30 Day Blog Challenge Day 15: New Year Celebrations

For me , 2014 started off with me reading Fifty Shades of Grey, and being really excited and still on a high from having written the first draft of Spellbrooke, my first novel in November 2013. That was closely followed by Return to Spellbrooke: A Winter Curse (the second instalment of The Spellbrooke Trilogy) in April, and then in July I decided to write the first draft of my young adult novel The Secret Dreamworld of a Disabled Shopaholic. Also in April,I participated in Dewey's Readathon . In October I participated in that again. And in November, I wrote the final instalment of The Spellbrooke Trilogy. I hope that the first one can be published in 2015. I'll keep you posted about that.
This year has been difficult from the point of view of the ongoing personal saga Alfredo and I have of trying to find a suitable place to live, and also saving up for my new electric wheelchair. We have, and do often feel really demoralised about things, but are both hoping that 2015 will be a much better. I hope you as my family and friends on Facebook will have a great one too!

My goals for 2015:
Publish my novel
Move somewhere better
Buy my new wheelchair
Get married
Have children.

Spanish customs differ from those in the UK at this time of year because the Spanish will eat 12 grapes on the stroke of midnight: one for each chime of the clock. So far, I have actually never been able to eat them all.

 The belief is that if you can eat them all by the time the final chime sounds, then you will have luck in every month of the coming year. People will drink champagne and also cava or any alcoholic drink they want to have. During Christmas and New Year, they usually a lot of seafood and also a lot of serrano ham (like Parma ham).

Alfredo and I will just be having a Chinese tonight! We follow the tradition that they follow in Valencia which is to eat a segment of Satsuma that for every clock chime. This is simply because we prefer satsumas to grapes, and because we tend to have a lot of oranges and satsumas in the house during winter because of the vitamin C.

Before the midnight celebrations start, there is always a marathon in an area of Madrid called Vallecas  on the last day of the year.

After midnight, the party goes on until however long they want it  to

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 14: My Presents Are Finally Here

Yesterday, after all that tracking down my birthday and Christmas presents (which involved a phone call to dad), the parcels finally arrived because Alfredo went to get them from the post office!

I got a mixture of things:

 A handstitched journal from Paprchase
 Some  cool animal print pens.
Some sachets of hot chocolate mix.
Disney nail wraps.
A couple of tops.

Some pairs of socks.
And some money.

I still have yet to take some pictures of what I got, but when I do they will be here

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 13: A Busy Day In The Life Of A Writer

Today started off with all the usual things , breakfast and some TV then getting ready for the day. 

My plan was to get some more critiques done for the Scribophile site , but I ended up on Facebook and the Inked Voices siite. I have dropped out of some of the small critique groups that make up the Inked Voices site because lately I have found it too much and I have been feeling very snowed under. I'm glad I now have a slightly lighter workload. I'm also trying to finish off my Goodreads Reading Challenge for the year. 104 books so far. Hoping to reach 105 at least and make my target for next year between 110 and 120. 

Dad sent me an email about my birthday and Christmas gifts, after having asked if they had arrived every time he and Mum called ever since about the 11th of December. 

I had to chase up the parcels and two are in the post office near our flat but the thrid isn't . They were all posted on the same day recorded delivery and all need to be signed for. We didn't even get a slip from the post office to say the postman had been and no-one rang on the bell which is very unusual.That on its own took the best part of a few hours out of my day as I was sending emailsback and   forth to dad and the post office. Thank God for Facebook (I contacted the post office through there.) 

So tomorrow Alfredo will go and get the parcels and I will finally see what's inside them! 

I did a separate blog post as I am looking for beta readers for the novel I dictated in November 2013 I got some volunteers from the NaNoWriMo Facebook group but am looking for more. If yoou are interested please reply to the post  where I make the request with how I can send my manuscript to you. I am looking for serious and reliable beta readers who will do a good, thorough and informative job and who'll get my manuscript back to me on time.  You must enjoy reading and/ or writing and genuinely want to help me, not just be out to read and get your hands on a copy of my manuscript without helping out. There have been too many times when people have said they would halp but have never got back to me with suggestions and changes, or to say they thought it was ready to publish. I am looking to publish by Fabruary/ March 2015 AT THE LATEST. 

Beta Readers Needed For My Urban Fantasy Novel For 9-12 Year Olds.

