~Welcome to Christchurch...The Garden City of New Zealand... My Hometown~

I am very proud to say I was born & brought up in the City of Christchurch known as the Garden City & loved by locals for its stunning old buildings, parks gardens & the beautiful Avon River where rowing has always been a popular pass time. For me there were two very specials places I loved most in my City..... the Canterbury Musuem but mostly sitting proudly smack bang in the centre of the City & Cathedral Square.... my beloved Christchurch Cathedral..... As a teenager Friday nights were spent catching a bus at Sparks Rd (sitting in the back seats with my friends & giggling & yacking all the way into town)getting off outside Ballentynes & after quite a bit of window shopping heading for the square where we would spend the night catching up with more friends & perving on the boys. We were of course (it was the 70's) dressed in our best flared jeans & in my case wearing my 6" wooden platforms... haha we must have looked a sight! At the end of the night we would catch the bus outside Beaths Department Store & giggle & yack about the cute guys we met all the way home. I can remember climbing the narrow wooden stairs of the Cathedral all the way up to the top where the view all over Christchurch was simply amazing.....

                                                 How the ChCh Cathedral now looks.....

So yesterday when a friend rang to see how my family were doing back home in Christchurch I was a tad stumped for an answer... *fine I answered, then came the question *WHY*..... on gosh Lyn haven't you heard, there has been another massive earthquake, you need to turn your TV on. I felt sick watching the images on TV (ironically the first was the now ruined Cathedral) not really taking it in until my brain got back into gear & head for the phone to ring home. My Mum & Dad had moved back to ChCh just a month ago after 35 years of living in Nelson & dread & panic set in when there was no dial tone on the other end of the phone even more so when the same happened when I called my sister. My darlin' walked in the door & I just broke down I didn't know what to do I think the worst feeling I have ever felt. After finding my Dads cell phone number I rang & heard the sweetest voice on the other end.... my Mum sounding very shaken but telling me all my family were safe & all at their home.

                                                  The Carlton Hotel... before & after...

                                                 Charlie B Backpackers...before & after..

                                                The Regent Theatre.... before & after...

                                           Christchurch Catholic Cathedral.. before & after..

                                               The Pyne Gould Building... before & after....

                                                  The CTV building... before & after....

The pics above show just how much damage has been done, in the CTV building above my sister has two close friends now among the 15 presumed dead...
There have been so many people rescued from the rubble & to me the hard workers who have risked their owns lives trying to save others are nothing more than hero's, I cannot imagine sifting through all the rubble while even more earthquakes are occurring.... since the quake of Sept 4 last year ChCh has had nearly 5000 quakes..... yesterdays being the worst because although only  a 6.3 compared to the 7.1 in Sept it was only 5km under the ground & in the middle of a working day... since this quake hit at 12.51pm there has been 168 quakes .... to me it is time Mother Nature gave my City a break... they have had enough...
As I write this 75 people are dead... 300 missing... in the past 24 or so hours I have considered myself very lucky that the people I love most in this world are still here... but who knows until names are released it could very well be someone I once called a friend... a relo... who knows...
This is a long post for me yesterday I had nearly two months worth to post about... that will come later... right now I like every Kiwi who walks this earth no matter where they live, who like me are PROUD to call ourselves KIWIS especially if like me Christchurch is their hometown, are mourning our loss of lives & our loss of our City BUT  like fellow Aussies (Anzacs) we are tough, we will get through this & when the quakes stop (predicted in 2 years) my City will be rebuilt, maybe not how it was when I was growing up there will be many lost old buildings which will break my heart but in the end ...it is the people that make a place, a home, a City, a Country...
So I have just got off the phone to my Mum & Dad after a two hour confo... they were the ones who consoled me as I shed all my tears... my Dad trying to tell me not to worry about them.. how can I not when they are too far away to give a cuddle & see that they really are alright.. not going to happen... So... tonight my reason for posting this apart from getting my grief, worry off my chest is to thank everyone out there in too many Countries to mention who have arrived in Christchurch to help rescue & hopefully find alive the 300 still missing... Believe me I know how the families of all these men/women must like me be worrying about them as they see on the telly just what their loved ones, like my loved ones are living through, they too deserve a bloody medal...
So I am finishing this post with more photos... you may not like them but they show the reality of the damage that Earthquakes in my beloved, beautiful country called New Zealand (the youngest country on this earth that Rangi raised out of the ocean) can do & at the same time you will see why Kiwi's are tough & just so bloody passionate about their homeland, why New Zealand will always be home... my home...

