wow, cannot believe i have been Simon’s wife for 6 months, thinking back to that day, it was and will always be the most special day of my life…i pine for that day!

Simon looked gorge and all our friends and family surrounded us, we had happiness oozing out of us…I love the fact we got a dvd as i can just watch it and sigh!

I would do it all again in the morning, the planning, the dress, the bridesmaids, the meal tasting..loved it all!

I count my lucky stars every day to have met someone like Si…they don’t make many men like him, in fact none!

X

for you, Simon!

Love and energy hugs

Your Rozzie

after having 2 weeks away from work, you would think that I would be reenergised for at least a week, no,no,no…

i am wrecked at 7 p.m. on Day 2, the little children have been filling my mind with mad stories, which make me laugh openly at their madness but that in turn sets them off laughing and it falls into chaos for at least 5 seconds….until I should out “Lamha suas”

At the minute, my class love doing anything I do…they are now obsessed with drinking water just like teacher, how cute except they suck on the bottle like a dummy and need to use the toilet  alot more.

Already looking forward to weekend and resting…big birthday party coming up..Father in Law is 65!
Myself and Simon are “in charge” of the sweet things, Am cooking lots of fancy, dark choc and marshmallow type things that I won’t be able to eat..

I am taking inspiration for at least a week from my friend. M. She never eats crap of any form, she never drinks alcohol, dairy, fat, sugar and anything nice really..what is left, you may ask?Well, the healthy, good things that make her look all glowy and positive and nice.

Just to clarify, I am giving up choc, biscuits, cakes etc for a week to begin with, we’ll see!

X

Rozzie( with no choc in her system but there are at least 6 Easter Eggs, 1 box of organic chocolate truffles( which my friend M. brought?) and a box of Lily O Briens in the cupboard, roll on SAturday!!

🙂

We are having a dinenr party tonight for 2 other friends of ours, slightly nervous as Michelle is a pro at cooking, baking and generally making everything from scratch!!She did the 8 week Ballymlloe Cookery course so can you see why I am nervous?

simon is making  big Italian Chicken tomato dish with salad, potatoes etc and bruschetta to start, yum. I took  dessert over as per usual, also as usual my dessers involve chocolate. I tried my first Chocolate Mousse, which apparently is so easy even a man can cook it( that is what the sexist book said…;))

It involved meleted 70% dark choc, egg whites, egg yolks and creme fraiche being ” whisked2 by hand…I whisked it by machine as I didn’t believe the book. I added a “small” amount of Baileys. We bought lovely dinky little Nicholas Mosse bowls and I poured the mixture in and put grated choc over it with strawberries( which I hope defrost!)

They look good and taste good but don’t have the texture of mousse at all so what will I call them?chocolate fun with Baileys?

anyway gotta go and pretty myself.

Yours in non-bubbled chocolate mousseness

R.

X

Yay, new places to eat always make me happy..i am easily pleased!

We got a new cool steak place right down in Potato Market, the view from the restaurant is amzing, it is situated on the river and town park, lots of swans( actually millions today!) and people generally walking and chilling.

I got a Steak roll, fries and salad…very nice soft bap with various sauces to test out..pepper sauce, sour cream and onion and gravy..really tasty and reasonable at 8.50, Simon got the Roast bap of the day which was Beef…also yum and same price!

WE got dessert, they do different icecreams and you can order a warm sauce to go with it, I got honeycomb, fudge an caramel and choc chip, the warm sauce wabutterscotch.. Icecream very good but the sauce is  a bit of a rip off, it was 2€ for the tub, which you use about 1/20 of it….a gimmick but I fell for it as next time I will try out the raspberry on white choc and pistachio icecream!

Nice friendly staff but a bit disogranised, their first week opening so I supposethat will get b etter.

Am looking forward to going one night, gourmet bugers, spit roast chicken and yummy sirloin steak!

I am getting paid nothing for this review by the way.

Afterwards we went for a stroll in to town park, it is such a peaceful resource for us to have in Carlow. Please do not build apartments on it!

X

Well, I decided to attend the annual INTO congress in Kilkenny this year. Probably for various unlined reasons.

1. The most important reason- the congress was to be held in Hotel Kilkenny, where Simon and I had our wedding reception, We were dying to see it and relive that day without a dress, bridesmaids, groomsmen and em…guests..not a good reason really, in hindsight..moving swiftly along..

2. We live so near, i.e. 45 miles away

3. WE were on our holidays from school.

4. We felt we should take an interest in the union and general teacher issues seeing as we were teachers.

5. Mary Hanifin was due to be there giving a speech, my dislike of the woman has grown so I thought why not go check her out in person? Actually I cannot say I really dislike her, I just dislike the way she lies and breaks promises but I promise to stay on the fence.

I usually avoid events which involve other teachers, primary in particular, they moan and they look like teachers. the female teachers all have short hair, glasses and work in Special Ed., and the male teachers all look like garda or councillers.. Why does this annoy me?Who knows?It is just a stereotypical observation that actually isn’t that stereotypical at all, I should really do a survey for this one day..

The more senior teachers all save seats for their friends like back in school, the younger more “hip” teachers get dressed up in a room with no mirror…the also save seats for their friends..

Anyway, they generally give out, complain and do nothing about various situations in teaching profession. whenthe minister for education appeared, the whole audience of teachers applauded her?Strange, we didn’t. I just looked at this small woman dressed in gold as she went through her well rehearsed and non-heart felt speech. I compared her to the Minister for Northern Ireland (Education), a huge contrast. Although Catriona Ruane’s speech lacked confidence and was slightly disjointed and very boring in places, she still showed caring and a heart for the children in the primary school setting. she outlined many areas that needed improving N. Ireland- the 11 plus exams, the irish language and the conflict between the religions there. Se kept repeating the phrase ” this is not acceptable”

Mary Hanifin’s speec didn’t once outline ANY problems in the current education system that She is in charge of. she basically gave a long account of how much money she was putting into education and how much more they will put in. she also reckoned we have “top class” teachers, as if to give herself a clap on the back for it? She has nothing to do with the “top class” teaching tha may go on in the classrooms in Ireland, this is created by the teacher him/herself, self motivating, working extra long hours to research methodolgies and resources, spending their own money and time on things that do result in “top class” teaching..

As you can see, I am annoyed with The Government and its lack of not only funding( which can be the easier option to solve a short term problem) and its lack of active listening and innovation and movement within a massively changing society…

We met up with a few friends from previous schools and conferences, I enjoy that bit!

and actually these events are never as bad as I originally think!:)