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May 12, 2011 by Amy Hansford
As children, we would tape films from the telly on our vhs. We’d record one film or programme over another, meaning we’d often see a few minutes from whatever was previously on the tape in between our kid stuff. One tape haunted me until this day. Just that one minute interlude, haunting me for 25 years. I never knew what the segment was from, only that it was the end of a film that my parents had recorded. To this day, it terrorfies me.
A woman is stabbed by flying daggers and pinned to the furniture in a crucifix position. Her eyes glow demonically. The camera pans out as the house burns down around her.
I would be captivated by that one minute of film, scared to take my eyes off the screen lest the drama concluding be changed. It’s returned to me in snatches of dreams, teasing me with the fear it unleashes. I never knew what the clip was from. Until this morning.
*** HERE BE SPOILERS!!! ***
A few weeks ago I Sky+d a few films to watch. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Independence Day and Carrie. Loved the first, haven’t got round to the second yet and started watching the third this morning. We are introduced to Carrie and told that her parents have strict religious beliefs. We meet her mother, a forceful preaching Christian who beats her child with a Bible to enforce her values. And that’s as far as I got.
As the mother walked through the house, there was a little piano riff. My whole being suddenly jumped? with recognition- after a quarter of a century being taunted by a frustrating clip, I knew exactly what it was. I had repeatedly seen the end scene from Carrie.
You’d think that with this sense of closure I would be able to watch the rest of the film knowing I had completed this puzzle. But I don’t think I can. I can’t tell you how quickly my hand moved to the stop button, how disturbed I was by that piano ditty. I also am unsure about the finality of seeing that pained face again after all these years.
For now it can sit on the recorder, waiting for me to be as brave as I was when I was a young child.
Category Uncategorized | Tags: , Carrie, fear, film, scary | No Comments
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April 26, 2011 by Amy Hansford
A quick round up of this month:
It’s been a time of getting the hang of this whole parenthood lark, Little L meeting all our friends and family (still have a few of her aunts, cousins, an uncle and great aunts to cover) and us coping with the inevitable overstimulation once this has all occured.
Momentous occasion last night – Little L slept in the big cot in her nursery for the first time. She was in the pram in our room for the first month. I don’t think she noticed. She actually slept better for not whacking her feet/hands against the side of her container, so it was good Zs all round.
In other news, I’ve managed to find a local non-grading tap class! It’s only taken two years. Looking forward to starting that next week. I understand it’s a good idea to have something regular to get you out of the house when a babby’s born.
Also, I’ve signed up with an online wedding forum, mainly to start stealing ideas from other brides to be. It’s fascinating for several reasons. The hatred these women have for so many people involved in their big day; some aren’t engaged yet and are already fantasising; the speed at which people flash (the practice of posting a picture on a themed thread, ie wedding venue, rings, shoes etc); the use of ‘STD’ to mean ‘Save The Date cards. So far we’ve come up with silly ideas that won’t be used, which is more fun actually.
That’s the ho hum update for you – more interesting tales next time (one hopes…)
Category Uncategorized | Tags: , baby, exercise, family, Milton Keynes, sleeping, tap, wedding | No Comments
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April 6, 2011 by Amy Hansford
Been a while, eh?
Last time I blogged, our baby was pretty much due. But there was no exciting birth for a good while – after a week of contractions, I was taken into hospital for the big event, waving goodbye to the inflated (and HUGE) birthing pool in the comfort of our living room. Wednesday night on the labour ward floated by on a bed of Epiduralness, followed by one heck of a heave ho on Thursday morning. Two hours, a wealth of contraptions and a fiance’s fully squeezed hand later and Little L was born!
Little L was born at 10.03am on Thursday 24th March 2011, weighing in at 7lb 4.5oz.
We were allowed home on the Friday to start life as a new family; The Hansfords.
It’s taken me this long to blog for obvious reasons – babies are incredibly tiring. They wake for feeds at 2-3 hourly intervals, and while you intend to nap when they nap you often find yourself catching up on chores instead, making you knackered. Additionally, I was pretty poorly after the event and it’s taken me until now to be able to operate as a normal, mobile human being. Alex (my partner) has been looking after Little L and I for the past fortnight – an absolute rock. He is an amazing man and – sorry ladies – he’s mine.
At two weeks, Little L is getting used to life with her slightly silly parents. Alex’s dad jokes are coming into bloom, as are his gurning skills. I’m enjoying cuddles and building up the bond with Little L that I didn’t quite manage to forge in the early days.
I will try not to make this blog entirely baby/child-centric. Normal people lead normal lives and have things to talk about. I’ve been encompassed by babyness and little else the past month, so that’s my subject area of knowledge. The more inane and odd topics will resume in due course, I’m sure. But until then…. awwww, ain’t she a cutie?
