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Oh, Deer

Oh, Deer

© just mary

 

“Momma, look!”

“What is it?”

“Those footprints look just like ours! Some are smaller, some are larger.”

“You are absolutely right! That is fascinating. I thought we were the only deer anywhere around. I thought everyone else had left the area. With all the hunting and building fast highways, it is not safe anymore.”

“Momma! Let’s follow the footprints and see if we can catch up with the others!”

“That’s a great idea. It might be dangerous.”

“Staying here with the hunters and fast cars on the highway is very dangerous!”

“You are absolutely right! Let’s go. Stay close and stay alert. I don’t know what to expect.”

“The footprints go off in this direction momma!”

“Let’s go. Keep your eyes open for some berries or something else to snack on.”

“Okay, momma. We don’t want to get too hungry.”

“The footprints are getting thicker and look fresh! Come on!”

“Momma. Do you think there will be someone my age? I could have a friend.”

“I’m pretty sure we will find all ages who will be glad to be our friends.”

“Momma, here’s some berries.”

“Eat what you want then I will eat what is left.”

“Thank you, momma. That was a good snack.”

“Are you ready to move on?”

“Yes! Let’s go momma.”

“Look! More footprints are joining the group. Follow me!”

“I’m coming momma!”

About that time, they topped a hill.

“Oh, momma!! Look!! There are hundreds of others like us!”

“You are right!! This is so exciting! Let’s see if we can introduce ourselves and make some friends.”

“Hello. May we join your group?”

“Certainly. We take in anyone who needs a safe place and a bunch of friends! Oh, and something to eat.”

“It was no longer safe to stay where we were. The hunters and fast cars made it much too dangerous.”

“That’s how most of us ended up here. We found each other and we’re doing everything we can to keep each other safe. We take turns serving as lookouts and hunting for food. We stay in large groups to help protect the littles from predators. They are getting ready to start playing some games if your little is interested. Then everyone will gather around for a huge dinner.”

“Oh, momma! May I go play in the games? I would love to meet some new friends.”

“Absolutely! Be kind.”

“Always, momma!”

“Would you like to come with me to meet some of the other Mommas?”

“Oh, I would love to. It’s been a long, lonely search looking for you.”

“Follow me, my new friend!”

 Posted in Tiny Tales

Clouds on Parade ©justmary January 11, 2026

Clouds on Parade

©justmary January 11, 2026

 

“Look an elephant!”

“What? Where?”

“Look at that cloud. It looks like an elephant!”

“Wow! It does. And the next one looks like a horse, then there’s a chicken and a snail!”

“There’s an airplane, a dog, a cat and a whale!”

“I’ve never noticed the clouds on parade before.”

“Maybe we should slow down and really look for the magic in nature.”

“I think that is a marvelous idea. Lets keep looking and see what else we can find in the clouds on parade!”

 

How much do we miss being in too big of a hurry? Stop and think about it. The small child’s giggle over an ice cream cone, the nuzzle of a soft puppy, the song of the mockingbird, the sadness in the eyes of a stranger, the clouds on parade.

 

 Posted in Tiny Tales

Island of Mismatched Socks ©justmary January 2026

Island of Mismatched Socks ©justmary January 2026

Have you ever wondered where the missing socks go when you’re doing laundry? You know, the obligatory missing sock. Sometimes two are missing, but never a matching pair!

Let’s follow Lefty to see where mismatched socks go to start a new life…the Island of Mismatched Socks.

"Whee! Woo-hoo! This is fun. THUNK! What happened? I think I was just sucked out through the exhaust vent!!  Now what do I do? OH, OH, OH!! The wind picked me up. Where am I going? Wait, a giant crow grabbed on to me. Where is he taking me?"

"I’m taking you to the Island of Mismatched Socks."

"I’ve never heard of the Island of Mismatched Socks!"

"That’s why people can never find their missing sock. No one knows about the secret Island."

"How did you find out about it?"

"The crows were recruited to collect missing socks and take them to the Island. Once there, the socks are sorted. Some are sent to children who don’t have socks. Others are made into hand puppets for children without toys to play with."

"No socks! No toys! How can this be. I thought all children have socks and toys."

"That’s part of the problem. People don’t always pay attention to the needs of the less fortunate."

"I want to help. I would be a good sock for a child without socks or a hand puppet for a child without toys. I must help. We can’t let this go on!"

"Get ready, I’m going drop you and you will fall down to the Island. There will be others there to help you get to the right area. You can choose which opportunity works best for you. You will meet some very nice socks there. They are all like you and want to help those in need."

