September always reminds me of the anniversaries of two incomprehensible disasters in the U.S.: 9/11 and Hurricane Helene, which devastated western North Carolina, including Ashe County, where I live. This year, though, September brought cause for celebration for people affected by spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Earlier this month, the…
We're Not in Kansas Anymore - a Column by Helen Baldwin
Our third baby, Jeffrey, arrived May 18, 1997, three days after my 43rd birthday. He joined his siblings, Matthew, then 10, and Katie, then 7. Although the pregnancy was unplanned, my husband, Randy, and I warmed up effortlessly to the idea of another baby. We didn’t worry about our lack…
A generous neighbor recently urged me to pick tomatoes from his garden during his extended absence. Last Thursday, I obliged. Helen Baldwin plays “sorta farmer” after picking tomatoes at a neighbor’s farm. (Photo by Helen Baldwin) I shared some with a friend whose own tomatoes were a…
Last Wednesday evening, a double rainbow popped up across the road. We’d had rain to some extent every afternoon and night. The rainbow provided a beautiful bit of calm and was, we hoped, a sign that the rain would be easing up. It turned out to be the calm…
Ready or not, we’re about to say “Adios!” to another month. Our daughter, Katie, and son-in-law, Paul, arrive today for a whirlwind visit, sending July packing with a bang. A few hours after Katie and Paul depart for their next destination, the rest of the family will be hurled into…
My husband, Randy, and I moved to the North Carolina mountains in the closing hours of 1995. Although our children, Matthew and Katie, who at the time were 10 and 7, respectively, were initially unenthusiastic about changing schools, they promptly developed new friendships and an appreciation for the plethora of…
My mother told me I had fallen while climbing out of my baby bed as a toddler, ending up with a scar that resembled a tiny wad of chewing gum on my elbow. I don’t remember which elbow it was, nor can I tell, as I now boast an impressive…
It’s been almost four months since my husband, Randy, and I made a hasty run to Charleston, South Carolina. Our mission was to adopt a dog our daughter, Katie, had found at a nearby rescue. This frequent mama dog named Ellie piqued the spark missing since the loss of…
I sometimes experience an unexpected blast into the past. For example, if the weather has just the right balance of sunshine and crispness, I’m back in elementary school, around Thanksgiving, playing chase with my brother and our visiting cousins around the schoolyard across the street or the alley next door,…
Three months ago, my husband, Randy, and I adopted Ellie, a mama dog who had been at the rescue for four months. She arrived with six puppies, tending to another litter after hers were adopted. “Tending” might be a stretch. When we saw Ellie, her interim miniature charges…
