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I still need updated biographies and pictures from many of our contributors. Please get them to me as soon as possible so you'll be included in our Gallery.

I'm Julie Turner, a 48-year old woman, married to a sweet husband, Gene. We have 8 horses, 16 cats and 3 dogs. We live outside of Mobridge, SD, on 60 acres of prairie. I substitute teach here and in a nearby town. My MS is doing pretty well, probably due to the Swank diet. The other "little" diseases (ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and endometriosis) I have are under control due to medication, I guess. I enjoy riding and showing horses and visiting with my friends here and online. This magazine is very good, so I contribute without really having the writing skills to do so.

I was diagnosed with MS 12 years ago and have been in a hard remission for 4 years now. I have relapsing-remitting MS. I have had symptoms of MS since I was 27 years old, but did not get a diagnosis until almost 12 years later.

I am now 49 years old. ( 50 years on May 4th this year). I don't know if that is a good thing or bad. I think it is such a big number but I know many others who have a bigger one than I do! I am an avid Christian. I am a vocalist and just finished my first CD. It is a big accomplishment for me and it is filled with the music I love the most, Christian music dedicated our our Lord and Savior.

I still live in Cave Creek, Arizona, and have been married to Ken now 30 years (yes to the same guy and only one time). Ken recently retired from the homebuilding business after 23 years. Now we can travel in our motor home!

I have two children. My son Nicholas is 21 years old and is living on his own and working. He is an avid dirt bike fan and rides in the desert every chance he has. My Daughter Jena is 18 and attends Scottsdale Community College. She wants to be a wildlife biologist and is working on a degree towards that. She also volunteers at the wildlife rehabilitation center.

Reach Cissy by email: CissyBruening@msn.com

I was diagnosed with MS 11 yrs ago, I was working doing a perm and my thumb went numb sleepy. First thought it was carpal tunnel, but by the time I got to my neurologist it was numb sleepy all the way to my shoulder. So, from there a few MRI's done and then the news MS.

I use Avonex, have been using it for over a year now. I am doing well on it, no side effects for me from the beginning. I am disabled, I taught cosmetology for 6 yrs and was branching out in the field when all of this took place. I have symptoms that you can't always see, only I feel. The more I do the worse my symptoms become at times. I took my disability to have a more function of time with the family. I am still walking and capable of taking care of myself. I use a cane on those needed times, for now I am doing fine.

I am from WA State, I am married 22 yrs now to a caring husband, I am 40, I have 2 grown children. Both are married, and enjoying themselves. I am a new homeowner, keeps my husband busy keeping up with the place. I enjoy gardening and time outdoors.

I enjoy writing, have often thought about doing it, then along came Car and here I am. I try to write from my thoughts often bring feelings from heart. I like to meet new friends, enjoy helping if I can. I have met some good people in MS chat rooms, have had a lot of support from them. I have learned a lot as well, more than I would ever if I didn't have them around.

From the Author: "My name is Stan. I've had MS symptoms for 34 years, a proper Dx for 27. I've been on Avonex for a bit over 2 years. I still work (the federal government in Washington, D.C.) and broke down and bought a scooter 4 years ago. I have been married to the same woman for 33 years and we are the proud parents of three "kids," ages 30, 21 and 18. An MS diagnosis explains the big gap in ages!

". . . on a good hair day, I can still pass for 45. I am in fact 57 but I often walk and feel like I’m 75. And as one friend who knows my full life story once said, "Let’s face it Stan, you’ve lived 100!"

From Candy: "I am a forty something housewife who has been sewing most of my life. I have been diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis and don't get out much so I spend my time between designing new stuffed critters and writing.

