One-Word Wednesday: Chaotic

Since Mama’s Empty Nest takes the top slot with her Wordless Wednesday posts, I figured I would take a stab at a One-Word Wednesday series. Jamie Taylor, a long-time college friend and extraordinary photojournalist inspired the idea on Facebook this morning. He challenged all of his peeps to describe their Wednesday is just one word. So, here is mine … chaotic.

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More Summer Please!

kateschannel - Meet Woody. Look at that face.

Hey there! Three more Mondays to go. It’s back-to-school for Issa and Riff on September 6. As the days click on, I realize I want more summer. This happens to me every August. I go through the same mix of emotions. Part of me longs for the structure school encourages as well as some consecutive hours to get “stuff” done. Another part wants to keep swimming, playing, reading and watching fireflies from my back patio.

As I started organizing my home this weekend for a new school year, I clicked through the photos on my camera. There, I took a second look at all the fun we had swimming, fishing, partying, taking nature breaks, visiting family and friends, and fixing up our landscape.

kateschannel - Riff cools off on a nature break
kateschannel - Catch and release at our local pond.
kateschannel - This happens at our tea parties.
kateschannel - Issa overcame her fear of jumping in the water at swim lessons.

Speechless

I am thousands of miles away from the devastation and chaos in Japan. It is a beautiful, sunny morning north of the “D”. My children are at school and I have yet to start on my daily to-do list. I keep thinking about Japan. The enormity of the situation there eludes me.

What can I say? There are not any words coming to my head. It’s impossible to know specifically what is being experienced. Can anyone imagine losing it all within a matter of minutes? I can’t. Urban landscapes and seascapes that were once thriving with life and activity are leveled and silenced.

A FB friend shared these NYT photos. I believe these are the best at telling the magnitude of loss in Japan. They capture the fragility of life; and how quickly it can be altered to a unrecognizable scape.

While on a date with my husband Saturday, we discussed earthquake activity in the Midwest portion of the US; and speculated on how unprepared this slice of the world is for a crisis. Just look at what happened in the Gulf leading up to and following Katrina and the BP oil disaster.

What to do? It’s human nature to put off preparing for future crisis situations; especially when my life has not been disrupted. There are so many more immediate “to-do” items competing for my attention. But, I thought Jamie Lee Curtis offered some worthwhile advice in a blog she posted Saturday on the Huffington Post. None of us know when disaster will strike. Wouldn’t it be better to be ready?