My take on the quake...

Like most of Christchurch I went to work on Tuesday morning and came home to a very different world. I only work till one o’clock and at ten to one, I was sitting outside playing a matching game with a couple of children, Jos one of my colleagues was also outside, in different area, with a group of children. Astrid was inside with those kids who were busy inside and Sarah was in the office just finishing her lunch.

Since our last earthquake on September the 4th there have been over four thousand aftershocks. You get pretty blasé about them, and where we are in Rangiora, you often don’t feel them either. The ones you do feel are usually over before you say boo anyway. So it was a bit of a shock to find this one felt different.

Earthquake and fire drills are just part of kindergarten life. They have been ever since I started teaching twenty years ago. The kids dropped automatically into ‘turtle safe’ positions. And once we gave the all clear, jumped up, had a hug, a high five, D said to me “I did good turtle safe didn’t I!” and were back into their activities…No tears, no worries, totally unaware. And to be honest, we knew this was a bit bigger than what we’d been used to, but we were totally unaware of just how bad our city centre had been hit. Within minutes the first parents started to arrive – we spent time calming them down and then the kids started going home. By about one thirty most of our kids had left, and so did I. We’d even had another aftershock – I was doing Jibidi (which is a circle dance) with a group who had requested it, and when I said “turtle safe again” they all dropped down, all except one. “M (with my teacher voice lol) turtle safe NOW.” “Why?” he says. “Because there’s another earthquake” By that time it was over with LOL. Could you not just listen to me child!!!

I originally had a hair appointment for two o’clock. I shot up to my hairdressers as the phones weren’t working. Our volunteer fire service siren was hailing. The fire engines were out in the main street, checking. The police had headed to our biggest primary school with lights flashing and sirens going. Most shops had been shut with hastily written notes on the doors ‘gone to check family’ I ran into my hairdressers and she was surprised I was cancelling my appointment. None of us knew still how bad it was. I just wanted to be home with my dogs and cat.

I shot home. They were very pleased to see me lol. I then did a few things – got in the washing, picked up the bits that had fallen down, checked the house for any cracks etc, grabbed a drink, put down my bag…the texts started rolling in (thanks for the outpouring of love girls) as I turned on the telly. I froze and burst into tears. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. And if you know me well you’ll know I’m pretty calm, but this just blew me away. The first image I saw was the cathedral. The same place I sat on Christmas Eve singing carols. From that shot alone I knew there had to be loss of life. Then Dad managed to get through on the phone – that made me cry again – nothing like hearing your Dad’s voice when in the midst of something like this. I knew I was okay, my house was okay, I’d heard from my husband, but I was in shock at what was happening in my beautiful town.

As the day wore on, the TV was kept on in the background. I was heavily involved in what was happening on the TM quake message board. We opened our house up to anybody needing it. Grazing if needed. Very nearly had lizards coming to board…they ended up finding somewhere closer to home, but how cool would have that been (I love lizards lol). Lyall ended up working till eleven that night. Nine the next night. They sent him home at four on Thursday and he came home via a well deserved drink at the pub. Then he finished about eight on Friday night. He’s working all day today. They have a roster going for next week, so that they do some early starts/early finishes (that’s six am to five thirty pm) or late start/ late finish (that’s ten am till eight pm) to try and keep the branch open as long as possible. He works for Hirequip – they hire out what is commonly referred to as ‘plant’. Diggers, excavators, huge big generators, cherry pickers etc – big earthmoving type of equipment, lighting etc. As he can fix it (the mechanic side of the job) as well as transport it (only licenses he doesn’t have are for a taxi and a motorbike lol) he’s been in high demand. We know an army marches on its stomach, so scones etc have been heading into his work each day with him.

The cat was meant to have her stitches out yesterday, and although I had an appointment the vet was so busy. I rung and said don’t worry about it, we’ll remove them loll. One unimpressed cat later, but no stitches left, and heck she didn’t have to go in the car, so she should have been grateful, the little toad! I also had a lovely day with my twinnie and family visiting – they needed to charge all their electronic devices, do some washing, have hot showers etc – and we also took all the dogs for a walk (like us, her dog is family as well, so he comes out visiting too). Nothing like a bit of normality, away from the destruction, and a big bowl of mac cheese, for things to feel a bit okay for a while.

The Rangiora Express is now up and operating from our racecourse. There are two private helicopters ferrying water, food, blankets etc donated from us here in our neck of the woods, where we are largely unaffected, into the Eastern suburbs where they are most needed. Donna and I dropped stuff off at around ten thirty this morning – the amount of stuff was amazing. McDonalds Rangiora the night before had come up with fifteen thousand chicken nuggets which were flown in…Just quietly working away behind the scenes. I know last time if you walked into McDonalds in your USAR, Red Cross, Police…etc clothes, then they didn’t charge you for your meal. That never made the media – way to go McDonalds. I imagine the same is happening this time.

Most of us still think there will be one more quake yet. There is one predicted for the 20th of March and since the guy who has predicted it, has also got this one, the Boxing Day one, and the September one right, then it’s pretty probable. Before you think ‘what a nutter, you can’t predict quakes…’ Remember for years we thought the world was flat…that woman couldn’t vote…things do change over time. He believes that the just as the moon affects our tides of the sea, it affects the tides of the land (all that water underneath us…). When the moon is at a certain point then the chance of an earthquake is more likely. Honestly when you read it, it does make quite a bit of sense. And he isn’t a scaremonger, he isn’t saying ‘this will happen’…just that it is more likely…If you want to read more then go check out www.predictweather.com It may be something your interested in…or not.

