Did The Earth Rejoice To Feel You Again?

One of my favorite Easter songs is "Was It a Morning Like This?" which has the line "Did the Earth rejoice to feel you again?" and while I certainly didn't plan it, we got to feel the Earth "rejoicing" today just as we were moving on to the dessert portion of our Easter dinner. Or at least that is what I am calling the leaping and carrying-on that the Earth was indulging in this afternoon.

On the news people were saying the quake did not last very long, but we moved into an older home last year and some of the windows are pretty loose and we started hearing it a good 30 seconds before we felt it. It was long enough for us to realize that it wasn't the wind or a big truck going by and for everyone to get out of the house. Everyone but me. I stood in a doorway because I have lived in California since I was a baby and that is what I was told to do the whole time I was growing up, and so that is what I always do. Well, it is what I do when I feel an earthquake which truthfully isn't very often.

Most people don't know that we actually have dozens of earthquakes everyday, but they are so small that you don't feel them, but even the stronger ones that other people feel go by me unnoticed. Of course, there are the stronger ones that usually make the national news or are at least big news on the local stations for a day or two that I do feel. It can be a little bit scary, but nothing bad has ever happened in the areas I have lived. In fact this is the first earthquake I remember having pictures on the wall knocked askew or having things fall over. The water in our pool was also still sloshing quite a bit by the time everything was over and we thought to look and see.

About half an hour later it occurred to me that it would have been cool to have looked at the little Easter tree and see if the ornaments were moving, so I looked at it and the ornaments were swinging a bit. Then I looked at the beautiful orchids my sweet little cousin Ethan brought over for us and they were shaking too! Because we were having an aftershock and I didn't even feel it and wouldn't have known about it if I hadn't looked at the ornaments and the orchid.

I hope the folks in Mexico, where the quake was centered are fine physically and emotionally.

Anyway, before the quake the plan was to tell you about this wonderful recipe I tried for the first time today and that we all thought was delicious: Green Bean and Mushroom Medley. The only thing I did differently than the recipe was that I didn't quite double the butter when I doubled everything else and I substituted Emeril's Essence for the seasoned salt because I didn't have the seasoned salt. Oh, I didn't double that because I wasn't sure how well it would work so I wanted to err on the side of caution. It was so good.