letter from Ruth

dear friends,

again excuse the round robin.

the good news is julian is healing well. the bad news, unfortunately, is that he has to spend a fourth week in hospital, though that's not how the day started...

this morning as louis and i were having our 'transition' morning at gary and sylvie's (just in case louis had to stay with them) the doctor rang and said all was well, that julian could go home tomorrow. yippee we shouted. daddy's coming home! louis and i got in the car with all our gunk and drove the two hours back to bedoin. the landscape in all its amber maplesyruppy colours had never looked lovelier!!! then, as we drove up outside the house julian called to say they were not willing to let him go quite yet to be on the safe side and that he had to spend another week in carpentras hospital. he is in no danger, the doctor said to me later, they just need to finish the treatment. i changed louis' nappy, we said hello to a cat, did an about turn and here we are back in the drome.

meanwhile louis has made great buddies with ninja the dog and is in expert and tender hands with julian's oldest friend. julian is philosophical as he approaches a month in hospital. my train to paris is cancelled due to sncf strikes so i have had to rebook from montelimar and i will try and enjoy my music making in paris and maybe catch up on some sleep.

the bad luck has been piling on but the worst news is that our newly found super baby sitter/cleaner brigitte called this morning to say her husband had been killed in a car accident last night. that put things in perspective.as i fought back the tears when i rocked louis to sleep tonight i thought of brigitte and remembered that we have lost no-one and that our little family WILL be together again on monday next and have a belated first birthday and indeed tenth wedding anniversary celebration.

thanks for all of you who have been so incredibly supportive and i take my hat off to every single mum out there.

much love,

ruth and louis