Wednesday.
Three months ago we decided that, as a church, we should put on a "cheer up" afternoon tea for the old and lonely in the community. The winter had been long and dreary, lots of grey wet days and not much sunshine. The date chosen was Tuesday,Sept 7
th. Yesterday. Very appropriate. From our small rural community we gathered about 120 persons and had them all seated at tables with delectable baking, sandwiches and fresh flowers (
camellias) We also had a talented group of enthusiastic singers leading a sing- along which included "Pack up your troubles" "We'll meet again.." and other favourites from the war time years. It was just great to see the happy, relaxed faces singing along...Many of these people had endured the frightening experience of the earthquake, on their own , in the dark and cold, on Saturday morning.
We are still getting after-shocks, some nearly as high as the first quake. We
nonchalantly roll our eyes now as we run to a "safe " place ..
Doris, how lovely to be anticipating having your son and DIL moving back to be closer to you. I hope they are able to sell their home and make it soon.
Rosey. Well done you, coping with all the challenges of your big city ! Since DD moved from Christchurch and DMIL died, I haven't had the need to be in the city much at all. It got to the stage that I avoided driving in. This all changed last year when a farming friend retired to the city and was a bit disorientated and at a loss for things to do. We decided to meet when the husbands played golf.. We have enjoyed some nice outings and I have become more confident about driving and parking around the city. We looked forward to our days out together. At the moment she is shell- shocked in their home on the hill. No damage but lots of movement over the last few days . It will be awhile before we decide to go into the city for more outings I think.
I've had so many phone calls and emails from overseas. I feel quite a fraud having to say that we are fine and that our home is intact, though I suppose that is what most people calling are hoping to hear......
Time to put another log on the fire. It's cold and damp here today.
Marion.
Sign-in
I guess all I had to do was to email Eric and tell him that I'd lost my sign-in and the next moment it worked. No, it wasn't magic. Who knows. I'll have to email back. My toolbar did a toss several days ago and I lost it only to find it hiding somewhere else in my computer and not working properly.
Marion, are you not glad, having looked at Christchurch on the news, that you are living in the country at the moment? The video inside a store is incredible. I'm glad you are none the worse for wear but that must have been a very scarey time for you. It was an earthquake of some magnitude nor had I known that New Zealand was on a fault line.
I drove into the city (Toronto) today, a rare occurance these days. The first ten years I lived here in the country, I drove in once a week, went to the Art College to work in the library, visit friends, get my 'city-fix'. After ten years, I stopped. Traffic, mainly, the problem. However, an appt. this morning took me right into the heart of the city with no way in or out without stopping, starting and sitting in traffic. Surprisingly, I managed to cope with it quite well by sniffing Young Living Oils. I have a small container of cotton batting soaking in Theives Oil. Sounds odd, I know but it helps me deal with the gas fumes in traffic without getting shakey when I get out of the car. The embarassing thing about going into the city so infrequently is, for example, having to look at my fat and getting fatter rear end as I walk past store windows. Trying to imagine myself thinner isn't helping loose those five pounds I've tagged onto my back end. It is trying to figure out how to pay for my parking with my credit card on those post machines which I did for the first time today. It is trying to figure out how to use all the different soap machines I encounter in ladies washrooms in the city, airports, away from home. Such is life that I actually came home stimulated, energized and thinking I should do this more often....get in amongst civilization more. But then I've just spent the past hour and a half on my familyroom couch, snoozing and it's only 8 pm. Why is it that I have delicious and sound sleeps right after my supper and I'm awake at 4 a.m.??
Rosey
Phew... that was a shake up !!
Thank you all for your kind thoughts and best wishes. It was so good to receive a call from Fran and to know that you were thinking about us. As some of you know, we live out in the country and it's been quite a lonely experience. We were urged to not leave home if we didn't need to, so we have been here since the earthquake. DH has gone out today to help somebody . We have had power and water throughout and sustained very little damage.
The earthquake woke us at 4.30am. , we ran downstairs and out onto the lawn. (which was frosty and very cold on bare feet !!) It was very noisy and the sound of things falling and breaking (just a few ornaments) as the house shook, was very strange. Eventually DH decided to get a car out of the garage. We sat in that, with the heater and the radio on, for the next hour or so, while the worst of the after-shocks continued. It was daybreak when we came into the house and inspected the place for damage. We were delighted to see that the house itself was intact.
We phoned neighbours and friends and nobody seemed to be too distressed . The TV. was on all day, reporting from Christchurch. There is a lot of damage there, mostly the older buildings, lots of chimneys down and shop frontages. They sealed off the city centre because of unsafe buildings. We are so fortunate that it happened when it did. Five hours earlier or later would have seen the city full of people with inevitable loss of life. As it is, we have only two people in hospital with related injuries, and no loss of life. As the day progressed it became evident that smaller rural towns had sustained considerable damage too. Torn tarmac, buckled railway lines, more chimneys down etc. Underground the sewer pipes are damaged and the water mains, there is concern about that and possible water contamination. Civil defence, council and government departments all seem to be working calmly and effectively. After-shocks are expected to continue for the rest of the week at least...
Nice to have the
Internet back on again. Lots of emails coming through from UK wondering how we are. Spoke to my sister , daughter, son-in-law and two cousins yesterday. It was bizarre . There I was, sitting out in the sun, looking at my spring garden and talking to my "nearest and dearest" while, just a few miles down the road there were people in distress, sorting out their badly damaged homes...
We have been fortunate indeed..
Marion.
Earthquakes & checking in
I heard the news about New Zealand on Thursday evening. I'm so glad Fran was able to reach Marion and could tell us she is okay.
