: About Me

HAVE A SEAT, LEARN A LITTLE ABOUT ME

Profile of Marian Huyck Grossi
I think it's time to learn a few things about me.

I have a lot of my writing on Cowboy Logic, a writers group I belong to. There are monthly writing contests and the results are posted, so you can read what I've written.

If you go to www.cowboylogic.net (click on link at right)you will be able to read a lot of interesting writing and join the writer's group. It's a neat place to learn, to write, have your work critiqued, and meet people who share you common interests. You will also have access to a terrific amount of publishers, agents, and books, e-zines, etc. to further your writing dreams and accomplishments

I'm about the youngest kid I know. I was born in Santa Barbara County, California. I've written and been an artist for as long as I can remember. Sometimes my memory takes a break and decides to hell with this stuff and doesn't want to remember a thing. Since it's sharp and good to go at this minute, you'll get to know me.

I sent in drawings and writings to a television show for kids and darned if they weren't aired. What a cool experience for a country kid! The best is it made my parents proud. Seems most all I've done in my life gave my parents pride in me and I loved doing for them - seeing the glow on their faces, twinkles in their eyes what a wonder for a kid.

I'm one of five children. One-half Portuguese and the other "Duke's mixture" as Dad called it, but it is truly English and Dutch. I do come from some pretty lofty family roots on Daddy's side of the family. Mom's side of the family came from the Azores and in Portugal genealogical records are hard to find. So, there you have it. Oh! My Mom's parents eloped in about 1902 because he was a dairy hand and she was from an upper class Portuguese family. They met on horseback atop a hill at a designated time and flew with the wind on horseback to San Luis Obispo, CA and were married at the Mission there. They loved, lived, and loved some more, and had nine children. Two of their children are still living. My aunt is 92 and my uncle in Canada is 72 or thereabouts. They are feisty people - as were the rest of my entire family both sides. I come from great family roots and hearty stock. So I'm good for at least another 40 years, if not more.

I was a country kid, great at hoeing bean fields, changing irrigation pipes and driving tractor Farmall or D-4, it never mattered.

Having gone to a small country school, named Artesia School, with about 15 or 20 students until the sixth grade, I had to face YIKES! "town school" and the kids there going into seventh grade. There I was a scared rabbit. I rode my first school bus from the country to Hapgood School.

I became accustomed to town school life and my grades soared, as they had in grammar school.

Married at 18, I was still writing when I had my first child, a son, at age 19. Then at age 24 I gave birth, at 24 weeks to my daughter, who weighed a mere two pounds and three ounces at birth, dropping to one pound, ten ounces. Visiting her daily with my son and husband, it would be three months before bringing her home. I felt so inadequate to care for my tiny five-pound baby. My son and daughter are the loves of my life.

I had been published with a few articles and poetry galore. At about age 28 I decided I was going to become a newspaper writer. I convinced them I was good and became a "stringer."

I quit my job as a stringer for one newspaper and began writing for another newspaper as a staff writer. Within a month I was Lifestyle Editor. Soon I was Editor pro-tem as well as Lifestyle Editor of the newspaper. At the same time I was Assistant Editor of a class act Horse Country Magazine, and Editor of a tourist weekly magazine. I became a darned good writer (at the time!) as well as photographer. I still love my photography. Still love to laugh. Still love writing.

"I deserve the best every moment of my life."

Continuing to write, draw, and photograph, I added calligraphy. Fine and dandy. I also loved flowers, so I began a flower shop, then another and another. I combined most all of my likes into one of the shops. I called it an all in one wedding stop: Parties Plus.

Then I began an advertising business, Idea Factory, and I loved it. I met a combo of cool people, stuffy people and learned about many businesses and styles of work.

Photography married with art and words: a beautiful combination.

I was still married and we moved to the mountains near Yosemite. I began another advertising business and founded a bi-weekly Gazette called Belair Gazette, written in 1887. Yes, 1887.

My little Belair Gazette brought in subscriptions from most all states, Canada and England. There, the BBC President and his secretary came to visit me on a few occasions when they went to conventions in Las Vegas, Nevada. They suggested I protect my work because they loved it and it was wonderful movie(s) material. I registered it with the Screen Writer's Guild.

The Belair Gazette is getting ready to be published in subscription form on the internet as a bi-monthly e-zine.

I'm also writing a series of four books and if I ever finish them I do have a publisher who wants first chance to read them.

I have pretty nasty epilepsy, had cancer and a plethora of other maladies and you know what? Do not ever let anything get you down. NEVER! Take the time you have to for yourself on those days you feel crummy and then hit it again. The vibrancy and good you will feel about yourself is so amazing. And! Oh so important, dress fit for a king or queen. No slumming.

I'm single now and have been for 10 years, never finding anyone I really shared a common bond with, if there is any such thing!

That's me in a lot of words. Thanks for reading this far.

Peace and Love!
Marian

My passion is ...

Writing, people, laughter

My parents always told me ...

"If you can think it, you can do it."

My childhood ambition ...

To become an artist

My favorite memory ...

Most all of my young pre-teen years

Why I write ...

To release my thoughts, feelings, and loves

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Time Magazine, The Secret, Most all music - smooth jazz!

My first job ...

hoeing beans for my father and mother

My best moment ...

Lying in bed as a kid looking at the closet door and seeing the door-sized drawing I did of "Wally The Walrus"!

My inspiration ...

God, my parents, dreams and goals to reach

Celebrations & Holidays > Celebrations & Holidays (Other) Memorial Day USA: A tribute to our armed forces

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Yes, please pass this oneveryone needs to remember. Supermarket flyers scream out at you, "Memorial Day Sale!" Hardware stores, dress shops, discount stores; all proclaim "Save on Memorial Day Sales!" Red, white and blue ink is not spared - store owners dish out extra big bucks to pay for the additional ink charges. They don't mind, knowing they'll make it up with the color of green over "the three-day holiday!" Does the average American know why there is Memorial Day? Do our children know why there is Memorial Day? Seems almost everyone thinks it's a day to drink beer and soda, roast hot-...

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