Sunday, November 20, 2016

Earthquake stress...

Everything's been rather full on here. We had a major earthquake event earlier this week that shook up the region. Lives were lost, evacuations carried out by the navy, schools closed, massive high-rises  deemed unstable and uninhabitable. It hit just after midnight and we got out of bed to listen intently to the radio, then came Tsunami warnings and our relatives who live near the coast arrived at 2am with their wide open eyes carrying blankets and bananas (a quick grab on the way out the door!). Felt good to be close to one another.

The landscape close to the epicentre has changed dramatically and major highways will be closed for months due to landslips. Our Government will need to shell out millions of dollars to get things fixed up and going again. In the meantime small tourist communities are going to suffer hugely. We've had  hundreds of aftershocks and the experts tell us there is a very high chance of another big quake hitting in the next 2-3 months because the fault lines beneath our lovely little country have all shifted.

None of this is positive.

We are getting prepared. Just spent an hour filling loads of big plastic bottles with water. We have our emergency kit all ready and lots of extra easy-to-eat food stored away.

It's all a bit unnerving and unsettling and edgy but we are boxing on as best we can with normal life. I have just 2 or so weeks until I deliver the first draft of my new book to my publishers - looking forward to having them help me pull it into decent shape. It's quite timely right now to be finishing up a book about how I developed new tools to deal with life in the raw. All my new tools are coming in very handy as I deal with this quake uncertainty. I love my new tools, they work in lovely subtle ways to help me stay calm and grounded and present.

No thoughts of stinky wine to help me deal with any stress, no way! Love my sober life, even when things are nerve-wracking and hard to control. So grateful not to be turning to booze as a coping mechanism for the nerves. That wouldn't help me at all. Sober is good.

Love, Mrs D xxx

11 comments:

  1. Sending love and hugs from across the globe Lotta {{}} xx

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  2. Been thinking about you and your other fellow countrymen for days. Glad to hear you made it through. I was in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake - very unnerving & scary but opportunities to help others abound. So glad your newly equipped toolkit is allowing you to reach outwards versus crawl inwards. Hugs and prayers.

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  3. Sending big hugs and good thoughts your way from Virginia USA. Stay safe and well.

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  4. I can remember to the massive earthquake when I was a kid in Los Angeles. The world shut down. We would sit in class and watch the news of the fires that were caused by the earthquake. Highways crashed down, buildings collapsed, and for me personally my parents chimney fell down into my room leaving me stuffed into my brothers room. I was sober then as a kid and life survived,

    Best wishes to you and everyone going through massive tragedy. Massive hugs and best wishes to you, yours, and everyone around you!

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  5. Hi Mrs. D,
    So glad you are safe, and sending hugs and prayers to you and your wonderful country!
    xo
    Wendy

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  6. Hugs and positive thoughts to you - we too live in the 'ring of fire' and know never to be complacent xx

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  7. I'm so glad you are safe. You know I live in CA and earthquakes are really so scary. talk about having no control! Good for you for being prepared. I live in a different part of the state now that earthquakes aren't really the threat, but forest fires are the big concern. We have similar preparations in case we have to evacuate. It is unnerving that at any moment everything can change. I like it all to be nice and tidy tied up in a box with a bow.... Which is not reality. Lol

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  8. I am so sorry you are going through this. We went through an evacuation due to fire this spring and I am still working through trauma.
    Having our security shaken is a complicated and stressful thing.
    Be gentle with yourself. And stay safe!
    Love from Canada
    Anne

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  9. I just finished your book. It mirrors my life so much. Thank you. I'm 45 days sober, and definitely in the pink cloud phase. I'm 34, have 3 small children, and I drank wine every night and began hiding it from my husband. I've started going go a women's recovery group and reading everything I can get my hands on. I look forward to your next book. Thank you thank you thank you.

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  10. Hello the very busy Mrs D! Hope your book preparations are going well.
    I just noticed you 4+ years on the top of your blog - I know nobody is counting but you are now 5+ and that is so inspirational to all of us!!!
    M xxx

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