Day Whatever

It's difficult to believe that it was only just over a week ago I finally got back to the torch for a couple of hours after such a long hiatus. It seems so much longer ago than that. Last Sunday morning I unloaded the kiln with little expectation, knowing that essentially I'd played with scrap glass just getting a feel for things again & was pleasantly surprised that my uglies weren't quite as ugly as I imagined they would be.

The mailleman watched my surprise as I examined the beads & commented "You'll have to get torching again this afternoon" & I replied with "No, but I'll be back into it head on on Wednesday". I recall him asking why I was waiting until Wednesday & explaining that I had a few things I wanted to do on Monday, along with dancing (which makes every Monday something to look forward too!) & on Tuesday I was going out with my sister in law in the morning & had some loose ends to tie up in the afternoon.

The 'few things' were getting the house ship shape, thereby eliminating any excuses about not being able to focus on work when everything around me was untidy, & to tidy up the vege garden. Tuesdays 'loose ends' were to finish off a couple of small projects I had been working on & rearrange my workspace. The house got tidied, I know that much.  I recall that on Tuesday morning being so pleased with how the kitchen looked as I headed out the door with my sister in law, knowing I could come home after our outing & put another coat of sealer on my new workbench top, run a couple of errands & then finish off my copper patina experiments all before Gabriela got home.

We all know how that turned out. The house doesn't look so tidy any more either. But none of this is very important.

What I had planned on doing on Wednesday was the important thing. The wonderful girls at Ris'tretto had sold the last of the Haiti Hearts & I'd promised them I was going to make more. That was to be Wednesday task.

Amazingly enough the Haiti Hearts had continued selling locally even after our 7.1 mag Earthquake back in September. I'm thinking that our wee shake back then most likely raised awareness & a deeper understanding for what the Haitians had been through. It certainly added further dimension for me even though the plight of Haiti had been on my mind & heart from that day back in January 2010 when it happened.

How strange it was yesterday to hear Helen Clark, our ex Prime Minister & now based in the USA as  the Administrator of the United Nations Development Program, say that the devastation here was on a par with Haiti. She'd visited Haiti  right after their earthquake last year & now Christchurch. It's somehow added yet another layer to what already feels surreal.

It's also had a palliative effect. Perhaps it was a reminder that I needed at a time when it is so easy to get consumed by all that surrounds us.

When I start to feel a bit low & hopeless about everything that is unfolding around me or worry what to do about my girls whom I cant afford to send away out of it all,  & really don't know whether I would want to  be apart from them even if I could afford to send them to school else where in the country, I can't help but think that we have so many more options than Haiti did. We had so many options available to begin with than Haiti did.

I can't help but think of the systems already in place that allowed quick response times by emergency services locally & the speed in which international teams were able to arrive & get to work unhindered by red tape & politics.

Then it is not so difficult to see hope amidst this destruction.

Still Standing on Shaky Ground

I want to talk about earthquakes. Yeah, I know - so last month, or was it the month before?

Actually, in all truth, the last thing I want to talk about is earthquakes, because right now in this city it is a subject that pretty much comes up in every conversation you have with anyone no matter where you go. Everyone has been affected in one way or another & many continue to be so with every aftershock.

I don't want to sound as if I am droning on & complaining - I'm not.

Believe it or not I used to get a kick out of earthquakes. Christchurch has always felt  the effects of bigger quakes centred way down the bottom of the South Island. They'd probably register here at around a 3 magnitude & they never bothered me apart from giving me a bit of a thrill. 

But, as of 3 hours ago, we're at aftershock #2934 since September 4th &, although I haven't actually felt 2/3 of those, like many, many others I am over it. To be honest I don't know what I feel any more....apart from confused about how I feel ;)

What I do know though is that we have been so incredibly blessed on so very many levels & I will be eternally grateful for that. These pesky aftershocks aren't stopping me living as I normally would, I still go out & do the things I have always done, go into the same huge stores & old buildings I have always gone into without thought of what would happen if there were another big one & I'm not losing sleep at night from worrying about what might be.

I'm not living in fear of them & I'm certainly not waiting around for the 'next' aftershock to happen. As far as I'm concerned every one I feel is the last one. It doesn't even cross my mind that there will be another one.... until it happens. Then for a few seconds or sometimes a few minutes, depending on the circumstances, absolutely everything goes to custard.lol!

The last one was a rather decent 4.9 magnitude, that once again had me grabbing my desk to hold on as the serious shaking started. As I did that I wondered why I was doing it. Was I afraid? No, not really. So why then?

I'm going to attempt to explain.

We often hear the aftershocks coming. A deep rumble or roar is quickly followed by a sharp whip like crack as the house starts to move. Then the rattling starts - doors, blinds & such. My mind deals with this in the "s**t another freakin aftershock" manner & if it's only been a smaller (as in short sharp type) aftershock I don't have much time to think more than that before it's over & everything can go back to it's regularly scheduled program.

It's when they go on for a bit longer than the split second it takes for you to realise one is happening & have the "s.a.f.a" reaction that things come unstuck. All of a sudden you realise that your body has tensed up in anticipation that this one might be building up into something big & your mind is quickly following suit. Grabbing onto something is the precursor to stabilising yourself in order to get up & head for the nearest door frame to take refuge under.