   

 The Bell in Lyttelon where the epicentre was.. last time I was home my Dad & I took a photo of us standing under this.. now to be pulled down..

                                                                     Brighton Road

                                                     Houses sitting on the brink at Sumner

                                                 House below that chopped it from above...

                                                                           
                                                                           

                                                                                   
                                                                            

                                                                            
                                               The last two photos well they are.. close to me...
                                          A Tram in front of the Christchurch Cathedral as it is falling down...

                                          When I found this photo all it said was Hoon Hay... which is the suburb I grew up in.. so am guessing this photo was taken in Sparks Road... the main entrance to my  Primary School ..Hoon Hay Primary School.. flooding... just another throw back from a Earthquakes...  

So I know everyone who has been watching worldwide what is happening in my City has like myself shed tears, like myself still shedding tears, I want to say on behave of all Kiwis a huge thank you to the many countries who have sent rescue teams over,,,, it really means sooooo much to us... to the Governments who are donating money... thank you, thank you sooo much... I just don't know what else to say... except PLEASE say a pray for Christchurch tonight,,, 75 dead... 300 missing...

Thank you from the bottom of my heart..
Lyn xxx

25 Years.....

                                                         

Today is always a very special day to me not because it is New Years Day, not because I have now lived in Coffs Harbour as of today for 25 years..... because my Ryno was born axactly at this time 25 years ago......

Happy Birthday my beautiful man.... I love you very much......

Your very proud Mum xxx

Twentynine....

I am sure you have all heard no matter where in the world you call home the tragic news yesterday that came out of New Zealand... a second explosion occurred at the Pike River Mine just minutes before a 16 man rescue team were to enter the mine to bring their *boys* out.... What set out to be a rescue has now turned into a mission to recover & bring out their boys so they can be laid to rest....

I have always admired the toughness of the people who live on the rugid West Coast of the South Island of NZ, it takes a special person to get up each morning & walk down into those Coal Mines (which are a lot more dangerous than gold mine due to the toxic gases given off from the coal) knowing the danger, in most cases an occupation that has been passed down through the generations. Take Nellie O'Neill who has lost her son Peter 55, yesterday, her husband worked in the mines as does her other son who is one of the rescue team. Can you imagine your 17 year old child (I can my Taska is 17) who on the day after his 17th birthday went down for the first time...... never to return,  stop for a minute & try & feel how Joseph Ray Dunbar's family are feeling right now. How 41 year old Terry David Kitchin's family are feeling..... he decided to do overtime on that fateful day last Friday. Not only has Malcolm Campbell's family lost a son, brother but also a future daughter in law, he was due to marry on December 18th..... 49 year old William John Joynson who with his wife & two kids were to return to Australia last Saturday....... 21 year old Benjamin David Rockhouse who 2 years ago saved his Grandad after he had a heart attack & worked in the mines to pay for his Uni fees, his Grandad died Friday night not long after hearing of the first explosion, can you imagine what it is to loose your Father & your son in a matter of days, his brother Dan was one of two men to escape the first blast, can you imagine just what this man is feeling, both grief & guilt. Today my country has been in mourning for the 24 Kiwi, 2 Aussie, 2 British & 1 South African miners who tragically lost their lives doing what they loved & although I no longer live in my home land the grief is still in my heart for these men & their families in fact for all the people who call Greymouth home.
New Zealand may be a small country but I know us Kiwi's will band together & help the families through this tragic loss, we are tough proud people with huge hearts, we are a nation in mourning.....

Please take a minute out of your busy lives & read the 29 names below & visualise if you can that this time last week they were with their families or their mates having a beer expecting like we all do that in a weeks time we will still be here...

Conrad John Adams, 43, Greymouth, New Zealand

Deputy at the Pike River coal mine.

Malcolm Campbell, 25, Greymouth, Scotland
From Scotland, engaged to Amanda, a Kiwi. Due to marry her on December 18.

Glen Peter Cruse, 35, Cobden, New Zealand

Allan John Dixon, 59, Rununga, New Zealand

Zen Wodin Drew, 21, Greymouth, New Zealand

Christopher Peter Duggan, 31, Greymouth, New Zealand

Joseph Ray Dunbar, 17, Greymouth, New Zealand
 His first day on the job.

