Love and Marriage.......together.

*Long winded ramble*

As I sit here on xmas eve I'm excited about xmas of course but I'm even more excited about my ickle sister in law to be Aimee getting married on the 27th to my very good friend Johnny "the dreamboat"Cooney. I will post this blog some time on the eve of your wedding to let you know what I think of ye and offer my own advice on love and marriage. 

All I can say Aimee about Jonathan (I use full names when I'm serious)is that you have found someone who will look after you,who loves you dearly has a heart and a soul of gold and wouldn't hurt a fly so please try not to take that for granted and not hurt it particularly on bingo night.

He is undoubtedly an awful pity and half a women but who doesn't love a pity?

I consider him an extremly good friend and now he is family even though he was already anyway.He would do anything for anyone and especially for you. What you see is what you get and he hasn't a bad bone in his body.That is a rare quality in anyone. He has an honest big heart. Be careful with it. 

Jonathan where would I start with Aimee?I know her 11+ years since she was a cranky teenager who I paid to do my ironing but she is the only little sister I have ever had as my own sister is older so to me she was always my only little sister.I love her dearly and have always looked after her more than any of my other sister in laws.She has got some sneaky 20 euros down the years.

We both know that Bennett's are unique in more ways than one but one thing you could never accuse Aimee of is of being anything other than extremly kind,caring,loving and so beyond generous it is ridiculous.She also has a heart of pure gold.

Obviously she is beautiful looking and Aimee's good points simply blow any of her bad points out of the way. When I see they way she is with my two daughters I get beyond emotional to know that my children will always have her and now you in their life no matter what ever happens to me or us.

I don't think Catherine or my favourite  Bennett Liz or even Aunty William will disagree or mind when I say that Aimee is the favourite Aunt. I am so gateful for that and I don't take that for granted for one second. They cherish the ground Aimee walks on and I know you do as well even though you are a moan bag.

Obviously as much as I love you Jonathan I will however have to issue the obligatory double leg breaking warning if you were to in any way harm hurt or break Aimees heart. That goes without saying.Try scoring goals for Glenthorn  when you have 2 legs like forrest gump.Some people would say you actually run like him a bit anyway with your duck ass. 

As for advice I can offer you on marriage well it's very limited. I'm not religious (sorry Mam) despite getting married in a church myself but before I got marrried I took time to think what I wanted and therefore took the vows I made at the alter very very serious (and I'm not a serious person at all as you know).I also took them for the long haul.Those vows are what I go back to if we are having a bad patch/day. Marriage isn't always easy of course and is filled with a roller coaster of all sorts of emotion and highs and lows and that's why for me anyway it's important to remember you signed up for this and you signed up to it for life. 

There will be all sorts of problems/obstacles put in your way like stress or finacial worry or just having a bad day at the office.There will be days where you are sick of it all and wish you could be 20 again with nothing but a weekend of partying and hangovers to be responsible for but that's when you need to remember what you signed up for most. 

All those bad days or days where there may be an argument are nothing at all though compared to the deep love you have for each other. They are nothing compared to a hug or a kiss for no reason. They are nothing compared to coming home and just bursting to get in the front door to relax with your soulmate and be in their company. 

Remind yourself of this and remind each other of it often and do not forget to do it and do not take the smallest things for granted. This life is too short for silly arguments and do not let resentment or hatred into your house at any stage or in any way.Talk things through and sort out problems and don't let them crack your love. Love does and should always conquer all. 

Be there for each other and pull each other through any bad times your other half may be going through. Be there for each other always. 

I called this post "Love and marriage....... together" and it's the together part that I subscribe to most. Look across the alter to each other tomorrow and know ye are doing this together as two people.I asked myself before I got married could I and would I want to be sitting next to Jane in 50 years time and still be happy and the answer was simply and unequivocally yes. 

I hope ye laugh together. I hope ye cry together. I hope ye are sad together. I hope ye love together.I hope ye hate together. I hope ye care together. I hope ye cherish together.I hope ye are friends together I hope ye have fun together.I hope ye have many many many years TOGETHER. I can't offer you any more advice at all and all that is left for me to do is wish two people I love so dearly all the best for the big day and especially in life from Jane,your adopted daughters Mia and Eliie and myself.Don't forget to enjoy the day for gods sake. Nothing matters only sharing the day with family and friends and no matter what goes right or wrong on the day you will be surrounded by them all day. 

There isn't a meal,band,dj or mishap bad enough that can take away the fact you are getting married with all of us around. Thats all that matters. Take it all in. Every minute.

You always here me say that you have to grab everyday that you can that is good as no matter what life will 200% give you bad days so enjoy this day to the full and the next few weeks in particular.

R.I.P. snappy and spotty

*long winded ramble*

I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the recent passing of the only other males in this house which were our goldfish spotty and snappy. l went away for one weekend on a stag to return to be told that the two lads were "sleeping with the fishes". 

Since the day they were brought home they were fed twice by the children and then of course for the following 12 months I had to feed them. Goldfish are for life and not just for Xmas people.

In this mad house of women the 2 lads were always there for me in the corner of the kitchen always listening to me and never judging me and they always give me encouragement to keep going and never give up as I buttered round after round of toast and filled the dishwasher etc etc. I laughed and cried with them and I miss them terrible.

The 2 lads always loved oldies and Irish in particular on Sunday mornings with me and even Derry O Callaghan read out a text I sent one Sunday for me and the lads.

Snappy was the quiet one while spotty to be honest was a bit thick but you had to love him. He could swim away happy out for hours and hide in the castle from snappy. They were happy fish and never a bother to anyone.

When I pass that empty tank I well up and think of the good times at 3am just checking in with the lads and they always listened. No problem was to big or 2 small for them and they would blow a few bubbles of laughter when I'd tell them a joke.

I was going to involve the Gardai as I believe they may have been starved on purpose as our pet history isn't good. We had 2 kittens called Alfie and George and they never worked out. Alfie had a nervous disposition and ran away. Poor fecker was ruined with nerves and then our neighbours catknapped George who we rarely see now apart from when he kills a rat.

To think my gang here want a dog is frightening. They couldn't even feed poor snappy and spotty for a few days.I like to think that snappy and spotty are now in pet heaven with lassie and shergar having the lols and smoking cigars and playing poker or bingo laughing it up.

I took snappy and spotty down to the trees in the back garden to bury them and I played their favourite Diana Ross album to send them off and scattered what was left of the fish food over them.I thought the girls might be upset when they found out but Mia just said we can get more and not to be sad while Ellie the super thug just roared at me to get milk.I'll see ye on the other side my fishy friends.

Rest in peace spotty and snappy.