Category Uncategorized | Tags: , baby, family, Hansfords, life | No Comments
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March 13, 2011 by Amy Hansford
It’s due day today! But no signs of baby arriving any time soon. I’m changing my due date to 28th March to avoid continually waiting and waiting and waiting…
Category Uncategorized | Tags: , anteater, baby, dali, ponderation | No Comments
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February 26, 2011 by Amy Hansford
On Thursday night we popped down to our local lovely pub, The Olde Swan for some dinner. They always do gorgeous, gorgeous food and the staff are always great fun. After a top steak and chips followed by scrummy ice cream, I popped away from the table for a few moments.
When I came back, Alex was twirling a very shiny diamond ring on his little finger, at which point he suggested it didn’t really fit him very well so maybe I should wear it instead.
So all great happiness this weekend as he proposed and I said yes :o)
I now have a fiance, and he a fiancee!
Category Uncategorized | Tags: , engagement, family, food, marriage, Milton Keynes | No Comments
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February 16, 2011 by Amy Hansford
It’s that time again!
It’s the day to celebrate all that is good and inspiring about books. The day where all the children and teachers dress up as various characters to bring their favourite stories to life.
Click here to see the last update of the costume inspiration list for World Book Day. Don’t forget to let me know which you did so I can add it to the list for next year!
Category Uncategorized | Tags: , costumes, ideas, World Book Day | No Comments
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February 7, 2011 by Amy Hansford
Thanks to the power of Google Reader, I have lots of other blogs and websites that I keep an eye on, mainly for entertainment value. One such blog is Wedding Blog Of A Clueless Man. With Bridezilla, Don’t Tell the Bride and Four Weddings being big pullers on the telly these days, it’s nice to see things naturally bloom with a wedding rather than have it all thrust at you. Plus he has a great style of writing which makes me laugh. Especially the bottom of this post.
So, go see.
Category Uncategorized | Tags: , blog, comment, reader, wedding | No Comments
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February 6, 2011 by Amy Hansford
When you’re doing a show run, dinnertime is a slightly fraught issue. Trying to get food down you quick enough before a show is one thing – trying to find somewhere that does fast food where the queue isn’t 100 people deep is another.
Debs and I tried? a new outlet in Luton’s Arndale shopping centre called ‘Moodog’, focussing around hot dogs, hot drinks, ice-cream and doughnuts. All well and good. Or so you might think.
The hotdogs themselves – great. The french bread around them, coated in a dried syrup – vile. I can appreciate caramelised onions, but this was like eating a spoonful of pate with a spoonful of honey. Doesn’t work.
After all that, I couldn’t face the doughnut. I’d already had enough sugar! So instead, the doughnut faced me :o)
In short, if you’re passing Moodog, grab a doughnut, or a hot dog, but certainly not the two together.
Category Uncategorized | Tags: , food, Luton, moodog, review, sugar | No Comments
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January 17, 2011 by Amy Hansford
While watching the Riverdance show would undoubtedly bore me to tears, I love rhythmic patterns. I also love dance music. I also love people being creative. And so today I bring you two of my favourite videos.
The first (We No Speak Americano) is nothing short of addictive, with the second (Daft Hands ) being something I like to roll out every now and again. And with over 46 million views, other people seemingly do too.
Category Uncategorized | Tags: , creativity, dance, hands, music | No Comments
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January 1, 2011 by Amy Hansford
A theme I’d not given much thought to before was the subject of this year’s NYE Party. First question: do you go as an actual cocktail, or the literal translation of the name? For the pun costumes, you need to pick those which people might actually have heard of.? While there probably is a cocktail representative of a cheerleader, no-one will have heard of it so you’ll lose the punch (if you’ll pardon the pun). So, below is a list of those which we came up with.
Barbarella – Barbarella
Black Russian – Black Russian outfit
Black Widow – Black spider costume
Bloody Mary –Bloodied nativity costume with doll baby Jesus
Blue Hawaiian – Hawaiian outfit in blue
Bridesmaid Cooler – Bridesmaid wearing sunglasses
Chocolate Sailor – Sailor outfit with lots of chocolates
Cockney Champagne – Pearly King with a champagne badge
Eggnog – Noggin the Nog (Viking) with lots of Kinder Eggs or similar
Fallen Angel – Evil angel costume
Mai Tai – Wear a tie with the label ‘this tie is the property of [your name]’
Manhattan – Man with a hat on
Mexican Chocolate – Mexican with lots of chocolate
Naked Twister – Wear a Twister mat and little else
Pina Colada – wear a colander with attached penises
Shandy – Sandy from Grease but pissed
Shirley Temple – Shirley Temple
Strawberry Bandit -Typical burglar costume but in red with a green mask/hat
Strawberry Flapper – Flapper costume with attached strawberries
White Russian – White Russian outfit
Category Uncategorized | Tags: , Angel, Bridesmaid, Champagne, Chocolate, Cockney, cocktails, costume, Eggnog, Flapper, ideas, Manhatton, Mary, Mexican, Pina Colada, Russian, Sailor, Shandy, Shirley Temple, Strawberry Bandit, Twister | No Comments