By Esther C. Baird First Published in the Tri-Town Transcript Boxford Topsfield Middleton — Perhaps by the time this column goes to print, this last round of snow will be a distant memory. But as I type, it’s an all-consuming reality. We are like so many Laura Ingalls in our very own Long Winter. So…
The Baird Facts
A Rustle In The Garden
A Rustle in the Garden BY ESTHER BAIRD Published in RevelantONLINE on APRIL 5, 2012 Last year, after we celebrated Easter, our first-grade daughter, who was suddenly on a story-writing tear, decided to write down an Easter account she could read to our family. She wrote seven pages full of great detail: Jesus on the…
This story drives her quackery
By Esther Baird First Published in the Beverly Citizen Mar 12, 2008 I know it’s an institution. I know that as a parent living in the greater Boston area I ought to ooze with affection for it. But this is one bit of local culture I could happily do without. I refer to — in…
‘Tis better to have gusto than grace
By Esther Baird First published in the Beverly Citizen Feb 26, 2008 Grace is not the most striking quality of the women in my family. As such, we’ve produced no ballerinas. As a little girl, I was given to climbing trees and catching snakes. My two good friends, on the other hand, both took ballet and,…
Polar Plunge Revisited
By Esther C. Baird First Published in the Beverly Citizen, February 14, 2008 “Four, three . . .” the crowd screamed. “Wait!” I yelled. “Now? Is it now?” I danced around like a maniac. “I didn’t hear ten! Who started counting? So it’s now?” “TWO!” The crowd surged around me. “ONE!”…
Time for a dog of our own?
By Esther Baird First published in the Beverly Citizen Jan 30, 2008, Both my husband and I come from dog families. As growing children we experienced all those great doggy benefits: Exercise, times outdoors, and the tried-and-true responsibility of caring for a living creature. But now we have two young children, and we’re good on those fronts….
Sledding not all it’s cracked up to be
By Esther Baird First published in the Beverly Citizen Jan 15, 2008 Today it’s sunny and warm. Tomorrow it’s supposed to snow “heavily” — up to 14 inches. Great. The snow pack in front of our house was finally starting to melt and we’d just stopped tracking rock salt through the foyer. All that sunshine…
Some Christmas Photo Fun
By Esther Baird First Published in the Beverly Citizen Dec 12, 2007 Our Christmas decorations went up the day after Thanksgiving. We wrapped our house in garland and lights and put our tree in the front window where it shimmers and twinkles. Our small nativity set is under a poinsettia, and while one of the…
Moms Chicken Out on the Dinner Question
By Esther Baird First Published in the Beverly Citizen Nov 28, 2007 “Esther, look at this!” my friend hissed at me. She held up a bag of what looked to be cubed chicken. “Looks like cubed chicken,” I stated and took a sip of my wine. She gestured down at a perfectly formed chicken potpie…
Education Environment Proves Contagious
By Esther Baird First published in the Beverly Citizen, Oct 03, 2007 I was lying in chavasana pose at my yoga class. It’s the final, climatic pose where we lie on our backs, in the dark, for five minutes of official, class-mandated, peace. Our instructor spoke in a low, calm voice. ”Breath in, and breathe out. It’s just you…