Mary Thanks for update on Blog, Kate, very enjoyable. You look so cute, but need to tone that tummy just a little bit !! I have many similar photos from my adventures when I your age up to about age 35..there is a certain photo missing though..can you guess which one I'm desperate to see?? P.S. Smoking kills..lots of love, Mary

john ruscoe Dear Kate,I just heard on world news that a plane crashed out of caracus with 14 tourists on board,please email me to let me know you are safe.love dad

john ruscoe Dear Kate my email address is [email protected] Love dad

john ruscoe My Dear Kate,it was so good to hear your voice on christmas day so sorry we couldn,t speek for longer.Nan and Grandad cooked the turkey dinner,it was just me and nan and grandad and pauline and laurance and the dog. Mike and donna came round at 5pm after they had their dinner,so it was a nice day alltogether.Did you know that I cooked a pre christmas turkey dinner on the 15th of december Laura asked me to do it because she was spending christmas in Scotland with Sam and his family,so it was a big deal for me as Sarah came too which I was pleased with. We had two big tables together in the kitchen with seating for ten,even though I was up at 4.30am preparing I was still behind and panicking when they arrived at 3.30pm. Your mum was in a manic rush as usual dropping Sarah and Laura off with presents and wine and cigarettes,but it went allright and we had a delicious 15lb turkey with all the trimmings,as soon as Sarah and laura walked in I got them peeling the veg carrots and parsnips and swedes. I drove your nan and grandad to exeter airport on new years day for their six week holiday in Malta. We had to be at the airport at 8am so that cancelled out my new years eve celebrations. no big pissup for me though I did go out for a couple of hours from 7pm to 9pm I met up with mike and donna,mike had his dinner suit on looking very smart,I was in bed by 9.30pm as I couldn,t be late for the airport.I used michaels car to take to the airport i enjoyed the drive there and back,I stopped at macdonalds on the way back and bought £14 worth of macmuffins and hash browns to take to mike and donna,they wern,t up of course as they didn,t get home till 3am I had a job to wake them knocking on the windows so we sat in the kitchen drinking beer and eating macdonalds. Well Kate dear it sure sounds like your having a whale of a time but pleeese come home safe and well.I printed your blogs out on christmas day so all the family could read your adventures. All the best wishes for now kate dear with all my love. DAD

john ruscoe Hey Kate,I was thrilled to find this online diary of yours,your mum told me about it when I spoke to her last.I don't know much about blogs but i'm learning. it's wonderfull to read about your travels and adventures it reminds me of my time spent in Saudia Arabia when I was 21 I was there for 18 months working for a company called ARAMCO arabian american oil co. I was a radiographer.I'll tell you about it another time but I had a ton of experiences.I will print copies of your diary and give them to nan and grandad aunt pauline and brother mike. Your nan and grandad are going on holiday to Malta in the new year for six weeks,they leave on january 1st from Exeter I'll drive them to the airport.Your nan is busy knitting new cardigans for herself I think she thinks she needs a different one for every day of her holiday so thats 42 woolies.They went to town to buy a new suitcase, nan said she wasn't able to carry one so mick would have to get an extra large one to take her stuff,well they came home with the biggest suitcase in the shop it was the size of a small wardrobe,they went on a weekend coach trip to Bournemouth to try the suitcase out and the coach driver moaned so much about it struggling to load it in the cargo hold that when they got home they abandond it they filled it with blankets and put it somewhere and we shall probably never see it again.they have now bought two normal size suitcases like they should have done in the first place. By the way Kate your spelling and grammar leave a lot to be desired,your mum was allways very particular to get her spelling correct in her letter writing mind you she had to look in the dictionary on every tenth word so it did take her a while to finish her letters.Well Kate enough of my ramblings we all wish you well and we are all well.Keep yourself safe darlin Love Dad I will write to you next week.ps got your postcard it is much appreciated you're so thoughtfull

Mike Cresser Hi Kate , this is Ellice's dad by the way . Great to read about your trip so far . Bumped into your mother in Bovey today , 10th Nov , she was off to a wedding , then of on a trip abroad somewhere . Had a chat about your journey . Hope all's well and enjoy your time , remember it, soak it up and it will last you a lifetime . good luck . Suzanne and Alana send their love and good wishes . All the best , Mike Cresser .

Mary Hi Kate, your blog is really interesting, keep it up. Stay with the culture and get into the groove wherever you happen to be. The photos are showing up for some reason though, can you try to post them another way? I'll be seeing your mother the weekend of 3 November and off to see Kieran in US the day after tomorrow. It's rainy here today, but last weekend was gorgeous. I guess Rebecca and co. are at that wedding now? My final advice to you as a very seasoned traveller and having lived in many countries is this - RESPECT the culture of whatever country you are in. Don't flaunt yourself in any way, even if you are with other Westerners. When you show that kind of respect to them, you will get it back. Be natural and yourself, but always remember that the manner in which you are used to living is not the way these people live. Have a lot of fun with those kids, throw yourself into it! Lots of love from Mary