2011 leaves with a Shake... so what will 2012 begin with?...

2011 is leaving.
Well, ceasing. And The Bitch doesnt want to leave us without a decent farewell - We got that!
Today we had a 4.82 that the USGS recorded as a 5.2! Some serious shaking, more damage for some, liquefaction for others - us, the lucky ones, just a stern reminder that Mother Nature Lives Beneath.
After a drive yesterday, we realised sadly, that yes, there are changes being made in Canterbury, but our neighbourhood is now looking like a series of country lanes, empty houses on funny angles, broken bits and bumpy gravel roads and neglected spaces where gardens still bloom regardless. Sad and Forgotten for the most part. The people who drive by, are just there just to look, to Thank God, maybe, that it isnt them?  and then they drive back from whence they came.

Did the Mayans truly predict that The World Might End in 2012? Im sure the Mayan who was in charge of writing the numbers at the time, lost count of where he was, and then decided, he had to go to the bathroom. When he arrived back, he looked at what he was writing (The Calendar) and shrugged... Meh. It seemed like a good thing to do at the time, but Im over it... and off he went to lunch. Never would he ever guess that he left us all hanging...
Ok, so thats not it at all, but we will never know :-)
Im picking The Changes that are spoke of,  have begun already. Theres an air of unrest right around the world.  Chaotic Economic changes, Natural Change, More water, less food, more people, Earthquakes, Floods, Famine. Civilization is Changing.
It is all part of an energy that means we MUST assimilate Change - Into our lives, our homes, the way we educate our children, technology, it all will change.
Change never happens without some sort of negativity or positivity to activate it. We need to get used to the changes, and its tough!
Its what they say - What doesnt Kill Us, Makes Us Stronger.
Im about as Strong as I can be. No - possibly not, but lets not push that to trial.

... Out with the Old, In With the New...I just want to cruise - no - sleep! through the end of 2011. I do not like New Years Eve at all.
My family are not entirely with me, and never are now theyre older and have Social committments. New Years Eve for me brings back sad memories of people dear who are no longer with us, of past Memories that bring home how much I miss the ones I love.
So Im a sad sack, and I ll be happy just chilling with the littles, watching some TV, then drifting off...

OR WILL I?
This year in Christchurch, it seems half the world wants a reason to celebrate... and why not?
Weve had some kind of wacky stuff to deal with  this year...
On with the good stuff - Celebrate Your New Year Cantabs~!
Parties on each side of the street here, and lots of music.
Someone was jamming on an electric guitar before - It sounded awesome, even from here, and Im picking it was a few houses down. The unfortunate thing, is that next door have Elton John on Replay, and the two playing alongside one another makes me want to run for cover :-)
Shouting can be heard, (the happy kind) and lots of families walking in the night air. It isnt dark or cooler yet, at 7.30pm its a nice time of night for a stroll around our neighbourhood...
Let the celebrating fill your heart, and let go of the fear - not just here, but whereever you are!
We got through, we will continue to make good.

Love, Light and Blessings
HAPPY FABULOUS NEW YEAR

Roll On 2012!!
Love
Earth Butterfly
XXXXXXXX

The Big Wake Up Call...5.1 for Breakfast!

Blue Skies with a tinge of cloud, and an aftertaste of SHAKE!
Good Morning Christchurch, this is your Mother speaking - Mother Nature that is!
WAKE UP! Youve slept long enough... Yeah I know, you didnt sleep a wink... Or you lot there (Us!)
I know youve just got to sleep, but cmon - WAKE UP!!...




Zander

 5.1 should be enough to wake the dead.
Oh wait, theyre NOT dead, theyre just rather badly traumatized and very very tired!
My Littles didnt sleep well. We went for a walk around the neighbourhood last night, checking on their local haunts.
They came home, we watched TV until late. Sleep. Bliss. Shake. Uh-Oh!
We were awake between the hours of 1am and 3am. Sleep again. Wake Up!!! Mother Nature calls... The 4.2 at 5.50ish I almost slept through, rearranged the blankets and cuddled under again.
6.30ish and we have LIFT OFF.
By the time I get off the floor to check the kids, the damn shaking is over, and I realize that I was the only one moving. The only one awake...Oh except for one very scared, big-eyed cat who meows at me.  (And now I think about it, that meow could have been for food, not empathy for our predicament!)

So. Its Saturday, and I have visitors arriving later, Family!
Bring it on. Lets Celebrate all that comes our way.
Best foot forward and besides, its CHRISTMAS EVE.
Joy. Peace. Spirit of Santa - of GIVING, sharing, loving.
The Joy starts when I realize Im alive. Theyre alive.
Im safe. We are safe! We have everything we need.
Most of what we want.

We can celebrate and whilst we celebrate, we can duck into doorways when required...The serviettes may not match, the glassware will be sparse.
It wont matter at all.

Merry Christmas.
Happy Holidays
Blessings!
E Butterfly
XXXXXX

Lazy Days and Shaky Nights!

Here we are again,

Fresh & Wide Awake
on a Lazy, Shaky Sunday...
This week has gone a bit slower than the last few,
it has been nice to enjoy some normality.
Some photos...

Cracks around reclaimed land/swamp area

Traffic backed up due to detours on main roads

Going to School past houses condemned because of damage

 - Lots of Canterbury cats went missing, some never arriving home, this guy looks pensive. 

rubble piles everywhere still

cracks in concrete and paving everywhere

Tall blue skies and fluffy cottonwool clouds abound, and the signs of Spring lie blown from their branches, or standing proud on the tops of green stems. Beautiful! Such pretty scents, blown by our North West wind that bothers those with hayfever, and delights those of us who love the smell of daphne!
Weve had some rather big rude after shocks in the past few days.

Add to that constant delays, heavy traffic flow because of broken drains and detours, more structural damage to homes and minds, Cantabs are a bit fractious at the moment, and who can blame them!
Since Friday, there have been six from a size of 4+ !  In most instances, a four on the richter scale does damage in itself, and is well noted by residents. Not here so much now -Ya know, its true, you can get used to them. Some people dont, but I think we have for the most part, and I dont want that to sound like bragging...
Its just that my stomach doesnt lurch like it used to and my brain isnt so tortured. Its still scary when they linger, but meh. We got through the big one, surely we can do these aftershocks too, even if they make us a bit anxious - you cant escape!
What can you do?

Ya gotta rally - SEE Kelle's blog, I got that term from her - I LOVE her blog... Now where was I?

We are prepared mostly. 
Last night there were two fours in a row, with minutes between and that got me a bit concerned.

 Little Poppet decided to collect up her books in her Barbie back pack. She gathered (rallied?) her new baby dollies (Thanks Uncle N) and wouldnt move from the middle of my bed. We talked about our *plan*. I have a table in my bedroom, and the kids know to dive under it if the shaking doesnt stop. It is good practise just in case. We like playing outside, cos if youre outside and on the trampoline, you cant feel the shaking! YAY!
Well, once again, the drill is over - it amounted to nothing further than a few shaky moments for a couple of hours last night, and we were good to go to bed. Of course, four in the bed, and the little one had the most room...(The cat!)

Today it looks like Angels painted the sky with bold brush strokes of the most gorgeous cornflour blue, it is so blue, high and cloudless. I love these Spring days. Im a girl of Spring. Everything has its ebb and flow, and I think I like being in the balance of those two. Not too much of one or the other... Growing and Green are good, Hot and harsh, or Slow and dying, Winter and bleak days, Summer and Arid days are not me.
 

Find Beauty in the things around you that you love - 

Tomorrow, as Memories, 

they will be all the more important...

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Signing off til Next time

With love, 

E B

xxx