Anyway, that’s what happened in my little world this week, and I wanted to record it to look back on one day. When the shaking stops lol. Take care all, and thanks for your caring and love.

And in this weeks news...

I jinxed it last week, by saying that I'd had my run of three not so good things so it could only get better. Then on Tuesday our cat was in a fight and had to head off to the vet for surgery. She now looks like a patchwork quilt. Then Darcy was vomiting, so off to the vet again with her (still good timing on her part - took her to the vet, came home with her and the cat lol). Then on Friday Archie was being neutered anyway. So I took the vet clinic afternoon tea, they were most chuffed. They know me by name now lol. I shall risk it all by saying that all animals are well again - though Tui doesn't get stitches out till Friday and Heidi will tell you...it takes a long time for her fur to grow back. Poor baby.

Needless to say not a lot has been happening creative wise. I have put together my first couple of page kits for classes at my local store. I'm teaching four classes between now and May, when we head off on holiday.

Other than that not a lot happening in my neck of the woods. Just cruising along...moving with the bumps and bangs as they happen...

Have a great week.

Some weeks...

Some weeks are great, some weeks aren't :-) This was one of the 'aren't' weeks...

Monday...all find and dandy. But a meeting till ten.
Tuesday...all was great - until Darcy at about ten at night couldn't weight bear on her hind leg...one trip to the twenty four hour vet (and I'm grateful we have them) and three hundred dollars later. A fixable injury and a dog out of pain. A wallet in pain lol. In bed about one.
Wednesday...all good again. Another meeting till about ten.
Thursday...yep, not bad either.
Friday...I shouldn't have gotten up Friday. Work was fine. It was when Lyall came home and said "honey I had the tailgate of a truck land on my foot today." "Have you been and had it checked," says I, while surveying the swelling and bruising. "Nah, I can wiggle my toes, it's fine...I think." (Now I've broken both ankles before and could walk fine...for a while. I've broken my foot before and spent the day taking wedding photos before heading to the hospital, so being able to wiggle your toes didn't hold much sway with me!).

Off to A & E we head. A couple of hours and couple of x-rays and just a badly bruised foot - and a hundred dollars poorer. But it couldn't end there because good things have to come in threes don't they. We were getting low on diesel. We stopped and I filled up. And as I hung the handle back up in the bowser I realised I had done something I've never done before...I had just put a hundred dollars of petrol in my diesel vehicle. Another hundred and fifty was then spent on having someone come and remove it. And then another hundred and four on diesel to fill it back up. Told you I shouldn't have got out of bed!! Nice, nice guys at the service station made me the best hot choccy though lol. On the house lol.

Oh well, I figure I've had the bad week, it can only get better and I've learnt to take more notice when you fill up at a service station you don't normally go to.

Anyway I still managed to scrapbook amongst that. I don't like the hearts layout (seventeen years), but it's done. I do like the family one. I haven't yet made a start on the Twinnie challenge...is anybody joining us? It will make you use your 'ornaments' lol. Yeah you know those things like the sewing machine and cuttlebug/cricut etc - those ornaments :-)

In doggie news we met up at our local Rangiora dog park which has a spring fed river, with Sandy and Bentley from dog training and the kids had a ball. We also took them to the beach early this morning before it got too hot. This was Archie's first time at the beach and again they had a ball. They did find a dead seal to roll on...mmmm nice and smelly, all home for a bath afterwards.

Have a fantastic week people.

The Twinnie Challenge

Look at that, two layouts this week lol. The one of Darcy is the result of the inaugural Twinnie Challenge. Haven't heard of it?? My twinnie set us both a challenge. Last year at Senz we brought Prima stamps. Nope, we weren't shopping together, we ended up with quite a few purchases the same - we aren't twinnies for nothing you know! However in that same vein, neither of us had used it. So the challenge was to use the stamp and to use scraps. This is my take on the challenge. The other layout was my first take. Hidden underneath the photos/jounalling is a glimmermisted mask, that once I'd done, I didn't like at all, so covered it up. Hey, at least I have another photo scrapped and more scraps used up lol.

Our next challenge is to use a die cut machine. And any other machine. Not my sewing machine - it gave up the ghost this morning.

In other scrapping news, I'm going to be teaching a few classes at my local scrapping store in the not to distant future. The owner is in the midst of organising a meeting between a few of us and then we'll nut out whose doing what. Am looking forward to meeting some new people...and helping them to become more addicted lol.

Lyall came home from work on Fridy afternoon and said that he was heading off to Queenstown for the night (to drop stuff off - like a digger or something), did I want to go with him...as I was umming and ahhing Donna piped up that she would. So they headed off. And of course we then had to good aftershocks. Yep, thanks Mother Nature, always good when your alone in the house. Well not quite alone, three dogs and a cat for company lol. Was enough of a wobble to get them all up and barking too. Fortunately that was it, and it was early on, so still got a good nights sleep. Or a better than average nights sleep as no snoring hubby...

Right, it's too darn hot to sit here for long. The air conditioner lovely cold air isn't quite the same in this bit of the house...Have a fab weeke everyone.