And then, just as you make that call to take cover, the shaking slows & you know it isn't going to be another big one.... even though your body feels as if the ground is still moving when you know it has stopped. It messes with your equilibrium & for some reason has the ability to spoil everything that has gone before. That few seconds can cruelly strip the shine off of the surface of an otherwise perfect day. 

Whatever you were focussed on those few seconds earlier is instantly forgotten,  as if someone has stirred up the silt on the bottom of a pond & what you know was there before isn't visible any more. You find yourself unable to settle & refocus, or only able to focus on things for a short time in between pacing up & down like a caged animal, in the hour or so afterwards.  It's annoying - annoying & unsettling.

When everyone is at home it isn't so bad. But when partners are at work or kids are at school or in daycare it adds the element of worry to pot. Are they safe? Is the building they are in ok? 

Even though you know that the buildings were all inspected & given clearance (or not) after the 'big one' there is no denying that these aftershocks have caused both fresh damage & further damage. Then there is the concern over family members still living in homes that have been damaged or on land that has subsided, while they wait to hear the verdict from EQC.  You don't rest easy until you have made contact & hear that everyone is safe.

Life in many ways is normal.... or rather the new normal.And in many ways it's not at all normal.

I'm not alone in the fact that I haven't picked up things that fell or moved during the first earthquake. Everything large & breakable is still sitting on the floor where they can't fall any further. Although I expect every aftershock to be the last aftershock right back at the beginning I decided that they wouldn't go back up until we'd had no more for at least a fortnight. I don't see the point in adding to the list of breakages if it can be avoided. Fortunately this isn't the 'new' normal,  it's just normal for now.

In the bigger scheme of things, city wide, it's not that normal either. But perhaps that is for another post. This one has already become  quite long & I still have things I want to say.

I completely understand what this is doing to people, what it does to ones psyche - I feel that too.  I don't want to trivialise feelings or what people are going through...yet on the other hand I want to say 'get over it & count your blessings, this is life - for now at least & aren't we so fortunate that it is this great?!"

With Haiti still as fresh as it ever was on my mind it would be difficult not to feel that way.... & Haiti is what I compare everything back to. Not only the incredible loss that people of Haiti suffered on January 12th, but what they continue to suffer with Cholera now taking it's toll amidst tropical storms & everything else that is still happening.... & much that hasn't happened that should have.

A word I used to describe what I was feeling in the week immediately after the earthquake was conflicted. I still feel that way. So if you see the occasional status update on FaceBook referring to an aftershock, please forgive me - it just means that an aftershock temporarily rattled my brain ;)

The image above? That was my shoe cabinet the morning of the earthquake. It still looks that way - only a few more have gone over. The other cabinet is the same. Yes, there are breakages - but I'm not concerned. They're just things after all :)

A Beautiful Idea

A while ago I was invited by Evie Shaffer, an artist & fellow Etsy seller to take a look at her beautiful idea.

Evie's idea is a way for artists to get involved in making a difference in the world by connecting artists to charity.

This caught my eye & was certainly food for thought. Of course, given that the current charity is World Vision's Haiti Earthquake Relief, I just couldn't resist.

It's simple:
Sign Up & design one item for A Beautiful Idea
Sell your item
Donate 100% to A Beautiful Idea's donation centre.

This can be a one time, once a month or one item continually participation. The choice is yours.

If you are not an artist you can always help by having a look through the shop on the A Beautiful Idea website.

Check out Mallory's Treasury

Ms Mallory aka Rosebud101 snagged a treasury yesterday & it is well worth a visit.

All of the Etsy stores featured are supporting Haiti & there is something there for everyone.
Go, take a peek & give it some loving...you may even find that 'special something' that you just can't resist & at the same time be supporting a great cause.

If you have time leave a comment & let her know that you visited!
Clicking on the picture below will take you to the treasury :)

Treasury for Haiti

I managed to get my timing right this morning, for a change, & grabbed another treasury on Etsy.

The more I look, the more impressed I become at the artists that are still willing to give.

If you have an Etsy account & a few moment to spare to click & comment it would be hugely appreciated.

Keeping Haiti in our Hearts

In the course of putting together this treasury I discovered a new blog, which I will post about tomorrow.





New Hearts went up over the weekend, all of them sold overnight. I will update everything tomorrow evening. For now it seems that I am playing a permanent game of catch up..... & enjoying every moment of it :o)

Heart #11

Heart #12

Heart #13

Something to Think About

Have a Heart for Haiti - New Hearts Going up on Etsy

Over time the media will start to focus their attention on other World events & slowly the awareness of what is happening in Haiti will dwindle. Yet there will still be so very much that needs doing in the long run.

I hope people don't start numbing to it too quickly & that the awareness & peoples efforts stay strong for a long time yet to come.

Three more Heats listed tonight in my Etsy store

Heart#9

Heart #10

Heart #11

Have a Heart For Haiti - "The Action"

This morning I woke up to the sale of two hearts on top of a substantial Etsy order.

