Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Did the earthquake effect any CA cohousing?

[PattyMara Gourley (pattymara]

Tierra Nueva rocked and rolled on Monday.  My family was all home from
colleges, both kids upstairs, Bruce and I downstairs.  We felt the first
tremors and headed outside.  Our living room floor was soon covered with
broken glass from falling framed art, toppled sculptures and other loose
items.  I stood outside on the ground and rode the waves as if I was on a
boat on a high sea.  The most remarkable sensation...I actually wished it
lasted a bit longer, but it was fortunate that it was so short (20
seconds maybe?)..not enough time to really cause any structural damage to
most homes in the area.   Once the waves subsided we all started checking
in on one another.  I helped a neighbor turn off her gas at the main (as
a potter who owns a gas kiln, I'm familiar with gas lines)....checked in
with a band of roaming kids (barefoot) and sent them home to put on
shoes, only to be met on the pathway by their mom who had an armful of
shoes for them!   Emergency radios were turned on...and we heard and
relayed all the news from the surrounding area.  A few of us assessed the
common house appliances and couldn't detect any gas fumes, so we made a
decision to wait on turning off the gas there.  Electricity was off,
water mains were broken, so we had no tap water, but our wells continued
to have pressure.  And, we knew that our Y2K water tank was full of fresh
water, waiting for such an event.  So many of us are campers that we also
have plenty of cookstoves and lanterns ready.  Most households had broken
glass on the floors, toppled furniture, lamps, TVs etc, but no real
property damage, and no injuries at all.  We were all in a state of
nervous excitement, some were quite fearful.  I carried around my large
spray bottle of rescue remedy (a Bach flower remedy for trauma/shock,
nicely mixed into a good brandy!) and offered a spritz to anyone who
wanted some.   Once we had checked in with all the neighbors who were
home, including our eldest couple, Cliff and Helen, who are in their
nineties, we started the cleanup.  By the time our common meal commenced
that evening, everyone had a story to tell.  After dinner we had a
planned "progressive dessert/open house" tour to four of our homes,
retelling our stories and reliving the feelings and fears, all the while
sensing the aftershocks which continued on through the night.  

My pottery studio in Halcyon, a neighboring theosophical community, fared
poorly....many shelves of greenware and completed pottery were
toppled...I will have some major clearing to do in the new year.   While
walking through Halcyon, all the neighbors there were out in the streets
too, helping each other out, and telling their stories.    At the Halcyon
Store/Post Office where I work part time, all the holiday customers who
were there during the quake, stayed and helped pick up all the
merchandise that was flung from the shelves.  Nobody left until the store
was cleaned and tidy again.  Amazing.  

I am so glad we live in a place where we watch out for one another, and
help each other out, through thick and thin.  It feels like the only way
to live, and I have a feeling that we will be called to lean into the
support of one another more and more in the coming years. 

I haven't heard yet from the Oak Creek Commons cohousers...their site is
under construction, and is located in Paso Robles, very near to the
epicenter.  Please let us know how you all are faring!

coheartedly,
Patty Mara Gourley
Tierra Nueva, central CA coast 
Where on Sunday night we finished our "Persephone Returns!" four play
cycle of the Great Turning of the Year, by celebrating the Winter
Solstice, and the return of the Newborn Sun.  When candles were lit
around our bonfire circle, and wishes were made, the first person who
volunteered to speak wished "for a new president"!

www.gourleydesign.com






mmmmm

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