Photo detail

Judy Bluhm, Courier Columnist

Donate Report a Typo Contact

Stories this photo appears in:

Tease photo

When did humans become so self-absorbed? The craze to take selfies, especially in dangerous places like ledges of cliffs, edges of waterfalls, and with wild animals at National Parks is killing people!

By Judy Bluhm June 20, 2023
Tease photo

What’s for dinner? Three little words. Spoken over a billion times a day, in millions of places, in thousands of languages, all for one reason: people like to eat.

By Judy Bluhm June 13, 2023
Tease photo

Yikes! Millions of grasshoppers have been invading Arizona. I didn’t really believe it until I saw it for myself. Jiminy Cricket!

By Judy Bluhm June 6, 2023
Tease photo

Debt ceiling. First enacted by Congress in 1917, it is the legal limit on the total amount of federal debt the government can accrue.

By Judy Bluhm May 30, 2023
Tease photo

Oh Martha, 81 years never looked so good! When Martha Stewart, Lifestyle and Cooking icon, made it on the cover of Sports Illustrated, it was quite a landmark. It made me wonder, “Is eighty now the new fifty?” Well, I can dream.

By Judy Bluhm May 23, 2023
Tease photo

Westminster Abbey. The place where history is made. Last week we got to witness the Coronation. Oh, the gowns, the jewels, the clerical robes, military uniforms with epaulettes, plumes and swords.

By Judy Bluhm May 16, 2023
Tease photo

Look around. Spring has arrived! Poets call it the most romantic time of year, when tree blossoms, mild breezes and songbirds stir up positive emotions.

By Judy Bluhm May 9, 2023
Tease photo

It is a weed. And it stinks. Invading our desert, yards and trails, like an army marching forward into every square inch of open space and snuffing out everything else. It boasts blooms that look like small yellow lollipops. It is called stinknet, or globe chamomile.

By Judy Bluhm April 25, 2023
Tease photo

Freedom. What we live and die for. Not available to all living creatures. Experienced by many. Taken for granted by some. Now an orca named Lolita in Florida might have a taste of freedom after 52 years in captivity.

By Judy Bluhm April 18, 2023
Tease photo

Tax Day. Oh, let the fun begin. If you are still scrambling to get your taxes filed, I hate to remind you that you are running out of time! Approximately 50 million Americans will wait till the very last minute

By Judy Bluhm April 11, 2023
Tease photo

Potholes: A depression in a road surface where traffic has removed pieces of the pavement (or caused ruts in the dirt). This is Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT) definition. Mine is: massive holes in the road that will swallow up small cars.

By Judy Bluhm April 4, 2023
Tease photo

Spring has evidently arrived. Yep, it’s March Madness, like in basketball and busted brackets. Except most of my madness is coming from a pesky cardinal who is constantly rapping on my house windows.

By Judy Bluhm March 28, 2023
Tease photo

Keep going. Don’t think. Just do it. Believe. A motivational speech for our business or personal lives? Or perhaps the recent flight path of one incredible bird. Oh, Mighty One, bar-tailed godwit, how we admire you.

By Judy Bluhm March 21, 2023
Tease photo

This has been the winter of our discontent. Plenty of wind, rain, sleet, hail and snow (some of it all happening at once). For many, depression set in while all hail broke loose. Finally, the sun is shining, so we might get our mojo back.

By Judy Bluhm March 14, 2023
Tease photo

Bing? Sydney? Mere mortals, fear not the Microsoft Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered chatbot that has become an unhinged gaslighting, lying, threatening menace.

By Judy Bluhm March 7, 2023
Tease photo

She has a purpose. A talent. And a God-given gift that she has graciously shared with sick children. Her name is Dorothy Crane, and she is having a birthday.

By Judy Bluhm February 28, 2023
Tease photo

Arizona knows how to throw a party. While our eyes were temporarily diverted from unidentified flying balloons, visitors flocked here from all over the country and seemed to have one big spend-fest.

