Papaya Mom

The Holidays kept me busy, no time to post!

We had a great Christmas - meals at two places; Chez Shugart and Chez Warner/Shields. It was a great day, but tiring! We ate everything from ham with roasted vegetables, prime rib and salmon in puff pastry (my favorite). Papaya enjoyed it all and slept the whole way home in the carseat which gave Adventure Dad and I some much needed talk time. He is going to sea soon, and this time is always so stressful.

Today is New Year’s Eve and we get to spend it with our dear friends the Beals and Gunthers. It used to be a group of five couples, but now the Kains have moved to Virginia and the Shugarts are off towards Naples, Italy. I’m glad to have Donna, Joe and Kevin Kain waiting for us in Virginia, but I miss our play dates here. Tom and Shari Shugart lived a few hundred feet from us, who will I call for a cup of sugar (not that I ever have, but I COULD HAVE). Then again, we’ll get somewhere to stay when visiting Europe. Loosing some of the pack, for now, makes me cherish the time with Patty, Rob and Ryan Beal who will be moving in 2006, as well as Steve, Michele, Patrick and Clare Gunther who “get” to stay here the longest.

So tonight, Mexican food with friends. Now, if only Adventure Dad did not have to go to work today. Damn boat.

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Adventure Dad is so happy, he’s been craving since he heard about them on NPR.

I’ve changed around a Bobby Flay recipe from foodtv.com to leave out Cilantro (which I hate) and Mexican Oregnao, which I don’t have right now.

Tacos:
1 pound Hallibut
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8 white corn tortillas

Garnish:
Shredded white cabbage
Hot sauce
sour cream
Thinly sliced red onion
Thinly sliced green onion
Pureed Tomato Salsa, recipe follows

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place fish in a medium size dish. In Food Processor combine the oil, lime juice, ancho, jalapeno, and cilantro and pour over the fish. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the fish from the marinade place onto a hot grill, flesh side down. Grill the fish for 4 minutes on the first side and then flip for 30 seconds and remove. Let rest for 5 minutes then flake the fish with a fork.

We warmed the Corn Tortillas in the Oven, wrapped in foil, for 30 minutes.

Pureed Tomato Salsa:
2 tablespoon peanut oil
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 serrano chile
1 jalapeno, sliced
1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce
Salt and pepper
Preheat grill or use side burners of the grill. Heat oil in medium saucepan, add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add tomatoes, serrano and jalapeno and cook until tomatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the mixture with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Add the hot sauce and lime juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Popularity: 13% [?]

A friend of mine was car jacked. She is pregnant, which makes it seem all the worse. It happened in the parking area of her apartment complex, somewhere she has to go every day if she plans to leave her home. My initial impression was to wish bad karma, bad things, on the person who did this to her. Then, I thought about what else happened in California today.

The State of California, and the Country of which I am a citizen by its inaction, killed a man. The Death Penalty. I hate it, in the most gut wrenching way I feel guilty for not going to San Quentin and screaming as loud as I can against this injustice. This is a great fact sheet on the death penalty and all that is wrong with it
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/FactSheet.pdf

Three Strikes. If this guy who car jacked her was a kid, it is still an “A Strike” ( a serious felony, not considered violent) towards a record that could put this kid in prison for a long long time. The Voters who passed Proposition 184 eleven years ago intended for greater punishment for greater frequency of crimes, yet the law has now created a vicious cycle for nonViolent felons whereas a third nonViolent strike creates a sentence of 25 years to life. California’s prison population has exploded since this law was enacted, and of course has disproportionally effected Black and Latino Americans. So, am I just like the voters who passed Proposition 184, I want criminals (bad guys of course) to be sent to prison for longer for hurting people I care about?

Yet, what would the bad karma I sent his way do? If I followed my peaceful heart, I’d wish him not harm but understanding of what he did being so wrong and hurtful. I’d wish a change of heart for him, restitution and a change in his life so that my friend’s baby grows up and lives it’s whole life without becoming a victim of crime. But my first instinct, it was anger. I would want this kid/guy to feel so awful that he changes his life like Mr. Williams, makes the world around him a better place by sharing his lessons learned. I hope this was the carjackers last crime, I hope he does not escalate and kill someone and end up killed by the Government in some need for retribution that in my opinion, should be left up to God.

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I guess the title says it all.

I can think wonderful things about both of them. See through any shortcomings and support and love them 10000000%

I can’t seem to do that for myself. I go back and forth on my own body; I love it for what it has done and can do yet I look in the mirror at stretch marks and fat and wince. I should love it like I love them. I love every inch of Adventure Dad’ body, the strong muscly (is that a word?) parts and the “fat” spots. I love Papaya when she eats, I love eating but dislike the results of eating. My body makes milk, I sometimes call it my “superpower,” but I wish I had smaller more cute boobies. And I do remember when they got big in pregnancy and I was so excited.

So, I’m of many minds. Is that the nice way of saying crazy?

I think I may be a product of the consumer culture. I want to enjoy being myself, yet I feel guilty that my clothing size is in the double digits. I’m an “average” sized woman, yet I wish I could have the thighs and stomach of a preTeen. Huh? I know it is crazy but I can’t seem to use logic to turn off my own on/off self loathing.

In better news, I’m in search of the perfect stuffed animal for Papaya. I loved a Triceratops as a child, I’m thinking that or a Gund Bear for Papaya. Apparently this is an age where they connect to a “lovey” so I should be choosing her toys carefully.

Popularity: 13% [?]

From a friend’s post…made me smile!

Give your presence
Laugh, dance and sing together
Listen from a heart space
Encourage
Understand
Allow them to love themselves
Ask their opinions
Learn from them
Say yes as often as possible
Say no when necessary
Honor their no’s
Apologize
Touch gently
Build lots of blanket forts
Open up
Fly kites together
Lighten up
Believe in possibilities
Read books out loud
Create a circle of quite
Teach feelings
Share your dreams
Walk in the rain
Celebrate mistakes
Admit yours
Frame their artwork
Stay up late together
Eliminate Comparisons
Delight in silliness
Handle with care
Protect them
Cherish their innocence
Giggle
Speak kindly
Go swimming
Splash
Let them help
Let them cry
Don’t hide your tears
Brag about them
Answer their questions
Let them go when it’s time
Let them come back
Show compassion
Bend down to talk to little children
Smile even when you are tired
Surprise with a special Lunch
Don’t judge their friends
Give them enough room to make decisions
Love all that they do
Honor their differences
Respect them
Remember they have not been on earth very long

Popularity: 13% [?]