The Rossiters

Eithne.

A 12 year old boy leans over and gives his Mother a lingering kiss on the cheek, knowing that he, Billy, wont be able to do the same after Saturday.Eithne, his mother died last night.

As I sat tonight beside her GP husband, Eamon, I was reduced to tears and stuck to the seat I was in.I am not the strong person I thought I was.

Through the window I see into the sitting room where their 6 year old son,Owen, is kneeling in front of the tv with his cousin's seemingly fine and smiling, but i doubt it.

All the while Sadabh,their 10 year old daughter, is in floods of tears being consoled by several Aunts and family.

Eithne McCarthy was pregnant with all 3 kids at the same time as Liz was with Aaron, Jordan and Lauryn, maybe this is why I find this harder than other funerals.

I told Eamon I would go back down tonight and spend the night, but after shaking the hand of my son's friend and seeing the pain in this young mans eye's I couldn't do it.Sorry Eamon.The last thing you need tonight is another grown man crying.

Crazy Times!!

Last week was a very busy and a very varied week, to say the least.Monday was a bank holiday which throws everyone anyway and also makes for a lovely short working week.

On Tuesday Liz brought Jordan up to Uplay Cafe to a drumming  workshop by Colin Woolway, the creator of The Drumsense teaching system he learns drumming from.He was the former drummer with Suzie Quatro.Also there was Russel Gilbrook from the band Uriah Heep.These guy's were brilliant and at the end did a jam session which lasted 20 minutes.Jordan was impressed to say the least.He even had his ticket signed and stuck it to the inside of his Drumsense book.

 

By the time they came home,10PM, Aaron and myself were in bed as we had to be up again at 1AM to head off to Dublin for the world premiere of "This Is It" in The Vue cinema in Liffey Valley.This was shown simultaneously in 15 cinemas around the world, and our time was 4am.

We needed to be at the venue for 3am as there was a full free bar and a Todayfm dj playing Jackson stuff.Ian Dempsey came in and we had some photo's taken.We ended up sitting behind Dempsey and 2 very nervous guy's from Julians Auction's who brought along Jackson's jacket he wore in Bad.They put it at the front on a mannequin for people to have photo's with.

We were given free t.shirts, posters, popcorn, fizzy drinks and sweets and all the alcohol you wanted, but the odd thing was I had to pay€3.10 for a bottle of water???.

I came away seeing the late great Jacko in a different light, a very exact, musical, sane, uber professional person who knew what he wanted and how he wanted it to be heard and seen.Maybe it was all the stuff he was pumped with that had him this way.Either way a genius, musically anyway. Go see it and judge for yourself, bring an open mind!

Early starts don't suit Aaron!!

,

Saturday was Halloween and we all headed to the Gaelic Bar where the kids and grand kids, and in Tim's case Great Grand Kids,  of the social club members were treated to a party night.What a clever idea and well done to the Gaelic.Eleanor and Dermot were down so they popped in also with Jame's who also got a goody bag.They came out and spent the night with us after wards.

 

 

 

The next morning the smile was to be moved to the other side of our face's.Bed now I will tell all tomorrow, but here's a taster of what happened.

Spike!

Huge excitement was to be seen here on Wednesday morning when the kids spotted a little hedgehog all tangled up in the net of the goal posts in the garden.I got the call to come home to perform the rescue.

He/she/it had somehow twisted , and the netting was wrapped all round him.I cut the netting to free him expecting him to scurry off, but he must have been exhausted from trying to free himself all night and defending himself from the 5 curious cats.

He was given a bed in the shed with some cat food and water until he was well enough to released.This happened to be 2 days later.While he was resting we did some hog research on how to care for them, but also found out that they are flea ridden, so off he had to go!!fleas and all.

We had a whole goodbye ceremony on Friday morning before school, and Jordan, who named him Spike, was a little sad whereas Lauryn didn't give a monkey's as you can tell by her face, and Nathan wanted me to "throw him into the field".

 

 

So that was Spike, another little episode for the kids to look back on.

She's Got It.

Lauryn finally learned to cycle her bike without stabilisers and has been gaining confidence, and speed, by practicing around our house.There is no stopping her now and she is out on her bike at any chance she gets.

This morning was a dull morning so we headed to town with the bikes to let her loose on the wonderfull, under utilised, Wexford quay front.There was no stopping her.Of course Nathan the fearless came along  as did Jordie, while Aaron did the teenager thing and stayed at home.

 

 

 

I found this a funny sight.

Off Down Under

Maw and Paw Rossiter are off to Australia in the morning for a whole month if you dont mind, no recession round there then.

They were out with us this evening for dinner along with Declan and Theresa.She saw this photo and asked me to post it so she can show all her relations down under, so good luck with trying to find this site on your own Mam!!!

 

This is all the Rossiter's, Wives, Husbands and children.

Have a nice time you too and bring me back a stick of rock!!!

6 PM Friday

I did a call late today in Blackwater, and called into our local, Freddies, on the way home to pick up a couple of cans to enjoy while watching Tubber's.