"Oh, I’m SO excited. So far I’ve spent my life inside a dark shoe. I’m looking forward to helping children who can use my help! I’ll be as warm and snuggly as I can when it is cold."

'You will be a big help! Thank you for your kindness."

"Thank you for telling me about the Island of Mismatched Socks and getting me all the way here."

"Ready friend?"

"READY!!"

 Posted in General

Conversation with your carpet

©justmary January 1, 2026

Good evening.

What? Huh? Who is it?

I'm your living room carpet.

Really? I've never heard you talk before.

Well, up  until now, everything has been okay. You run the vacuum once a week. You clean up spills. But, this evening you might want to leave your shoes at the door. 

Why? I always wear my shoes in the house.

Yes, but tonight... well, let's just say there is something on your shoes that you probably don't want on the carpet.

Oh, I see. Thanks for the warning.

I don't have any control of who or what tracks across me. I'm just trying to maintain some dignity here. It is hard to have any pride when you're covered with pizza and soda stains, chocolate ice cream spills and doggy....well, you know.

I never thought of it that way.

Humans rarely do.

I think I know how to help. Everyone can leave their shoes at the door. That would keep the outside stuff from being tracked in and doggy...well, you know. We can keep all food in the dining area. The kids will fuss, but they will get over it.

Oh WOW!! I would cry happy tears, but carpets can't cry. Instead, I'll shine with pride and dignity!

 

 Posted in General

Holiday Dinner

Holiday Dinner

©justmary December 2025

 

Tiny, how about helping me plan a holiday dinner?

Sure, Jessie, what do I need to do?

Let's see. Ask the bees to bring some honey. We can get the grasshoppers and caterpillars to bring lots of leaves. You and I can recruit a few other ants to bring bread crumbs, cookie crumbs, and maybe they can find some apple peelings for the butterflies. 

Not to be selfish, but we will let the spiders and birds put together their own dinner. They have a different diet than we do. We are on their diet. It would be safer if they had their own dinner. 

I see. I'm off to find someone who can help carry everything in for dinner. Meet you back here in a bit!

Thanks Tiny!! See, you are not so tiny after all. 

Thanks Jessie!!

 Posted in General

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays

©justmary December 2025

 

Happy Holidays from Lizzy, Jessie, Tiny, the purple dragonfly, the fairy, the firefly, Dusty and Dust E. Bunny, the unruly rooster, the run away kite, the wiggly worm and flower seeds. Enjoy your holiday, but most of all...hug your friends!!

Look for more adventures in 2026!! Do you have a favorite character you would like stories about?

Do you have a great idea for a story? Write it and I would be happy to post it on the guest page!!

~justmary

 Posted in General

Ant Brigade

Ant Brigade

©justmary December 2025

 

Attention! Please line up side by side. Scout is going to be our leader since he has done this
many times before. Make sure you keep the ant in front of you, in your sight at all times. This is
very important. If you run into trouble, stay put and the next ant behind you will get the needed
assistance. Okay! Right face, follow Scout.

Where are we going?

Scout found a large park with a picnic area, tables and everything!

So, what’s a park and picnic area?

Oh, you’re new, aren’t you? I'm Jessie. What's your name?

Yes, this is my first group outing. They call me Tiny because I'm small even for an ant.

A park is an area where children can play and a picnic always involves lots of food.
Someone is sure to drop some food. That’s where we come in! We can pick up the bits of food
and crumbs to take back home. Sometimes we are lucky and get enough crumbs to feed the
whole ant family for days. You must stay alert though! For some reason people don’t like us.
I’ve even seen them step on us for no reason. I don’t understand why they get upset, they
aren’t going to pick the crumbs up off the ground and eat them. It doesn’t bother us… a little
dirt, that is.

Wow! I didn’t realize this was going to be a dangerous mission. I thought we were going on a
walk.

Just stay alert and follow Scout’s instructions. He knows how to get in and out without getting
into danger. He also knows good hiding places, should we need them. Most crumbs will be
light enough you can carry it on your own. If it is a large crumb, several of us will pitch in and
work together. It’s hard work, but you will be surprised how strong you really are even if you are Tiny!

It is all worth it when we get back to the family and everyone gets to eat their fill. It warms my heart to watch
the littles and seniors get to eat all they want. They are not strong enough to hunt on their own,
so the rest of us help them out. The seniors helped us when we were littles, so it is our turn.
When the littles are strong enough to hunt on their own, they will take their turn in helping
others. That is how it works. That is how we survive. That is kindness…there is a shortage of
kindness now a days. All too often, people only think of themselves and forget about the littles
and the seniors.

