Made by Me May - Day 20

I got some exciting mail today.  When I first started this blog I also made my first comment on one of my favourite blogs.  That comment won me an amazing pendant from Agy at Green Issues.

I chose the one on the left.  And it arrived today,  I love it, thank you so much Agy.  If you want to check out her tutorial you can find it here.

Inside the parcel also came a lovely note

I have mentioned before the Earthquakes that have destroyed parts of the city I love.  But I haven't gone into how they have affected me.  Today we had a strong reminder that the earth still has the upperhand, a 5.3 10km deep quake.  Here in Christchurch we are up on the lingo but basically it was a really good shake, enough to get you running for the doorframe in ordinary circumstances but here, we just pause in mid conversation for a few seconds and when it doesn't develop into anything carry on as if it never happened.  It hardly even warrants a mention on facebook.

Before Sept 2010, the last quake I remember feeling was in 1992, in the middle of a high school art history class. Comparatively small now, it was terrifying at the time. So, 4.35am Sept 4th was a huge shock, I was at a friends and after a long night we were about to head to bed.  I sat shocked on her couch while she ran for the doorway screaming.  I can remember clearly the sight of her being flung across the room. We spent the next few hours under her dining table, ringing and texting everyone we knew.  The power was out and we had no water and no way of knowing what was happening in the rest of Christchurch except rumours.  Rumours of people fighting over water, bridges collapsing, buildings falling down. Never before would I have believed them to be true, now I know better.

 Her family soon came over as they had a new baby and no way of heating their house and she had a fire.  I got a ride back to my place, at the time we were staying with my Mum, and was shocked to see our chimney, guttering and fence in the neighbours driveway.  The Mr had not mentioned this on the phone.  Luckily our power had been restored, and I spent the next two days on the computer and watching TV shocked at what I was seeing.  I couldn't sleep for days and even then I had to have the light on for weeks.  We were so lucky, noone was killed and few hurt.  There was a lot of talk about what it would have been like if it happened in the middle of the day, and we felt relieved, everyone had a story and we heard them all, it was the main topic of conversation for months.  I think we were in shock and we all turned to each other, I know I have never valued my friends and family as much as I do since that day.  7.1 on the richter scale they told us and it was just the beginning.  Part 2 Tomorrow.

For more information look  here

Here are some more of my button jewellery items.

Brooches

Multi Coloured Button Necklace

Necklace made from Shell Buttons

Jen