February is over.The Great Grey Beast of February, which tries to eat me each and every year, has lopped back to its wolf-cave with its tail between its leg. It gave a good fight, but it is March the ‘effin First and I’m. Still. Standing….
Now get with the green and gardening. I’ve got a faery gate to build before solstice 2010.
I use Google Reader to keep up on a ridiculous amount of media in any given day. Google Buzz keeps me connected with other Googleheads. I have an Android phone. My Reader feed offers “recomendations” based on what I have already subscribed to and “liked” or “shared.” Today it gave me this:
The Feathers Fall Slowly
Maybe you don’t know them like I do. Maybe it’s vengeance and maybe it’s love.
Maybe they’re smiling at other people the way they used to smile at me.
Maybe they’ve grown tired of drinking light like water, late at night.Or Maybe, they’re just tired. You don’t know them like I do.
and yeah…I’ll be tracking this one from now on. Good, good stuff…
this would be a yes, yes, y’all…
Faery Gate
I know I’m not supposed to do it, but I can’t stand it anymore. I completely understand that “no gates, bridges or other thoroughfares are to be built, opened or unblocked to allow the free transfer of beings from fae-to-terrin.”
Bollocks.
I’m building one. In the back-40 of the House-of-Chaos I’m building a fairy gate. It will open on the Summer Solstice of 2010. Just try and stop me.
In preparation, here is a list of plants to make the fae more welcome in the garden. Since this is the last week of February, and I’m convinced that Spring, in all her glory, is right around the corner…I better get crackin’ on the yard plans.
Try planting some of these faery favorites in your garden!
[ from: http://www.afaeryhunt.com/fairyfun.htm ]
- BLUEBELLS: Faeries are summoned to their midnight revels and dances by the ringing of these tiny flowers.
- FERNS: Pixie faeries are especially fond of ferns. One story tells of a young woman who accidentally sat on a fern, and instantly a faery man appeared and forced her to promise to watch over his faery son and remain in Faeryland for a year and a day. Ferns make nice soft beds for the little guys.
- FOXGLOVE: The name “foxglove” came from the words “folk’s glove.” Folks referred to little people, or faeries. One legend says that faeries gave the blossoms to foxes to wear as gloves so they would not get caught raiding the chicken coop. According to another legend, if you picked foxglove, you would offend the faeries. And if the faeries stole your baby, the juice of the foxglove would help to get it back. In some stories, foxglove appears as a faery’s hat. Foxglove can sometimes heal and sometimes hurt. It is a poisonous plant, but it is also used as medicine to treat heart disease.
- HEATHER: lights the flame of fairy passions and may open the gates between the fairy world and our own.
- MUSHROOMS: Used by faeries as tables and stools. The species Amanita is the red and white mushrooms very poisonous….
- PANSIES: These may be used in fairy love potions.
- POPPIES: These will bring faeries into your dreams.
- PRIMROSES: Primroses are one key into faeryland. There is a German legend about a little girl who found a doorway covered in flowers, and when she touched it with a primrose, the door opened up, leading into an enchanted faery castle.
- RAGWORT, CABBAGE STALKS, GRASS and STRAW: All of these were used by faeries for transportation in the same manner as a witch uses a broom.
- ROSES: The sweet smell and soft petals of roses attract faeries to your garden. A popular love spell uses roses. Sprinkle rose petals under your feet and dance on them softly while asking the Faery for a blessing on your magic
- SAFFRON CROCUS: The stamens from this fall flowering crocus constitute the herb saffron. Any food prepared with saffron is a favorite faery food. Saffron used as a dye will turn cloth a royal gold. Such cloth is very valuable to faeries.
- THYME: Wear a sprig of thyme to increase your ability to see the wee ones. Thyme may also be planted by the doors and windows of your house to invite the fairies to come inside.
- TULIPS: The faeries like to use the tulip bloom to put their babies to bed.
Some other faery favorites are rosemary, heartsease, and forgetmenots.
Cleveland, #1…Canton, #9…Akron, #12…Toledo, #15…Youngstown, #18. You know, for a list with only TWENTY entries…for ONE out of the FIFTY states to garner FIVE entries (25%) on the list….something is seriously, seriously wrong.
Forbes releases most miserable cities list
February 19, 2010 – 12:08pm
Sorry, Cleveland. Forbes doesn’t buy the “Cleveland Rocks!” motto at all. (AP)
WASHINGTON – Politicians often say Washington is broken.But if a new report from Forbes magazine is to be believed, some other cities may need fixing first.Forbes magazine is out with its third annual list of the 20 most miserable cities in America.
The list is based on factors including unemployment, sales and income tax rates, commute times, violent crime, the performance of pro sports teams, weather and public corruption.
This year’s metros of misery:
1. Cleveland, Ohio.
2. Stockton, Calif.
3. Memphis, Tenn.
4. Detroit, Mich.
5. Flint, Mich.
6. Miami, Fla.
7. St. Louis, Mo.
8. Buffalo, N.Y.
9. Canton, Ohio.
10. Chicago, Ill.
11. Modesto, Calif.
12. Akron, Ohio.
13. Kansas City, Mo.
14. Rockford, Ill.
15. Toledo, Ohio.
16. New York, N.Y.
17. Sacramento, Calif.
18. Youngstown, Ohio.
19. Gary, Ind.
20. Philadelphia, Pa.(Copyright 2010 by WTOP. All rights reserved.) more))
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.