John Leonard Hale, 45, Ruatapu, New Zealand

Daniel Thomas Herk, 36, Rununga, New Zealand

David Mark Hoggart, 33, Foxton, New Zealand

Richard Bennett Holling, 41, Blackball, New Zealand

Andrew David Hurren, 32, Greymouth, New Zealand

Jacobus (Koos) Albertus Jonker, 47, Cobden, South Africa

William John Joynson, 49, Dunollie, Australia
Married, with two kids aged 13 and 10. Is a mining veteran in Australia.

Riki Steve Keane, 28, Greymouth, New Zealand

Terry David Kitchin, 41, Rununga, New Zealand
Opted to do some overtime on Friday afternoon – his shift finished well before the explosion.

Samuel Peter Mackie, 26, Greymouth, New Zealand

Francis Skiddy Marden, 41, Runnunga, New Zealand

Michael Nolan Hanmer Monk, 23, Greymouth New Zealand
West Coast rugby player. Attended St Bede's College in Christchurch, but returned to the West Coast to work in the mine. Son of West Coast rugby captain Bernie Monk and netball coach Cath Monk.

Stuart Gilbert Mudge, 31, Rununga, New Zealand

Kane Barry Nieper, 33, Greymouth, New Zealand
Married to the daughter of a contractor. Has a young family.

Peter O'Neill, 55, Rununga, New Zealand
His brother is one of the rescue team. He himself was a part of a rescue team at Black Reef in 2008. Several of his family members have worked in the mining industry.

Milton John Osborne, 54, Ngahere, New Zealand
Grey District Councillor, contractor.

Brendan John Palmer, 27, Cobden, New Zealand

Benjamin David Rockhouse, 21, Greymouth, New Zealand
His brother Dan Rockhouse was one of two men to survive the blast and escape. Their father is head of safety at Pike River Coal.

Peter James Rodger, 40, Greymouth, Britain

Blair David Sims, 28, Greymouth, New Zealand
West Coast rugby league player of the year for the last two years, on the wing or at centre.

Joshua Adam Ufer, 25, Australia
Drilling supervisor. His fiancée is three months pregnant.

Keith Thomas Valli, 62, Winton, New Zealand



Rest In Peace.....

Lynn's Beautiful Give-Away

Pop on over to http://lynn-teacupstitches.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-post.html to be in the draw to win this stunning creation from Lynn.... gotta love give-aways....

Miss Rebecca's Give-Away....

Miss Reb over at http://rebecca-gatheryeroses.blogspot.com/ is having another of her stunning give-away... pop on over & leave a comment to go into the draw to win....

~Learning To Heal~

I am finding it hard to believe it has been over a month since my last post, time has slipped away from me again which seems to have been the story of my life this year. A few months ago I visited a lady who has the gift of giving massages (something I could have every day) & at the same time I guess the only way to describe it is to say *reads your soul*. What was suppose to be an hours visit ending up being 1 1/2 hours & she only managed to get as far as my hips! The moment she placed her hands on my left shoulder she told me she had never in all the years of doing her craft had she felt anyone as tense as I was. As she kneaded away on my back she kept quietly telling me to relax..... I kept telling her this was the most relaxed I had felt in years which to me it was. Maggie explained to me the different locations of our emotions in our body & all the while was asking me questions about *this & that* I do not want to get into details here but by the end after handing me countless tissues which I didn't use, she asked me why it was that I didn't cry..... my answer was simple...... if I started I would never stop! What I hadn't realised was that she had been crying for me... telling me she had never felt so much pain in anyone before.

We sat together later & had a talk & she suggested a buy a book that she felt would truly help me......