I have to say it felt better than Christmas - 100 times better.

Just knowing that I can do something that in some small way will help alleviate the suffering & loss, either now or in the future when people start to rebuild their lives is immensely humbling.

Two more hearts will be going up tonight. I'd like to try & keep a minimum of three listed on Etsy.
I need to make time to get some made & listed on my website.

Funds Raised to date: US$57.38

Heart #4

Heart #5

Have A Heart for Haiti - Bead Number Three is Listed

The third bead is up on Etsy, so I am meeting my target so far of one bead per day.
Of course it would be even better if they sold. I've upped the ante & decided to also contribute 20% of the profit of all sales through my Etsy store.

I spent some time on the phone to World Vision today, just checking out a couple of things. Being absolutely certain that any donations were definitely going to go to Haiti was top on my priority list. I was thrilled to be assured that they would & that World Vision would send out a receipt stating so for all donations made.

The nice young chap that I spoke to was telling me how their phones have rung non-stop since the earthquake hit the news & that, in New Zealand, private donations from individuals have reached $60,000.00 in the first 24 hours, & along with corporate donations they now stand at $215,000. for the World Visions Earthquake Relief.

I was also thrilled to hear that some of the money raised from the 40 Hour Famine that Gabriela took part in last year has gone towards helping the victims in Haiti, $150,000. of it to be precise. It's great to know that our young people have also been able to help with this tragedy.

Apparently World Vision staff in Haiti have also been able to start handing out supplies. Their first large shipment has safely landed, & more supplies are now arriving daily. They started distributing water, clothing & hygiene kits last Saturday.

There is still a very long way to go.

Have a Heart for Haiti - "The Plan"

Monday I spent checking out all of the charity organizations that will be active in Haiti. Not as easy as you may think. I wanted a Christian based charity, one that was global, one that had an established presence in Haiti &, of course, one that you could specifically tag donations to go to Haiti.

I chose World Vision as it was important to me to have an agency that already has a team in Haiti ready to act now. That is what the people there need, immediate help & support.
World Vision has had a presence in the region for 30 years & already have 800 staff there, 18.1 metric tonnes of supplies due, hopefully landed by now and more of their global emergency relief team are on the way.

My plan is to list at least one heart per day. Ultimately I would like to make (& hopefully sell) two hearts per day until at least the end of the first week in February.
100% (after the Etsy/Paypal fees) of the profit will go to World Vision. I'll make the donation to World Vision once a week. Postage will be the cost of the shipping with no charge for packaging etc.
I've tried to calculate the price of the beads so that World Vision will end up getting a minimum of US$15.00, after the fees, per bead sold.

I will show a running total of the beads sold, amount raised & donated so far in my Etsy Shop Announcement, my Website & here on my Blog.

Without further ado - Bead #2

Have a Heart For Haiti - "The Idea"

As Kiwi's, it is so very easy to distance ourselves from the Natural Disasters that happen around the world.
Down here in the down under of Down Under, it's as simple as not watching the evening news, or bypassing your homepage on a daily basis should it be one that shows news headlines. I will freely admit that I'm guilty of that, telling myself that there is so much negativity & that I'll start watching again when the news starts reports at least some positive content, instead of all doom & gloom.

But there comes a time when you can't ignore it. In recent years there have been a few too many of those times.... natural disasters of monumental proportions happening right after Christmas. When you have been sitting here bemoaning the lack of any real summer, or feeling sorry for yourself because you dont have a car to drive any more, or that the neighbours have absolutely no consideration for others because they think it's OK to have their sub woofer thudding it's irritating beat into your home all hours of the day & night, something such as the absolute devastation that the Haitian Earthquake has caused, can make you take a step back & look at what really is important.
I have to say it really puts things into perspective.

Quiet frankly times are tough....everywhere. When times are hard it becomes all to convenient to take the easy way out by saying to yourself "but what difference will the little I can afford to give, make". The voice in your head whispers back "but if everyone thought that way, all those little amounts would never get to be a big amount that CAN make a difference".

In short, a couple of days ago I was thinking of a response to an email I'd received from a friend, & I had an idea. I suspect that it had been quietly brewing for a while, but the school holidays have dulled my senses somewhat ;o)

I'd recently been looking at lampwork hearts on one of the glass forums, which offered a spectacular display with everyone getting into gear for Valentines Day.
I enjoy looking at all of the beautiful glass hearts & all of the different ways that the many talented lampworkers create them, but I have never really been called to make them. I'd even visited the "One World, One Heart" project trying to find the incentive & had thought about joining that & perhaps trying to make a couple of hearts to give away here on my blog, but decided that I wasn't really that fussed on making them at all. I'm not sure why, perhaps it is just because I didn't have a good enough reason ...until now.

Then on Saturday night it hit me, I could make hearts to sell in my Etsy store & donate all of the proceeds to a Charity organization that was active in providing emergency relief in Haiti.
Sunday's torch session was spent trying to figure out how to make presentable hearts & I managed three that will see the light of day!

Here is Heart #1 - no names for these listings, just numbers so that it makes it easy for everyone to keep track. It will be up on Etsy shortly, but watch for the next blog post for more information.