Exploring the Jungle - a Column by Mary Lott

My mom returned to her college studies in 1963 when we first moved to Auburn, Alabama. We lived across from the campus of Auburn University and she could easily walk to the buildings where her classes were held. The winter quarter began in January just after the so-called New Year’s…

Monday, Aug. 17, was a good day. I don’t usually classify my days as good or bad. They’re just days; something happens or doesn’t happen, and then I go to sleep, and I open my eyes to another day. But something happened on that Monday that had me smiling all…

The garden behind the old family property had been neglected for many years when my husband and I began whacking and hacking at the weeds and vines some years ago, frequently pausing to enjoy what we’d find beneath the dense vegetation — a brick walkway that surrounded a rose garden,…

My summer came to an end last week. It is still hot here in Alabama, and the days are still long with daylight. But summer is over. My husband, Mike, has gone back to Indonesia. I remain here in Auburn because my blood work has not yet reached a stable…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with vaccinations. Not everyone will have the same response. Consult your doctor about whether a particular vaccine is safe or recommended for you. I cut my visit with my dad short on Saturday and went home. As soon as I got there,…

“I’ll only be a minute,” my dad assured us as he stopped off at Parker Hall at Auburn University, where its computer center was located. It was 1965 or so, and we were on our way home from after-school activities. Dad wanted to pick up the punch cards that held…

Whoosh! The heat and humidity hit me in the face every time I go outside. It’s July, and the weather conditions here in Auburn, Alabama, are more dynamic than in my other home in Papua, Indonesia — although the latter is 2.5 degrees below the equator. The combination of heat…

I am feeling better by the week. I can’t always tell from one day to the next, but there seems to be a steady improvement in my energy. For the first time in about 14 months, I hosted a party at my house. I’ve also been weed-eating the Queen Anne’s…

“Schools out, schools out! Teacher let the fools out. No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks!” I remember running home, singing that old rhyme, having finally escaped the drudgery of the elementary classroom. Three whole months stretched before me. Grabbing a book from my shelf, I…

“Kudzu!” A long time ago, my daughter and her friend, both GRITS — that is, girls raised in the South — giggled together in a classroom when they first heard about the invasive vine with the funny name. But I’m pretty sure everyone in the southern U.S. has dealt with…