Brother John's Last Night in Christchurch

I’ve lost track of the number of earthquakes and aftershocks (literally and figuratively) Brother John and I have experienced while he was visiting us in Christchurch form March 17 through June 22.

However, the most significant part was the fact that he and I were rebuilding, not only our outdoor kitchen as a testament to recycling the past in the present... but, our separate pasts that didn’t cross for far too many years.

Once upon a time, we lived on...

Cloud Nine together...when we were very young, and then 'stuff' happened not unlike earthquakes and aftershocks in real time Christchurch. You know, that ‘stuff’ that makes life so bloody interesting in hindsight, but at the time, it feels like we’ve gone to the dogs, and the only solution is to sleep right through it...

However, John and I stood together these past three months...

And neither of us lived to regret it, but learned how to wake the sleeping dog...

Or, at least Brother John did, I tended to hide behind the veil every now and then...

...while my friend Ora kept the laughter flowing from all directions, making us feel fuzzy and warm. Thank you, Ora!

And, youngest daughter, Kasey, fell madly in love with Brother John...

And , husband Clark, cooked flounder for him, and many other meals inside our kitchen that Brother John built.

It was a fish fry on the last night Brother John was here, and also, the first time we would be using our new kitchen exactly what it was built for, the nights the earthquakes put our lights out...

and, another earthquake did...this very night.

But, thanks to the industry of my family...

We had other lights to come back on with.

And, the neighbours all arrived to see Brother John off, and experience what the kitchen built in The Aftershock Gallery is really all about...

Creature comforts, no matter what.

And now, the day after the farewell at the airport, where we put Brother John on one of the only planes flying out of Christchurch because the rest were grounded by the volcanic ash in the air from Chile...

All we can say to Brother John is this...

Sincerely, we do...miss you already!

PS...who are we going to get to play Skipbo and roll the dice on all these sleepless nights?

PSS...at the writing of this I have just been informed that you (Brother John) are still in the air, your plane having been diverted around the volcanic ash over Australia, but, you are due home tomorrow at 1:15PM, back to Oklahoma where the wind ‘blows ash’ rather quickly...lol...be safe brother, be safe...and, I applaud your single slogan:

DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY! XOXO, Your Big Sister loves you, Kathy.