We had a little 5.4 rattle and hum in these parts yesterday. As I braced myself in our back hallway doorframe and prayed that the sky would not start falling, I distinctly heard - as the shaking intensified - items from all over the house knocking together, tinkling, clinking ... and in those scant 20 seconds I knew exactly which household items were making all the noises: B's antique hatpins on the mantel, the fireplace tools, the lid of my crockpot, these new wooden "pixie pencils" sitting on the kitchen counter. Odd what you focus on in the face of a possible disaster, no?
I was also simultaneously freaking out about how I would pluck the kids off the mountain where they attend daycamp when all the streets would be ripped open, with gaslines spouting flames and mayhem ruling the streets. Minds already prone to worrying on a good day (like mine) just turn wild during events like this -- it took me a good hour to stop wigging out and my hands to stop shaking. I went through Seattle's 7.0 quake in 2001, and this one wasn't too far off in intensity or shaking.
Anyhow, I am mostly posting this photo because I am in love with these adorable mini wooden pencils I purchased at Zinnia last weekend (they stand just three inches high) and because I love how they look in my little vintage pinecone mug. I had just arranged them in there yesterday morning and that's why they played a role in my earthquake soundtrack. They'll probably also always remind me of the day that LA got its serious earth-groove back.
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