What a day yesterday.

It started out like any other day...just a little earlier than usual. I was in my sewing room and my husband was getting ready for work.

As I was sitting there, I noticed my metal shelves rocking back and forth and then things began flying off of them (in most earthquakes that usually doesnt happen, things flying)...so I knew this was going to be a good one.

So I went to the room where my husband was, he was getting dress. It is amazing because there was no fear, we stood there, seems like for ever trying to decide what to do. We discussed going out, laying beside the bed, we heard the bed would take the blunt of the ceiling. I told my husband that I had to get decent first. He said, no....let's just get outside. I was not going outside looking indecent. So I began to get decent. He called at me to foget it and just get outside that if the ceiling and walls collasp that I would still be indecent. But I would not have it....and so I got dressed. By that time things had slowed some. I knew that it was more than a 6.6 because that is what we had 2 weeks ago...and sure enough it was 8.0...(you heard different reports). The next question was, what next. We decied that Vance would stay home from work incase of a tsunammi. What a great decision that was.

His office was right in the middle of all of the commotion. There and on the other side of the island. So the damage was in concentrated areas. We are up a hill and are very safe. We could watch the waves and life below us with much ease. We only saw the sprays of the ocean waves against the mountain side in the direction of Pago Pago...we did not see the destruction because our vision is blocked by the moutains that incase the Pago Harbour.

The oddest thing was that it was an amazingly beautiful day, cool, nice breeze, beautiful sky and yet happening beyond our view was mass destruction.

People filled the mountain side. Friends came over for safe keeping.

Later that day we went and took pictures of the damage to my husbands office building. The whole bottom level was totally gutted out. His office remained unharmed. He will have no electricity for weeks, maybe months....so he may be working from home. Lucky me.

We have heard some truly horrific stories, one of a lady having her baby snatched out of her arms by the wave. We have friends that have lost everything and barely escaped with their lives. This makes me cry to know how near they came to death. We met a man at the Harbour that barely made it up the side of the mountain with his life. There are alot of people who have lost everything and some even family members. Some have gone out to sea never to be seen again. That would be the hardest part, trying to find a family member and not be able to, knowing that that ocean was their death.

So I sit here today, complaining because I can't post pictures, or email....and I think, what is up with you Barbara, you are safe, others are not, you have all and others have none....so a little inconvenince with the internet is nothing.

I am soooo grateful to all of you for your comment of concern, I have not been able to read them all due to the internet. I can not respond either...I am sorry. Thank you all so much!!! I knew I had some wonderful friends out there but didn't know how wonderful until now.