No news is good news right?

Just a quick word to those of you who have been following
the recent crazy turn in our adoption story, to keep you up to date.

and if you haven't been following, the first part of the recent drama is on my blog here....
http://meanwhilehereinfrance.blogspot.com/2009/10/commission.html#comments

.....So next, I phone Agence Française de l'Adoption and they said 'No
you are NOT on the list. Not under Phillips, Poskie, Merrow-Manon. Not
no nothing.

So then I phone the lawyer in Mali again and he says. No you ARE on
the list. Just wait. The AFA will contact you in a few days. This
turned, at the end of a few days, into 'next week'.....

Well, apparently what was 'next week' has now come and gone, it being
Friday as far as I can see. Without word. So I called our lawyer and
demanded he explain exactly what was going on.

This is what he said.

Apparently at the moment of a commission in Bamako each lawyer gives
the 'Direction de l'Enfance et de la Famille' the list of his clients
to be selected. (This first part makes no sense to me as most people
don't even have a lawyer at this early stage and the selection has
nothing to do with the lawyer). So, when he gave his list he put Ruth
Phillips on it. The Direction couldn't find a Ruth Phillips (of
course, because our dossier is under Merrow-Smith) so the Direction
ignored that poor crazy woman on the other side of the world waiting
for her little Malian poppet, and sent the list off to Paris without
her. And of course her dear patient philosophical husband. When our lawyer got my email asking what had happened and why
weren't we on the list (his words in January having been 'If there is
ONE couple selected at the next commission it will be you') he went to
the Direction and sorted out the mistake. They said that's all well
and dandy because several people who were selected have refused their
place (found a kid somewhere else, died, agreement no longer valid,
decided they couldn't be bothered, whatever) and we are now sending
out a second list (the B list we all dread being on) to which we will
add your client. So I (and of course dear patient philosophical
Julian) should have been on the A list but this is my life and I
always somehow end up being on the B list, don't I? Even when I'm on
the bloody A list.

That B list left Bamako yesterday. It has to go to the consulate first
in Paris and then to the AFA. Then apparently, some time next week?
the AFA will contact us.

So as Julian says, a painting is not sold till the money is in the
bank, and we are not on that list till we are holding the official
letter from the AFA in our hands.

Meanwhile, because I do not stay in depression long, I finished the
third draft of my book, and my Indesign course and found a wonderful
kind and sympathetic lawyer in the Cöte d'Ivoire who called us up two
days ago, even though she has only seen our documents by email, saying
'I have an adorable little four and a half year old boy for you......'
so if Mali does not work, the Côte d'Ivoire is extremely promising

So I'm afriad you have to keep everything crossed still. Sorry about
the cramps, but you should try adopting a child!

Obviously I will keep you posted.

Much love and thanks each and every one for your support. It means the world.

Ruth (and of course dear patient philosophical Julian)