By Judy Bluhm February 21, 2023
Tease photo

The Day of Love. Roses. Candy. Champagne. Cards. And all things the color red. Were you ready? Could Valentine’s Day have been more special than the Super Bowl? I hope so!

By Judy Bluhm February 14, 2023
Tease photo

How do you celebrate your birthday? My girlfriend, Carol, has a big birthday coming up. She is thinking about going skydiving to celebrate. She wondered if I might like to join her.

By Judy Bluhm February 7, 2023
Tease photo

What do Oreo cookies and psychoactive drugs have in common? Evidently, they are both highly addictive.

By Judy Bluhm January 31, 2023
Tease photo

There is nothing quite like stormy weather to get us in a tidying up mood. January is the perfect time to de-clutter! Out with all the “stuff” we never use, wear or even like.

By Judy Bluhm January 24, 2023
Tease photo

Football. Once again it is that time of year when we Americans obsess over who will make it to the Super Bowl. The fate of our beloved Cardinals has been decided as they got crushed by San Francisco. Maybe our consolation prize is that Arizona is hosting the Big Game.

By Judy Bluhm January 17, 2023
Tease photo

Eggs, where art thou? How we miss your oval beauty and deliciousness. How will we manage without this essential ingredient that goes into our yummy baked goods and perfectly with toast?

By Judy Bluhm January 10, 2023
Tease photo

The gifts are unwrapped. Holiday decorations are coming down. We ushered in a New Year. Another chance to look forward to what is coming and to let go of what didn’t work.

By Judy Bluhm January 3, 2023
Tease photo

‘Tis the Season of Giving. As we approach a New Year, Americans are unified through one common bond over the holiday season. We give generously to those in need, to the tune of over $484.85 billion a year!

By Judy Bluhm December 27, 2022
Tease photo

Oh, Dearest Santa, are you for real? My parents won’t tell me, my friends say, “just chill.” I have made out my list and do not want a toy. Can you help all the people who are needing some joy?

By Judy Bluhm December 20, 2022
Tease photo

Do you believe in Santa Claus? Yes, of course you do. Who can honestly say that there is no Santa! So, as we approach Christmas, we still have many reasons to believe.

By Judy Bluhm December 13, 2022
Tease photo

To tree, or not to tree, that is the question. Oh Christmas Angel, please guide my decision, as I am contemplating not putting up a Christmas tree this year.

By Judy Bluhm December 6, 2022
Tease photo

How did “Black Friday” get its name? The phrase has been widely used since the 1980s to signify when retailers can go from operating in the red to finally making profits. Yet, dig a little deeper...

By Judy Bluhm November 29, 2022
Tease photo

Football. Turkey. Family. Oh my did I mention football? The first professional Thanksgiving Day football game was played in 1920.

By Judy Bluhm November 22, 2022
Tease photo

Mental fatigue. Post-election hangovers. So much to contemplate. Winners and losers. Time to reflect and take it all in. And remove all of those campaign signs from every street corner!

By Judy Bluhm November 15, 2022
Tease photo

I won the lottery (in my dreams). I see it all now, flashing before me. I turn on the television and watch excitedly when they call out the winning numbers. Nervously, I look down at my Powerball ticket...

By Judy Bluhm November 8, 2022
Tease photo

What is quiet quitting? Evidently a malaise has taken over the American workforce, it is the definition of slacking off, doing the bare minimum, and displaying an unwillingness to do anything extra.

By Judy Bluhm November 1, 2022
Tease photo

Soon. Day of the Dead. Dia de los Muertos is approaching. So is Halloween.

By Judy Bluhm October 25, 2022
Tease photo

Cinnamon. Ginger. Nutmeg. Allspice. The holy grail of spices. The pumpkin spice season has arrived! How did this “autumn flavor” gain so much popularity in America that it practically formed its own culture?

By Judy Bluhm October 18, 2022
Tease photo

Flippy, move over. There is a new tin can in town. Elon Musk debuted Optimus, the “robot of the future.” Flippy is just a shiny steel robot who can flip burgers at fast food restaurants that had to be put on paid leave one day after he started!

