Uh... This is incorrect, and probably largely dependent on where exactly you live. Just go look at an earthquake swarm map of CA. Near the fault in Los Angeles have been dozens if not more of small/midsized/large quakes that could produce the effects you're talking about. I had one in my office just the other week that freaked everyone out.
I'm not saying there aren't earthquakes. I'm saying actually feeling/noticing them is extremely rare in my experience. Maybe I have just lived in exactly the right places over the years. Probably many happened when I was doing something that masked them, but nonetheless in over 30 years I have noticed just a few quakes, and only one was significant enough to leave any evidence in the form of moved objects.