can't wait! You may not read this comment, Ruth, but just wanted to say that we can't wait to see you emerge from Manchester's arrivals safe and sound; bacon sandwiches on stand by! Safe journey home - lots of love, mum
What an amazing experience We have read and looked at all your blogs Ruth and we are quite simply astonished and humbled at your experiences and the way in which you have related them.Your Mum and Dad must be very proud of you. Even though the time will soon be arriving when you will be leaving and no doubt you will have mixed feelings about that:you have obviously learnt so much and touched the lives of the children you have worked with in such a way that that you will be leaving something of yourself behind.
Enough of this serious stuff !! we have your Grandma and Grandad with us at the moment so you can imagine there has been much frivolity, too much eating and drinking as well as the occasional visit to places of interest - today we spent a very pleasant time in Boscastle with wall to wall sushine although there was a chilly Easterly wind. Yesterday we spent most of the day with an old friend who was the best man at our wedding and who lived in Parkfield Road - needless to say there was much "swinging of the lamp"!!!
Well Ruth we are all so proud of you and your achievements in Ghana. We wish you a safe journey home and look forward to seeing you later in the year.
With our love and best wishes.
Aunty Sheri and Uncle Neil XXXXX
just one more Ruth thanks for the last blog and the update on your weekend .It is a bit surreal to be in the back of a Hummer in Accra mind you I have never been in the back of a hummer anywhere!! As I write this you only have 9 days left in Ghana and then back home . We are all looking foward hugely to seeing you again and sharing face to face in the experience you have had. Not sure the I will be truning up in a HUmmer as Alan suggests! One more blog , keep positive and make the most of your last 9 days as you have made the most of your last 11 weeks love you loads,Dadxxxxx
Hi Ruth You really do seem to be having agreat time in Ghana - not least of all your weekends !!!
Never mind the rainy season there, it is definitely the rainy season here - every day (interspersed, I must say, with some nice, but cold, sunny spells). When it is not raining it is either wintry showers or snow! On Easter Day we awoke to a covering of the white stuff, and I have to clear the snow from the car to get to Church. Well that is England!!
Your work at the orphanage seems to be very worthwhile and to you it must be hugely rewarding. We are all really proud of you for what you are doing, and it is a privilege to be able to say we know you well, and love you to bits.
I am sure the homecoming will be very hard, but am also sure that having got the "bug" you will be back to Africa. Olive has been there as you know and fully understands how you will be feeling.
Never mind we are all really looking forward to seeing you back in England, and hearing all about your fantastic time in Ghana. Love from us both - take care.
ps: If your father gets a bonus out of the Council Tax (sorry OUR Council Tax), maybe he will meet you at the airport in a £60,000 Hummer - you wish!!!
Bye for now
Olive & Alan. XXXXXX
Sounds Great. What a great weekend that was. I'm so glad you are having some wonderful experiences as well as working and helping. I'm counting the time to the great homecoming and I reckon it's just over three weeks now. We miss you so much over here and look forward to seeing that smiling face again. LYL G and G.
Hey stranger Woohooo Ruth. Sounds like you had a trip to paradise there! I hope the fun continues and the Visa situation sorts itself out. Miss you loads xxx
Great weekend even though I was careering down slopes in the Alps with your brother having a great time also with Matt and Ben your weekend definitely tops my experience.
Swimming across the Volta for breakfast very cool..!
It is great that you are getting to see the fantastic variety of landscapes that Ghana has to offer . I hope you are able to continue your travels even after Rhi has gone . Will be thinking of you over the next few days as Rhi moves on , keep in with the Finns and the guy who is a medical student .4 more weeks of your trip left ,sqeeze out all you can and remember at least 1 blog per week !! lots of love as ever Dadxxxxx
well well, it looks like your Ian is not a problem any more with all these foreigners asking for your hand in marriage, what romanticists! im sure Ian hasnt done anything that impressive eh? :)
seriously now tho, im still amazed at all the adventures your having down there and am liking the sound of those reed huts, what fantastic scenery. as you know we're back from skiing and Ben thinks its a great idea that we all go next year! we shall all be 18 too if you catch my drift....getting mashed cough cough!!
