I’m deeply grateful to my daughter, Sarah, whose incredibly loving gift made this book possible. Storyworth, an online service for writing memoirs, gave me the means and motivation to reflect, make personal observations, and begin writing my family stories. Thank you, Sarah! Because of your precious gift, I can now pass “The Hippie & The Marine” on to those I love the most.

My son, Jake, has been my technical advisor, computer guru, and sounding board every step of the way. Jake, you’ve been teaching me computer jargon and technology since you were six and got your first computer, the Atari 400. And most recently, you not only inspired me to create a website, you taught me how to do it myself. I’m proud to admit you‘ve turned your mom into a total tech nerd, making it easier and more fun to maneuver around the internet as I wrote.

To my daughter-in-law, Carrie, and son-in-law, Andy - How fortunate I am to have you both in my life. Thank you for encouraging me in my creative endeavors, being the ones at the dinner table asking for family stories, and for lifting my spirits whenever we’re together. You’re clearly the jewels in our family.

My brother Bobby’s creative genius and graphic design talent were vital to completing my book. Bobby, I love the way our minds seamlessly connect when we’re working on projects together. You make me laugh, and your kindness and generosity never go unnoticed. You are the sunshine of my life.

I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my parents, Billie and Paul Sloan, the most influential people in my life. They were creative, fun, open-minded, uplifting, and loving parents whose presence I felt with every story I wrote.

Suzanne Karpus, my friend and chef extraordinaire - Thank you for the hilarious poem you wrote for Rocky and me on our 44th anniversary, cleverly titled “The Hippie & The Marine.” Who would have guessed five years later, with your blessing, those words would be the title of my book.

Rocky, you’ve been my partner in love since 1969. Reminiscing and laughing with you about life before and after we met gave me the material I needed to continue writing. Thank you for all your advice, editing skills, love and support, but mostly for agreeing to add some of your own stories; after all, you comprise fifty percent of the book’s title.