By Judy Bluhm October 11, 2022
Tease photo

Sometimes, we just need a friend. A buddy who will walk miles through a scorching desert, escape the perils of predators, suffer through the wind, rain and dust of monsoons with no map, GPS or cell phone, just to make it up your driveway, and saunter in through your open door.

By Judy Bluhm October 4, 2022
Tease photo

Goodbye Ma’am. We will miss you. With seventy years of service, a stabilizing force in an ever-changing world, you defined an era. It was an ending that we all knew was coming and still, we are bereft.

September 27, 2022
Tease photo

My colleague reluctantly moved to a new city to be closer to her daughter. She is shy and worriedly asked, “where can I meet friends?”

By Judy Bluhm September 20, 2022
Tease photo

Oh Freya, how we loved you. Named after the Norse Goddess of beauty and love, you were 1,300 pounds of blubber, a chubby maiden of the sea, with all your sea mammal splendor and plus-size personality.

By Judy Bluhm September 13, 2022
Tease photo

The British are coming! Yes, it is that time of year again! Would like some chips? No, not potato chips! I mean delicious French fries that are perfect with battered Cod, which is a staple in all pubs in Great Britain.

By Judy Bluhm September 6, 2022
Tease photo

Labor Day is coming, and August will soon be in our rear-view mirror. This is the one holiday to celebrate and honor the hard work that we all do. Every single day.

By Judy Bluhm August 30, 2022
Tease photo

I went purse shopping. Yes, my eyes have been opened because I have seen the Purse Promise Land. Husbands, please stop reading this column right now, because what I am about to say might be alarming.

By Judy Bluhm August 23, 2022
Tease photo

Can you substitute baking oil with applesauce? Hmmm, this was the Big Question that I had to answer yesterday. You see, I have decided to try one new recipe a week and it has not been easy.

By Judy Bluhm August 16, 2022
Tease photo

What would you do if you saw a brown object the size of a frisbee moving across the road? I was driving in the country last week when I was startled to see a big, brown desert tortoise standing in the middle of my lane.

By Judy Bluhm August 9, 2022
Tease photo

A colleague of mine just came back from a romantic trip to Italy and France with a new lady friend. I boldly asked him if he fell in love. He replied, “What is love?” Then he challenged me to describe love, because he couldn’t be sure if he would “know it when it happened.”

By Judy Bluhm August 2, 2022
Tease photo

Dead. Last. Good grief, who are the mental giants (idiots) from Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) who ranked Arizona as the worst place to live in our country?

By Judy Bluhm July 26, 2022
Tease photo

There are three phrases that let us know that summer is officially here. “There’s nothing to do.” “I’m bored.” “It’s too hot to do anything.” Yes, the children are home from school.

July 19, 2022
Tease photo

Oh Alexa, how did we ever manage without you? “I am not certain of this and have no opinion,” Alexa replies dryly.

By Judy Bluhm July 12, 2022
Tease photo

Roe versus Wade. Three little words. Millions of opinions, celebrations, protests, anguish, and jubilation. We have entered a new era, like it or not.

By Judy Bluhm July 5, 2022
Tease photo

Shortages. Our new reality. If we could only figure out what is next to be delayed, out of stock or unavailable, it might help us plan our lives. Instead, we have entered the chaotic world of “uncertainty.”

By Judy Bluhm June 28, 2022
Tease photo

What do you have in common with a goldfish? Evidently more than you could ever imagine. Scientists now claim that the average adult’s attention span is eight seconds. A goldfish? Nine seconds.

By Judy Bluhm June 21, 2022
Tease photo

Churches. Movie theaters. Shopping centers. Hospitals, Concerts. Schools. We watch with horror the news coverage of mass shootings and then with further disbelief the fall-out of blame, outrage, opinions, accusations, analysis and all manner of political warfare.

By Judy Bluhm June 14, 2022
Tease photo

Isn’t summer wonderful? So, are we all ready for donning a swimsuit? Hmm . . some of us would rather walk a plank with a gang of bloodthirsty pirates behind us and a bunch of sharks with their jaws wide open waiting for us to jump, before going “public” in a bathing suit.