Wow! I could never leave the littles and seniors behind. They took care of us, now we take care
of them. Thank you for tellling me about kindness…I’m going to like it here.

You are a good student. Now, it is your turn to be a good teacher, as well. Teach others about
kindness. The best way to teach others about kindness, is to be an example. People copy what
they see. If they see you being kind, they will follow your example of kindness.

Thank you for your lesson. I will continue to be kind. I will be the example and the teacher.

Okay!! Let’s go get some crumbs to take home!! Family is waiting on us.

 Posted in General

Dust E. Bunny

Dust E. Bunny

©justmary 2025

 

Woosh! Woosh! Whee!! Where am I going? I’ve never rolled this direction before. I am getting bigger as I go. This is great!

 Hey!! You rolled right over the top of me.

Sorry! Hang on because I don’t know where I’m headed. The bigger I get, the faster I roll.

Who are you?

Dust E. Bunny. Glad to meet you. Who are you?

Dusty. Just Dusty. I’ve been rolling around here for days.

What do you do all day?

Just hang out in the corners or under the furniture. Once in a while, I will run into another Dusty, or in your case a Dust E. Bunny. But they always disappear after a while.

Where do they go?

I’m not certain. I see a large fluffy contraption sweep by and, poof, they are gone.

Is there any way to avoid the fluffy contraption?

That’s why I hide under the bed and the sofa. It seems they don’t check there, too often. Watch out!! Here comes the fluffy contraption!

What do we do?

Quickly! Press against the wall and hang on to me! Wow!! That was close.

Have you ever tried to sneak passed the fluffy contraption? Perhaps we can get close to the front door and make a dash for it when someone goes out.

Where would we go?

Anywhere the wind would blow us!

That sounds amazing and scary! No telling who we would meet and what we would see.

When someone gets close to the door, get ready and hang on to me. We will follow the air current that will accompany their departure. Ready? Here they come!! Hang on Dusty.

Wow! That was fun! Now, we just follow the wind.

Now, it is time for YOU to follow the wind! Hang on guys!

 Posted in General

Unruly Rooster

Unruly Rooster

@gmamary October 2025

 

Watch out!! Here he comes again! Quick, you go left and I will go right. That crazy rooster!! He doesn’t realize he will be a snack for some hungry coyote if he doesn’t stay in the hen house overnight.

OW!! I stepped on a sharp stick, twisted my ankle and flipped head-over-heels. That’s going to hurt tomorrow!! Actually, it hurts right now.

One more time! Chase him this way and I will try to capture him by putting a basket over him. Missed again!!! I’m beginning to think he is smarter than both of us put together.

What’s the next plan? I’ll spread a sheet between the hen house and the tree. You try to chase him toward the sheet and maybe he can’t get passed it. But, who’s going to try to grab him? I have scratches and bites all over my arms already. Oh, try putting a large pile of feed on the ground in front of the sheet. Maybe he will stop long enough to eat and we can grab him. Oh sure! He is going to sit right there eating a snack while we try to sneak up on him…what are you thinking?!

Okay, so do  you have a better idea?

Our grandson walked up just about that time. What are you guys doing?

We are trying catch the unruly rooster. We have tried everything but still haven’t caught him.

Where is he now? We have no idea at the moment.

Hang on. Our grandson disappeared behind the hen house. He comes back in a few minutes carrying the unruly rooster. What do you want me to do with him?

What? How? Quickly, put him in the hen house.

Our grandson put the unruly rooster in the hen house for the night. Closed the door and walked back inside the house.

We looked at each other, then looked at the unruly rooster sitting on the perch in the hen house.  How did he do that? We looked at each other again and vowed to NEVER mention this to anyone!

 Posted in General

blog post

The Kite by Gma Mary

© July 30, 2025

Up and up I go!!  Whee!  Look how far up I am! Wait….I can’t see my boy. Where is he?

The kite started to get worried, and tears started to come.  About that time, a huge crow was flying by.  What’s the matter my friend?

“My boy was flying me up and up, but now I can’t see my boy anymore. What am I to do?” cried the kite.

“Let me follow the string attached to you and see if I can find him”, said the crow.

The crow very carefully followed the string closer and closer to the ground. The kite’s boy was there, but the string had slipped out of his hand. The boy was crying and trying his best to reach the string. In a great surprise, the crow sat on the fence near the boy. “I know where your kite is,” said the crow. The boy was quite surprised, but when you’re a small boy you understand that it is not surprising at all when a crow talks to you.

“Can you help me find my kite?” asked the small boy.

“I believe I can,” said the crow. “I have an idea. It may take me a few minutes to make it happen, so you will need to be patient.”

