
June 6, 2019
Judy Bluhm
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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!

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.

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 blood-thirsty 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.

Naomi Judd. Robin Williams. Katie Meyer. Anthony Bourdain. Kate Spade. So many more and too many to count. Loved ones, neighbors, friends and celebrities.

Oh, Rich Strike, how we love thee!

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.

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.

And so it begins. The Crooks Fire in Prescott and the Tunnel Fire near Flagstaff have grown to monsters, as high winds and plenty of fuel keeps them rapidly growing and moving.

Uh oh, it’s allergy season. Kachoo! Excuse me, Dear Readers, because it seems I cannot stop sneezing! And I guess I am not alone.

Are you ready? Because the deadline for filing your taxes is looming, causing quite a few Americans to become upset (if you owe) or happy if a refund is coming.

Did you watch the fight last week? Oops, I meant the punch (more like a slap) that Will Smith planted on Chris Rock during the Oscars.

I saw a spider. I went to the bathroom at 2 in the morning and there sitting on a wall was a big brown spider. She had eyes like the devil, glaring at me.

Brother, can you spare a dime? Actually, 30 trillion might help.

What is the greatest invention of all time? No, not the wheel. Not the combustible engine. It is the round sphere, better known as a ball that has dominated the world.

Have you been taking many road-trips lately? Hmm ... maybe not. Now that gasoline is around four bucks a gallon, it appears we’re all trying to find ways to drive less.

How is your year shaping up? With so much tension swirling around in the world, mental health experts claim that people often get into a “February funk.”

Sports. We have been able to sit back and watch the greatest shows on Earth. The Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, the Super Bowl, and Winter Olympics. Almost too much to comprehend in the span of a few short weeks.

Are you ready for love? I hope so, because Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and it is time to order flowers (red, of course), buy a box of chocolates and get the best bottle of champagne that you can afford. Prepare to celebrate love in honor of the “most romantic day of the year” that actually got started in the fifth century as a pagan holiday.

What are you doing next Sunday? Let me guess, you might be joining about 100 million other Americans to watch the Super Bowl, where the Bengals and Rams lock horns (no pun intended).

The weather has been chilly. And most of us enjoy warm clothes, heated homes and maybe a fireplace burning to help us through a winter season. Yet, many families and children are not so fortunate, living in conditions that are unstable and below the poverty level.

Been to a hospital lately? My husband, Doug, has been there for the past week with pneumonia.

Oh Betty, how we miss you. That mischievous laugh, perfect comedic timing, beautiful smile and funny zingers are just a few of the reasons why the whole world is in mourning.

Brrrr, it’s been cold! Yes, even here in Arizona, it has been frosty.

Another year. And another year older. It is my granddaughter, Bella’s birthday today. She is thrilled to be six years old. My husband, Doug’s birthday is Friday. He has little enthusiasm for being a year older, but Bella has enough excitement for all of us.

Are you ready to board Flight 2022? Well, fasten your seat belts because we are on the verge of saying “hello” to a New Year. Ready or not, it is coming, so we might as well pop the cork, pour the bubbly and watch the ball in Time Square (or boot in Prescott) drop. Time, once again, is marching into the beginning of a new calendar, dragging us along with it.

This week, as we make the Big Approach to all things Christmas, we might be flooded with memories of days gone by.

Do you believe in Santa? Yes, of course you do. Who can honestly say that there is no Santa? As we approach Christmas, there are so many reasons to believe.

How was your Black Friday?

It seems we are all thankful for the ability to get together this year. Last year we had to cope with words like “social distancing” and “nuclear family gatherings,” with suggestions of holding dinner outdoors.

Have you ever wondered, what is the real purpose of the kitchen’s center island? Ponder this question no more, dear readers, as I think I have found the answer. It is a place to collect, stack, put, place, spread, leave, toss and lose things! It is a trap for all things unrelated to cooking.

Will you enjoy a Veterans Day Parade? Nov. 11 is the one great day to honor our men and women who served, watch the bands, the flags and the display of pride as we are reminded just how much we owe those who wear and wore the uniform.

It’s a scary world out there. Sometimes, we just need a friend.

It is time to get spooky. The approach of Halloween may cause a whole lot of ghouls and witches to come knocking at your door and it also brings the joy of candy!

Do all dogs go to heaven? Yes, of course they do, along with all of our other beloved pets.

Does big government come from small minds? Which might then lead to dumb laws?

Are you good with money? Yes, I thought so. We have to watch our pennies even more closely with inflation.

I found something. When my parents died a few years ago I was left boxes of recipes, photos and papers to sift through.

Oh, Emma Raducanu, let’s count the ways we love thee. First, the improbability of a tennis player to emerge from qualifying status to win a Grand Slam tournament, is a stunning triumph.

Are you there, God? Just checking. We have troubles from the Afghanistan war. Hard to read about, much less comprehend what just happened.

I wear lipstick. And I dye my hair. There, I have said it – all secrets are out – I am admitting to you, dear readers, that some of my “beauty” comes from a tube and a bottle.

Oh, those Olympics. Inspiring, incredible, heartbreaking, fun and heartwarming. No other sporting event on Earth can produce so many plots, twists, turns and moments to enjoy and ponder as the games of summer.

Missing a few neighbors and friends? We might all be in San Diego. The locals call us “Zonies,” poking gentle fun at us. Californians claim that every other person in their state is a vacationing Arizonan from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Stay alert! Watch the crosswalks! Yes, school has started again and parents everywhere are rejoicing.

Oh to be a billionaire. They seem to have all the fun. When Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galatic, launched his Unity 22 rocket plane last week, he went where few have gone. Into space on his own spacecraft.

Lord, could we get some rain? Our prayers were answered. Okay, can it stop for a while? Because it was a doozey of a storm that trounced Arizona.