house on the left-hand side.

I don't actually know who's out in the pier house in this photo. Or who left their water, soda, or beer in the foreground of this photo. I just know that at my Aunt Carol and Uncle Dave's house, July 4th is a big event.  Whether you're a kid, a sullen teenager, a young adult, a new parent, an adult who's not so young anymore, a grandparent or a great-grandparent, there's a place for you at Carol and Dave's celebration.  Everyone is welcome to get in the water (although it's mostly the kid who do that), and ride on the boat - the kids have dibs on the front.
Cousins on the boat
Others sit on the porch and catch up, take out a jet ski, sit in the pier house, eat hamburgers, hot dogs, and Fourth of July side dishes (including my mom's red white and blue jello salad), watch baseball, and of course pick crabs.  For Baltimore newbies like my husband and kids, learning to pick crabs and riding the jet ski are rites of passage.

Crabs with Old Bay seasoning
Husband Paul with almost-6-year old
Of course there are also Fourth of July desserts - this year, a variety of gummy items, star-shaped cookies, and a flag-theme cake constructed by my cousin Erin and her preschooler.
Flag cake in progress
 
Over time, the people change, but a lot remains the same. There's a good chance that many of the people who were there in 1999 were also there this year, 2017, when I finally made it back with my family.  I was very excited to finally be back, and when I stepped out of the car and saw half a dozen family members, I was home.

Over the course of the day I saw a lot of family, some familiar faces (turned out to be my aunt and uncle's neighbors who have been coming to this party for years) and recognized a lot of the "roles" - the players have changed, but there are still:

1) Older people sitting on the porch, being fussed over by their grown children until they finally go inside to watch baseball.  This used to be my grandma's role - baseball-watcher and dessert police...now it's occupied by my aunt's mother.

2) Excited kids in splashing in the water, and being amazed that you can swim under the pier. This used to be me - then it was my younger cousins and their friends, now it's my kids and their cousins.

3) Providers of food. So far I have avoided being part of this group but it's not far away. I'm going to try to get my sister to make the jello salad, though.

4) Young adults I don't know, who must be friends of someone. Mostly, this year, they were friends of my cousin Nancy who now lives in Virginia, but her friends were out in force to welcome her back to Maryland - and participate in the ritual of tossing her off the end of the pier.

And of course, there are the hosts - my Aunt Carol and Uncle Dave.  Through the years they have welcomed everyone year after year, a changing cast of probably by now, thousands.  A sure-fire conversation starter if you don't recognize someone is, "How are you related to Carol and Dave?" Because everyone is, whether they're family, or friend, or child of one of the above.
Uncle Dave with 2-year old Claire in 2013
Aunt Carol with my mom, in 2003
In 2003, I brought my future husband to "meet the family." He had met my parents, but in order to introduce him to the larger clan, I chose Fourth of July at Aunt Carol and Uncle Dave's.  That year was my Uncle Pat and Aunt Janet's 25th wedding anniversary, so most of the pictures I have are extra festive. But some look just the same as the ones I took in 2017.
On the jet ski....
Whether it's 2017, 2003, 1999, or even further back, I can go home.  All I have to do is time my visit for the Fourth of July, and Aunt Carol and Uncle Dave's warm welcome to all.

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