Willow Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 For those who don't know, I live in Christchurch East. NZ I am sorry it has taken so long to get in touch and let you know we are OK, and i don't know if there are any threads about the quake as I haven't yet had time to look. We only got power back two days ago, and my computer did not make it through the quake, so I have borrowed a laptop. Water is intermittent, and the toilet is a chemical one that arrived 12 days after the quake (before that it was a hole in the garden!!!!!) Although everything inside my house is broken, the house itself stood up well. It is an old wooden house and although it has shifted and settled it is still here and doing well. My family was scattered all over the town, but we all managed to get in contact with each other by 7pm (about 6 hours after the quake). Everyone was fine, although some were in the town centre when the quake hit. One daughter in her 20's has had to move out of her house, but she is now living with another daughter on the comparatively unaffected west side of the city, as she had power and water and we didn't. My son (14 and the only child now at home) was away from me at a class at the time. It took me two and a half hours to reach him, with liquefaction, bridges impassable, floods, holes in the road etc etc. He is OK but we have all been sleeping in the one room until the power came back, just 2 days ago. He needs a night light, something he has not needed since he was 4. Now Japan has had such a dreadful quake and Tsunami and I have spent the whole night awake, thinking of them and watching to see if the Tsunami will come our way, as I am quite near the beach. And the Japanese were so wonderful after our quake, coming so quickly, with expert searchers and other help. I cannot bear this for them. Willow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Oh, Willow!! So glad you are okay. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I'm so glad that you are ok, Willow. We've been praying for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Glad you're ok! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 :grouphug: Thank you for letting us know you're okay. It's been heartbreaking to see the photographs of the devastation. Dad used to carry me up to the top of the cathedral to see the view when we lived there back in the 70s. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 So glad that you are all safe! (Liquifaction is just horrible, isn't it. Seems unfair, somehow, for earth to become liquified.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I'm glad to hear your family is safe. :grouphug: And even though your family was only apart for a few hours, I can imagine they must have felt like very long hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Glad you and your family are okay, how scary! Sorry for the hardships! Praying for things to work out for everyone there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 So glad to hear you are ok, Willow! Know you are missed and loved here. We are all pulling for ya and hope things get better for you and NZ quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 :grouphug: I'm so glad you're ok! I've been thinking of you and hoping your family was safe. That must have been some very long hours, waiting to hear from or find the rest of your family. :grouphug: I hope the tsunami does not affect you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Glad to hear that you are OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 For those who don't know, I live in Christchurch East. NZ I am sorry it has taken so long to get in touch and let you know we are OK, and i don't know if there are any threads about the quake as I haven't yet had time to look. We only got power back two days ago, and my computer did not make it through the quake, so I have borrowed a laptop. Water is intermittent, and the toilet is a chemical one that arrived 12 days after the quake (before that it was a hole in the garden!!!!!) Although everything inside my house is broken, the house itself stood up well. It is an old wooden house and although it has shifted and settled it is still here and doing well. My family was scattered all over the town, but we all managed to get in contact with each other by 7pm (about 6 hours after the quake). Everyone was fine, although some were in the town centre when the quake hit. One daughter in her 20's has had to move out of her house, but she is now living with another daughter on the comparatively unaffected west side of the city, as she had power and water and we didn't. My son (14 and the only child now at home) was away from me at a class at the time. It took me two and a half hours to reach him, with liquefaction, bridges impassable, floods, holes in the road etc etc. He is OK but we have all been sleeping in the one room until the power came back, just 2 days ago. He needs a night light, something he has not needed since he was 4. Now Japan has had such a dreadful quake and Tsunami and I have spent the whole night awake, thinking of them and watching to see if the Tsunami will come our way, as I am quite near the beach. And the Japanese were so wonderful after our quake, coming so quickly, with expert searchers and other help. I cannot bear this for them. Willow. Wow! :grouphug: Glad to hear from you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 S (Liquifaction is just horrible, isn't it. Seems unfair, somehow, for earth to become liquified.) Liquefaction is dreadful awful horrible...there are not enough words. you have the quake, everything is falling around you and you don't know when it will stop. And then the water starts, first water runs down the road, everything is flooded, then the liquefaction starts everything is covered with grey silt, holes open up in the road, and it just keeps coming. Then eventually the water drains away and everything is covered with grey silt mixed with sewage. It come up inside houses too, but thankfully not in our bit of our street. The telegraph poles fall down too, as the ground cannot support them, and it cannot support the weight of cars on the road and holes open up. I talked to a teacher at a badly affected school. She thought their kids would DROWN in liquefaction. They were outside in the playground and the playground cracked and it started coming up, so they rushed the kids onto the field, and it kept coming up on the field too and they kept trying to find higher ground.... Thank you