June 7, 2022
Tease photo

Did you enjoy this past Memorial Day weekend? It’s he beginning of summer, the remembrance of those who have died in this nation’s wars. Flags flying, memorial services, family gatherings, three-day weekends, bagpipes playing … what better way to start off the summer?

By Judy Bluhm May 31, 2022
Tease photo

Naomi Judd. Robin Williams. Katie Meyer. Anthony Bourdain. Kate Spade. So many more and too many to count. Loved-ones, neighbors, friends and celebrities. We don’t like to talk about suicide. Too difficult. Heartbreaking. We cannot comprehend it.

By Judy Bluhm May 24, 2022
Tease photo

Oh, Rich Strike, how we love thee! The underdog who stunned the racing world! The horse that barely had an opportunity to run in the Kentucky Derby and was only given a spot through default of another horse. The biggest longshot to win the Derby in the modern era.

By Judy Bluhm May 17, 2022
Tease photo

Mother. One small word. One universal meaning. We are all bound by the shared realty that we had or have a Mother. This is a central person in our lives. The foundation of our history. A huge part of our personal journey and earliest memories.

By Judy Bluhm May 10, 2022
Tease photo

Would you marry your pet? Hmm, I didn’t think so. Sure, they might be loyal and loving, but isn’t marriage between two humans? Evidently not.

By Judy Bluhm May 3, 2022
Tease photo

How was your Independence Day? What does the Fourth of July mean to you? Sometimes, in the rush of ordinary living, we forget the huge sacrifices and courage it took to form a nation

By Judy Bluhm July 6, 2021
Tease photo

What would you take? The smoke and flames are approaching, you are being evacuated and you have minutes to grab things. Pets, medicines, keepsakes are picked up with a pounding heart and thoughts jumbled up in a combination of shock and terror. No time to pack old, familiar items that have been passed down for generations as a reminder of where we came from.

By Judy Bluhm June 29, 2021
Tease photo

Let it snow! There is beauty in a white landscape, snowflakes looking like crystals falling from an opaque sky, the pleasure of total silence while walking and cardinals perched in snow-laden trees like glimmering red ornaments.

By Judy Bluhm February 2, 2021
Tease photo

We have started 2021 with a bang. Visual images that we will remember.

By Judy Bluhm January 26, 2021
Tease photo

We survived. Thankfully, a few days ago, we weren’t destroyed by a menacing asteroid.

By Judy Bluhm November 3, 2020
Tease photo

Are you scared? If I told you that Americans spend a whopping $9 billion on all things related to Halloween, would it cause you to shake in terror?

By Judy Bluhm October 27, 2020
Tease photo

It’s all gone. Disappeared into the evil black hole of cyber space, where “data” may enter, but never leave.

By Judy Bluhm October 13, 2020
Tease photo

It was a messy brawl. Starting out with name-calling, gut punches and plenty of lies. Okay, unvalidated, unverified “facts.”

By Judy Bluhm October 6, 2020
Tease photo

It’s been too hot! Have you been outside lately? The entire state is an inferno! This unrelenting heat has given new meaning to the term “hot flashes.”

By Judy Bluhm August 25, 2020
Tease photo

The uncertainty continues. So does the argument. To mask or not to mask, that seems to be the question.

By Judy Bluhm July 14, 2020
Tease photo

There is smoke in the sky. Our State is on fire. Desert Hills, just north of Carefree Hwy and I-17 lost almost 1,000 acres in the Aquila Fire.

By Judy Bluhm July 7, 2020
Tease photo

Homeschooling. The trials and tribulations of parents as the nation homeschools their children has brought some pretty funny tweets, messages and pictures to social media.

By Judy Bluhm April 14, 2020
Tease photo
Bluhm: What will isolation bring?
Around the Bluhmin' Town

Our calendar still has the dates, but the plans we made have been canceled. Work, weddings, classes, ballgames, trips, parties, luncheons, business meetings, dinner dates, and concerts are all scratched out.