It all started when I was about 9 yrs old visiting my Grandma Bond. She had always sewed for all us grandkids and I found it fascinating to watch her work. This particular day I was thumbing through the J.C.Penney's catalogue looking at the newest Barbie fashions. I wanted them all but knew we did not have the money so I didn't ask. Grandma saw me looking and said why didn't I try to make some of them myself. It sounded like a good idea so I asked her for some scraps of material and set about the task of duplicating the outfits I coveted. When I had finished, I proudly displayed Barbie's new sun suit for Grandma's inspection. She gushed over my talent and encouraged me to do some more. The outfit looked identical to the one in the picture except for one small detail. I had not yet learned about sewing the seams with right sides together. So poor Barbie was sporting a perfect replica of a designer original...with all the seams showing! Not to mention all the raw edges were on the outside. But she was dressed and I had made my first fashion and now I was hooked. Grandma and my mom then set about the task of teaching me the finer points and I have been sewing ever since. I used to make my own clothes when I was in junio4 high and high school. It was always so thrilling to me to wear fashions that I had created myself. The fact that they were originals and no one else would have the same thing was a big plus.

So what started from a necessity has grown into one of my biggest passions. Nowadays I create fashions for my kids and my Little Darlins line. I get such a charge out of creating something new from the picture in my mind."

Please check out my poetry page and sign my guestbook. Would love to know what you think of the newest ones.

From Richard: "I'm 66 and have MS now since 1980. SPMS since 1996, and live in central Fl. with my wife of 34 years. We had 2 children and now have 5 grandchildren. We like to travel and we both like baseball. I have been retired since 1986 as my MS started to cut into my gait and strength early on."

From the Author: "Des (short for desert where I live) is Ruth Scalpone. I live in Tucson, Arizona, with my fantastic husband, Nick, and our grandson, Nathaniel. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in January, 1997, the same week Nathaniel was born. I don't work anymore, and feel that the computer has opened the world to me."

From Mary: "For the NORTHWEST AIDE DOG FOUNDATION, Bo is a canine ambassador. For me, he's my lifeline to the world that others walk freely."

I am divorced with two children, Joe who will be 15 years old in September and lives with his father in Tucson, Arizonia and Erin, who is 25 years old and who has been married to Jason for 3 years. I am currently living with Erin and Jason in Monterey, California.

I am 44 years old. Was born in South Carolina, lived in southern New Jersey for 15 years and in California for 23 years.

I was diagnosed with MS in August 2000 with R/R and am currently on Avonex therapy. My symptoms started in 1986, after the birth of my son Joe.

I am currently a chat moderator at the Multiple Sclerosis Central Support site on Delphi.

MARRIED 27 YEARS WITH THREE KIDS. TWO FINISHED WITH
COLLEGE, ONE A SOPHOMORE.
I HAVE MY MASTER'S DEGREE FROM NOTRE DAME IN HEALTH
ADMINISTRATION. TAUGHT AND ADMINISTERED COLLEGE TILL 1992 WHEN DIAGNOSED WITH M.S.
MY WIFE IS AN R.N., (FULL-TIME) VERY UNDERSTANDING OF MY CONDITION. AS SHE SAYS, "WE HAD A ROLE REVERSAL." ALSO, I AM MR. MOM AND THE BLOCK CAPTAIN. (STILL TRYING TO GET THE NEIGHBOR WIVES TO PLAY POKER FOR COUPONS).

2.Ding :; Dingbat as i said/did outlandish/comical/bizzare things always (well it was my apprenticeship and it was the steelworks on night shift i was bored)

3.ICE: from my coolheadedness especially at work in hazardous enviroments and it is my initials on my hardhat.

4.Accidently Cool.. a leading hand once heard a song named this and came running into the locker room and demanded i listen to the words of the song playing on the workshop pa. i couldnt decipher the lyric and he said Thats you...Accidently Cool...and we both laughed it is kinda me....but now i see it is kinda MS.

5. Cobra as oppossed to Cobba/Cobber Aussie Slang for Mate and well yes i react like a King Cobra if anyone ever trod or hinted at treading on my toes....but it was an amusing and affectionate title because Coal Miners liked that about me..i stood up for myself even tho quiet.

