There have always been glass trinkets scattered about my home. Very few pieces date to before January 17, 1994. The Northridge earthquake that occurred on that day swept most of my possessions (not to mention my sanity) from  their carefully arranged perches and deposited them in a layer of rubble that, if left intact, would keep archaeologists busy for a decade or two. This picture is a view of two survivors: My 1976 Bing and Grondahl Christmas Plate distorted through the crystal base of my Princess House Long-Stemmed Rose Vase.

Glass

More back story...

The Christmas plate survived because it was a wedding gift and since the marriage had been over for some time, the plate was taking a hiatus safe in it's packing box. The vase survived by virtue of being low in a cabinet that was oriented on a north-south axis so that the cabinet just swayed from side to side rather than being tipped over on it's face. After taking pictures and video for the insurance company, clean up was accomplished using a flat bladed shovel and an industrial sized garbage bin. Since then, I tend to not get so attached to my 'stuff.' It's just stuff and I can always get 'new stuff.' None of my animals, nor loved ones, or friends was permanently injured or killed in this earthquake and that was the only bottom line that mattered.

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All photographs copyright Juli 2004