By Esther C. Baird Written for the Chronicle & Transcript, Nov 2021 Our 14 year old daughter and I are both in post-concussion therapy. Hers has to do with strengthening muscles so that she’s less prone to getting a concussion next time she’s hit by a ball, or bounces on a wave, or generally has…
Author: Esther Baird
Baby, you’re a firework
By Esther Baird First Published in the Chronicle & Transcript, Nov 3, 2021 We’ve been remodeling our kitchen since the dawn of time. Or, you know, July. Supply chains, container ships, backordered everything and all that excitement has been our reality. But for each decision we chose the most timeless option, the one unlikely to…
Slowing down at the speed of light
By Esther C. Baird First published in the Chronicle & Transcript, Oct. 22, 2021 Hey Regular Reader, it’s me. I’ve been writing this column for over 14 years (in one version of this paper or another) and never have I ever had a run where I couldn’t write for so long. But, I’ve had a…
Who’s Entering Your Tent
First published on the enCourage Blog, CDM Ministries of the PCA ESTHER BAIRD|GUEST This summer I’m teaching the I AM statements of Jesus in a ‘Spiritual Life Tent.’ It’s part of a conference center in the Adirondacks near where we live in the summer. And while there are some Christians in the organization, it is…
A Month to Recharge
By Esther C. Baird, first published in the Chronicle & Transcript Aug 2021. Hello regular readers, it’s been a while. I had to survive the end of the school year and the very rainy July. In order for me to live in New England, I require summertime to recharge my sparkle and ability to be pleasant. This…
Just a ‘Normal’ Morning
By Esther C. Baird, first published in the Chronicle and Transcript June 8, 2021 I don’t even want to get into what triggered the Very Bad Morning, I’ll just say that Moose, our 100-pound Bernese Mountain Dog, ate a tinfoil packet full of Old Bay seasoning and raw shrimp and leave it at that. Well,…
The Pull of the Pool
Growing up in Philly in the early 80’s, I knew two families who had a pool. One was a church elder and his family. He was one of the Three Kings in our Christmas pageant and sang with an amount of vibrato that reduced small children (or at least me) to hysteria. Thankfully, a church…
A Whale of a Song
By Esther C. Baird First published in the Chronicle Transcript May 7, 2021 This last April vacation week our family went to Maui, Hawaii. Going to Hawaii from the East Coast is never an easy undertaking, but doing it in COVID times is like getting the golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Well, except…
Longing For Human Connection
By Esther C. Baird First Published in the Chronicle Transcript Apr. 29, 2021 This year has been low on random human interactions. We’ve been locked away from the side comments of our favorite grocery clerk, from the gas attendant who dances at night by the light of the pumps, and from the sing-songy barista at…
Teens in the city
By Esther Baird First Published in the Chronicle Transcript, Apr. 5, 2021 It’s happening, the winter of our totally supercharged discontent is fading. There are signs of life including crocuses, daffodils, buds and the return of ticks to let us know that, “we have not,” to quote a very important movie, “gone quietly into the…