Author Archives: Helen Baldwin

Being surrounded by tranquility and stunning scenery in the North Carolina mountains is a true blessing. A bonus is that our two grandchildren live down the road! Clara, 5, and James, 3, entertain us all with their endless antics. It’s great fun for my husband, Randy, and me to…

During my Saturday morning errand run, police motioned the cars in my lane to a halt for commencement of the annual Blue Ridge Brutal. The BRB is a grueling ride for bike enthusiasts eager to push themselves beyond the max. “Not for the faint hearted,” one blurb…

Because our daughter, Katie, and son-in-law, Paul, live over five hours away, we don’t see them often. Thanks to last year’s lockdown, we hadn’t seen them in 10 months when they pulled off a surprise visit for my birthday last May. That long weekend was stuffed…

I had Mrs. Ruby Miner for spelling in the seventh grade. Besides spelling words, we defined, pronounced, and wrote them neatly. Stepping into Room 217 usually brought on a slight spell of jitters, even for this decent speller. I can only imagine the palpitations had I not been…

I helped my husband, Randy, pluck raspberries from our bountiful bushes the other evening. Shortly after sampling our red, squishy haul, I removed my Crocs to get ready for a shower. Whoa. My eyeballs popped when I spied what looked like blood on the bottom…

Parents, teachers, and pet owners routinely witness the unmistakable impact of full moons on all realms of behavior. Insert wolf howl. As a rapidly aging adult, I can vouch for this monthly phenomenon’s continued ability to “scramble the circuits” in every capacity.

Birthdays, including my own awesome one last month, and other notable days — Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, school year’s end — dot the May calendar. June’s tally of memorable days is no slouch, either. My husband, Randy, and I married in June (47 years ago!), as did…

While life around here resembles a roller coaster most of the year, the frenzy ramps up in May as it always has. From my days of wrapping up classes as a student, to wrapping up IEPs as a teacher, to keeping up with end of school…

My 3-year-old grandson, James, adores his MomMom (me!) and treats me like royalty. He gently places a pillow behind my back on the couch and insists on propping up the footrest before covering me with a blanket so I’ll be cozy. He makes sure I’m fed…

Just over two years after our baby Jeffrey died from spinal muscular atrophy, my brother-in-law, Steven, passed away. My husband, Randy, our two children, Matthew and Katie, and I made the long drive back to our old stomping grounds in Texas, for our first funeral of a…