The holiday is over and back to London I head, waving goodbye to the coast and beautiful scenery as I go.

Though my return here is not for long as Friday I head to Daventry for The Great British Bead Show and then Sunday I fly over to Tucson to visit with the awesome Kate McKinnon (and also get to catch up with the equally awesome Marcia DeCoster and meet the sure to be awesome Dustin Wedekind and Teresa Sullivan).

So the next few days will pass in a blur of unpacking, packing, then unpacking and packing again. Add to that washing, emailing, writing instructions, taking photos, doing diagrams, posting kits, bill paying, post opening, phone-call catcher-up-ing and general dealing with life I see a few sleepless nights ahead as I work through my vast to-do lists.

Add to that the news that tomorrow I am not just playing in one roller derby bout, but two, and I can see me trying to work through my lists in a very bruised state. Fortunately I made sure I kept up practise whilst away by skating with the lovely Cornish Roller Derby team (if you're in Cornwall join them, go and see them and generally support them in anyway you can. If you're in London do the same with my team).

So tonight I will be kind to myself and sit and bead and watch TV before the chaos of life hits me tomorrow morning and I keep running until I land in Tucson next week.

I began work last night on a variation of my latest work and I think I started it when I was too tired as it fried my brain just looking at it. Perhaps tonight it will make more sense- fingers crossed.

After the puzzling plant I posted yesterday I thought I'd give you a close-up of it so you can see the amazing pod/ berry-like things on it. In addition I remembered another plant I was struck by when I recently visited The Barbara Hepworth Museum. All help identifying either of them gratefully appreciated.