Previous blog entries have mentioned my visits to Sue and her hubby Alan.  Sad to say that Sue passed away yesterday.  She'd been bedridden and ill for a long time, but it still took me by surprise when I heard the news.  She was only 50.

I'll remember her as being eternally optimistic and cheerful, always making an effort to chat and be happy when Dad and I visited, even when sometimes she obviously felt dreadful.

So here's to Sue, wherever she is now.  She'll be missed.

My cat-shaped dishes (and the dog-shaped ones too) are proving very popular.  They just sell as soon as I make them, so making more is keeping me very busy.

This last week I've finished some nice jug and bowl sets (which can of course be sold separately of each other) and am very pleased with them - they're currently on the Available Now page, but hopefully before long with be on the Homeware page because they''ve been bought by someone!

Dad and I had another exciting day last Sunday - he was taken ill whilst I was working at the Artists' Boulevard, and phoned for me to come and drive him to A&E.  It takes me ages to pack up all my wares, but luckily my friends at The Boulevard stepped in and took over the running of my stall and sent me off in my car to get Dad.

He'd been having severe pains and numbness in his lower arm, and I was worried it might be a heart attack.  His arm and hand were white and cold.  He was seen very quickly at James Paget Hospital, and the very capable and pleasant doctor there soon confirmed it wasn't a heart attack.  He also checked Dad's circulation and reflexes: all normal.  So, the excruciating pain may simply have been a temporarily trapped nerve, but we'll never know for sure.

We drove back to The Boulevard in time for me to pack away my pots; my friends I'm sure were relieved to see Dad looking better but also relieved that they didn't have to attempt packing away all my stuff and taking it home with them!

The pain and all the excitement took its toll on Dad, and he spent the rest of the day and much of the next sleeping and taking things quietly.  Today he seems back to his normal self, although he did get cramp in his hand twice this morning.

This is a picture of my good friends Willie and Suzanne Doig from Inverness.  We've been friends for about 10 years now; I met them whilst on holiday there once, and we kept in touch; then when I moved there we saw each other more often.  This week they've been on a city break to London, so I drove down to spend a day with them on Wednesday.

We met up at Tottenham Court Road, near to their hotel, and walked several miles sightseeing.  We had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe.

My mate Toni was kind enough to let me stay at her home Tuesday and Wednesday nights, so that I didn't have to do it all in one day.  After all, it's 120 miles from where I live to London.  Toni and her friends Andrea and Kim took me to the Prospect of Whitby pub for dinner on Tuesday evening, and on Wednesday evening Toni supplied good old East End pie and mash for dinner.  One of the few things about London that I miss!

It's nice to be back home in Suffolk though; less crowds, less dirt and less traffic!