It seems the days pass by so quickly that there is no time to document the goings and comings of this family....without taking up residence at the computer and evicting everyone from the house ! ... and tempting and all as that is at times then maybe I would have nothing to write about:) ... so shall try to grab a moment when I can....
This week saw myself and Alex take a flying visit up home to be with family on John's birthday...our second without him... Elena, after a bit of deliberation elected to go to a friend's birthday party and Darrelle was busy with school and after-school and as Declan is away in Portugal till this evening with his golfing buddies we did a bit of juggling and managed to organise the girls (and the dog...)before we left....
Any mention of a birthday or party in our house brings high excitement...on the part of the little ones... so 'are we going to John's birthday' became the mantra of the day....and Alex's childminder Marie was regaled over and over about our plans to go to 'John's birthday'...Elena and Marie tried to explain to him about John not being there and that 'John was in heaven' and so on and he began to get fed up of all the clarifications and told me 'It is not Nancy's John's (his previous childminder's husband)birthday....it is 'John Irish'!!
???????
That has us all stumped all evening.....'John Irish??'
Regularly on the drive up home he reiterated that we were going to 'John Irish's birthday' and when I questioned him he got very impatient and said 'It is JOHN IRISH' s Birthday'... Ok -
The penny dropped much later that evening later when Dad and I were discussing the film 'Johnny English' or was it a book called 'John England' Dad?' and I went 'Aha...... John Irish! It was Alex's way of explaining to us that he was quite aware that he was not going to a party for John as in 'Childminder Nancy & John.....' whose surname is .......ENGLISH......today's birthday was for 'John IRISH'!!! thanks Alex - Your Mam is a bit slow sometimes....
By the way next week you are going to visit 'John ENGLISH'!!!
If there is anyone still reading after that waffle! we did have a lovely evening... As Saoirse said that morning...'Today will not be a sad day for all we have lost... today will be a celebration for all the good times and memories we have of John..' And it was....
'We went to Mass as a family....and 'John, you may not have organised the BBQ weather quite as good as you did on last May 12th but we did manage to eat outside wearing our '40 coats'!! .. so we were happy'
Happy Birthday Johnny Irish!!
We do miss you a lot....and we appreciate a little more how precious our family is to each other....
Some photos....
Alex was in his element all evening.. going from cousin to cousin...
In cohoots with Lauren!
Albie's second favourite son-in-law BBq-ing for everyone......Thanks Aidan...
Maureen thinking she will be able to 'keep away the midges(sp?) with the citronella candles....
didn't work....
Please leave me alone.....!!!
BBQ Irish style......
Saoirse & Sinéad....
Eileen holding court & Lauren quite content....
'I loved Johnny Irish's birthday party....'
3 comments:
Hi Adrienne - lovely to see the updates. How nice you get to spend and celebrate John Irish's birthday - how lovely and fitting you were all together gathered in his name. I am sure he enjoyed looking down on you all.
A funny coincidence. My Dads birthday was May 11th and the second anniversary of his passing away was yesterday May 13th - both days cushion your brothers birthday. I wonder if they have met yet up yonder :-)
We had a laugh this week. Gerry Ryan has just been buried a few rows away from Dad in the same graveyard and my Dad was not a lover of him - so my brother and I were wondering if our Dad has been hospitable to Gerry and welcoming the new comer to the new digs - one must get laughs where one can - we miss them terribly but life goes on and they are with us - just in a different way.
mk
THANKS ADI FOR THAT ESCRIPT-GREAT AS USUAL.
YOU ENCAPSULATE THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE OCCASION so well. Yes you can write and write very well. You could make lots of money out of your gift and talent .Try having a go!
The pictures are lovely too. Liked Aidan's classic pose at the Barbicon.Two very gifted /talented sons-in-law at the barbicons-one better than tother-two lucky girls of mine!
So thanks for coming up as you always do. You are right, there are still the rest of us Thank God.
Say hi to Declan and the children from us.XXA.
Thanks Dad - don't know about the writer's gift - I just like to get the memories down on paper - don't know that they will set anyone's world alight.. except maybe my own when I am 80 and reading back over our lives!!! provided I can still read of course!!!!!
Talk soon
Ad
Post a Comment