tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926550289643089482024-02-19T03:37:35.742+00:00You were created to love and be lovedKt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-87056168566690577742013-03-17T01:45:00.001+00:002013-03-17T01:45:20.587+00:00It's true what they say about sequels<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Mean Girls 2... who knew this even existed? But on the eve of St Patrick's day, after having watched 3 rugby matches (that's 7 hours of rugby coverage) I felt like I was justified to open a bottle of Rose wine and watch a trashy chick flick!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.disneydreaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Mean-Girls-2-Movie-Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.disneydreaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Mean-Girls-2-Movie-Poster.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#13 Mean Girls 2</td></tr>
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My favourite type of Chick Flick? The super cliche, could write it myself High School drama! As a big fan of the original mean girls, when I saw this on Netflix I knew I had to watch!!<br />
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It's awful and amazing all at the same time. With lines such as:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">“Ok so, one more time... She’s never made out with anyone ever? Or just this week?"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">and</span><br />
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<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“eeew eew eew, there’s poo on my Jimmy Choo”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How could you not love this film?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">3/5 Stars!</span></div>
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Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-52911786404075639242013-03-16T21:12:00.000+00:002013-03-16T21:12:21.680+00:00Solo Cinema Outings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Whenever I tell people I go to the cinema by myself, 99% of the time I encounter one of two reactions.<br />
Reaction a) "Oh my goodness, that's brave I could never do that. I wish I could but I just couldn't"<br />
Reaction b) "Oh wow... good for you" *as a look of pity at my singleness crosses their face*<br />
1% of the time I meet people who also share my solo cinema passion!<br />
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Today was one of those days. I was supposed to go with a friend but they cancelled and I went anyway. Last week I went to see Oz the Great and Powerful on my own and today I did the same thing. I went to see <i>Welcome to the Punch, </i>an action thrilled directed by Eran Creevy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#12 Welcome to the Punch</td></tr>
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Set in London and starring James McAvoy, Mark Strong and Andrea Riseborough this film was exactly what British action thriller cinema needed. The screenplay was good, the twist was well hidden and the filming was new and original. There were a lot of very clever shots and angles; this gave the film a Hollywood feel without the Die Hard/Bourne style FX and unrealistic action. The film was gritty, well paced and enjoyable. I'd say it's worth a watch and give it 4/5 stars.<br />
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If you've never been to the cinema on your own before I would seriously recommend it. I especially love going to see films like this (Cert 15) on Saturday mornings because you often have the cinema practically to yourself, or like me this morning, a personal screening!! Also on Saturday mornings in Moviehouse Cityside (don't know about the others) it's only £3 before 12!</div>
Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-77000040504868614322013-03-13T22:04:00.001+00:002013-03-16T20:56:48.091+00:00What i've been reading and watching!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><u>Reading</u></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.latrobe.edu.au/childlit/Reviews/Skellig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.latrobe.edu.au/childlit/Reviews/Skellig.jpg" width="127" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#8 Skellig by David Almond</td></tr>
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<b><u></u></b><br />
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#8 Skellig by David Almond<br />
Taught this one to my Year 8's this year and it's one I'd never come across before, it's a bit strange. A Pastiche of magic realism with some darwinism thrown in there. It is a good story though, bit of a page turner and the pupil's always wanted to read on which is always a good thing!<br />
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I'd recommend it to readers aged 10-13.<br />
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<b><u>Watching</u></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://joshinthecity.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/amelie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://joshinthecity.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/amelie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#10 Amelie</td></tr>
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#10 Amelie<br />
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The first French Film I ever watched, back when I was around 14. I did not <i>get</i> it, and I did not watch another french film for around 8 years! But after being introduced the the true wonders of french cinema by <a href="http://www.mybookishfriends.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">JC</a> and Miss D I thought I'd give it another go. Boy am I glad I did! Funny, touching and heartwarming. 4/5 stars <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wired.com/geekdad/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/oz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://www.wired.com/geekdad/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/oz.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#11 Oz the Great and Powerful</td></tr>
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Number 11 was the newest offering by Disney: Oz the Great and Powerful. I went to see it in 3D (which I hate) and it worked really well. The cinema I went to had really good glasses which always makes a difference.<br />
Mila Kunis is pretty good in this and the FX are really quite impressive. A lovely mix of film and special effects made for a pleasurable hour and a half.</div>
Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-4938626210937511262013-03-04T23:40:00.001+00:002013-03-04T23:43:57.366+00:00DO NOT READ THIS AT BEDTIME!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So book number 7 is one not to be read just before falling asleep (as I did)<br />
