A high definition kind of life.

Sunday someone asked me, 'What have you been up to this summer?' and I actually fumbled around because I have been busy, but I couldn't pinpoint or summarize what I've been doing in one concise description like 'teaching' or 'working'...

I have worked a little bit, teaching one day a week at the art center. 

I have gone to the gym a bit. 

I helped move my mom. 

I went on a couple of trips. 

I had a little photo exhibit....but....what have I been doing with my time? 

Have I been frittering it away? 

Nope. 

I will brag a bit that I have had one of best summers ever. 

I've frittered a bit here and there...but I've stayed busy with froyo and waterpark dates, creek excursions, darkroom parties, weddings (3 this summer!), Harry Potter cake pops extravaganza-day, craft nights, and family cookouts. 

Things that normally seem mundane and boring have felt special and fun, like going shoe shopping at the mall and getting my haircut. 

Perhaps life was in black and white before the tornado and now it is in high definition color. 

Now my free time feels freer....food tastes tastier...and life just feels easier. 

These days, I savor everything.

Of course it is still painful to drive across town and see dirt lots where homes used to be.

It is scary driving down Main St. from 20th to 32nd at night because there are no street lights or illuminated signs or the dim glow from a porch light in either direction, for miles.....I cannot go anywhere without a visual reminder of what happened and is happening around town as lots are cleaned, debris is removed and preparations are made for new construction.

I think those things are a constant reminder that life is short, and bad stuff happens...(it is hard to relate to other atrocities in the world right now because I am, we are still grieving and recovering in Joplin).

While people still tell stories about where their coworkers rode out the storm or how someone lost a beloved pet, 'tornado' is not the only thing we talk when I get together with my friends. We are starting to move forward and talk about books, t.v. shows, and gossip....just like we used to do 'before' the storm.

And I think nearly everyone who was affected will look at their life as it was 'before' the tornado and 'after' the tornado. 

Maybe I am just on a 'vacation high'....a little too happy....a little too cheerful...or perhaps this is just part of the recovery process, but all I can say, is that right now, life is good. I find myself appreciating every beautiful flower, every pretty rainbow, and every delicious meal with genuine gratitude.

I wrote this post Sunday night and set it to auto-post Monday evening around 6:30....well, around 6:35 I was leaving the gym and I saw this magnificent rainbow....my post never went live and I think it was missing this image....I took this photo on Main Street in Joplin, (yes, I did drive out of my way to get this shot) The rainbow was starting to fade as I was racing to a spot where I had a clear view of the sky....which just happened to be on a very badly damaged section of the street. I posted it to facebook with the caption Hope for Joplin.

This photo was taken with the hipstamatic app on my iphone.