My mother insists that when I was born I came out singing an aria by Giuseppe Verdi; it could be, I suppose--I have been known to sing one or two since then--but I am more of the idea that when I was born, I came out waving a pencil and notebook, with ink flowing through my veins. I began my writing career at a very young age, around 10 years old, when I wrote a story about a little dragon named Hotstuff, illustrated by one of my younger brothers, Mike. Following that story came Dusty, about a buckskin mustang running in the wilds of Southern California, helping other horses and animals in need of a friend. His name was Dusty because he was--with no one to brush him down at night... Both of these stories were lost during the years--alas!All of my experiences will easily find their way into my stories and I will write no story that is not based on my experiences. Old McDonald Had a Funny Farm is just the first of what I hope will be a series of books that will take people back to the 60s, a time that was still uncomplicated but on the verge of change. My brothers and sisters and I will take you on an adventure that will hopefully make you feel right at home, whether you'll be walking down memory lane or weren't fortunate enough to live in those times.Now, half a century has passed since then, and a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, bringing more experiences - marriage, life in Italy with my daughter and husband, the fulfillment of my dream - that have found or will find their way into my writings, either as books or in my articles for Suite101.com. Old McDonald had a Funny Farm is now available on Kindle in English and, in the near future, in Italian. A sequel is already in the works. If you would like to read about my articles, please access my personal site: https://sites.google.com/site/marypurpariandthewrittenword/. There, you can find links to the articles in English, or several also in Italian, directly on the site. Mary McDowell Purpari