Beautiful Red Tree

// September 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // art, china, inspiration, life the universe and everything, professional

This is not mine. It came through the “recommended” section of my GoogleReader. It is beautiful

First Day of Sixth Grade

// September 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Medea, NIHF:STEM, Ohio, family, life the universe and everything, news, personal

Middle school at the NIHF:STEM school.

Video of Perseid meteor shower in Joshua Tree national park – August 2010

// August 18th, 2010 // No Comments » // inspiration, life the universe and everything, spirit

The Perseids meteor shower happens every year, this year it happened July 23 – August 24 with the peak occurring on August 12th. This is a video of the peak in Joshua Tree park. It is awesome in the literal meaning of the word.

Joshua Tree Under the Milky Way from Henry Jun Wah Lee on Vimeo.

NftU: Right for you

// August 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything

China, you’re the only person who knows what’s right for you.

The only one.

And if you already know what this is, commit to it. If you don’t, commit to nothing.

Only you know,
The Universe

[ editor note: I find this interesting because I've spent since January working with someone who irons these ideas out of me professionally. I've a pretty good idea of 'what's right for me', at this point. And I feel the Universe urging my up on that high dive to make the plunge. And I feel my little toes curling around the edge of the diving board and that small voice inside saying "I'm not ready."

But I am….

I know I am.

I’m just scared…and more than a little beat up at how I’ve let various other employers, lovers, “partners” and such treat me in the past. Now I change the rules. Change what I will accept. And a little scared to believe in that inner fire. (After all, I’ve been wrong before).

But in saying that, those wrong choices didn’t kill me. Only almost killed me, and exacted their toll from the marrow of my bones. Debts paid. We’re all square. Now it’s time to move forward.

We can do this.

Callie Mae: Kitty

// August 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // inspiration, life the universe and everything

Another example why the Darrington family motto is “never, never, never give up hope!” I love stories like this. It’s all about overcoming adversity and obstacles and letting your little light shine.

Niagara

// August 13th, 2010 // No Comments » // Medea, china, family, life the universe and everything, personal

On August 4th I took my kid and my mom to Niagara Falls for the weekend. We left after work on a Thursday and came back the following Sunday. Sometimes, traveling with family is…ahem…challenging. But this trip worked out. We all worked together and got over our own issues and considered what others wanted to do. It was amazing. But that’s another point entirely.

Niagara.

I haven’t been to Niagara Falls, Canada since I was a kid. I enjoyed it back then, I did. But I appreciated it much more this time. And yes, we did all the schmarmy tourist things you are supposed to do while at the falls. Here are some pictures to prove it:

You can see a BUNCH more images, including many from the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not oddatorium here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chinagrrrl/sets/72157624716245838/

I did something that was a long time coming…

// August 10th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, china, family, life the universe and everything, magick, narcissism, personal, sad, spirit, warriors of the light, wisdom

I deleted bookmarks, rss feeds, alerts and any other half-arsed way of keeping tabs on someone who is no good.

Notice I didn’t say “no good for me” or something like that. I said “no good.” And it takes me a lot to get to that point. I think just about everyone in this world is a lost spark of Divinity trying to find its way back home. I think almost everyone is redeemable. I have never believed that anyone could truly be reprobate.

But this one changed my mind on that. I know this person is no good for me. I have months and months of evidence to support that theory. But now, I’ve seen their history and their current actions and realize that this person has no substance save for the illusion and lies they spin to get good-natured people to support their lives.

Still, every so often something would pop up and I’d learn a little tid bit of what they were up to. Inside I held in reserve an irrational hope that they would some day be bonked on the head by an enlightenment that would bind their consciousness to their action and they would become good- natured as well.

…and maybe that will happen.

But not on my watch. I have currently set marques out their to make sure that this person can in no way interfere with me or my families serenity, peace, ambition or dedication to service. Let them be. Pray that they will be revealed in quick turn so they cannot siphon off resources and hard-earned efforts of other compassionate people.

But it’s in the Universes hands now.

And in the two weeks since I’ve thrown up the “denial-of-service” to all the negative BS in my life I have to say it’s been quite peaceful.

And joyous.

And it was a good move.

AS IT IS…SO BE IT

First, alligators in Summit Lake, now Piranahs in Portage Lakes?

// August 3rd, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, china, life the universe and everything, personal

it’s a crazy, crazy world. Twice in the past years, alligators have been found in NE Ohio’s Summit Lake. Now, in our Portage Lakes a cousin to the piranha has been found:

Deadliest catch? Not really. But girl gets bragging rights

Exotic fish related to piranha caught in Portage Lakes by 9-year-old

By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer

Published on Tuesday, Aug 03, 2010

NEW FRANKLIN: This is one fish tale that has some real teeth.