6. Bones ....with Trigeminal Neuralgia /Chronic i creak and crack but it aint my bones :)

7. IanCognito: my Maori mates call me this because..that's me in the corner..thats me in the spot light..chosing my religion

8. Soulsurfer I use this as my icq and Net Nik i like to surf the net searching for souls as it is quicker and kinder to my illness to have online friends as they are there when everyone else here is asleep...:)

all these nick names i think are directly from my illness and I love everyone of them for besides Soulsurfer the others were given to me by my peers and I think other MSers fully understand how my life has been just from my nik's...cheers...Shafe

kmbllda@yahoo.com

I was born at five in the morning, on a beautiful dew drenched dawn, in a little hospital in the south central part of Texas, less than fifty miles north west from Houston. The date was June 28, 1930. The Dr. spent the time before my arrival whistling "I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now." Which I think is an interesting fact. It can also be noted that there were roses and gardenias in full bloom just outside the windows of the hospital. I like to think that gave me a jump start on my love of music and flowers.

The first ten years of my life was spent in the little town of Sealy. My grandparent lived there and I spend a considerable amount of time with them and also my little aunty, Billie Ruth, who is approximately 18 months older than I am. She was a combination aunt and sister all rolled into one, as well as the instigator in the majority of our scrapes and activities. The events of those years are the bases of many of my short stories.

My grandpa, great grandpa, as well as my dad, all worked for the Santa Fe Railroad. My mom was bound and determined to make something of herself, and keep us from being so poor, due to the Great Depression, that she entered Jr. College when I was eight years old. This was so unheard of in that day and age. After graduation she was able to obtain a position at a country school in the lower Rio Grande Valley. I attended country schools for the next few years. When I was ready for Jr. High, Mama would drive me to the bus and I would ride into town to attend school. By this time World War II had been going on for several years. My brother and I still got to go back to Sealy to visit and spend summer vacations there. We also spent some of our time in Galvestion, which was my Dad’s place of birth. We were so fortunate as he returned home, safe and sound, from the South Pacific after seeing active duty.

We moved to San Antonio when I was a Jr. in high school and I attended Brackenridge High School. It was in San Antonio that I met the most handsome and interesting man, Robert C. Kimball who was all of 18 years old. It was love at first sight. We were married on Feb. 14, 1947. This coming year we will be celebrating our 55^th wedding anniversary.

Bob and I have been blessed with three sons, Robert II, John, and Michael and later added to our blessings with grandsons, Robert III, John Jr, Alexander and James Andrew. Two years ago we were again blessed, this time with our first great- grandson, Aidan. As you can tell girls are might short in our family.

Before moving to El Paso we moved 18 times in 18 years with only two of those moves while Bob was in the service. Bob learned to fly and later turned to electronics and that kept us on the move. After moving to El Paso I entered The College of Mines, later changed to The University Of Texas At El Paso, or UTEP, where I worked and received a B.S. degree in Elementary Education and an all levels certification in Library Science. After graduating I spent the next 14 years in the public schools. ( I had spent a year as an aide in the library of a high school and the training in those days amounted to almost a year in a elementary school and additional time in school libraries.) Bob made another career changed and I retired to travel with him. We saw every state in the U.S. except Vermont...and one of these days I will see that! After five years I returned home and was quickly asked to return to work as there was a tremendous librarian shortage. I worked for two years and Bob became accustomed to being a retired gentleman. After the two years I retired again,,, and for the last time. We spent several years in doing numerous volunteer duties. When the boys were growing up we did a tremendous amount of volunteer work in the schools, church and scouting. But after a couple of years of retirement and volunteer work, I realized what I wanted to do the most was write. I had taken several writing classes and courses and now wanted to spend more time at it. So the sewing, quilting and gardening, cooking, preserving, etc. moved down on my list of activities. Writing is at the top now. And I love it! There is never enough time to write all the stories I really, really want to. I do manage to squeeze in the teaching of a Computer Classes, as a helper to my husband, who is the teacher, at one of the Sr. Citizens Centers in El Paso. The rest of my spare time is spent in writing and what ever else I can squeeze into my life.

We love to travel and do so when ever we can. We especially like to take our spoiled rotten "boy" (his feelings get hurt if we call him dog) with us. Taz is a real character and can be found in a lot of my children stories.

It has been such an interesting life, so full of friends and so many different activities. We have been able to see so much of the US. And we even made a trip to England and Scotland several years ago. I am looking forward to going back. Not only have we been blessed with a growing family but also with so many wonderful friends. I have truly been blessed. It is a good life!