Now I have to tell you I thought turning 50 in January was going to make a huge change in my life....... I greeted the new year in in probably the most positive way I have felt in years, told you all the goals I had set for myself & finally believed I could accomplish if not all of them then at least 90% of them. What I do not understand is why it is suddenly nearing the end of October & the total is in fact 0% & I feel worse than I have in years. I have always been a person that has thrived on the company of others, now I realise I have been shutting myself off from friends & family, years & years of hurt, lack of self worth, fear of failure & letting others down, all these feelings are no longer buried deep down where they have always been carefully hidden, tucked neatly away so I wouldn't have to face them, were in fact released that day with Maggie & have been slowly working their way to the surface where they can no longer be ignored. I put off buying the book..... You Can Heal Your Life..... many through fear of what it would bring out in me but realised in the end it was something I needed to do for myself. It sat on my bedside cabinet for weeks & the other day I finally plucked up the courage to open the first page & start reading. I didn't get far that first day, maybe a couple of pages but it was a start. Now I am finding that what is written on those pages is how I have always felt........ or perhaps a better way to describe it is what I have NEVER felt, & that is how to love myself. I have begun to understand now why I have stopped sewing, I never felt anything I made was good enough to sell, gave so much away as I thought even with all the time & effort I put into it it was never good enough......

The biggest thing that made me open to that first page was our son Ryno heading back to Perth after staying with us for 2 months. The day he left I broke down & although everyone tells me he's nearly 25, an adult, you have to let him go, it does not stop the hurt I feel when he steps on the plane or the ache I feel from missing him so much, as his Mother I feel I have the right to feel this way, a week on I do feel a bit better but am still missing him. So I will keep you informed on how I am going & the progress I am making, I believe in this book even though I am only starting the third chapter......... it proves to me I am on the road to recovery by writing this post..... could not have done it a week ago.......

~Taska's Formal & The After Party~

Yesterday was a very busy day here getting Taska ready for her Year 12 Formal. The day started off going and having eyebrows waxed, eyelashes tinted, last minute items to buy & a trip to the hairdresser to have hair curled and styled.  

Later in the arvo a friend arrived round and applied make up to both Taska and Georgina at our home then came the mad rush to get dressed and have photos taken out the front veranda.

So off they went to Coffs RSL for dinner, speeches and dancing the rest of the night away. They arrived home just before 11pm to get changed and head out the door again to the *After Party*.

So when Taska arrived home this morning I asked her how it all went. For her the Formal was a bit of a let down. Normally Year 12's are very close as it is their final year at school but this year they seemed to be very divided, but she did enjoy the after party. Tonight she is going over to Georgina's for yet another after party....

I hope she really enjoys this weekend because then its STUDY TIME......

Have a great weekend everyone...

~The Final Assembly~

                                    
                                                      ~Danny, Taska, Sam, Iesha~

Today we attended our daughter Taska Rose's Year 12 Farewell Assembly & I really cannot describe the pride I felt (plus the welling up of my eyes) as she walked onto the stage to recieve her portfollio not to mention when the teachers formed a guard of honour as Year 12 of 2010 walked out of the hall for their last ever assembly. The next time they will walk into the hall will be in about 3 weeks time when their HSC exams begin.....

~Taska & her Aunty Cheryl~

Today my Darlin' & I witnessed the end of 12 years of Taska's schooling & it was great for me to see a lot of the mum's I had met on the first day Taska started school attending the last.......

                                                  ~Taska & Crabby, always best mates~


So for me today was bitter sweet, the pride I felt mixed with a bit of sadness to realise my beautiful little girl is now a young lady with the world at her feet........

                                                                ~Georgina & Taska~


It was also great to see & cuddle a lot of Taska's friends we hadn't seen for a few years, girls who used to sleep over when they were younger & just do the things little girls do before boyfriends come on the scene.... boy how things change when the interest in boys begin.....

It has been a busy week with Year 12 providing morning tea for the teachers on Monday, a slave auction on Tuesday, the final assembly today & tomorrow the BIG one...... the Year 12 Formal. Tomorrow I am spending the day with my gorgeous girl getting her ready for her big night, hair, nails, makeup & last minute buying all to be done before Taska & Georgina leave from here tomorrow night. I know tomorrow night the tears certainly will be flowing. Photos will be posted on Friday.

We love you gorgeous girl & are so proud of you. xxx

~Our Little Man Is Home~

He went, he enjoyed, he survived & he returned....... YES................

            

Very tired & with heaps of washing........

We really missed him......

Have a great weekend everyone.

~My little Man Is Growing Up~.......

Today Dylan our youngest has gone off on his first over night excursion to Port Macquarie with all the Year 4's at his school. He did not want to go on this trip in fact he came up with so many excuses some of them even surprised me that they could have originated from a nine year old mind. His main reason for not wanting to go was that he would miss us & I have to admit there was one moment there where I nearly caved gave in & told him he didn't have to go but he does need gain his independence as next year his school excursion is down to the Snow for 5 days & if he didn't go on this one it would make it so much harder to get him to go next year......