Nine-year-old Mackenzie Dalton tossed a line with a bobber and a big fat worm into the muddy brown water in the Portage Lakes on Saturday and pulled out a frightening catch: a red bellied pacu, a fish that is a cousin to a piranha.

”I was like freaking out,” the little girl from Mayfield Village said Monday.

The catch happened on the dock at Baine’s Pier 619 Pontoon Rentals on Stutz Avenue.

The dock is on the Turkeyfoot Channel between West Reservoir and Turkeyfoot Lake in New Franklin.

The girl had been fishing with her grandparents and some cousins for a few hours and had caught nothing while out on a pontoon boat.

But when she threw her line in off the dock, she pulled in a foot-long, one-pound fish.

”The fish started jumping at me,” said the fourth-grader at Center Elementary in Mayfield Village.

The catch offers an interesting twist to a long-standing joke started by Roy Baine, 60, owner of the pontoon rental place.

A few years ago, he put up a sign and a dispenser to sell fish food for a quarter. The sign on the dispenser offers visitors the chance to ”Feed the Portage Lakes Piranha.”

Visitors toss the food into the lake and blue
gills typically pop up to feed.

Baine said he never guessed something more exotic was swimming below.

”I have never seen anything like it,” said Baine, who for many years ran an old-time photo studio called Magic Lantern at Quaker Square.

Matt Wolfe, fisheries biologist for the Portage Lakes office of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, said the fish was probably tossed into one of the lakes by someone who no longer wanted to keep feeding it in a home aquarium as it got bigger and bigger.

”More often than not,” he said, fish like the one Mackenzie caught ”get so big in people’s aquariums and they eat so much they just dump them into the lake.”

One time, he said, during a routine survey of fish in the Portage Lakes, a 3-foot koi was discovered.

”Most of your aquarium trade fish die off in the wintertime,” he said.

Piranhas and pacus cannot survive cold Ohio winters, he said.

Pacus are vegetarians and even though they have sharp teeth and look intimidating, Wolfe said, ”all they do is shred vegetation.”

The fish reportedly can reach a maximum of 42 inches long and live up to 15 years.

Baine said he took a look at the mouthful of teeth on Mackenzie’s fish, which he is keeping in a plastic tub at his dock, and it looked like he was staring into a human’s mouth.

”It’s teeth look like perfect human dentures,” he said.

Baine is not sure what to do with the fish. He would like it to find a new home with a fish collector who has a big enough aquarium to keep it.

Mackenzie’s mother, Kerri Setlock, said she thought her daughter was ”pulling [her] leg” when she told her she caught the fish.

Mackenzie said she fishes a lot and this is the most impressive fish she has ever caught. And now she has the fish story of a lifetime to tell.

”When I grow up, I will tell my kids and my kids will tell their kids and it will go on for generations,” she said.

Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.

Roy Baine holds a Red Belly Pacu caught outside his Boat Rentalplace Pier 619 on Turkeyfoot Lake on Monday, Aug. 2, 2010, of Akron, Ohio. (Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal)

View larger version>>

NEW FRANKLIN: This is one fish tale that has some real teeth.

Nine-year-old Mackenzie Dalton tossed a line with a bobber and a big fat worm into the muddy brown water in the Portage Lakes on Saturday and pulled out a frightening catch: a red bellied pacu, a fish that is a cousin to a piranha.

”I was like freaking out,” the little girl from Mayfield Village said Monday.

The catch happened on the dock at Baine’s Pier 619 Pontoon Rentals on Stutz Avenue.

The dock is on the Turkeyfoot Channel between West Reservoir and Turkeyfoot Lake in New Franklin.

The girl had been fishing with her grandparents and some cousins for a few hours and had caught nothing while out on a pontoon boat.

But when she threw her line in off the dock, she pulled in a foot-long, one-pound fish.

”The fish started jumping at me,” said the fourth-grader at Center Elementary in Mayfield Village.

The catch offers an interesting twist to a long-standing joke started by Roy Baine, 60, owner of the pontoon rental place.

A few years ago, he put up a sign and a dispenser to sell fish food for a quarter. The sign on the dispenser offers visitors the chance to ”Feed the Portage Lakes Piranha.”

Visitors toss the food into the lake and blue
gills typically pop up to feed.

Baine said he never guessed something more exotic was swimming below.

”I have never seen anything like it,” said Baine, who for many years ran an old-time photo studio called Magic Lantern at Quaker Square.

Matt Wolfe, fisheries biologist for the Portage Lakes office of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, said the fish was probably tossed into one of the lakes by someone who no longer wanted to keep feeding it in a home aquarium as it got bigger and bigger.

”More often than not,” he said, fish like the one Mackenzie caught ”get so big in people’s aquariums and they eat so much they just dump them into the lake.”

