My view from under the coffee table
I was standing in the closet on Thursday morning when my phone started screeching. A couple seconds of confusion, then strong shaking. I quickly crawled under an oak coffee table to ride out a very scary earthquake. Everything rattled and swayed, and in the hot tub, my husband Paul got sloshed around. I was still under the coffee table when my phone squawked again, this time with a tsunami warning.
But thankfully, though it was a 7.0 shaker just 63 miles away, there was very little damage and no tsunami. The only casualty we sustained was a taper candle that fell over and broke. This was a far cry from the 6.4 earthquake here two years ago which seriously damaged dozens of houses, knocked out power to 70,000 people and broke our water pipes, plaster and dishes.
earthquake cleanup
all the cobwebs
left intact
Between the shaking ground, the destructive plans of our president-elect, and governments from France to Syria unexpectedly collapsing, much is in upheaval these days. Sometimes it seems the earthquake mantra, “drop, cover and hold on” should apply to the rest of life too.
a long day
of watching the world burn
his steady breathing
To add to the general madness, holiday season is upon us! If you still need to do some gift shopping amidst all this (gestures broadly at everything), here are a few ideas from the Makino Studios shop. There are mini-calendars (here’s to the two customers who just bought a combined total of 32 of these!), 70 card designs, a dozen notecard sets, matted small prints, larger custom prints, original art, books of art and haiku and stickers for stocking stuffers. May these gifts bring a little peace and beauty into the lives of your friends and family
Meanwhile, good luck staying balanced on this swiftly spinning orb—and here’s hoping your holidays are simply grand!
warmly, Annette Makino
Original art: Many of the paintings and collages in my online gallery are for sale. Collages start at $280 and are ready to hang.
Makino Studios News
Free shipping through this Sunday: I’ll cover your shipping within the US, no minimum order, through this Sunday, December 15. Enter code PEACE2024 at checkout.
Holiday shipping deadlines: For arrival on or before December 25, please place your order no later than Tuesday, December 17. The mail has been slow these days, so even sooner is safer.
Arcata Holiday Craft Market: I’m looking forward to connecting with people face-to-face this coming weekend, Dec. 14-15 at the Arcata Community Center in Arcata, CA. Look for the Makino Studios booth on the lefthand side of the main hall.
Made in Humboldt Fair: This event at Pierson Garden Shop in Eureka, CA is running through Dec. 24. There you can find my books, signed and matted prints, 2025 calendars and notecard sets.
Publication credits: “earthquake cleanup” - Frogpond; “a long day” - Presence