HI everyone. I'm in critical need of beta readers for my urban fantasy novel. The novel is called Spellbrooke and is part one of the Spellbrooke trilogy which is aimed at 9 to 12-year-olds. This is my first novel, and I am hoping to publish by February/ March 2015 at the latest . I have joined two online critique groups, but some people think that they can't read children's novels because of their age. I am 33 years old, and wrote in this genre because I wanted to give it a try. I am in a difficult position because hardly any of my family and friends enjoy reading or writing, and most do not have the time to help me out.

 I realise this is a time and priority issue for everybody as they have to balance other aspects of their lives, but I would really appreciate it if someone would come forward and offer to help me out. I created a campaign in May 2014 but was unable to raise the funds I needed for a professional editor and/or beta reader, and I also have complex medical needs that need to be seen to and paid for, so money is a huge issue from me. I've been working on this novel since November 2013 and it would be my complete dream to see it published, but without a reliable reader who will receive my work and get back to me on it  promptly I will be unable to do that.

Please get back to me ASAP if you feel like you can help.

I'm happy to beta read, review or critique your work for you. I can post reviews on my reading blog at www.myreadingparadise.wordpress.com, or on Amazon/ Goodreads. 

If you would be up for helping me, reply to this post. 

Here's a synopsis 

Casey Ford and Rachel Brown have a lot in common: they are best friends, they are both nine years old , and they both have Cerebral Palsy. They also want to be popular .
It's the the last day of school before the summer holidays. They both love reading and horses. They are looking forward to a nice fun, relaxing summer, without Angela and her friends from school teasing them and Casey's brother Nick being a nuisance . The summer starts off great, with trips to the swimming pool and shopping centre , but then the girls ' parents book them into Violet Roses Summer Camp.  Reluctantly , they both go, and in some ways it's not so bad, they ride, swim, do crafts and go on day trips.
One day trip is to Swallowdale , a town where they visit a fortune teller with a crystal ball who tells of a magical land called Spellbrooke, where Faries, Humans and animals live. If only they could find the way there.......
A scandal forces their days at the camp to be over, but it's not all bad news as Casey's tenth birthday arrives, and she's given what she always wanted: a horse she names Noah. They make a promise that they will visit Spellbrooke again, and one day they do. This time, they're set a Quest by Queen Tobenia and King Oliver II: find the missing Popularity Potion.
Together with an unlikely group of friends and animals, they battle through Spellbrooke completing mini Quests, and searching for the missing Popularity Potion , but will they complete it ? Will the Potion work? Was Spellbrooke real or just a dream
Join Casey and Rachel as they discover a new land, make new friends, and discover a true friendship can never be broken.

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 12: How And Why I Have Grown To Love Writing

Until about  November 2013, I was an avid reader, and still am. 

As a young girl, I promised myself that when I was older I would write a book one day. That day was November 18th 2013 as it turned out. That was the day I officially finished the first draft of my first novel , Spellbrooke. 

After that day I rested up, enjoyed my birthday and Christmas and threw myself into the long, hard editing process ......and I'm still there over a year later. Since then, I  have participated in two other Camp NaNoWriMo events in April and July 2014, and also  another NaNoWriMo, in November 2014. 

So, now, I have 4 novels in various stages under my belt. I have 2 printed and bound, another on its way, and the fourth is still on my computer.  

I love writing albeit using my trusty Dragon Dictation programme because it is a creative thing to do and it is a way of getting my ideas out there. It is also another way of using my passion for words. It is a way of expressing myself. Since I have started writing more I have joined two online critique groups and have had to toughen up when I get critiques.It's a huge learning curve but I love challenges and I write because I enjoy it and because I hope to sell my books. I have not had much luck with finding work in my life because I was seen as sometimes "too skilled" and others "not skilled enough." I did some voluntary work but did not find that challenging or enjoyable. I have had paid jobs but not many and have faced lots of discrimination and negative assumptions abiut my disabilities and abilities.  I decided last year that I would create my own work and that's when I decided to write my first book. I'm so glad I made that decision or else I wouldn't be in the situation I am now. 

My advice to others is: if you have a dream, fight for it. You never know what might happen.

