Exploring the Jungle —Mary Lott

Everything was going well. My new-to-me car responded well to the steering wheel, and the brakes were nice and tight. I’d left my house in Alabama and was heading west to visit my oldest…

“Can we read ‘Go, Go, Go’ again?” My student was eager to revisit this story, one she’d successfully read the previous week. “Go, Go, Go” is one of the “Dick and Jane” emerging reader…

Summer is my all-time favorite season and always has been. I’ve been a dreamer all my life, and my favorite pastime when I was younger was to take a book outside, find a place…

Note: This column was updated July 25, 2025, to correct the term coagulate to agglutinate.  Three points make a plane. I learned this rule back in eighth-grade geometry class. At the time it was…

A friend of mine asked me, “You’re always staying home. Have you always been a homebody?” I got mad. This comment was many years ago, and it still irritates. But I didn’t express my…

“We need to schedule you for a bone marrow biopsy.” My doctor was on the phone delivering his evaluation of recent blood work. Of all the tests and treatments, a bone marrow…

I haven’t felt well since early February. Many days I haven’t wanted to get out of bed. Even pushing the covers off or pulling them over me takes a gargantuan effort. Healthcare providers have…

I was heartbroken when I unpacked my luggage a couple weeks ago and found my beautiful coffeepot smashed into 22 pieces with accompanying shards and small chips. In my tiredness, a moment of good…

I dipped my foot in the water before plunging in. Oh! It was cooler than I’d wanted. I jumped in anyway, hoping I’d warm up as I swam. I’m a good swimmer, and I’ve…