take care of yourself ruthie and will pick you up from the airport soon, fingers crossed
xxx
paradise hey after hearing about paradise earlier this is exactly what i imagined it to be like and your so right it does look so peaceful and relaxing and glad to hear you enjoyed the time away while missing the kids lol!!. Again it sounds/looks like you are having an amazing time but glad to hear you have some luxury and you dont smell too bad now lol!! take care xxx
Hello best babysitter Lovely to hear about your adventures, missing you a lot! Chloe says keep having a good time and Matty is wondering if you can remember how to make popcorn (without the smoke?!). Enjoy the warm weather it has been snowing here over Easter but not enough to sledge. Looking forward to seeing you when you get back xxx
Note from the Crumblies. Hi KittyFlynn. Grandma has asked me to type this for you. It was lovely to get back from holiday and visit your blog again - a card has been sent but who knows when or if you will get it before you are due home from Ghana. So glad you are having terrific experiences outside the orphanages - what memories you will have for the rest of your life, as will the children and friends you work with. Olive can relate so well to your experiences and feelings for Africa, as you know she lived there for a few years. She gave me a saying "They who thirst at Africa's fountain will drink again." Continue in your love and support for the children as we continue our love and support for you. Love as always. Grandma.
Now here is my bit. What a great time you are having, seeing and hearing events that most of us Brits experience. Interesting the photo of the falls. We were at an almost identical place in Ocho Rios in Jamaica, our last port of call last Friday. Dozens of people where climbing up through the cascadeing water, looked dangerous to me. A little bird told me you had hurt yourself, not at the falls was it? And another thing I'm not sure it is a good thing to run after folk if you know what I mean, we dont want you hurt any more. I make it 38 days before you come home, and what a celebration that will be. There will be hugs and kisses and tears of joy all over the place. AS you know you are never out of thoughts and prayers. LYL. Grandad. PS Put on 8lbs on the cruise, Oh dear. Hard work for the next 38 days at least to suprise you.
Hey Rooof My dearest Ruth looks like you are have an amazing experience out in the big wide world! U make me jealous as i wish we had the opp to visit Ghana as well. Im looking 4rd for our story exchanges when we get back..will be a long night I rate. Miss you loads, take care love Jonny xxxxxx
what a tour Ruth it is great to see you blogging again ,are you reading the responses you are recieving?People are really valuing the opportunity to share the experience.
The trip sounds as though it was great with an amazing opportunity to experience rural africa/Ghana.A 125 yr old hmmm.... I wonder if he has lost count somewhere along the way!!Far too old for you!!!
I was at a recetion last week and was speaking to some people one of whom is a dance r/choreographer,it transpired she was form Ghana and was back there during the african nations cup ,she said you would enjoy the Ghanaian dancing and movement and was sure too that you would recieve a warm welcome wherever you went which it sounds as though you are doing.
Keep the blogs coming and the photos ,it makes me feel as though you are just next door which is a ood feeling ,love you loads,keep sharing your care,love and you r smile,love dad
Great blog Ruth Your tour of Ghana sounds amazing, seeing all those monkeys must have been great. So glad you declined the offer to be wife number 4; you definitely should number 1! I love the photo of Adu and Queco in their cot wide awake. Just goes to show that children everywhere get up to the same tricks. Take care xx
Hi Ruth from Lymm Hi Ruth, this is in fact the second message I have sent but the first one (sent not long after you arrived) must have dissappeared somewhere in the interweb!
It hardly seems any time at all since you gave me that Paddington Bear stare as a 4 year old as I tried to persuade you that sharing the swing was a good idea in your Mum and Dads garden up in Stokesley.
Now you are an intrepid adventurer doing so much good in a place most people would prefer to think doesn't exsist. It seems like you are having an exhilarating, emotional, exhuasting, rewarding, memorable time and I sure life will seem pretty boring on your return.