Seems that our dear old planet is having a bit of rock & roll, with so many big earthquakes lately. A few years ago, we signed on for earthquake insurance for our house. We are less than 200 miles from the New Madrid Fault and the regional quake experts predict something to happen in the near future. Our house is brick, so all sorts of damage could happen.
WEATHER - We finally have some deliciously cool weather! Last night's low was 55°F and the high is 77 but the humidity is very low. Absolutely beautiful weather! A big thank you to Canada for sending it to us.
NEWS - Our son and his wife will be moving here some time over the next 3 to 9 months. DS accepted a transfer to his employer's office here. Their largest hurdle is selling their house in Atlanta in a slow market and bad economy. They are not planning to move house until it sells, so DDIL may stay down there to live and work until it does. Nothing is decided yet, though, and we will take it all one day at a time. Now,,, if I could only get her interested in sewing . . . but I won't hold my breath.
JANE IN NC -- How is your new dog Kit settling in?
Hugs to everyone.
NZ earthquake
Have just rung Marion to see how they are. They have electricity but no internet connection and all is fine with them. They have had aftershocks almost hourly since the earthquake and some of them have been very big (.7 and .5) so they are in and out of the house quite a bit. She said it is a beautiful sunny day, for which they are thankful - imagining how much worse it would be for the people of Christchurch if it was cold and wet. Only 2 people badly injured but the sewerage and water supplies are damaged, along with quite a few roads and buildings of course. Small towns between them and Christchurch have also been affected. They are very used to earthquakes over there but this has been a shocker. Christchurch is a beautiful city - I hope they find down the track that not much of significant importance has disappeared.
Marion says she will get in touch as soon as she can.......
Hugs
Fran
Earthquake
That certainly makes life's little annoyances seem pretty small at this point. I had not heard and thank you for posting this to the board. Thankfully, Marion is not right in Christchurch but her power may be cut off at this point. She's pretty faithful about keeping in touch. I must ask the newshound in this household if he's heard about it...must have. We have been absorbed in what may likely be a homicide here in town with a nurse who was taken from her home, blood everywhere, helicopters flying low overhead in the past day or two. Such awful happenings.
Rosey
Earthquake
Marion is the only DUG in the South Island and is in Rangiora out of Christchurch . She could have damage as there is a lot, not too many injuries mainly mild cuts and bruises . Lots of buildings really badly damaged. The centre of Christchurch is shut down , water, power and sewage . The power may be on later today. I must emphasise the news keeps changing minute by minute and we all know what the reporters are like. No tsunami as the epicentre is inland near Darfield. I must go as the computer is still playing up .New one on the list. Hugs to all Bee in a shaky NZ.
NZ earthquake
I'm pretty sure Marion is the only DUG on the South Island. Bee and
TENNEH I believe are on the North Island. Fran in Oz would know for sure if she is able to post a note.
DUGs - please post when able and let us know if there's anything we can do! Well, other than send positive thoughts, prayers, energy your direction. :-)
Thinking of you and sending
hugz,
Mary in Oregon
NZ EARTHQUAKE
I just turned on the radio so haven't heard anything since this morning. At that time they said that so far, at least, there was no tsunami warning. I don't understand why not considering the severity and proximity of the quake.
MARION is the one active poster whom I know is on the South Island. How about TENNEH? Since she mentions mountains so often I think she may be also. We have high hopes, good thoughts and prayers for you and your countrymen. My daughter, survivor of several so. CA quakes including Northridge, has told me that in addition to the major stress incurred in having your house jiggle and the pictures fall off your walls the aftershocks just serve to make that much worse and of longer duration. She said it's rough working with people all of whom are suffering from post traumatic stress. They tend to get edgy and crabby. Time and laughter are the cure.
Please, anyone on the South Island, let us know how you are.
Hugs heading to the southern hemisphere
Jane
Earthquake in N.Z.
I just read that there was a 7.0 earthquake near Christchurch, N.Z. I forget who in on the South Island, and who on the North. Hope you are both OK.
Let us know.
Sara in Fla.
Life's Litte Annoyances
I'm sure that vacuum cleaners were designed by men to irritate women. That snakey thing called a hose gets caught around corners and under the corners of beds and even if I had central vac I'm sure I'd find something annoying about it. Meanwhile, I know I have it better than my forebears.
Seam rippers rolling off tables or husbands who leave messes around everywhere they've been, expecting the invisible maid-service to clean them up while he's sitting at the computer. It never bothers him when I ask him to lift his feet so that I can vacuum beneath them but then his mother had a maid and he had two brothers, no women in the house other than his mother. My son pitches in from changing diapers to vacuuming the house. Different generations.
Earl is scheduled to hit Nova Scotia this week-end I think.
I'm just catching bits and pieces of the news as I vacuum !#*@&!
Rosey
Phyllis, "Earl" "Fiona" and "Gaston"
In case some of you don't check the other board, Phyllis had a good idea with the seam ripper. Put a few dabs of hot glue on the round handle so it won't roll. Such a simple idea, but excellent. Thanks Phyllis!
"Earl" seems to be pasing by Fla. today, thankfully. I'm going over to the ocean later on today to see the waves. Lots of surfers out. If anyone you know lives in the outter banks area, or Va. Beach area, hopefully they have left town. If not please encourage them to. A catagory 4 storm is nothing to play with.
"Fiona" is predicted to go to the middle of the Atlantic and not cause any problems.
"Gaston" however is the one to watch as of this morning. It isn't getting a lot of attention now, due to the impact of "Earl" on N.C. but may come to Florida.
I'm going to do more dog training this morning with their new collars.
Sara in Fla.