 

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 11: Small World

I hope you all had a great Christmas day, and if you're from the UK I hope you had a great Boxing Day yesterday.  I love reading, and will occasionally read a book by or about a person with a disability to aid in my disability awareness work for my Facebook page where I raise awareness primarily for Cerebral Palsy and Hydrocephlus but also for any disability and/ or condition really. https://www.facebook.com/KatherineHaywardMyLifeWithCerebralPalsy?ref=hl

A couple of days ago, I finished reading Hannah Same Both Ways by Hannah Rose. It's the true story Hannah tells about her life since she was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a condition which damaged her spine leaving her paralysed from the neck down and on a ventilator. It's a small world because not only does she live not too far away from the Liverpool – Cheshire area my grandmother lives in, but she also visited the Villa in Portugal on holiday that is owned by Simon, and his wife Denise.  Simon just so happens to be my sister's husband's cousin. On her travels with her family, Hannah has also visited a hotel in Tenerife called Mar Y Sol  (she doesn't mention the name but it's in the Los Cristianos/Playa de las Americas   area where the hotel I describe is).  The hotel is supposed to be really well adapted for people with disabilities that has actually been recommended for me to go to a couple of times but I have never actually gone to yet . I do remember making enquiries about rooms and facilities though, so hopefully Alfredo and I can go in the future. 

The book's unique cover and Hannah's chatty and quirky personality  drew me to devour the book in just a few days. Each chapter is headed by a quote taken from the chapter it is about, which is a ice idea. All the way through the book I had a  great sense of how loving and helpful Hannah's family are, and how  important they are to her. Her friends and carers are also tremendously important. I can identify personally with lots of aspects of Hannah's life because of my own disabilities and the  fact I  have used care agencies, use a hoist and an electric wheelchair, and cannot stand being pushed in a manual one, although I need to ne because I don't have the muscle strength to use a manual wheelchair on my own. I dont't like being in a manual wheelchair on the occasions when my powerchair can't be used as I really feel my independence is being taken away from me, even though I am able to only drive my powerchair for a very short amout of time before I tire and/or am in pain or have a muscle spasm because of the effort I have to go to to move my chair on my own. I, like Hannah,  need to  carefully plan  what I do each day. I also really like shopping and fashion , as well as watching Friends  on TV and listening to the Backstreet Boys on my MP5 player!  I really loved watching Neighbours   During the 80s and 90s. I identify with the many assumptions  Hannah mentions that people make about the abilities of those of us with any kind of disability. 

 So this is a small world. They have this great saying here in Spain which  equivalent to saying its a small world, but they say "el mundo es un pañuelo" (the world is a handkerchief ).

It was nice to read about her experiences and opinions on life. I would highly recommend this book.

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 10: Happy Boxing Day/ Friday

I hope you all had a great Christmas day yesterday, and so far today for me has been relaxing, although I have started to get back in gear writing wise, and done a couple of critiques of peoples writing, plus posting some of my own online for people to critique.

 Alfredo and I are still firmly in the Christmas spirit, and I am still waiting for my birthday/Christmas presents to arrive. I'll let you know when I get them and what I get! I am also still waiting for a proof copy of my first novel in my urban fantasy trilogy. The novel is called The  Spellbrooke Trilogy book 3: The Legend of Spellbrooke .

For those of you in the UK have a great Boxing Day. That is not celebrated in Spain, and today is an normal day. The next big celebration will be New Year. Do you have any plans for that yet?

Enjoy the rest of today whatever you do! Have a wonderful weekend. 

30 Day Blog Challenge day 9: The Meaning of Christmas

Today is Christmas day , and for me, Christmas means spending a great day with Alfredo, and also getting phone calls from family. So far, both of these things have happened today. I have also watched a couple of films, and plan to read some of the book I have just started. The book is called Naomi's wish and is by. For some people, Christmas is all about presents I still have some on the way which is quite nice because having had my birthday on Monday, I am looking forward to getting them. I love receiving new things, but also family Christmas is about being with people who who really care about me. The weather is not too cold today, but I'm not looking forward to when it gets colder! Alfredo and I decided to eat a Chinese meal today so that he wouldn't have to cook a Christmas dinner. We ordered duck with orange and almonds. It was the first time I have ever had this dish from the Chinese and it was delicious! It's so nice to eat something different from normal Christmas food. We had some hot chocolate and chocolate panettone for breakfast which is the kind of breakfast that Alfredo is used to having for Christmas Day because eating panettone on that day is a Peruvian tradition. He has now been away from Peru for 12 years. I spent quite a few hours yesterday getting in touch with friends and family on Facebook and sending Christmas cards in advance of today. I'm glad I did, because it's usually a really busy time of year for everybody. Whatever you are doing today, have a great Christmas!