“I will wait right here, until you return,” said the boy, feeling some comfort in the crow’s idea.

The crow made quick visits to his crow friends, and it just a few minutes, had recruited at least a dozen other crows to help with his idea of reuniting the kite with his boy.

The crow lead the way to where the kite was still flying high in the sky. Each crow took hold of the string that was attached to the kite. In a matter of minutes, enough crows had taken hold of the kite to be able to pull it along and down from the sky, nearer to where the kite’s boy was patiently waiting.

When the boy saw the crows pulling his kite along, he started running in the direction of their path. When the string was close enough to the ground for the boy to reach, the crows…one by one, started letting go of the string.

The helpful crow suggested that perhaps the boy should tie the string to something bigger and heavier, so it couldn’t get away again. The boy thanked all the crows for helping return his kite.

The kite was so excited to have his boy again. “How can I thank you for helping find my boy,” said the kite.

The crow smiled and said, “My friends and I were happy to do it! That’s what friends are for, after all.” The crow and his helpful friends headed home, but they would meet up again someday.

 

 

 Posted in General

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Blog Posts

Oh, Deer

Oh, Deer

© just mary

 

“Momma, look!”

“What is it?”

“Those footprints look just like ours! Some are smaller, some are larger.”

“You are absolutely right! That is fascinating. I thought we were the only deer anywhere around. I thought everyone else had left the area. With all the hu…

Read more

 Posted in Tiny Tales

Clouds on Parade ©justmary January 11, 2026

Clouds on Parade

©justmary January 11, 2026

 

“Look an elephant!”

“What? Where?”

“Look at that cloud. It looks like an elephant!”

“Wow! It does. And the next one looks like a horse, then there’s a chicken and a snail!”

“There’s an airplane, a dog, a cat and a whale!”

“I’ve never noticed the …

Read more

 Posted in Tiny Tales

Island of Mismatched Socks ©justmary January 2026

Island of Mismatched Socks ©justmary January 2026

Have you ever wondered where the missing socks go when you’re doing laundry? You know, the obligatory missing sock. Sometimes two are missing, but never a matching pair!

Let’s follow Lefty to see where mismatched socks go to start a new life…th…

Read more

 Posted in General

Conversation with your carpet

©justmary January 1, 2026

Good evening.

What? Huh? Who is it?

I'm your living room carpet.

Really? I've never heard you talk before.

Well, up  until now, everything has been okay. You run the vacuum once a week. You clean up spills. But, this evening you might want to leave your shoes…

Read more

 Posted in General

Holiday Dinner

Holiday Dinner

©justmary December 2025

 

Tiny, how about helping me plan a holiday dinner?

Sure, Jessie, what do I need to do?

Let's see. Ask the bees to bring some honey. We can get the grasshoppers and caterpillars to bring lots of leaves. You and I can recruit a few other ants to bring bread…

Read more

 Posted in General

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays

©justmary December 2025

 

Happy Holidays from Lizzy, Jessie, Tiny, the purple dragonfly, the fairy, the firefly, Dusty and Dust E. Bunny, the unruly rooster, the run away kite, the wiggly worm and flower seeds. Enjoy your holiday, but most of all...hug your friends!!

Look …

Read more

 Posted in General

Ant Brigade

Ant Brigade

©justmary December 2025

 

Attention! Please line up side by side. Scout is going to be our leader since he has done this
many times before. Make sure you keep the ant in front of you, in your sight at all times. This is
very important. If you run into trouble, stay put and the next an…

Read more

 Posted in General

Dust E. Bunny

Dust E. Bunny

©justmary 2025

 

Woosh! Woosh! Whee!! Where am I going? I’ve never rolled this direction before. I am getting bigger as I go. This is great!

 Hey!! You rolled right over the top of me.

Sorry! Hang on because I don’t know where I’m headed. The bigger I get, the faster I r…

Read more

 Posted in General

Unruly Rooster

Unruly Rooster

@gmamary October 2025

 

Watch out!! Here he comes again! Quick, you go left and I will go right. That crazy rooster!! He doesn’t realize he will be a snack for some hungry coyote if he doesn’t stay in the hen house overnight.

OW!! I stepped on a sharp stick, twisted my ank…

Read more

 Posted in General

blog post

The Kite by Gma Mary

© July 30, 2025

Up and up I go!!  Whee!  Look how far up I am! Wait….I can’t see my boy. Where is he?

The kite started to get worried, and tears started to come.  About that time, a huge crow was flying by.  What’s the matter my friend?

“My boy was flying me up and up, but n…

Read more

 Posted in General

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Wiggly Worm and the Flower Seeds

YAWN!!! Oh my goodness, I've been asleep a long time. Where am I?

