Sunday, March 13, 2011

Blog Love...a heavy heart and gratitude.

Fellow blogger Jeanne of Collage of Life
recently posted on
Blog Love


            
                                           and passed it on to many, myself included



Thank you Jeanne!

The rules are simple:

1.  Post the image and add a link from the first blog post
2.  Share the Love and pass it on...


                                        
                                                        The Humble Bungalow

I would like to pass Blog Love onto 10 bloggers
please do not feel left out if I haven't linked your blog here
I regularly visit all the blogs on my Blog Roll
which incidentally had disappeared and has been reinstated.

Lisa

Tish

Blighty

Tabitha

Fiona

Annie

Janet

Adrienne

Rosemary

Belinda

I invite you to join in and pass it along if you are so inclined, and if you are not interested
or find yourself particularly busy...so be it.



The news from Japan is shocking...
I am finding words are hard to come by after seeing the horrific devastation following the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami...it is so unbelievably overwhelming...my heart feels very heavy.

I am having difficulty grasping the scope and magnitude of this event
the loss of lives increases with every news update...and the destruction is so widespread...

thank goodness so many countries are rushing equipment, supplies and aid
it is going to take a united and committed community to clean up and rebuild the infrastructure...




Gratitude has been uppermost in my mind these past few days.

The roof over my head, the food in my belly, running water and the warm bed that I lay in...
and the knowledge that my family here is near and safe.

In view of the fact that we live in a zone known for earthquakes we have always taken out a policy for earthquake insurance for our home.
Whenever we have a quake I always wonder if this is going to be the "Big One" that the seismologists have been predicting.
The thought fills me with sheer terror...

I am at a loss as to why I have not put together an emergency kit and stored it out in the garden shed.
I will be assembling one in the next few weeks...


Candles and matches


firewood


 heat 
via fire
outside in a makeshift firepit 
or 
inside in the fireplace


a wind up flashlight
and radio
the radio is downstairs somewhere...
it should be all together in one place

we'll also need 
canned food
bottled water = 2 litres a day per person
cat food !
first aid kit
hand sanitizer
water purifying tablets
 medications
toiletries
warm blankets
TP
cooking pot
and 
dishes, utensils
a manual can opener
whistle
duct tape
garbage bags
tools
work gloves
warm clothing
boots
and it has been suggested 
that cash will come in handy as bank machines and credit cards won't be working

 This information is from the website from 

Be Well
and 
Keep Safe



15 comments:

the gardener's cottage said...

hi leslie,

i too am deeply saddened by the events in japan. i'm overwhelmed by it actually as i feel so helpless.

i love the image of your little bungalow. i love the porch railing, did you make it or is it original? we need a porch rail and hopefully that will be a project that gets accomplished this summer. also the arbor and the garden itself is just so beautiful. i would love to sit in that garden and chat with you over a cup of tea. wouldn't that be nice?

xo
janet

the gardener's cottage said...

oh and i forgot to say thank you for the blog love mention. xoxo

vicki archer said...

Congratulations on your blog love...so well deserved. What is happening in Japan is so heartbreaking, I can't even begin to imagine the deep sadness and chaos...xv

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Janet- I know how you feel...it is heartwrenching what is going on in Japan...and other than sending funds to the Red Cross there is very little that you or I can do.

The porch railing was buried inside a wall which we removed when we restored the porch back to it's original configuration....my husband added the XXX details. The same clever Mr. HB built the pergola!
Tea in our gardens would be a treat...it might happen sometime...if you come north or I venture south!
Hugs
XO

vicki archer- It is difficult to watch the TV and not feel great saddness...
and on a lighter note, thank you for the compliment!

Linda Back in Canberra said...

Dear Leslie, I really can't absorb all the terror, loss and tragedy of this year in Queensland, New Zealand and now Japan. I feel as if I simply must be as good as I can to my family and friends as I am keenly aware of how fragile our lives are. Last year in Chile we had the big one. As I was cuddling my two little girls during the longest four or five minutes, I heard the sound of so much breaking and smashing and I thought I don't care a fig for any of it as long as my girls are safe. And we were and are and I am so grateful for it. I hope that we are all spared any more fear and sadness. love Lindaxxx

Annie ~ Red Roses and Crystal said...