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 8: Happy Christmas From Me And My Blogs

As you know by now (and if you don't) I love to blog. I blog about different topics. 

Shopping

Disability Awareness (Cerebral Palsy, Hydrocephalus  and other conditions) 

 Books and Reading 

Have a great Christmas and New Year and I hope all your wishes come true. 

Be sure to please visit my blogs! 

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 7:How To Read 100 Books In A Year

This year, I have read 103 books. I didn't think I'd reach this target, but I wanted to try. Last year I only read 22 books, so that's a huge improvement. For those of you who don't read very much, I would like to give you some advice about how are you can reach the same target I have this year.

1) If you don't have one already, open up a Goodreads  account. The website is www.goodreads.com .

2) Decide  what you would like to read and search for each book on the Goodreads website.

3) Save  the first book that you would like to read at the beginning of the year as soon as you can on 1 January. Start reading it on 1 January as well.

4) Spend a maximum of 2 to 3 days (four if you need to) reading each book. The longer you spend reading a book, the less likely you are to keep up the pace during your reading challenge to get through other books.

5) Keep an eye on the reading challenge status bar to see whether you are on track, behind or ahead of yourself in the challenge. This will give you motivation.

Don't dwell on the fact that you have to read 100 books this year, just read at the pace I suggest and follow the steps in this post and you should be OK

Above all, have fun!

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 6: My 33rd Birthday

Today is my 33rd birthday. I am surprised how quickly the year has gone, and how quickly it has come round

Alfredo and I went to a shopping centre near us. Luckily, it has lots of accessible shops, and is only 15 minutes away from my we live on the Metro.

Until now, I had never been to TGI Friday's, so we went there to eat. We both had chicken burgers and a drink . The food there was slightly expensive but worth it, and the portions and service were good. As I always struggle to find an accessible restaurant which serves something I would like to eat, this was a welcome surprise, and accessibility was the reason that I chose to go to a shopping centre rather than some of our local shops. We went to have a look around a couple of shops. I didn't find any clothes that I liked, but went to one of my favourite make-up and beauty shops, Kiko Makeup Milano. I'll blog about what I bought on my Screat Dreamworld of a  Disabled Shopaholic blog  (also on blogger) and I'll post the link here. We got back quite late but all in all it was a good day. 

In the metro station on on the way to the shopping centre 

Me in TGI Friday's, me and Alfredo at the shopping centre. 

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 5: Feeling Grateful

Tomorrow is my 33rd birthday, and I spoke to my parents on FaceTime and then my gran phoned up. My gran has had a tough year. She ended up in hospital very dehydrated and with a urine infection. She was in hospital for a few weeks back in the summer and then it was decided by her and the drs she should go to a nursing home to get better care as she is a widow since my grandad died 11 years ago now. She and I had a long chat. She's 90 now. I'm very grateful to everyone who sent me a birthday and/or Christmas wish, card or gift ahead of time. 

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 4: Surprise Birthday Gifts

Yesterday, I got the first of my birthday gifts through the post, and it was from my parents . I love fashion and beauty, so I think this is a nice present. It is a lip balm by the Somerset Toiletry Company, a bracelet and a heart-shaped plaque by a company called East of India who I have never heard of before. I went on their website, and had seen that they have lots of similar plaques with different messages on them. I really like quotes and reading, so this seems the perfect gift for me. I still have three huge parcels to come. I can't wait to see what else I get. No matter how old I get, I still love receiving presents for my birthday, and even better if they are a few days early!

1. Plaque by East of India

2. Bracelet by Suzy Blue

3. Vanilla Praline Lipbalm by Somerset Toiletry Company (comes in tis own cute gift bag). The lipbalm has a gorgeous flavour too. 