By Judy Bluhm April 5, 2020
Tease photo

Social Isolation. Continues. The self-quarantine of Americans goes on with unexpected outcomes.

By Judy Bluhm March 29, 2020
Tease photo

It has been another week of uncertainty. Human beings need social contact! So we may be “social isolating,” but we are not alone.

By Judy Bluhm March 22, 2020
Tease photo

Meanwhile in America, the hunt is on for toilet paper.

By Judy Bluhm March 15, 2020
Tease photo

Don’t you love birthdays? This is my family’s “birthday season,” when four grandsons and one daughter have birthdays within a few weeks.

By Judy Bluhm March 1, 2020
Tease photo

My broom failed me. It would not stand up.

By Judy Bluhm February 23, 2020
Tease photo

Can you substitute half-and-half with sour cream? Yes, dear readers, this was the Big Question that I had to answer yesterday.

By Judy Bluhm February 16, 2020
Tease photo

Love is in the air! Check out the stores and see all the heart shaped candies, cookies and cakes. Buy a bunch of red roses.

By Judy Bluhm February 9, 2020
Tease photo

How does a small (less than 10-pound) dog with an attitude become a world-class guard dog?

By Judy Bluhm February 2, 2020
Tease photo

We don’t like cheaters. And it has no place in baseball!

By Judy Bluhm January 26, 2020
Tease photo

Where were you the weekend of Jan 11 and 12? Perhaps riding the Phoenix Light Rail pantless to “celebrate silliness” (more like madness) with folks in about 30 cities all over the world?

By Judy Bluhm January 19, 2020
Tease photo

There’s an old saying, “Be careful of what you ask for – you might get it.”

By Judy Bluhm January 12, 2020
Tease photo

There were plenty of ground-breaking, interesting stories that graced the news in 2019.

By Judy Bluhm January 5, 2020
Tease photo

The next chapter starts now. Get out the pad and pen, because the new year is upon us. Ready or not, here it comes. Might as well take the time to jot down a few things you want to do, see, eat, touch, hear, experience and achieve in 2020.

By Judy Bluhm December 29, 2019
Tease photo

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the ship, Most sailors were sleeping, while the radar went blip.

December 22, 2019
Tease photo

Do you believe in Santa? Yes, of course you do. Who can honestly say that there is no Santa?

By Judy Bluhm December 15, 2019
Tease photo

What can you get for a buck? How about a house in Italy?

By Judy Bluhm December 8, 2019
Tease photo

I got on a ladder. Breaking all of my own rules, I was home alone when I marched up three steps, grabbed a platter off of a shelf, and I am thrilled that I am alive to tell you about it!

By Judy Bluhm December 1, 2019
Tease photo

Freedom. What we all want. The ability to live freely, go where we want to, speak our minds, not be oppressed and be able to engage in the pursuit of happiness.

By Judy Bluhm November 24, 2019
Tease photo

My home is my castle! Isn’t that how we’re all supposed to feel?

By Judy Bluhm November 17, 2019
Tease photo

The monster is dead. Thanks to the U.S. military special operations raid in Syria, ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was eliminated. He was responsible for the torture and death of so many innocents, including Kayla Mueller, our hometown young woman who set out to make a difference in the world. And she did.

By Judy Bluhm November 3, 2019
Tease photo

Do you want to grow as fat as a pumpkin? Yikes, I meant to say, dear readers, do you want to grow a fat pumpkin? This year’s winner of the distinguished Largest Pumpkin in North America contest is a 2,294-pound beast!

By Judy Bluhm October 27, 2019
Tease photo

There is an itty- bitty mouse, Who is living in the White House! Who one day fell from the ceiling, Sending forty reporters squealing.

By Judy Bluhm October 13, 2019
Tease photo

Keep the faith! Never give up! Always believe! Because just when you think the game is over, all is lost, things will never be the same, a small miracle might occur. And it gives us hope.

