I gained the courage, the time, and the will to follow my dream of having a sustainable farm, and raising all my own food (well, ALMOST all - haven't figured out how to roast cashews from my trees, or grow cacao and make my own chocolate, YET !!)

MS made me realize, it's now or never, just go and DO it !!!!!

I'm calmer, happier, mellower, more relaxed, more in love, and more fulfilled than ever before in my life.

yes, raising three children was mostly wonderful, (and sometimes very stressful), but I couldn't really RELAX and enjoy it, as there was so much to DO all the time, what with all the kids' activities (Scouting, sports, Tai Kwon Do, etc.), plus working fulltime, plus trying to keep up with the Joneses, and deal with shoveling snow, blah blah blah........

SO... they're all off on their own now, and it was time to do something for myself... something meaningful, that distilled all the thoughts and grand plans and schemes and daydreams... mixed in with my limitations and variable energy levels.

small-scale farming works for me, because I can do things in tiny increments, and put off what I'm too tired to do.

oh, and I've made many GOOD FRIENDS because of MS... people who HAVE MS, and totally UNDERSTAND.