Articles written by D.A. Marshall

What is Helium

About me - D.A. Marshall

I'm a fifty year old wife and mom who wants to know, "where has my life gone?" There are days where I don't feel like I accomplished any of the goals I had as a young college grad.

I grew up in the sixties and seventies, was marginally rebellious, loved

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Relationships & Family > Relationships & Family (Other) Looking back on childhood and missing it: 2 of 82
Blackberry picking at grandma's. What made me think of that? I suppose it is the hot, oppressive weather that is characteristic of July where I live. Intense heat is synonymous of summer fruit, the most popular being strawberries and blackberries. Every summer at this time, Mom would get that infamous phone call from my g... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas Memories of your favorite Christmas: 2 of 48
I think I may have elf blood coursing through my veins, for Christmas has always been really special to me. Not because of the presents I would receive or all the wonderful food that my mother, grandmothers, and aunts would spend days preparing. No, it was the prospect of getting a sneek peek at The Man Himself, Santa Claus. ... More..
Relationships & Family > Blended Families The challenge of blended families: 6 of 34
Had I known in my early twenties that I would someday be a step-mother, I might have run the other way, screaming. Did I purposely set out to meet and fall in love with a previously married man with a toddler son? Absolutely not, but that is indeed what happened. And not only did I fall in love with my now-husband, but I f... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas How to properly dispose of a tree after Christmas: 3 of 15
One of my favorite Christmas traditions has always been the drive on the first weekend in December to the tree farm. It began almost fifty years ago when my parents took my brother and me every year to a wonderful place called Limberlost, a large acreage of land on which several different types of pines grew specifically for... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: My best fall memory: 6 of 28
Our family has lived for the past twenty-two years in a wonderful, woodsy neighborhood full of trees, mostly ancient oaks. As you might guess, Autumn is a busy season for us as we work for several weekends blowing and raking leaves to the curb for the city to pick up in late November. We are nearing that time of year again, w... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Mother's Day & Father's Day The ultimate Mother's Day breakfast: 3 of 14
When my daughter was little, the question, "What do you want for Mother's Day" would be asked sometime in late April. My usual response was, "I'd like to sleep late and do nothing all day!" So, for several years, or until my daughter went away to school, I was allowed to be Queen For The Day while my she and her daddy "quie... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: My fall wedding: 4 of 12
I remember thinking, as a young girl, that my wedding day would be traditional, complete with a beautiful gown and a splendidly decorated church. As my "marrying years" gradually passed, my expectations changed somewhat. I decided that I would be happy to even get a proposal, let alone all the fancy details. Finally, in my l... More..
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: The first day of school: 7 of 19
There are little things which remind me of the first day of school that have stayed with me almost my entire life. Those reminders - dew dripping off the morning glories that climbed up our carport, yellow elm leaves drifting to the ground in our backyard, the sun hanging over just a bit to the south - would give me an uneasy... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Bible Study Explain the verse "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me": 14 of 35
In the Scofield Study System, NIV, Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." In the verses previous to verse 13, Paul spoke about being content in spite of his circumstances. He had reached a point in his relationship with Christ where he could trust the Lord to take care of his needs a... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Thanksgiving Keeping Thanksgiving alive while living overseas: 2 of 5
A memorable Thanksgiving is absolutely possible, no matter what country your dining room table sits in. Several years ago, my husband, daughter, and I had recently arrived in England to live while my husband set up an office at his company's European main location. We had been there since early November of that year, and th... More..