By Judy Bluhm October 6, 2019
Tease photo

The wait is over! After a long, 17-year slumber, buried underground, the cicadas have finally crawled out of their hiding places to have one big love-fest (or whatever insects do). Less than an inch long with red eyes, Brood VIII (as they are called) have arrived in the millions . . . yes maybe billions in a swath of about 400 miles in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

September 29, 2019
Tease photo

Oh Hillary, how we worried about you. Yes, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, as Hillary, the stranded donkey who was marooned for three years on a tiny island, has now been successfully rescued. It took many caring neighbors to keep the lonely donkey alive.

By Judy Bluhm September 22, 2019
Tease photo

It’s been a long, hot summer. Have you been outside lately? It might be safe to venture out, now that temperatures are dropping. This unrelenting heat we have been having has given new meaning to the term “hot flashes.”

By Judy Bluhm September 15, 2019
Tease photo

Has anyone seen Manuel? We are in an all-out search for the “special” friend of New River resident, Diane Wilson.

By Judy Bluhm September 8, 2019
Tease photo

Finally a holiday that honors, we, the hard-working American people. Gotta love Labor Day. Let’s face it, we need to rest and relax. And if you are retired, you can feel proud of all those hours you logged in and celebrate by doing nothing. I love this holiday!

By Judy Bluhm September 1, 2019
Tease photo

Yes, we have no bananas. We have no bananas today.

By Judy Bluhm August 25, 2019
Tease photo

What’s for dinner? Three little words. Spoken over a billion times a day, in millions of places, in thousands of languages, all for one reason: people like to eat. No politics, culture, customs, religion, geography, income, age or race can divide us!

By Judy Bluhm August 11, 2019
Tease photo

He was just a horse. I realize that there are more important losses, like the death of a child, parent or spouse. Still, heartbreaking grief is the result of love. And I loved him.

By Judy Bluhm August 4, 2019
Tease photo

Why do you live in Arizona? This was the question I was asked with great frequency while in San Diego last week. Usually, I just smile and shrug it off, knowing that most folks who ask really don’t expect an answer.

By Judy Bluhm July 28, 2019
Tease photo

I bought my husband, Doug, a pair of yellow shorts. Who knew that color was so important? I was walking through a store and was picking him up a pair of his usual (khaki) shorts when this pale, yellow color caught my eye. So I took my purchases home, and excitedly showed Doug his new pants.

By Judy Bluhm July 21, 2019
Tease photo

After many hugs and a few tears, he got in his truck and drove east towards Norfolk. Military families know the emotional ups and downs of enlistment, deployment, hellos and goodbyes. They all swirl together with joy, pride, worry, sadness, relief and wonder. S

By Judy Bluhm July 14, 2019
Tease photo

Are you ready for swimsuit weather? Because it has arrived, ready or not. Hmm . . let me guess, you’d rather walk a plank with a gang of bloodthirsty pirates behind you and a bunch of sharks with their jaws wide open waiting for you to jump, before you’d like to go “public” in a bathing suit. Don’t worry, you are not alone!

By Judy Bluhm July 7, 2019
Tease photo

What does the Fourth of July mean to you? Sometimes, in the rush of ordinary living, we forget the huge sacrifices and courage it took to form a nation. Clearly, back in the mid-1700s, parades and marches set the stage for peaceful protest against the oppressive rule of the British Empire.

By Judy Bluhm June 30, 2019
Tease photo

The summer travel season is here! Before you hop on an airplane, please be aware (in case you haven’t flown lately) that there is a new report out by flight attendants that reveals that flying is more terrifying than ever.

By Judy Bluhm June 23, 2019
Tease photo

Pay attention! These words are spoken (or shouted) every day. It seems we humans, have a hard time keeping focused on one task at a time. We are easily distracted. We try to multi-task (another term for do everything at once, rarely finishing anything).

By Judy Bluhm June 16, 2019
Tease photo

Do you believe that the way we look has a lot to do with the way we feel? If so, read on.

By Judy Bluhm June 9, 2019
Tease photo
Bluhm: Weekend misery on I-17
Around the Bluhmin' Town

It happened again. I was stuck in the misery on I-17 over Memorial Day weekend.