~My cheeky boy outside the school waiting for the bus~

So this morning we were all up at 6.15 which by the way is far too early for me I am NOT a morning person

& at the school by 7.15 which is just around the corner waiting for the two buses to arrive a 7.30. As soon as we got there Dylan was off playing with his mates & was not impressed when I called him over to have his photo taken. The kids were getting a bit restless by the time 7.30 came & went & still no buses in sight, it turned out they thought departure time was 8am. After the kayos of getting bags & kids loaded up they were off, all with big smiles on their faces & me, well a few tears welling up in my eyes, my baby is growing up.....

~Just visible through the bus window~

I know he is going to have a great time, time will go so fast for them as they have so much crammed in to the two days they are away & before they know it they will be back home at 4pm tomorrow & I can just imagine Dylan saying how great it was, how it went too fast & that he didn't want to come home, oh well....

Above is the mark Dylan received for a project he did last month, I am sooooo proud to see he got an *A*

Wishing you all a great day......

~*And The Earth Shook*~

UPDATE.....

Since I wrote this post there has been 563 quakes in Christchurch...

I was woken this morning at 6.30 by a phone call from my Mum, believe me I know when I receive a call this early the news can not be good. I immediately thought of my Dad (thankfully he is fine) I did not however expect the reason for the call........  Christchurch my beautiful home City was hit by a 7.4 earthquake at 4.35am this morning the worst earthquake in over 80 years. I turned my TV on & was horrified at what I was watching, it looked like a bomb had hit. My Brother & Sister in law luckily didn't have too much damage to their home, my Sister however has lost everything. I managed to ring her a while ago, she is naturally a mess, in tears as she told me she had lost all the china that was once our Grandma's, she just kept saying *It's all gone Lyn, all I had left of Grandma is gone*..... I told her they were alive & that is all that matters, she said Bruce (her hubby) thought they were going to die. They are still getting

after shocks, the first was 7.1 they are now down to 5. people over there have said the noise of the quake
was deafening, some saying it sounded like freight trains others like jets. Roads have opened up one where a car was swallowed a metre deep into the hole. Christchurch has so many beautiful old Gothic style Heritage buildings so many that have now been damaged, even our stunning Christchurch Cathedral has damage. Flooding has occurred in quite a few suburbs, there is no water, electricity & sewage pipes have broken. To say this is heart wrenching form me is putting it mildly, I cried when I saw the damage, I cried my eyes out talking to my sister all I wanted to do was give her a big cuddle & tell her in the end it would be alright.
Luckily there have been no deaths, a man is critical after a chimney fell on him, amazing really after all the devastation.  Kiwi's are use to earthquakes, we are taught in school what to do when one hits but I don't think anything could have prepared them for this one, it was always presumed our Capital City Wellington would cop the *big one* it is well over due, even Nelson where my Mum & Dad live is over due for one, not Christchurch. I remember as a child a rather big one but nothing like this one, I can only imagine how terrified they were. A state of emergency has been declared, tomorrow they are expecting rain.
I ask you to say I pray today for everyone in my Home City, but especially for my beautiful sister Sue......
                                                  

~*Back Doing What I Love Most*~

The last couple of days I have been back doing what I love most of all...... sewing! Sunday is Fathers Day down under & this year it is very important to me to give my Dad ~something from the heart~ Early this year my Mum & Dad had to have their beloved dog *Cindy* put down which was very hard for them both, they had to say farewell to a much loved family member. So I decided to make my Dad a cushion with their gorgeous pooch taking centre stage.



I had taken this photo when I went home early last year & after a fix up using Paint Shop Pro printed it out onto fabric & started sewing. I decided to leave it plain, no ribbons etc, it is after all for a man!



I have also made a cushion for my Aunty for her birthday this is a black & white photo taken when she was quite a lot younger, a photo I have always loved of her.




So after the housework has been done (yuck) I will be back onto PSPro trying to get my head around a programme that most of the time has me baffled but at the same time can be a lot of fun trying to work out um!

Wishing you all a great day - the LAST day of winter here - yes sooooo looking forward to Spring.....