One time, he said, during a routine survey of fish in the Portage Lakes, a 3-foot koi was discovered.

”Most of your aquarium trade fish die off in the wintertime,” he said.

Piranhas and pacus cannot survive cold Ohio winters, he said.

Pacus are vegetarians and even though they have sharp teeth and look intimidating, Wolfe said, ”all they do is shred vegetation.”

The fish reportedly can reach a maximum of 42 inches long and live up to 15 years.

Baine said he took a look at the mouthful of teeth on Mackenzie’s fish, which he is keeping in a plastic tub at his dock, and it looked like he was staring into a human’s mouth.

”It’s teeth look like perfect human dentures,” he said.

Baine is not sure what to do with the fish. He would like it to find a new home with a fish collector who has a big enough aquarium to keep it.

Mackenzie’s mother, Kerri Setlock, said she thought her daughter was ”pulling [her] leg” when she told her she caught the fish.

Mackenzie said she fishes a lot and this is the most impressive fish she has ever caught. And now she has the fish story of a lifetime to tell.

”When I grow up, I will tell my kids and my kids will tell their kids and it will go on for generations,” she said.

Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.

Corsican mint

// July 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything

I have this teensy front yard that has one magnificent mature maple, so my front yard gets little direct sun and the grass is skimpy. To add to the problem the tree roots give me about 1cm of dirt to work with. I am attempting to start the herb corsican mint to provide aromatic and steppable groundcover.

The Succulants

// July 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything

Always have flowers

My secret corner garden

This was the space I pulled out some old nasty shrubs and have started some fast growers like dusty millers lemongrass, hosta, morning glory

Squash???

// July 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything

I don’t know what this is. Some sort of summer squash I think.

My experimental patch

// July 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything

The garden area where I try to grow new stuff from seed. Chocolate mint, bunny tails, butterfly bush, spagettii squish, various flowers and the prickley pears from the desert are growing gangbusters on season two

Blue Moon Pumpkins

also grown from seed

Griffin’s Grave and catnip

where my familiar’s body is buried with his patch of catnip

Sunflowers getting ready to do their thing

carrots!

yes, I planted them too close together…I’m learning

Herb garden

// July 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything

sage, basil, parsley, curry, fennel

More herbs

stevia, rosemary, eucylyptus, bay leaf

more herbs…

cuban oregeno, parsley, edemame

Basil

three skimpy basil plants grown from seed, started LATE in season

The Chickens Are On The Patio Set Again

// July 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, Tiny House Projects, china, family, funny-bone, humor, life the universe and everything

Every morning. There they are. Four on the table. Two seated in the comfy padded chairs. Coffee Klatch at the House-of-Chaos.

Peep, our Rhode Island Red

// July 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything

Dinner time for the ladies

// July 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything

House-of-Chaos chicken feeding time

Good morning!

this is what I wake up to…every morning

Dollop the chicken…

oversees feeding time

Brave the Darkness

// July 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // china, inspiration, life the universe and everything, magick, spirit, wisdom

panos-tsagaris-bravethedarkness2.0

Originally uploaded by chinagrrrl

This is my new favorite artist/mage; Monsiure Panos Tsagaris.

He has inspired me in ways words cannot describe in both worlds; mundane and magick.

I know I can brave the darkness. I know I can obtain the light.
Now, I share that sentiment with you.

Hard choices. Eyes down. One foot in front of the other. Left foot. Right food. Breathe. That is how we get where we are going.

Sometimes there are humans next to us. Sometimes there are not. But we. are. never. never. never alone.

Never ever.
93 | LVX

::: panos-tsagaris-bravethedarkness2.0 :::

Brad…the bread roll

// July 25th, 2010 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything

Brad, the bread roll, has been decapitated…

RIP

Humingbird Moth

// July 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, PlantSwap, Tiny House Projects, china, life the universe and everything, personal

I saw this fair creature lapping up it’s nectar dinner on a butterfly bush. I knew it was a moth, but I didn’t know what kind. Apparently it is a “hummingbird moth” (Hemaris thysbe):

“The Hemaris thysbe, or Hummingbird clearwing, is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It lives from Alaska and the Northwest Territories south through British Columbia to Oregon; east through the Great Plains and the Great Lakes area to Maine and Newfoundland; south to Florida and Texas. Adults are frequently mistaken for hummingbirds or bees because of their fast-moving wings and coloration. They have a two inch wingspan. The caterpillars eat viburnum, hawthorn, honeysuckle, and a few types of fruit trees.”

from Wikipedia

It reminded me of a flying crawdad!

Look how beautiful the clear wings are!

I always forget that Ohio has rattlesnakes until I see this…

// July 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, china, family, life the universe and everything, personal

Why hello there Mister Snakey!

