Author Archives: Helen Baldwin

In the fall of 1996, as my husband, Randy, battled a stressful job situation, our surprise pregnancy packed an additional wallop. It also sparked much-needed joy, once we recuperated from the news flash. Jeffrey’s birth two weeks early, as Randy’s job mercifully ended, provided a perfect boost. He was…

“I haven’t had cancer since I was 11 months old!” our cheery granddaughter recently proclaimed. Clara turned 7 at the end of December. She’s witty, imaginative, spunky, highly entertaining, candid, cute, and sharp. Sometimes, though, her facts are a bit skewed. She’s never had cancer. …

The Christmas spirit eluded me in 1997. Our baby Jeffrey, diagnosed with SMA that summer, had snagged his wings that November. Needing to find something positive, I focused on why I should be thankful. Jeffrey was in heaven, free from the ravages of SMA. I…

Last year, my brother and I plotted to round up our respective families for Thanksgiving. It was a daunting effort. Our family branches are scattered over three states, and, as usual, work schedules conflicted. Alas, thanks to some angel intervention and alignment of enough stars, we managed to come…

After high school graduation, I studied abroad through the American Institute for Foreign Study. Based in Oxford, England, our group attended classes at Balliol College and enjoyed side trips to London, Paris, Rome, and Florence, Italy. From shrimp scampi at the Mitre Inn, to rolling hills, rosy…

I credit my mother for my affinity for (most) things hair-raising. She loved thrillers. While her vision allowed, she was drawn to the TV shows “Forensic Files” and “Criminal Minds,” delighted to learn that our daughter, Katie, was also a fan. Halloween’s creepy stuff…

My husband, Randy, and I live in the North Carolina mountains. The New River State Park down the road lures campers and canoers in summer months. From late September through late October, the leaf-lookers join in. Fall is spectacular around this part of the state, with bountiful…

If there’s not a 12-step program for sentimental slobs, maybe there oughta be. As a sentimental slob myself, I come by it naturally. Let me explain. Although my parents had little money when they married, Dad made a reservation for their honeymoon at a new hotel in town. After…

My husband, Randy, and I had been married 23 years when news of a surprise third baby, um, surprised us. Jeffrey hadn’t been planned (by us, anyway), yet we forged ahead almost sanely in anticipation of our expanding family. Our oldest child, Matthew, then 10, undoubtedly knew…

Lights! Camera! Action! My family’s goings-on might make good fodder for a reality TV show. It’s been a memorable year so far, including my mother’s declining health and death in February; a collapsed ceiling and water damage two months later in…