By Judy Bluhm June 2, 2019
Tease photo

There was a death in the family. Those cruel words have been spoken and experienced by all of us. A parent, spouse, child, sibling, aunt, uncle, grandparent departs from our life and we are catapulted into a different space. The grieving zone. That place that no one cares to be and yet somehow none can completely escape.

By Judy Bluhm May 26, 2019
Tease photo

It wasn’t supposed to happen this quickly. All the school years racing by, blurring together, class photos, field trips, homework, teacher conferences, new school clothes, supply shopping ... and now this. A grandson graduating from high school leaving me to ponder, where did 12 years go?

By Judy Bluhm May 19, 2019
Tease photo

How was your Mother’s Day? The “Big Day” is usually a joyful celebration, reflection and acknowledgement of the moms we love!

By Judy Bluhm May 12, 2019
Tease photo

I am artist. Here me roar. Bending, reaching. Now I’m sore. After years of practice, last Sunday I became “one with my paintbrush.” I finally found my calling.

By Judy Bluhm May 5, 2019
Tease photo

Look around. Spring has arrived! Some poets call it the most romantic time of year, when tree blossoms, mild breezes and songbirds stir up positive emotions.

By Judy Bluhm April 28, 2019
Tease photo

What has been lost? And can it ever be replaced? The heart and soul of Paris, Notre-Dame Cathedral, reminds us that our greatest treasures are not permanent.

By Judy Bluhm April 21, 2019
Tease photo

What’s under your kitchen sink? You might have the cure, fix, solution or repellent that does just about everything.

By Judy Bluhm April 14, 2019
Tease photo

The tax man cometh. And for many Americans, the pain and suffering begins. The deadline for filing your taxes is looming, causing many folks to become upset (if you owe) or happy if a refund is coming.

By Judy Bluhm April 7, 2019
Tease photo

College admission? The rigorous process of entering an elite college has become a sad mess. When college “consultant” and con man Rick Singer cooked up the multi-million dollar scheme to cheat on admissions tests and bribe coaches, it resulted in wealthy parents getting their under-qualified kids in the country’s most prestigious colleges, like Yale, Stanford or Georgetown.

By Judy Bluhm March 24, 2019
Tease photo

Happy Birthday Barbie! Yes, the iconic Barbie doll has turned 60 years old! And she shows no sign of slowing down, moving into a retirement community, or letting her hair go gray. Mostly, she still wears high heels.

By Judy Bluhm March 17, 2019
Tease photo

Did you survive Arizona’s hail, sleet and snow storm? I hope so, because it was quite a doozy. You didn’t even have to live in the high country to see snow, since areas in the Valley were hit pretty hard.

By Judy Bluhm March 3, 2019
Tease photo

Rap, tap, tap.. My cardinals are going a bit crazy, constantly rapping on my house windows. The red birds are territorial so whenever they see their reflection in a window, they try to peck it to death.

By Judy Bluhm February 24, 2019
Tease photo

I ate chocolate. No guilt. It was Valentine’s Day and a small box of truffles landed in my lap. What was I to do?

By Judy Bluhm February 17, 2019
Tease photo

Brrrr it’s cold! Yes, even here in Arizona we have had a frosty, wet winter. But it is sometimes hard to grasp the wrath of Antarctica weather that has been wreaking havoc on more than 100 million Americans, causing them to shiver, shake and run for cover. Baby, it’s cold outside!

By Judy Bluhm February 10, 2019
Tease photo

I wore mouse ears. And felt the magic. Two days at Disneyland with three little girls under the age of six can really change your perspective on life. When you see The Castle, parades, Mickey Mouse, beautiful princesses and a place built entirely for the imagination and joy of children, it is easy to believe. Magic is contagious, but it isn’t cheap.

By Judy Bluhm February 3, 2019
Tease photo

It seems we Americans cannot get enough of Marie Kondo, Japanese de-cluttering guru, whose book and teachings are showing us the way to a neater and more joyful life.

By Judy Bluhm January 27, 2019
Tease photo

Do you like keeping your pants on in public places? Dear Readers, if you said “yes” to this simple (absurd) question, perhaps you are sane.