I would like to give you exciting news from over here but I'm afraid we haven't won the lottery, Jake hasn't been picked as the new Harry Potter and the Police haven't raided a huge marjiuana growing operation at 1 East Street, Helmshore.
However we did have a small earthquake the other day which woke most people up but that probably didn't even make the small print of the Ghana Times.
We look forward to reading your next blog so in the mean time take good care of yourself, wrap up warm, and keep on doing the good work you do with that very special smile of yours.
Lots of love and best wishes, Nigel, Suzanne and the 3 munchkins xxxxx
hello!! hello,you wonderful granddaughter' what a wonderful time you are having/ i do envy you having the chance to go into the rainforest spiders notwithstanding/ mind you i just couldnt cope with the orphanage i would get too upset you are fantastic love you lots gran xxxx!
Brilliant Blogs! Hi Ruth- Boys gave us your address and really enjoying keeping up with your blogs.The experience sounds awesome and I'm sure that working with the children will be great for a teaching career( Especially the poo,wee and sick bit! I took my class on a coach from Wilmslow to Macclesfield this week and a child was sick on me! Not nice!) Story of Abdouissan? is incredibly touching-poor,poor boy. You must feel so privileged to have touched a life like his and made such a difference. Keep blogging!
what a weekend wow Ruth it sounds a fantastic weekend ,more exciting even than camping with Dad!!
What an ex[erience .I bet you all enjoyed the showers ,you will have to plan a few more trips as the countryside sounds magnificent ,no doubt I would be heard to exclaim "what a view is'nt it fantastic".Lots of love Dad
Spiders! What a good thing your Grandma wasn't with you, spiders not being her strong point! I can't imagine how you managed to get any sleep that night, but what a reward for your endurance;an African dawn, monkeys in their natural habitat, breathtaking scenery - wonderful! I'm so happy that you have been able to have a break from the city, where to next weekend? Lots of love, Mum x
Spiders A real life hairy big spider in the wild now thats a story. It must have been an incredible experience up in the forest canopy forget about the spiders. Grandma and I are following the tale of Ruth Jones in Ghana closely and we detect a rather more upbeat Ruth as time goes by. A does not go by that we do not talk about you and what you have told us in your blogs. We had a nice two days away and now are getting ready for the cruise. Auntie Debbie is visiting next w/e Matt cant come too busy needs to get job sorted for next year. LYL G and G xxxxxx
slight difference in temperature? I was driving to work across the Fens on Tuesday morning, temp minus 6 degrees, freezing fog, icy roads and flurries of snow. It has warmed up by some 18 degrees since then, it was a balmy 12 degrees today but quite dull. Viewing your pictures gives a sense of the massive differences between where you were (and where I am) and where you are now: I can sense the heat, the noise and even the baby sick. How is Rhiannon now? Being in hospital in the Uk is scary enough, it must have been quite an experience for you both. The story of your 'future fiance' is incredible: I wonder how the agencies in Ghana can help to locate his mother and sisters? No pay cheque could bring the sense of self-fulfilment that you must have gained in helping this young man: life will never be the same again for you, Ruth. Lots of love from us all XXxxxxx
hey Awww sorry to hear about your room mate but glad they are recovering ok, the pictures are absolutely amazing and so glad your having an amazing time. The little boy is so cute and the buses they look mental probably a bit crazy but a bit of a laugh, well done on travelling to the orphanage must have been scary take care xx
19th Feb thanks for the latest update Ruth and more pictures ,keep sending those as it gives a real feel for what the place is like .How about a picture of your house a nd a photo of the guy and his sister.
Well done for taking care of Rhi last weekend it must have been very worrying .It is always an anxious time when someone is very unwell .Another experience to put under your growing hat!!
Hope you have a great weekend exploring the coast and parts of Ghana's history .You look a lot better in the latest photos so the food can't be too bad and you are even getting brown ,but watch the sun (I am not jealous!)lots of love ,Dad and Mum
mum
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can't wait!
You may not read this comment, Ruth, but just wanted to say that we can't wait to see you emerge from Manchester's arrivals safe and sound; bacon sandwiches on stand by! Safe journey home - lots of love, mum