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 3: Planning For Christmas (Or Any Event) Is Not Easy

Christmas is a happy time of year for everyone, and that involves planning weeks, sometimes months, in advance.
This year, I have been invited to spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day with Alfredo's sister Sara, and her boyfriend, and Alfredo's nephew will be there too. The thing is, throughout my life I have been conscious of the fact that if I want to go anywhere, it involves a lot of planning. Not just what to take, but how to get there, what time to leave, as well as planning the quickest way as well to get there. I have never been to Sarah's house, near Toledo, Castilla - La Mancha (to the south of Madrid).
  Alfredo tells me that it is mostly accessible , apart from a large step to get into the apartment. My electric wheelchair can go up a step 10 cm high. Her boyfriend's house apparently has a tiny bathroom, but is also quite accessible . I have always felt apprehensive before I go to new places as to how accessible they will be in reality, and whether the person's description of the place will be accurate when I actually get there. This is important for me, not only to be able to get my wheelchair into places, but because it also influences whether I have a good time while I'm there or not. Boxing Day is Sara's birthday, and I would like to spend it with her as we get on really well. She is a trained physiotherapist , and has assessed me. It is so useful to have someone like this in Alfredo's family! Another thing that we have to consider is how we are actually going to get there, as I can't drive and Alfredo has to get his license renewed. Sara's boyfriend Rafa has a van he uses for his work, but are not sure whether it will be wheelchair accessible. That would be the easiest way for us to get there, because it is over an hour away, and the buses that go there are inaccessible coaches. A taxi would be extortionate . I am left feeling awkward about this, and hope that we can work something out. But, on many occasions I have to  sometimes decided that I just can't go . Alfredo and I will have our Christmas dinner before he/we go. Let's see what happens!

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 2: Our Christmas Tree is Up

Today was a special day, and varied too. Our tree is now up and I love it this year. I wrote the first chapter and a half of another story. This one is about a girl who ends up in a wheelchair after falling through the ice whilst she was ice skating on the surface of the lake in her garden. I love writing! 

Happy Christmas and Happy 2015

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 1: A Busy Few Days

Back in October this year, I took part in the 30 day blog challenge, and yesterday I decided that I would sign up for it again.

This is my first post.

It's been a busy few days – yesterday, Alfredo and I were preparing for Christmas. He took me to the hairdressers to get my hair cut so that it looks nice for Monday which is my 33rd birthday, and also for Christmas and the New Year in general. I bought some Christmas cards yesterday and sent them today. I will be sending a mixture of actual physical cards, and e-cards this year. We got some more Christmas cards in the post today (thank you Sam and Richard, and mum and dad!) There are some parcels with my birthday and Christmas presents on the way, so I'm waiting for those as well. I haven't been able to buy Christmas presents for people this year, like other years, as I have been saving for a new electric wheelchair, seeing as the one I have is on its last legs. I would if I could though . I left working on my novel today in favour of going through wheelchair  websites and comparing pros and cons of different ones so that I can decide which one I'm going to get.

I'm also hoping to get some reading in today. I'm reading my 103rd book of the year! I have a book blog at www.myreadingparadise.wordpress.com, so I will review it there. I'll post the review here too for those of you who don't have Wordpress :) I hope your day os going great, amd I am looking forward to being part of 30 days of blogging again! 

My Thoughts About The International Day of People With Disability

Since I have known about the International Day of people with disabilities, I have written a blog post every year on that day. As a person who was born with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy and Hydrocephalus, I have never known what it was like to live without my disabilities. In my experience, I was born three months prematurely, and had a severe brain bleed on both sides of my brain which caused my disabilities, and my parents were told that I'd not be able to do anything.

I have, and can do many things: I'm bilingual (English and Spanish) I have written four novels, I am in a relationship and civil partnership and engaged to the love of my life. I have a university degree in geography, and a Cambridge University certificate for English as a second language teaching to adults.

I think that it is the day when people recognise disabilities, way as a group in society have fight  more for everything. I am also looking forward to the International Day of acceptance, which is run by 3E's wheelchair heart. I have two keep checking their first Facebook page because they told me that they don't know whether going to run the event in January next year. I was in the 25 best entries last January. What would be better though, would be to have society much more accepting people with disabilities the whole year round, and not just one day a month or week. People say that society is more accepting and the built environment are better adapted, but I beg to differ with that because I have had a lot of access is used throughout my life. People also need to be educated about how they talk to and relate to disabled people. A lot of us are cleverer than they think! I , for one, absolutely hate it when I am in a shop with my partner and they talk to him instead of me. When people what I want to eat/drink/do when they're idea of what I would like to do is not what I want to petrol. People always assume about what I "do with my day" –' I do a lot, I work on my box, and helped to do my exercises, or reading or go out. So people without disabilities do notunderstand people with them . Society has a long way to go. 

