By Esther C. Baird First published in the Beverly Citizen, September 14, 2006 Both my daughter and I are going ‘back to school’ this week. More accurately, I am going ‘back’ to chip away at my Masters and she is simply ‘going’ since it will be her first foray into preschool. We both will be…
Category: The Baird Facts
An Ode to Play Doh
By Esther C. Baird First Published in the Beverly Citizen. June 1, 2006. We’ve had a week of June now and it’s started off soggy, but I’m hopeful. At least we are done with May when we squished around like so many human raisins, wet and shriveled and increasingly crazed to the point of madness….
Welcome To Our Public Way
First Published in the Beverly Citizen, May 18, 2006 By Esther C. Baird Word Count: 797 Well it’s spring, time to start thinking about our beaches. When we first moved here I was dazzled that there were three beaches within walking distance of my home. My childhood beach memories consist of fighting for towel space…
From Bondi to Beverly (Australia Part 8)
By Esther C. Baird First Published in the Beverly Citizen as the final installment of the eight part series “Family Down Under” and the beginning of “Just the Baird Facts” later shortened to “The Baird Facts Allow me to set the scene for you. As I type this it’s raining, bordering on sleeting. I am…
The Fun of Being Forgotten (Australia Part 7)
First Published in the Beverly Citizen as part of a seven week series “Local Family Down Under” By Esther C. Baird Our time in Australia wasn’t all spent along Sydney’s beaches and surrounding towns. We took quite a few trips, including one near the end of our time down under, into the Australian Outback. Specifically…
The Bridge Climb (Australia Part 6)
First Published in the Beverly Citizen as part of a seven week series “Local Family Down Under” By Esther C. Baird ”Pretend you are on the Beverly-Salem Bridge,” I thought to myself. “You’re just jogging over the North River. It’s not a big deal, you’ve done this before.” Except I hadn’t done this before, because…
Day Trip, Down Under Style (Australia, Part 5)
Day Trip, Down-Under Style First Published in the Beverly Citizen as part of an eight week series “Local Family Down Under” By Esther Baird Our family is a big fan of the day-trip. In Beverly we often open our map, pick a town about two hours away that we haven’t visited and hit the road….
Frolicking On The Grass (Australia Part 4)
First Published in the Beverly Citizen as part of the eight part series “Local Family Down Under” December 2005 By Esther C. Baird My 18 month daughter and I often visit the Royal Botanical Gardens located in the center of Sydney. In many ways they are like the Boston Public Gardens and Commons but even…
Chutes and Ladders (Australia Part 3)
Chutes and Ladders Originally Published in the Beverly Citizen as part of an eight week series “Local Family Down Under” November 2005 Bondi Beach is one of many beaches that dot the coast along Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Like the North Shore of Boston, most towns have some sort of access to the water; unlike the…
Encounters with Wildlife (Australia Part 2)
First Published in the Beverly Citizen as part of an eight week series, “Local Family Down Under” October, 2005 By Esther C. Baird Australia is known for things that can kill you. This, of course, is in stark contrast to Beverly where virtually nothing can harm you, well, other than a heart-stopping heating bill. But…