It's a girl!

37 pounds
37 1/2 inches...

The adoption was today. We, her parents, are over the moon.

As for Lucia, she says she is, "so very happy!" She saw the judge, ate some cake, and jumped on a trampoline. It's a great big whalloping happy day.

Some joys are beyond expression, as any parent knows.

Marti's Fish Tacos

I made this for mom and dad today and it was enough of a hit that mom asked for the recipe. I decided to post it tonight since I saw in my blog stats that someone had looked up another fish recipe for dinner tonight.

This is such an easy dish, I can't imagine why I thought it was so hard to make. Thank you, Marti, for figuring this out!

Since I live in the landlocked Panhandle of Texas, I buy my fish frozen. The recipe calls for 7 cheap, thin fillets. I've tried tilapia and flounder, but any lightly flavored fish will do. Some variations I'm going to try soon are to add a dash of wine or balsamic vinegar in place of the lemon juice and to see if I can manage it with a catfish. I'll let you know how that goes!

Marti's Fish Tacos
5 to 7 frozen fillets of fish
1 onion chopped
1/2 bell pepper chopped
1 banana pepped chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS ground cumin
1 TBS olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice (or lime)
1 tsp fresh cilantro, shredded
1 tsp each of chili powder, paprika, oregano
salt to taste
Taco shells (fills about 12 to 15) 

Heat oil in frying pan on medium heat until the oil runs freely when pan is moved. Coat the bottom of pan with oil. Place fish across pan evenly, then add vegetables and lemon juice. Stir occasionally. When the onions begin to sweat, add the spices. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and to encourage fish to break apart. The dish is done when the fish is white and the onions are translucent.

Fill taco shells with fish and a shredded cheese like a mild cheddar or queso blanco, and fresh toppings like pico de gallo, lettuce and tomatoes, and salsa. Serves well with Spanish Rice and refried beans.

7 Quick Takes--Photography Edition

 

Thanks to Jennifer Fulwiler, a fellow Texan, for hosting

7 Quick Takes Friday 

over at Conversion Diary.com

1  - The picture on the header of my blog of the little bird in the branches was taken by a young man who read a book on photography and composition at the library and then began taking phenomenal photographs. He was kind enough to let me have this picture, one of his first. He's a minor, so I won't blast his name across so public a forum as a blog post, but I did want him to get credit where credit is due. You'll likely see more of his work when he is older. He's that good.

I chose this picture because it expressed my relationship with God fairly well. The light is breaking behind the bird, sort of sneaking up on it. I got clobbered from behind by the Light, so I really, really liked that aspect. There are plenty of buds, but little growth in the garden. The Spring is still early yet. The bird is nest building at this time of year, but has paused to focus Heavenward. My busy life is a lot like that. I try to stay focused on the higher things, but sometimes I can only manage a brief pause to glance upwards. The photo suited my needs on very many levels, and so now you know the story behind it, in case you ever wondered. 

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2 - I love photography, and portrait photography is one art forms I really love. I look at all the portraits, group and individual, when I am antiquing, and I especially enjoy having a record of my family in photographs. For this you can blame my grandmother. When I was a child she had a hallway that spanned the length of the house, dividing the bedrooms from the more public rooms. All along it was arranged a photographic chronology of the family. The first photos were of her and my grandfather's parents, next came their own wedding and family photos all the way down the century to the weddings and family photos of the grandchildren. I remember walking down the hall, studying the changes in hair and clothing, seeing the repetition of themes in smiles, cheekbones, and foreheads through the generations. I also remember laughing at my dad, not because he was a dork or anything, but because it was so hard to imagine him little like me. He's 6 foot and then some, and the idea of him being my size was simply ludicrous in those days. Still is.

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3 - I have tried to document my own family like that, but haven't been able to pull it off every year. The very last time we went to a local family photo studio, not only did we not get a family portrait, the photographer made my autistic son cry. The other children did not cry but their individual photos captured their indignation at the photographer's treatment of their brother, so we were unable to use a single photo from that session. We still had to pay the sitting fee and I am outraged afresh every time that studio receives a local popularity based award--all I can say to that is that popularity does not always equate with quality.

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4 - Simon is more than willing to smile for a photo, by the way. The last few months he has broadened his appreciation of being photographed to include wanting to join in the procedure more directly. When not monitored he will fiddle with various lenses and geegaws on a camera. We've been through three this year, so my little hobby of photography has been curtailed until he's learned better manners.

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5 - In the pre-Facebook days, my mother documented my brother and I in 8 x 10 photos for her mother and father each year. We were an Air Force family and lived too far away for frequent visits, so she documented the changes via school photos and the USPS. I have a book of me, year to year, that she saved up. Does vanity explain why I am hooked on this art form?

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6 - Although not all portraits, all the copyrighted photos on this post are Hannah Lou's, a friend of mine. I think she is amazing, so I am shamelessly plugging her work. Yes, she is a professional and yes, she is also available for hire. As you can see, Hannah Lou is like a snake charmer--she pulls the personality out of the subject and into the lens. I love her stuff.

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7 - Hannah Lou is the reason I can rekindle my desire to document my family in photos again--we skipped several years, but are back to it. I just wanted to show her off a little and say thank you.

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A Birthday...

Today was my husband's birthday and I managed to surprise him with a little party. The neighbor kids helped my kids make beautiful cards and put together a play, "The Little Billy Goats Gruff," while my neighbor and friend helped me learn how to grill. She's an expert.

Besides the play, the grilled chicken, a jello-jiggler birthday cake, and the cards, he received a new grill, a book, and a day in air conditioning from start to finish. We spent the day at the neighbor's house with a rocking cold a/c and tonight we are at my parent's house enjoying the gift of theirs. When we left our house today it had come back down to 97 degrees. The new house that will be moved in August will have central heat and air. Until then, we make do.

Right now, the man is asleep in 78 degree comfort. Happy birthday, honey.

For Clara, because it is hard...

Heather Dorniden could have won without falling down first. If she had she'd still have been the best runner of that race, but few would have remembered the race. Few would have been inspired. What made this race remarkable is that she fell and she ran on anyway.

Faith is like that. The victories are sweeter when they are hard.

So, here we are, Clara, sprawled in the dust. How unexpected was all this?

It hurts, I know. But I also know how you will answer this call. You can not have your heart's desire because your heart has dreamed too small. Something bigger is required.

Get up, Clara. Win this race. She needs you so...