It's difficult to comprehend the magnitude of whats happening in Japan. We enjoy extended stays there for work and positively adore the country and people so I'm struggling with the images I see on TV.

An emergency kit is most wise Hostess. Living in flood prone, storm prone, cyclone prone etc Queensland we always keep a kit on the go just in case. Peace of mind is so important.
Hugs
xx

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Linda in Chile- There is a saturation point for grim news...and I feel that I have reached it...your experience sounds terrifying but you have survived and moved on...it's so true that in moments like the one you had, all the fripperies in the world mean naught...it's our loved ones and friends that matter.
Love what you said about being as good as you can...we could all adopt this ideal.

Anne Marie- There seems to be trouble in many parts these days...kits and preparations seem the way to go...that and working together with the community and immediate neighbours.
I wonder how long it will be before travel is encouraged to Japan...
one can't help but think that they want to repair and rebuild and get on with some semblance of order.
I hope that you are relaxing this weekend.

Britta said...

Dear Hostess of the Humble Bungalow,
thank you for this post! The tragedy in Japan is filling our hearts with sorrow. To be equipped a tiny little bit gives you the feeling 'to have done' something - though it can't be very much, not in Japan nor at home. But if everybody is just helping that tiny bit it will become a force that is to be reckoned with.

Fiona Ferris said...

Thank you for the blog love Hostess. You are very sweet. The dreadful situation in Japan is hard to comprehend. Each natural disaster in the past six months has gotten bigger and bigger. So scary.

Judith said...

Dear Hostess,the sheer terror of that tsunami haunts everyone we all feel so helpless.
Stood in my garden this morning enjoying nature in all its glory....Japan had nature's most destructive side. Ida x

annie@mostlovelythings said...

Hello Leslie,

Thank you so much for the blog love mention...that is so kind. We all heavy hearts right now for those in Japan. So much tragedy lately. I read your list and I can't believe I live in CA and do not have an emergency kit. I too will be putting together one for our family.

xo annie

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Britta- The fact that many countries are coming to the aid of the Japanese is the only positive thing so far...I am yearning for some miracle to occur.

Fiona- Nature is such an amazing and powerful force...as is love.

ida- You are at ease in your garden ida, which is how I feel it should be...

annie- I know! and living so near to the San Andreas fault all my life and I have yet to adequately prepare...
good to know that I am in good company!

Adrienne Shubin said...

Leslie,

Thank you for the blog love - I'll be working on mine this week. So kind of you to think of me.

Living in the Bay Area, I can relate to your fear of the "big one". It seems the fault we share is a bit overdue for some activity. Our family is mostly prepared - drinking water, canned food, flashlights, lots of candles, extra dog and cat food. I used to have a stash of cash on hand, but we took it to Europe last fall and haven't replaced it yet - need to do that. Thank you for the reminder.

Fortunately, I am married to the guy who heads of the emergency preparedness team for our neighboring city. I feel confident that he's got our family more prepared than even I know! The only thing is, if something does happen, he won't be with us, he'll be out helping. I'll have to buck up and hold the fort down.

I think what has struck me the most about Japan is the image of people fleeing from the tsunami - having only 30 minutes or less. The chaos and terror is unimaginable and I feel so awful for those who were incapacitated either by a handicap, illness or age. It's just heartbreaking.

This has made me much more appreciative of the little things - clean and running water, unspoiled food, a warm bed, electricity, my loved ones and pets. The things that truly matter.

Happy Monday to you......
xo, A

Duchesse said...

Thank you for reminding us to organize a kit in our new home.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Adrienne- Your husband will be great resource with all his training and good to hear that you are ready for an emergency should it occur...
the tsunami footage on the news is horrific...gratitude seems to feel appropriate right now.

Duchesse- You must be so busy unpacking...it's hard to think of getting a kit together!