Yeah….this is always a good thing to come across when you are traipsing across the wetlands. The Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake. Five rattles baby…. And while I don’t mind snakes in general please don’t even ask me to get closer to take more photos.

Follow Chinagrrrl on Twitter

// July 19th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, china, life the universe and everything, personal, professional, twitter

Follow: twitter.com/chinagrrrl

Are You A Good Dad…or does your ignorance and arrogance just make you THINK you are a good dad?

// July 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything

Are You A Good Dad…or does your ignorance and arrogance just make you THINK you are a good dad?

Originally uploaded by chinagrrrl

This little “failbook” ditty gives a good example of what frustrates me. Now, don’t get me wrong. There *are* good fathers. There are fantastic fathers. And there are terrible mothers. But let’s face it, in current times the status quo is that mom’s do their best, without support and are vilified for making every strive to give our kids the best we can (and knowing it can never really be enough). And some of our partners just bail, leaving us to hold down everything…and then have the audacity to say “oh, *Ima* good dad. I love my kid…” (from 2500 miles away with one phone call a month..maybe).

So asshole. Get your kids birth date tattooed on your arm. Show the world what a loving father you are…

In reality, if you aren’t involved in your kids life you’ll do stupid shit like getting the birth date wrong…or spelling their name incorrectly.

It make take a while, but shit does tend to float.

One thing I can’t abide is people who don’t take their parenting seriously. And yes, I have no problem being an annoyance to someone who is avoiding that responsibility in their life, because their kids can’t advocate for their own rights yet. And by the time they can…it’s too late.

Humans Choose Worse

// July 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything

Humans Choose Worse

Originally uploaded by chinagrrrl

exactamently!!! But, I am precisely getting *better* at NOT doing this. Praise be to the baby Jeezbus and Tinkerbell and all the other guiding forces. Thank’ee sai for the lessons and lest be done with all that nonsense!

poof just like that

// July 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything, personal, sad, spirit

Sometimes…it’s the little things.

But in truth, they’re never little. We just tell ourselves that to rationalize and justify doing what we want to do instead of what we know we should do.

In truth, it is those little things carefully packaged up and presented as free-will that may actually be those invisible lines in the sand.

If you choose to do this, then you can expect no protection in that.

that is how this free-will thing works.

Verily, it is good that there is some generous leeway built into the system, which benefits we arrogant talking monkeys. We’re thick in the head sometimes, f’shizzle. But there are things, usually painted with a myriad of invisible fluorescent colors and banners and signs and other blinking icons that say “abandon hope, all who enter past this point. Make sure you are 48″ or taller (wearing shoes) and please keep your hands and other dangle-y extremities inside the car at all times. “

Mutant - xxeb.net

I call those “reprobate points“. They are the points that if you cross, you don’t get to go back and pass Go or collect $200 or such things. If you pass a reprobate point, you’re fucked. God turns his back on you and no amount of pleading or praying or wailing and gnashing of teeth will ever get you back into anything resembling grace. From then on, you are outside any protections, the training wheels are off and the stings of a thousand locust (or is it scorpions?) will forever follow you wherever you wander.

“You are one of God’s mistakes….”

Guess what…I think you just passed one. Welcome to Hell. I offer you no protection here. Go get’em boys.

I’m utilizing the power of the Interwebz to find our Kittah!

// July 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, china, family, life the universe and everything, personal

A couple of days ago our orange tabby kitty, Lucifer, didn’t come home. So we’re making lost posters to put up in the area. I also am utilizing this here powerful interwebz mojo to extend my search. So…if you see our kitty. Call and I will bake you homemade chocolate chip cookies…and put a bow on the box and everything.

MarthaStewart: Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread Squares

// July 8th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, china, family, life the universe and everything, personal

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread Squares

The milk-chocolate topping of these cookies looks like the result of masterful piping, but it’s actually a cinch to make using a mold. Beneath the chocolate hides a layer of peanut butter on top of brown-sugar shortbread, all of them adding up to a treat that’s creamy and crumbly and rich throughout.

Ingredients

Makes about 36 squares.

Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
12 ounces milk chocolate, melted
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions

Coat a 9 1/2-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides, and coat parchment with spray.
Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, add sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Press dough evenly into pan. Cover, and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake shortbread until golden brown and firm in center, 45 to 50 minutes. Let shortbread cool in pan on a wire rack.
Place a basket-weave mat, trimmed to fit pan, on a rimmed baking sheet, and spread melted chocolate evenly on mat. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.
Use parchment to unmold shortbread from pan, and trim edges to create a square. Spread peanut butter evenly on shortbread. Carefully center chocolate, mat side up, on top of peanut butter, and gently peel off mat. Cut shortbread into 1 1/2-inch squares. Shortbread will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.

First published