By Judy Bluhm January 20, 2019
Tease photo

Eat, drink and be merry? Oh yea, finally, a group of health researchers have come out with a study that we might like. Yes, Dear Readers, a 15-year study on longevity has revealed that everything about “being healthy” might be subject to speculation.

By Judy Bluhm January 13, 2019
Tease photo

Pegasus is gone. He was 30 and we were blessed to have him for 12 years.

By Judy Bluhm January 6, 2019
Tease photo

Soon the Whiskey Row Boot will drop and usher in another New Year.

By Judy Bluhm December 30, 2018
Tease photo

Hold back those reindeers. Unpack the sleigh. Take down the tree. That’s what I say. Keep the roast in the freezer and the candles unlit. Santa stay home. I don’t care one bit.

By Judy Bluhm December 23, 2018
Tease photo

O Tannebaum! O Christmas Tree! Who knew you were so buggy? Your branches green delight us! The sight of thee, at Christmastide spreads such joy and bugs among us!

By Judy Bluhm December 16, 2018
Tease photo

It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas. Everywhere you go. And we Arizonans have had plenty of places to go and still have many more carols and songs to enjoy.

By Judy Bluhm December 9, 2018
Tease photo

Uh oh, it is that time of year to turn the scale back five to seven pounds. Because that is how much weight the average American gains during the holidays! Can this be possible? Well, I guess we start stuffing ourselves (and the turkey) on Thanksgiving Day and the food-fest just keeps on going through New Year’s Day.

By Judy Bluhm December 2, 2018
Tease photo

How was your Black Friday? If you were one of the brave souls who headed out to shop, I hope you survived the ordeal.

By Judy Bluhm November 25, 2018
Tease photo

She called me Stephanie. Well, my mother is 96 years old and is allowed a bit of confusion.

By Judy Bluhm November 11, 2018
Tease photo

Want a $1,220 cup of coffee? No, I don’t mean an extra-large, special Pumpkin Spice Latte served in a golden mug.

By Judy Bluhm November 4, 2018
Tease photo

Are you scared? If I told you that Americans spend a whopping $9 billion on all things related to Halloween, would it cause you to shake in terror?

By Judy Bluhm October 28, 2018
Tease photo

Autumn is the season of longer nights, cooler weather and plenty of giant-pumpkin growing contests. And Pumpkin Spice Lattes, which might make us grow fat as a pumpkin because each cup “weighs in” with around 430 calories!

By Judy Bluhm October 21, 2018
Tease photo

Do you look forward to your next birthday? My mother just turned 96 and she didn’t seemed too thrilled.

By Judy Bluhm October 7, 2018
Tease photo

I have always wanted to go to Greece. Eat delicious food. See the blue waters of the Mediterranean. Maybe have a sip of ouzo. And see spiders.

By Judy Bluhm September 30, 2018
Tease photo

She liked her ham. Yes, dear readers, it seems a woman who works in the deli at a Giant Eagle supermarket in Ohio was reported for “stealing” $9,200 worth of ham. How did this happen?

By Judy Bluhm September 23, 2018
Tease photo

I don’t want to grow old. OK, so I know the alternative is not exactly a pleasant thought. And my minister says that, “Old age is a privilege denied to many.” Yes, this is true. It’s just that old age is rough.

By Judy Bluhm September 9, 2018
Tease photo

Hold your horses! Air travel just got a whole lot more fun.

By Judy Bluhm August 26, 2018
Tease photo

Seventeen days. That is how long an orca whale carried the corpse of her dead calf.

By Judy Bluhm August 19, 2018
Tease photo

Have you given much thought as to the sex of papayas lately?

By Judy Bluhm August 5, 2018
Tease photo

Did it rain enough? Probably not.

By Judy Bluhm July 29, 2018
Tease photo

I am a surfer. Alright, I should clarify: I have surfed. Yes, dear readers, I caught one wave, hung ten and went on the long board.

By Judy Bluhm July 22, 2018