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Strange What We Take Pride In
By Judy Berman Snow is often the backdrop for terror or for light-hearted comedy in the movies. But, in real life, it can be a constant grueling battle with the elements. Digging out and piling it on....
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Radio Daze
By Judy Berman Irreverent, hysterical, saying out loud what most of us only think. I’d tune in late at night as a teen, and listen to these bad boys of radio, wondering what it would be like to work...
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Spring at Last
Great Blue Heron – adult and offspring By Judy Berman Rains persistent patter Dancing on the porch. Heavy gray rain clouds Cast a dark shadow. After the deluge, Birds chirping In the cool, night air....
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The Ultimate Irish Wake
By Judy Berman Going out on your own terms is exactly what Walter George Bruhl Jr. did. He wrote his own obituary, and it’s hilarious. “There will be no viewing, as his wife refuses to honor his...
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Spring Break – Key West
By Judy Berman Salty ocean spray flew up as our glass-bottom boat sped toward its destination – a coral reef in Key Largo. Just the island’s name conjures celluloid images of Humphrey Bogart, Lauren...
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Grapes of Wrath
By Judy Berman My role model is a paroled prisoner, an unrepentant killer. After four years in prison on a manslaughter charge, his concerns were only for “today.” Time and life’s experiences shifted...
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Drug Raid – The Cupboards Were Bare
By Judy Berman Minutes after an undercover police officer made a drug buy from the back window of a house, I heard him over the police radio. “It’s a go. There are three people in there.” Then, six...
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Identity Crisis
By Judy Berman The man spotted me across the room and walked deliberately my way, smiling as he did so. Then, my terror began. I searched my memory bank and came up empty. Who is he? Where do I know...
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Swans and cygnets
By Judy Berman Spring has arrived and new life is a welcome addition in our neighborhood. Two swans gave birth to six cygnets about a week ago. A proud Mom and Dad with their offspring. The cygnets...
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Did I Make a Difference?
By Judy Berman Some people make our lives richer just by crossing our path. For parents, they might not know what influence they’ve had until their child’s nearly grown. As a teacher, I often wonder:...
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Escape to Freedom
By Judy Berman Sometimes, life hems you into a holding pattern that’s hard to break away from. You might be reluctant to strike out on your own when you have the status symbol of the decade: a job....
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Dear Mom
By Judy Berman Letters. Such an old-fashioned way to keep in touch. But so lovely to look back on. How much is lost because letter-writing has been replaced by texting? Those cryptic little words on...
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Swatting and School Lockdowns
By Judy Berman A disembodied voice, filled with urgency, came over our speakers, announcing a Code Red. It was a school lockdown. We were told to lock our classroom doors. I don’t remember if we were...
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Blueberries, Bears and Fats Domino
By Judy Berman Walking along tidy rows of indigo-colored fruit, we quickly plucked the plumpest, juiciest ones. How is it that this simple excursion reminded me of my Mom, a run-in with a bear and...
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Lasting Lessons as the School Year Ends
By Judy Berman At times, I’ve had to concede to a student’s superior skills in classroom disruption and turn him or her over to the dean. Others, I bask in the sunshine they spread wherever they go....
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Dear Dad
By Judy Berman Photographs and memories, snippets of a song, so many things remind me of my Dad. Strolling thru a park, I see a father pushing his daughter on a swing. That takes me back to a wild...
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Vegas, Baby. Vegas!
By Judy Berman Just mention you’re headed to Vegas, and immediately you get those knowing looks. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” the stewardess jokes slyly as we board our flight out of...
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The Writer’s Life – Blog Tour
By Judy Berman In a police lineup, my neighbors would be hard-pressed to identify me. Fresh air and natural light are foreign to me. That’s what the writing life feels like to me at times. I retreat...
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Harmony in Nature
By Judy Berman The harsh caw caw of one bird The sweet song of another As they take flight, swim, rest, or Waddle thru my neighborhood. The swans gliding gracefully across the pond’s calm surface, The...
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Hoover Dam, Ragtown and Dingbat Houses
By Judy Berman What would drive a man to take his family across the country and set up in a squatters’ camp in the desert where the average temperature was 116 degrees? The three D’s: Desperation, the...
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