He he....you're in the flower garden, my friend.

Who are you?

I'm Wiggly Worm. I live here. I break up the hard soil so that flower seeds like you can grow and bloom.

Flower Seeds, grow and bloom?? I don't understand. 

Well, sit back and relax. I'll try to explain what is going on here.

I would be most grateful for your help. 

YOU are a flower seed. Hiding inside of you is a beautiful flower.

What is a flower? 

It is something beautiful that humans love to look at. The bees love flowers, too. Flowers let them pollinate other plants. How are we doing so far?

Well, I'm trying to keep up. So, flowers are beautiful to look at, and they help other plants, too.

Yes, yes. You're getting it.

There is a flower hiding inside of me? How does it get out?

As a Wiggly Worm, I keep the soil around you from getting too hard. That allows you to use your roots (kind of like feet) to push yourself to the surface. The Garden Lady that planted you in the ground, adds water to the soil so you can have something to drink and eat. That makes  your roots grow and makes you stronger so you can push yourself up. When you get to the top of the soil, you will see a very bright light. That light is called the sun. The sun will also help make you strong. After a while, with the water, food and sun....you will burst open!! Then the flower gets to pop out! There are probably other flower seeds around here. The Garden Lady always plants lots of flower seeds, so she will have lots of flowers to look at! You may bump into them on your way up. 

That is so exciting. What are you going to do?

I just wiggle around in the dirt, keeping the soil all nice and loose so you can move up.

What do I do next? 

Well, you don't really have to do anything. Mother Nature has already put everything in just the right place for you. All you have to do is take in the food and water and keep moving upwards. You will know when you get to the top, because you will see a very bright light. The light is called the sun and will help you warm up. In a few days, with the light from the sun, you will feel yourself opening up. Then one morning, you will wake up as a beautiful flower!!

Wow! Then what do I do?

Nothing except enjoy being beautiful and having the Garden Lady stare at you. 

Will she do that? She will stare at me? Why will she stare at me?

Because you will be the most beautiful flower she has ever seen. She will even love you.

Oh. What a beautiful thing to be a beautiful flower to make the Garden Lady happy. I like being a flower seed. Thank you for sharing my story that I didn't even know. Have fun being a Wiggly worm! I'm sure we'll see each other again. 

by Gma Mary © September 2025

 

 

The Kite

Oh, Deer

Oh, Deer

© just mary

 

“Momma, look!”

“What is it?”

“Those footprints look just like ours! Some are smaller, some are larger.”

“You are absolutely right! That is fascinating. I thought we were the only deer anywhere around. I thought everyone else had left the area. With all the hunting and building fast highways, it is not safe anymore.”

“Momma! Let’s follow the footprints and see if we can catch up with the others!”

“That’s a great idea. It might be dangerous.”

“Staying here with the hunters and fast cars on the highway is very dangerous!”

“You are absolutely right! Let’s go. Stay close and stay alert. I don’t know what to expect.”

“The footprints go off in this direction momma!”

“Let’s go. Keep your eyes open for some berries or something else to snack on.”

“Okay, momma. We don’t want to get too hungry.”

“The footprints are getting thicker and look fresh! Come on!”

“Momma. Do you think there will be someone my age? I could have a friend.”

“I’m pretty sure we will find all ages who will be glad to be our friends.”

“Momma, here’s some berries.”

“Eat what you want then I will eat what is left.”

“Thank you, momma. That was a good snack.”

“Are you ready to move on?”

“Yes! Let’s go momma.”

“Look! More footprints are joining the group. Follow me!”

“I’m coming momma!”

About that time, they topped a hill.

“Oh, momma!! Look!! There are hundreds of others like us!”

“You are right!! This is so exciting! Let’s see if we can introduce ourselves and make some friends.”

“Hello. May we join your group?”

“Certainly. We take in anyone who needs a safe place and a bunch of friends! Oh, and something to eat.”

“It was no longer safe to stay where we were. The hunters and fast cars made it much too dangerous.”

“That’s how most of us ended up here. We found each other and we’re doing everything we can to keep each other safe. We take turns serving as lookouts and hunting for food. We stay in large groups to help protect the littles from predators. They are getting ready to start playing some games if your little is interested. Then everyone will gather around for a huge dinner.”

“Oh, momma! May I go play in the games? I would love to meet some new friends.”

“Absolutely! Be kind.”

“Always, momma!”

“Would you like to come with me to meet some of the other Mommas?”

“Oh, I would love to. It’s been a long, lonely search looking for you.”

“Follow me, my new friend!”

 Posted in Tiny Tales

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