I found this hysterical…
The National Inventors Hall of Fame – STEM 5th Graders created a Native American Museum from their winter projects of studying the culture, art and history of various Native American tribes. It was awesome.
[click the photo to get a gallery of images from the event]
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| NIHF:STEM |
Barns & Noble Montrose, OH
The National Inventors Hall of Fame® School … Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Learning will host a summer reading fundraiser at Barnes & Noble on Saturday, February 20.
Profits from sales will help fund required summer reading books. STEM students will be on hand to demonstrate robotics, engineering and digital literacy technology projects.
Selected chamber musical groups will also perform from 1-3 p.m. Shoppers may obtain a voucher from the school and participate in the fundraiser on Sunday, February 21. For more information or to purchase a voucher, contact Susan Hall or call 330.761.3195.
Barnes & Noble is located at 4015 Medina Road.
From Nerd Merit Badges:
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In honor of the “Lots of Snow” we have been getting…I present, for your viewing pleasure, Dark Roasted Blends post on ‘Lots of Snow‘. Well work the click. Enjoy.
If you’ve been snowed under for some time, these pictures will help you feel better
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow?…” (Job, 38:22) Some translations put it as “the treasures of the snow”. Well, it seems some locations get entirely too much of this good thing:
Snowed under in the most epic way (somewhere in Switzerland):
…may you stay warm and may your snow shoveler not break.
Guys. I will be watching over y’all today like a Holy Guardian Angel. I expect you to do this Mardi Gras thing right! Call me from the steps…
I love you!
Chinagrrrl
from the Akron Public Schools newsletter:
STEM School learning coach Carol Schweizer and her advisory group, The Fuzzy Bunnies, spearheaded a blood drive that netted 33 pints of blood for the American Red Cross. The drive was a service learning project for the Fuzzy Bunnies. STEM School parents who donated on behalf of their students had the students’ names entered into a drawing for free Cleveland Cavs basketball tickets. The five winners – Nicholas Lewis, Dylan Nicodemus, Sarah Nikic, Dylan Smith and Gavin Wilson – will receive pregame recognition by taking shots at the basket on the Cavs main court.
Go Coach Schweizer and her Fuzzie Bunnies, for such excellent work on the blood drive.
No…it’s not slinky or chocolate (sort of chocolate coloured!). But it’s awesome. I got an EZ Composter/Rainbarrel for Valentines Day this year! How cool is that. The Tiny House-of-Chaos has been using a 20 gallon trashcan for composting since last year when we moved in, and that has been working fine, but turning the bin manually is slightly problematic. This solves that dilemma.
* Unique composter and rain barrel combination!
* Tumbler seeps compost juice into barrel for compost tea
* Made of 100% recycled plastic
* Easy turning with recessed handles
* Wheels for easy movement
* 12-inch twist lid and breather holes
* Turn just once per week
* Create fresh compost in as little as 4 weeks
* Brass spigot on rain barrel for easy hose hookup
* Anti-bug and debris screen
* 7 cubic ft./47-gallon capacity
* 29L x 35W x 39H inches
Wing deep ice water, drenches the soul,
Waterlogged feathers we run from the hole.
Those who burn brightly, attract weaker sparks,
We do what we can to inspire their quarks.
Still others would try to tie our flame to their ground,
Then wonder why we resist to become lower bound.
It is what it is and we are what we are,
Flame to flame. Heart to heart. Each of us is a star.
[Editor Note: This is beautiful and timely and I want all my good, beautiful friends read and pay attention to this too. Sometimes it is a long, hard road out of hell. But its a beautiful journey and if we stay mindful and awake when Mara stares us down and we refuse to blink. I'm glad I have you all with me on this journey. I am honored by your prescience and compassion when I'm hurting and I'm glad that I can be a good friend, as well as receive that blessing myself. The light in me honors and respects the light in you.]
Think that it’s fun, China, that you’re guided, and that all is well; that there’s time, that life is easy, and that the best has yet to come.
Think that the reasons that elude you will one day catch up, that the lessons that have stumped you will one day bring joy, and that the sorrows that have crippled you will soon give you wings.
Think that you’re important, that you cannot fail, and that happiness always returns.
And think that you’re beautiful, China.
I do.
The Universe
My kids school, the National Inventors Hall of Fame School for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (NIHF:STEM) sends out video emails keeping parents in the loop about what is occurring daily at the school. I can’t tell you how helpful this is. I can be at work and receive a message telling me that an event is upcoming, project is due or fund raising event is pending and can communicate with my learner about those items when we regroup at the end of each day.
Last night was the January Full-Moon, also known as the Wolf Moon. It was big and delightful and made a lot of people I know a little more crazy than usual.
Mia and I started the evening when I picked her up from school. We walked out of her building and stared into the huge wondrous thing and began to howl like beasts. Then we dropped to all fours and ran to the car…
The teachers already think we’re eccentric. I can’t wait to see what happens after this!