I ordered a pint and then the craic started. A man and his wife, both from Camolin, were there at the counter.The man was asked to sing a song which he did while playing the house guitar.

The bar manager, Jimmy, then burst in "Sarah Jane".

All this at 6pm on a regular friday. God bless the country pub and long may it last.

Jimmy Rossiter ESQ

I had posted this photo on Facebook earlier in the week to mark the 30th anniversary of Pope John coming to Ireland.

Tonight as myself and Liz went to Screen to welcome Andy Corrigan to his Church on his final journey, in this world, we bumped into my dad on his way to the chapel.So I grabbed him and brought him in for a chat to Freddies.

The photo was taken in The Nunciate (ennunciate) in Paris on the 30th of March 1980 while our Dad was visiting his friend FR.Knowles in the Irish College in Paris.Fr. Knowles later taught in St.Peters in Wexford.

A stretch limo with Papal and French flags was sent to pick my Dad up from the College.He came out to a chauffeur holding the door open for him and him alone,  what a rush,,.

It is said that the photo is the only one that the pope posed for that night.

We have a wall in our study where we hang framed photos of our families through the years, I must post a photo of the wall, this photo makes me smile with...I dont know...  look how the hands are melted with feeling!

I tell my children as I leave the house each morning to go to work that "I Love You" which is quiet a saga with Lauryn as she has to have a kiss, hug, high 5 and a little twiddle of her and my thumbs, Nathan wants a kiss, hug and a stinger high 5, Jordie is a plain dude hug, and shy kiss, and Aaron says bye dad!

Point is, I dont think I ever told my Dad, or Mam for that matter, that I love them...which I do.

Goodnight.

30 Years on!

I took a box of old photographs from my parents house today just for the nostalgia factor.There are photo's of my parents as single people all the way up through our lives.What a great, and time consuming catalogue of events, I can't stop looking through them and there are thousands,ish,.

One photo we have framed on the office wall here for ages prompted me to re-inact the same photo, because I am the only Rossiter with the same amount of kids as my parent's.  Confused, take a look!

This box is like an open tin of Roses at Christmas time, you can't pass it without picking up a handfull to have a look!!!

Jamie Week.

While Leigh and Gary were and still are away on honeymoon, we had the pleasure of looking after little Jamie for them.I say we but it really was Liz who did all the work, me and the kids just messed with him and taught him cheeky stuff, great fun and no dirty nappies for us, thanks granny!!!

 

 

 

The master and his apprentice!

 

 

 

"There may be trouble ahead" Auntie, Uncle, Nephew all under 6!!!!!

Next Please!

One Wedding over its time to plan for the next one.

My brother, Ronan, marries Eleaine Hearne next June 18th.I am best man this time so I better increase the speech matter!

 

 

A Saint he is not.

 

Point in fact!!

 

Can't quite figure out what Elaine is about to or has done.

They Do !

I do, I do were the words we all waited to hear last Thursday in Crossabeg Church, at Leigh and Garys wedding.And they did, with love!

I left the happy couple at the airport this morning along with Annie who flew back to San Francisco about the same time as the weds went to Turkey for a week, Leigh doing all the carrying of cases because Gary is on crutches after doing damage to his leg during the last dance of the night last Thursday.Their wedding night was spent in Wexfords A & E till 5.30am, ha ha ha ha ha.

With hand on my heart, and I mean this, I want to congratulate them both on what was a wonderful day.Everything was perfect in every way with no stress or fuss from start to finish, I miss read their organizational skills BIG time.

Jamie brought up the rings and coins in his bespoke chariot (only because he refuses to walk), followed by Leigh and her Dad Micheal, who gave her away.

 

Fr.Doyle was the celebrant, who also married John & Geraldine, and Annie & Eric.He is now part of the family! As the ceremony ended we left the church to glorious sunshine courtesy of the child of Prague.

Loads of photos were taken in the church grounds which were just perfect.On to the Talbot then for the meal and entertainment.The staff of the hotel are still being spoke about for their great service, especially Dick Walsh, the asst. Manager who could not do enough for everyone.

The speeches came, which I was dreading, but I was prepared.I was so nervous I did not eat much of the dinner.Garys brother, Johnathan, was the best man and was very cool and relaxed the moment.Aoife Clere , the chief bridesmaid said some lovely words about Leigh which came from the heart.Leigh's Dad said a few words and welcomed Gary into the family and was filled with pride to see his daughter become a wife.My speech left me quite emotional, even as her stepdad I have a lot of love for her.I also thanked my wife, Liz, because its only in the build up to this event I realised, how much she actually does  and holds things together, I love her her for that, and more beyond.

Dancing, drinking, laughing and the usual messing led the night to an end for us Rossiters and Galvins as, one by one we started to leave.We should have stayed to see the final dance when super hoofer Groom tried to fly through the air and kick his heels only to land assways and pull all the ligaments, we think, in his ankle.It is a good test to a marraige to see how they get on for a week in Turkey, in the heat with Leigh being his servant, live it up Gary it doesn't happen very often and you will not be allowed forget it!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy your lives  together....

.....to be continued....