Wake-Up Call of a Different Sort

I had begun a completely different post for today, talking about something inane like how early I have to get up in the morning and who's up with me at that hour ...

And then this happened: 5.2 quake in Ill. shakes large part of Midwest

Talk about waking up early. The report says this quake struck its epicenter just before 4:37 a.m. We felt it - nearly 200 miles away - at 4:40.

The WGH and I both woke up, trying to figure out why our house was trembling. He said, "Is that an earthquake?"

I was skeptical at first. I've been through earthquakes - several, as a matter of fact - and this didn't feel quite the same.

Little Bit woke up in near panic. After reassuring her that it was nothing and getting her back in bed, the WGH and I went back to sleep too. It wasn't until I woke up again at 6:20 (thanks to McCartney McWonder-Dog) and turned on the news that I learned the WGH had been correct once again.

(In case you're wondering, The Boy said this morning that he 'thought he felt something'. The kid sleeps like a brick.)

This is something that will occupy the news for a good part of the day, possibly the weekend - damage reports, how far away it was felt (I heard Atlanta), etc. But I have other things on my mind (and my agenda) today.

It sort of makes you look at life differently when something like this happens. But I have a better one for you - or rather, my Wonder Twin does ... read her incredible story here. This is one of those stories that really makes you look at life differently. And maybe appreciate it a little more.

By the way, today is Little Bit's 14th birthday. Her daddy told her it's not every kid who gets an earthquake for her birthday. I said, "The British are coming!" (If you get that, good for you - the first person who catches the reference and tells me about it will earn a place of honor at the Literary Table - send me an email so I can respond.)

Anyway, I have shopping, cleaning, and birthday cake baking on my to-do list today. Tonight I will have a houseful - not as many as we originally thought, but still, a passel of teenage girls will be descending upon the house later this afternoon for what I'm calling the slumber party from you-know-where. I should give Little Bit some credit and not be so pessimistic, but I remember having a slumber party when I was about her age. It wasn't pretty. I can only hope that tonight we won't end up with undergarments in the freezer (don't ask).

Enjoy your day, and life in general. Stay safe. And read a book!

=) JB

"God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road."
-- Danish author Karen Blixen (Out of Africa), who wrote under the name Isak Dinesen (1885-1962)