Later I spent time with Sirius, Venus and the lunar son. We giggled and the flames rose higher…
We danced in a circle around a central fire. The Indigo Children come. Wine and song. Food and fire. Clothes, shelter and sea.
No more need for the old empire. The Indigo Children come.
My 5th grade daughter participated in the Akron District Science Fair on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 at North High School. Her project, on developing and testing a cat enrichment toy was in the field of Zoology. She received a rating of Excellent and a medal for her efforts and thus qualifies for the regional science fair later this year.
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| From NIHF:STEM Science Fair |
I’m told that about half of the NIHF:STEM school kids (about 100) participated in the science fair. Mia was hanging tight with two other STEM school girls, Mary Pat and Eman.
It was a great day. Here’s some additional photos from the science fair:
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| From NIHF:STEM Science Fair |
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| From NIHF:STEM Science Fair |
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| From NIHF:STEM Science Fair |
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| From NIHF:STEM Science Fair |
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| From NIHF:STEM Science Fair |
[edit. note: Oh by the Gods, I have no idea how they do it, but they channel every fookin' story I have and write damn songs for me to connect to. MJK always has. Anyway... I totally agree MJK. I totally agree. I don't want to. But I need to.]
there’s an echo in my bones,
that’s been resonating for years.
it wants to get out
and make it’s mark in the sand,
before dissolving silently
into the eternities.
From the DineInDiva
Thursday’s solar eclipse — closely conjunct your ruling planet, Venus — promises to change your outlook on 4th House matters for years to come. The 4th House symbolizes home, family, a parent, property, and your foundations in life — especially the family patterns passed down through the generations. I think it’s not too much of a stretch to say we can use our family patterns or be used by them — much as a virus uses a human host to perpetuate itself. This week is an opportunity to achieve some striking clarity about any family patterns that have held you hostage to your parents’ unanswered questions and kept you from living out your life and your dreams. As always, awareness is the first and most important step in healing your life.
This is a time for quiet and heart centered activities. Even if you are on your own at odd points it won’t bother you, since it will give you time for personal reflection. But really a happy family life and contented domestic situation is what you want. You don’t want to be overwhelmed by the things of the outside world.
A family matter may be taking longer to resolve than you expected, but your extra effort today could be the catalyst needed to push the situation along. However, part of the problem may be that you are stuck holding a perspective that is no longer working for you. Reconsider your position; changing your mind can have a positive impact on those around you and enable you to get things moving again.
You need a lot of reassurance and the trust of people around you. At work, you will be able to emerge, thanks to a stroke of luck. In Love, you should avoid being presumptuous. Tip: keep your promises.
Daily Vedic Moon Sign horoscope
Capricorn – 14 Jan 2010
Today an overwhelming problem is going to require your undivided analytical attention. You should be practical and subdued. A relative could approach you to share your thoughts on an issue. Be modest in your outlook today.
Daily Chinese Sign horoscope
Dog – 14 Jan 2010
Don’t be naive in your dealings with others today. Take care not to fall victim to a scheme or cleverly devised plan. You don’t have to be suspicious of everyone you encounter now, just alert and perceptive. If you’re having trouble trusting your own instincts, turn to someone whom you know you can go to for advice.
Rune: ANSUZ
Wisdom and Creative Energy
Ansuz symbolizes creativity in all its forms. Words, music, the birth of a child, or an endeavor which is coming to fruition. Life force and ambition are also represented here. Inspiration, wisdom and spiritual knowledge.
I-Ching: Kun “The Receptive” (#02)
The Receptive is the hexagram denoting “devotion” and the spirit of the Earth. Fertile ground is required for creation. The hexagram of “the receptive” often has a strong female meaning, but can denote a powerful relationship between either a man and a woman, a father and son or between friends. A conscious act of devotion and a willingness to stand by that person, principle or force which sustains us, guides us or fills us with energy.
I-Ching: Tung Jen “Fellowship” (#12)
To achieve your aims, you will have to unite with virtuous people. Indeed it will be easier to reach every objective if a group of individuals( albeit of different characters), had the same common goal. However always keep your own personality and act so that you enrichen one another.
Thanks, China, for every single time you ever fell in love.
Whether or not it was obvious. Whether or not it lasted. And whether or not you were loved back.
You changer,
The Universe
I’ve been noodling on the quarter-of-a-century which Nivek Ogre and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge have influenced not only my mind, but how I’ve treated my body and cultivated my spirit. I’m journaling about being a just-turned 16-year-old grrrl, with a new drivers license and and old 280ZX and I followed a renovated shop truck carrying Skinny Puppy around the country. I saw 26 shows that summer, but I was too shy to ever introduce myself to them at the time.
I have a PROCESS cross branded into my left-arm…it’s been there since 1995. Genesis, as the head of the Temple ov Psychick Youth (TOPY), taught me about sacred sexuality and challenging everything about the systems of reality.
I’m a responsible, productive member of society…
But I still believe almost everything about this stuff.
Soy-Ginger ChickenServes 4.
Winter…she is here…
