Stan Skrzeszewski

I am a retired librarian and management consultant, but at 79 I want to look to the future, not the past, yet I am a historian, and much of my history is in the form of poetry, so maybe I am also a contradiction, at least I hope that I am. My mother and father both lived the Second World War and I grew up amid much discussion of war and history, so it is not surprising that much of my writing deals with wars, history and growing old. Writing poems is a very personal act and though I hope that others read them, I write mainly to express myself. My poems spring from somewhere deep inside me although they are often stimulated by my environment at a specific time and place.

I write history to preserve memories, memories of family and of events and people who have been largely forgotten, yet deserve to be remembered. History is about remembrance.

As I get older, I realize that I am joining the unseen, the invisible, but I am unwilling to give up without a fight – I refuse!

Writing gives one the chance to go on living, or at least a part of you goes on, is still present in digital form, for at least a little time longer than your physically time. It is an extension of life. 

Mary Anne Skrzeszewski

I'm a horticulturist by trade, and spend my days growing and experimenting with plants, as well as helping other people be successful with their plant experiments. I work at Parkway Garden Centre and spend my days surrounded by plants. I also do presentations and lectures about mostly plant related topics for local groups and Horticulture Clubs.

Before I went into horticulture, I studied and practiced fine art. I have been painting for approximately 25 years and enjoy experimenting with colour & texture. I work with Acrylic and love attaching leaves, bugs, sand or whatever else is lying around.

My art is an expression of what I see around me, which is mostly plants and bugs, I rarely paint a person or a creature, and have not been concerned about an audience, but I enjoy collaborating with my dad and trying to create something important.