Happy International Day Of People With Disabilities

Today, we celebrate the International Day of People with Disability.  I want to tell you about me and how my disability was caused. 

My name is Katherine Hayward, I'm 32 and I was born with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy, hydrocephalus and severe eyesight difficulties, which have led to me being registered blind. I rely on an electric wheelchair to get around. I was born in Kingston-upon-Thames, UK together with my identical twin sister Natalie, who passed 
away 9 days after we were born. I have a tribute page to her at 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-to-Natalie-my-twin-sister/269861423116657?ref=ts&fref=ts. 

Natalie's and my birth was a real surprise to my parents as my mum , Anne , went into spontaneous labour , 3 months early. Natalie was born and the doctors were about to pack their equipment away when they noticed my mum was still in labour, and I was inside her, all the while being deprived of oxygen to the brain. I wasn't breathing when I was born at all and had to be revived and intubated , and immediately taken to the NICU. The same was true for Natalie. We were both on a ventilator in the NICU from the time we were born. At 6 hours old, we were transferred by emergency ambulance from Kingston Hospital , which was where we were born, to Queen Charlotte's Maternity Hospital as they had better NICU facilities as at Kingston they only had enough space to take care of one of us. At 3 days old, on Christmas day 1982, we both had heart attacks and had to be revived and we had an emergency baptism by the priest, as well the NICU doctors and nurses as they thought we would die at any moment. 
We pulled through...... and fought on.
Natalie fought on for 6 more days until she had heart and kidney failure , and passed away on New Year's Eve 1982. I had jaundice, recurrent conjunctivitis , heart and lung problems and suffered several bouts of pneumonia. 
I had a grade 4 brain hemorrhage on both sides of my head. The doctors did a CT scan and saw I had Spina bifida occulta and hydrocephalus . Then they saw I wasn't moving my body and diagnosed me with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy. I had blood transfusions, and at 2 weeks old, they performed a risky surgery to insert a Rickham Reservoir which drained the CSF . I was really I'll during the surgery and it had to be abandoned. It was then decided to insert my first Ventriculo- peritoneal (VP) shunt, a drainage device which drains the CSF away from my brain down to my abdomen where it can be better absorbed . Between the ages of birth and 11 years old, I had 4 surgeries to replace infected, broken or damaged shunts. I had numerous revision appointments with my neurologist. I would wake in the night or early hours of the morning vomiting , and have severe headaches. I got glasses when I was 2, as until then I couldn't see anything. My glasses don't correct my vision completely , and just allow me to see what I can , despite their complicated and high prescription . I have no lateral vision, and can only see what's right in front of me. I have tunnel vision , a bilateral squint , hemianopsia and am registered legally blind. 
My wheelchair is a lifeline to me. 


More About My Life 

In 1984, my sister Nicola Jane Hayward was born. 
I love horses, and cats (in my lifetime, I've known 3, Suki, Pippa, and Tala- Tala is now 11 years old and the others passed away). I'm a great believer animals are great therapy for anybody, especially disabled people. 

I studied Spanish and geography at Swansea University for a year from 2000 to 2001, and in October I transferred from Swansea to Reading University, where I studied Bsc Human Geography, and graduated in 2004 . In September 2004 to December 2004, I decided to to study a CELTA (Cambridge certificate for English language teaching to adults) at Oxford and Cherwell further education College in Oxford, as I had always wanted to teach English to people who didn't speak it as their first language. This became reality when in 2005 I had an interview at the British Council in London for a job post as a Language Assistant at a school.my first choice location was Madrid and I ended up getting the job, which I began in October 2005. Nine months later, I got a job through Berlitz language school at a summer camp in Cuenca, Castilla-la Mancha for three weeks. I have not been able to find another job since then and have lots of fond memories as I met a lot of great people. I met my partner Alfredo in January 2006. On this page and through my blog, I talk about my experiences living with my complex disabilities. My main aim is to show people what my day to day life is like living with my disabilities, and raise much more understanding and awareness of them. I also attempt to raise awareness of other conditions. 
Questions about my disabilities are welcome, as are your comments.

Here's a picture for today which I wrote on