Havana Great Time

Where Emma has been busy.

Hey, lovelies!

I have to say, my inbox has been bursting at the seams this week with all your messages. Thank you for your support.

Seems like the burning question on everyone's mind is whether or not I'll be attending the Parkinson's World Congress thingy in Barcelona. Well, let me put it this way: I won't be wobbling my stuff in Barcelona, but I know plenty of you guys will be there, either at the conference or just soaking up the Barcelona vibes. Some of you have been connecting on Twitter, organising meet-ups and coffees. I

I'll drop a link to a couple of folks, like comedian Phil Jerky, who's got a set not too far from the event. It might be a great spot to catch up and have a laugh. And for those of you who'll be there, I hope you'll be tweeting up a storm and sending updates to us poor souls who couldn't make it.

Now, let's move on, what have we all been up to lately?

I've been pretty quiet on the internet lately. It's summer, after all, and I'm hoping you all are getting out there and enjoying the great outdoors (at least those of you in the northern hemisphere). I mean, come on, I know some of you are probably cuddled up indoors, avoiding the crazy weather, but let's pretend for a moment that you're all adventurous souls.

So, speaking of summer, my youngest daughter recently starred in her school production of "Grease," and it was an absolute riot! We're now getting ready for the school holidays, and my elder daughter, Lily, is turning 20 in a few months. She's headed for the armed forces, while the younger one, Daisy, just finished her exams and is embarking on her senior years at school. She's also gaining that glorious independence that 15 (nearly 16)-year-olds tend to have. Which generally means fleecing us for cash and staying out too late. Ah, the joys of parenting!

In the midst of all that family madness, I've been diligently working on the second draft of "Tumbled," my Parkinson's memoir. My kids, the dog, and Ross seemed to have taken up too much space on the pages. Can you believe it? So, I guess there's hardly a mention of Parkinson's or even little old me.

Oh well, c'est la vie! This project has been gobbling up a significant chunk of my time and has got me pondering whether I still want to keep writing and talking about Parkinson's. I've mentioned before that I've been feeling a bit jaded about the whole topic, so it's definitely an interesting development. 🧐

But wait, there's more! I've also been working on a fiction project that some of you might have caught wind of. It's a historical retelling, perhaps, of Don John, that Shakespearean scoundrel from the play "Much Ado About Nothing." Picture him and his gang of gamblers, whoremongers, thieves, and maybe even murderers wreaking havoc in beautiful Sicily. These short stories will be available soon, and I'll be sure to share them here. So, if you're interested in delving into my more creative works, keep an eye out!

Oh, and did I mention I've been painting? That's right, I'm not just a master of words, but an artist too. Ever since my diagnosis, it's been a real struggle to find motivation and actually create art. But guess what? I think I've finally cracked the code. I've discovered a way to express myself artistically that isn't so...tremulous. So, I've got a few projects in the works that I'll be sharing with you all in the next couple of weeks.

Well, folks, that's the update from me. I may not be in Barcelona, but I'll be cheering you on from afar. Keep the tweets and messages coming so us non-attendees can stay in the loop. And remember, life is full of surprises, so keep embracing the quirky and unexpected.

Until next time.

With Love

Emma xx