I have always wanted a golden retriever. Not that I haven’t had dogs because I had Sampson, Josie, Solomon, and now Ginger – all King Charles Cavalier Spaniels. I do love those golden retrievers, though. I took this picture above and sent it to my husband as a hint. He just laughed the not a chance in hell laugh. Dang! I should remind him that walking dogs maintains my health which is critical to those with MS. I don’t think he’d buy it though, since I have Ginger to walk already. In my defense, a golden retriever would take bigger steps and need to walk further. Right?

My book, The Call of the Last Frontier, is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. My husband and I are still busy tying up loose ends, like creating the paperback, ebook, large print, and hardcover editions for each vendor. We just began recording the audiobook. Whew! That was a BIG one to check off the bucket list. Did I mention my Alaska memoir includes my MS journey (1982-2021) from diagnosis (2001) to medical disability (2011) and beyond?

I have recently been chatting with new MSers on Shift.ms and often tell them to step back and prioritize what they want to do with their lives. You can’t do it all, but then nobody can, so what makes us any different in that department? MSers need to be a little more strategic than ordinary individuals to guard their health, but we can still achieve extraordinary goals like I did publishing my Alaska memoir.

I left my career at 44 years old. In the years since my departure, MS has improved steadily to the point I can do just about anything I want to. Was it the early retirement? Would my issues return if I went back to work? I suspect they would. My takeaway – MS improves with less stress. Isn’t that what really happens when we get older and retire? Life has stress at all ages, but as I age (I’m 54 years old), I don’t stress about as many things as I used to. Maybe that’s why older people have fewer MS attacks. Just a guess.

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving (USA readers). The holiday season is upon us. May we all enjoy a few outings with friends and family in the next month. 

If you are looking for a Christmas gift for a reader, an adventurer, an Alaska TV shows fan, or someone with MS (who would like to learn about my MS journey), consider The Call of the Last Frontier: The True Story of a Woman’s Twenty-Year Alaska Adventure. It has outstanding reviews from both men and women.