Welcome to my new blog!

Hello to old and new friends, alike. Welcome to my new blog!

Being of Medicare age, I never thought I’d be doing social media, but trying challenging things is a good thing, right?  And this blog has a purpose: to share with you the project at the top of my bucket list.

For those who may not know me yet, here’s a quick introduction.

I was born and raised in Tennessee, and I live here still today.  Some magical alignment of the stars has prompted some unusual choices in my life.  At 17 I went from my small Southern town to the huge and crazy University of California at Berkeley in the late ‘60s, followed by me becoming one of the few women in medical school.  Specializing in surgery, I was the lone woman in my residency program.  If that wasn’t atypical enough, I became one of America’s first female astronauts in 1978. I ended up marrying a fellow astronaut (Robert “Hoot” Gibson) and becoming the first pregnant astronaut.  In my 19 years with NASA, I orbited our planet on three shuttle flights and launched three babies.

So what’s left on my bucket list now?

To reveal the story of what that kind of life was like.  The choices were never easy, and I was often unsure if I could do what was required of me.  But, oh, the opportunities that came my way! I have spent a few years capturing the memories, learning to tell the story well, finding the right people to help me, and arriving at a manuscript that is ready to transform into a book in the near future.

In coming blog entries, I’ll share some tales from the adventures that I’ve had.  I hope you’ll be entertained, informed, and inspired by this full and wonderful life.  If I can accomplish these goals, you can do those things that seem undoable in your life, as well.

Next time, I’ll tell you about what it feels like when, out of the blue, you receive a phone message that reads: The White House called.

Please explore this Web site to learn more about me and my journey toward publication.