for all your kind thoughts and prayers. I am sorry it has taken so long. My daughters got word out to wider family and friends, but it is only today i have managed to sit down at a computer and answer the several hundred emails in my inbox, and to visit here. And thanks to my friend Ellen for the loan of her laptop! Willow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funschooler5 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 :grouphug: So glad to hear you're ok. We've all been thinking about you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I'm glad you are safe :grouphug:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Liquefaction is dreadful awful horrible...there are not enough words. you have the quake, everything is falling around you and you don't know when it will stop. And then the water starts, first water runs down the road, everything is flooded, then the liquefaction starts everything is covered with grey silt, holes open up in the road, and it just keeps coming. Then eventually the water drains away and everything is covered with grey silt mixed with sewage. It come up inside houses too, but thankfully not in our bit of our street. The telegraph poles fall down too, as the ground cannot support them, and it cannot support the weight of cars on the road and holes open up. I talked to a teacher at a badly affected school. She thought their kids would DROWN in liquefaction. They were outside in the playground and the playground cracked and it started coming up, so they rushed the kids onto the field, and it kept coming up on the field too and they kept trying to find higher ground.... Oh my gosh, that is horrifying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 That sounds terrifying. I am so glad you and yours are okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 So very good to hear from you! Glad to know that your family members are all safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Jessica* Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I am so very happy to hear that your family is safe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWOB Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 :grouphug:Glad to hear you and yours are all ok. I cannot imagine living through those few hours when you could not get to your ds. You poor momma!:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Thanks! For the update. I'm so sorry for what you have been thru, and can only imagine what seeing others go thru is bring up for you guys! :grouphug:'s to your son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Glad to hear you and your family made it through! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Happy to hear that your family is safe.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 So good to hear from you! You have been in our thoughts and prayers. What you have described sounds horrifying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Willow, you know many people have been wondering about you here on these boards, and were even more concerned when we didn't hear from you. Glad you are ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 So glad to hear that you are all safe. We've been praying for you. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb in NZ Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Glad everyone in your family is OK & you are starting to get the basics (power, water, etc.) back. My dh is flying down to CHCH on tuesday to work for at least 3 weeks. Hopefully he & others flying in can help get CHCH on the road to recovery. Blessings, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 :grouphug:So sorry to hear of your ordeal, and so glad to hear that you and your family are all well. Your poor ds. :( I hope that things Continue to improve for everyone.:grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 :grouphug: Thank you for letting us know you are ok. We have been so worried and praying for you constantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Really glad to hear that you are all safe. I guess it's just one foot in front of the other as you work your way back to normality? I've been thinking of those in Christchurch as we watched the events in Japan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Thank you so much for checking in, Willow! We were all so worried about you. I'm so glad you're okay. :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 :grouphug: Glad you are OK! Thanks for checking in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnitaMcC Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Glad you are okay Willow and family!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Glad you are all ok and hope the rebuilding (stuff in the city and lives) goes well. I'm sure it will take a bit of time. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 OH i'm so happy to read that you are safe and that all of your family is safe. My inlaws were just in Christchurch last year and were very saddened by what happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Hurray! You're fine! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 So glad to hear you and your family are ok. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Relieved to hear that you are safe. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 So glad to hear from you and that all your family are okay! Keep an eye open for post traumatic stress in your son and we're hoping that all goes well for you.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 :grouphug: Thanks for the update. I am so happy to hear you and yours are okay. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 Glad everyone in your family is OK & you are starting to get the basics (power, water, etc.) back. My dh is flying down to CHCH on tuesday to work for at least 3 weeks. Hopefully he & others flying in can help get CHCH on the road to recovery. Blessings, Please can you thank your husband for coming down Deb. The people of Christchurch are so grateful to everyone who has come/is coming. Our prayers are for Japan now. Kia Kaha. Willow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 I am so glad to finally see this! :grouphug: Thankful you and your family are ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulubelle Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Great to hear that you and your family are safe! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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