I spend my time tending the small patches of land that surround the house, not knowing when the Earthquake Commission will come to mend the house and tend to the splits in the earth. It does not make sense to expend a lot of energy digging and planting so I work on the areas I know they will not disturb, and use pots to plant out the vegetables. They can easily be moved should the menders come before the harvest.

I make compost, tend to the worm farm, collect seaweed, leaves and manure to feed the soil.

Next week, one of the fences will be mended, then I can ready the soil alongside it to make a tomato garden. The tomato seeds are beginning their life in the poorman’s hothouse, the hot water cupboard.

The earthquake pundits tell us we have had about 8000 aftershocks since September 2010 with more to come. It’s not over yet, they say. Enough, already, I say.

MBW