How Quickly Time Passes...
A sombre day today in Canterbury and around New Zealand. Its been a week.
A week of water, silt, shaking, tears, trembling, sunshine, planning, working together, sharing... not alot of sleeping!...
Today, at the precise time that the Earthquake happened last Tuesday, NZ took two minutes of silence to remember those who lost their lives. It was hard to believe it had been seven days since they were taken, the time has slipped past quickly - so much to do, and everything has taken much longer given delays, shortages, and obstructions... but we battle on and when youre out and about, you see such inspiring things.
However... this morning we were visiting down the street when a 4.3 aftershock hit. Being in unfamiliar surroundings, I grabbed my children and held them in a door frame. Scary stuff, it was quite a violent one.
We lost our water after getting it back earlier, and thank goodness, this evening we have it back again... nothing is definite yet so Ive managed to wash some towels... and the childrens feet and footwear. I swear, the silt is throughout the house, but the kids feet were black too!!
Im hoping for selfish reasons (the garden needs it!) that we get some gentle rain overnight... but then again, I wouldnt wish that on the people whose tile roofs are full of holes... and there are so many of those... so the rain can wait maybe! Im still using my water as many times as possible. You wash the dishes, wash the clothing, then throw it into the garden if you can, to get as many uses as possible. Im thinking about the possibilities for a grey water tank because honestly, so much usable water goes out into the drain... silly isnt it?
We went to the New Brighton Relief Centre, opposite the Police Station, in the school auditorium. I have to say, what an amazing place. Thankyou... Thankyou, Thankyou! The children came away with books, toys, treats... I got given some blankets, food, cat food, bread, fruit, veggies... some of the things I had been unable to find in other places like bleach - its scarce over this side of town. Buckets - expensive anywhere at the moment... Wet wipes = shower in a packet! (esp for those who dont have water!) ... And some gorgeous scented shampoo for silt filled hair that needs a real good *do*... All these things help so much, it relieves some of the stress... and I hear on the news tonight that petrol is going up another five cents per litre - another big worry.
Still, there is plenty to be thankful for. So many reasons to be happy about where we are... all this *getting through* is proving healthy for the children. It is teaching them how important it is to plan things through. We have restocked our kits, talked about strategies for coping with situations... They are doing well, eating healthy, sleeping long... Im so proud of how they are coping.
We heard tonight that Wellington has had an earthquake tonight. A 4.5 on the richter scale, no damage thank god! --- a few minutes later, we had a 4.6 down here! We need to tell Mother Nature we dont need to compete in these things... It rocked and rolled for quite some time, seeming to be a bit longer than the one this morning. We seem to have smaller a/shocks in the 3s throughout the day here and there too...
Piwakawaka - (Fantail)
There was a beautiful little fantail in the Supermarket today.
Unfortunately, they are seen as being bad luck if they are inside... Maori belief says they bring death if they come inside a house --- well, you could see people wincing as this gorgeous little bird flirted its way around the supermarket. I am not superstitious at all, especially as I love the attentive nature of these tiny birds whose tails flick in and out like a ladies fan. Theyre quite sociable and will pip at you by way of talking - which the one we saw today was doing... just gorgeous! Nature excelled itself when it was creating the NZ Fantail!
My son was very close to the wee bird as it sat on the handle of a trolley and talked to him, darting and hopping along the trolley wires. I took a photo, will have to find it...
But not tonight.
My head is nodding. It is not late, but have had a busy day and the yawns are big, the night is dark, and I love that I have the security of the street lights back again...
We are good, doing great, will be fantastic.
It just takes time...
Love and Light,
From my hearth to yours!
Earth Butterfly
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