Exploring the Jungle —Mary Lott

I had a silly grin on my face. Then a giggle escaped. Finally, I quit trying and gave in to the belly laugh. Pokey, my dog, jumped up from his spot on the bed…

I love a beach day. I’m always good for warm, salt-water therapy. The sun warms my bones, and sand crunching beneath my feet softens and smooths my callouses. As the waves gently lap ashore,…

Tilting my head upward, I looked to the stars. There it was, the easiest constellation for me to identify: Orion. I identified it by the three stars in a row that make up his…

I’m finding myself weary at the start of every day. Sleep doesn’t provide much calming rest, and I need time to focus myself before I begin any work. That’s frustrating! I want to “get…

Creak, groan! This time the complainer is my 2003 car. Apparently, it doesn’t like a temperature of 30 F any more than I do. In spite it all, I put on my lined gloves,…

“Those look like snow clouds,” I said to my dad on a recent Sunday afternoon. “Those definitely look like snow clouds,” he responded. I’d warned him the previous Friday that snow was predicted for…

“Oh, man! I think I really blew it.” My heart sunk to my toes as I looked at my thighs and forearms, where a maroon cobweb had appeared on my dusky blue skin. I…

“Let’s see what the fam is doing today,” I mused to myself as I opened my Facebook feed. On Facebook, I’ve been able to reconnect with acquaintances from elementary school. My own family is…

Standing at the bathroom mirror, I peer this way and that. Has that scab become smaller? Is there any redness or pain? Any swelling, especially around the edges of my skin graft? Everything seems…

I was enveloped in a deliciously warm environment, floating as if on a cloud, bathed in warm sunshine. I stretched out my arm, which immediately whapped against the bedroom wall. My luxurious sleep had…