Catching up

Thank you for you good wishes - my cold has virtually gone now thankfully! Colds don't usually knock me for six like this, so I don't know if it was something worse or if I was just really run down but I hadn't felt that bad since getting the flu last year. Oh, and one bit of maths I forgot -
heartburn that I've had all pregnancy + lots of coughing due to cold = acid reflux  
Not Nice. I now actually like the taste of gaviscon. This is also the reason why I am posting at such an un-Godly hour - I gave up and got up as it's more comfortable to sit upright at the moment! Ten weeks to go, ten weeks to go......!

The very expensive beach huts!

Anyway, I'm just glad that I was feeling well enough to travel up to Suffolk last Thursday. We always spend part of October halfterm holiday in Suffolk as my Grandma's birthday is on 31st October. The older she gets, the more important it is to me, although I'm pretty certain that she'll be with us well into her hundreds! This year the family have spread their birthday visits out, as Grandma finds it a bit too much to have all of us with her at the same time - too much noise! My aunt and cousins and their families live in Suffolk too and did her a special tea yesterday, B and I took her out on Friday, my parents are travelling up to take her out this weekend and my brother is going up later in the month. (By the way, T spent the weekend climbing Snowdon - yes, he is mad!) None of her trips out seem amazingly exciting (B and I took her out for a special afternoon tea for example) but they are what she enjoys.

An ice cream at the seaside is compulsory, even in the winter!

We stayed with friends rather than family this time. Mum and Dad moved away from Suffolk a few weeks after they got married but we moved back up for a while when I was a teenager and I went to college in Suffolk, and I've still got friends in the area. We stayed with my friend Kate (we've been friends for two decades now - where has the time gone?!?) and her children - her husband was also away for the weekend so we spent the days exploring the beautiful Suffolk coast with the children and the evenings eating too much chocolate and setting the world to rights! We spent Saturday at Southwold. I love how different the coast is at each time of year, and that even when it's cold, it's still beautiful! I don't know whether it's the quality of the light along the coast or just the fact that I'm in a place that I love, but everything looks beautiful - I haven't inflicted all the photos I took on you, but I hope you like this selection!

First go on tuppenny slot machines on the pier

Two train mad boys!

This week has been back on track work-wise - lots of orders with people getting organised for Christmas. I've been making lots of lovebird pendants! Also lots of preparation for a couple of shows at the end of next week (more details tomorrow - erm..later today!) and preparation for my fully-booked stone setting workshop on Saturday. I was teaching today too - Debbie came and made a beautiful cuff bracelet, learning how to use the rolling mill and how to oxidise her work - hello Debbie! I forgot to take a photo, so you'll just have to trust me when I say it was lovely!

Time to try sleep again I think!