This review contains spoilers so if you do want to read the book don't read the end section (it's safe to read the part after the **)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.angusrobertson.com.au/images/ar/97802978/9780297867487/0/0/plain/light-shining-in-the-forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images.angusrobertson.com.au/images/ar/97802978/9780297867487/0/0/plain/light-shining-in-the-forest.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#7 Light Shining in the Forest by Paul Torday</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
I love crime thrillers, there's nothing better than a good detective novel or an episode of CSI! It's my favoured form of brain numbing. This book is written by the same author who wrote Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, that now mildly famous film. I haven't read it but i'd heard good things, so when I saw he had written a thriller and it was on offer on Kindle, I purchased it. I couldn't put it down, it's an absolute page turner, and whilst it was no surprise whodunit I devoured it!<br />
The book revolves around the statistic that every 5 minutes a child in Britain goes missing. A small percentage of those children are never found again; most are runaways, but some children that are suspected to be runaways may not be...<br />
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*SPOILER ALERT*<br />
Do not read this book at night. I read the last fifth in one sitting at bedtime- couldn't stop till I put it down, but the taxidermy and embalmment of children is something you do not want to be in your head before dreaming!<br />
*END OF SPOILERS*<br />
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I give this book a 3.5/5 because there were some elements that I just felt didn't really work.</div>
Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-71109403415653298702013-02-25T23:20:00.001+00:002013-02-28T00:23:43.663+00:00Zombie Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykJLVY5p8gM_SCyqrfTdEeW7POHTwa9RXGiip7M-COpiOmeoeJhaqQLzczrioLsOxznPh6s1M4ngJMf7W2V8zqJIYIALkDY8zOvbc4UgrZujAI43Y19pSG7n05JJGKPyH7rc-xRay8AU/s1600/warm_bodies_film_poster+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykJLVY5p8gM_SCyqrfTdEeW7POHTwa9RXGiip7M-COpiOmeoeJhaqQLzczrioLsOxznPh6s1M4ngJMf7W2V8zqJIYIALkDY8zOvbc4UgrZujAI43Y19pSG7n05JJGKPyH7rc-xRay8AU/s320/warm_bodies_film_poster+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#9 Warm Bodies<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> The book was written by an acquaintance of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.mybookishfriends.wordpress.com/">JC's</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> so we went to see this out of loyalty and I loved it! I think I just have a lot of love for a lot of things.</span></td></tr>
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It's a zombie Romeo and Juliet, with Nicholas Hoult playing the main character 'R' and 'Julie' being played by Teresa Palmer. A fun new take on a classic love story!</div>
Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-15051183127404663782013-02-25T22:59:00.000+00:002013-02-25T22:59:40.090+00:00The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#6 The Hundred Year Old Man...</td></tr>
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It's just a great title for a book really isn't it?!<br />
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I really enjoyed this one and although it was a bit clumpy in places I still found myself wanting to return to my kindle to pick up where i'd left off.<br />
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Fun, Friendly, Clever and a bit of a giggle i'd definitely recommend this one! so it's a ****/*****<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Desperate to avoid his 100th birthday party, Allan Karlsson climbs out the window of his room at the nursing home and heads to the nearest bus station, intending to travel as far as his pocket money will take him. But a spur-of-the-moment decision to steal a suitcase from a fellow passenger sends Allan on a strange and unforeseen journey involving, among other things, some nasty criminals, a very large pile of cash, and an elephant named Sonya. It’s just another chapter in a life full of adventures for Allan, who has become entangled in the major events of the twentieth century, including the Spanish Civil War and the Manhattan Project. As Allan’s colorful and complex history merges with his present-day escapades, readers will be treated to a new and charmingly funny version of world history and get to know a very youthful old man whose global influence knows no age limit. An international best-seller, this is an engaging tale of one man’s life lived to the fullest.</i></span></div>
Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-7948758421561030042013-02-20T23:03:00.002+00:002013-02-20T23:04:36.779+00:00Bright Young Things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Saying as i'm so awful at writing reviews i'm going to go for a slightly different format for the 50/50 project from now on, less reviewy- more bloggy with an added 'oh this is what i read/watched today'<br />
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I've just been away in London for a few days over the half term break. I had a wonderful time, packed in lots of friends, food, shows and wine :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#5 Bright Young Things</td></tr>
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I got to finish book #5 Bright Young Things by Scarlett Thomas<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>"Bright Young Things wanted for Big Project.' They're in the prime of their lives but our bright young things are all burnt out. Six sparky twenty-somethings just out of university and working dead-end jobs, they are all bored to tears with their lives and looking for a way out. When a mysterious job is advertised in the newspaper, they all apply. What they least expect is to find themselves prisoners on a deserted island. There's food in the fridge and they have a bedroom each, but there's no telephone, no television, and no way to escape"</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">It was dated, cheesy and had an unsatisfactory ending but I enjoyed it as a mindless holiday read. So i'd give it a</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Rating: ***/*****</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Very thankful today for good friends, the ability to travel and the means to enjoy nice things</span></span></div>
Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-79892180674632637142013-02-08T23:20:00.001+00:002013-02-08T23:26:44.933+00:00When God was a Rabbit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
#4 When God Was a Rabbit<br />
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I loved this book. Everything about it was wonderful! I've discovered this year that i'm really terrible at writing reviews... I don't think my vocabulary is good enough to review things... or maybe my ability to relate one thing to another is underdeveloped because I haven't read enough? Well whatever it is, I hope this year will go some way to rectifying this, however I need to write these reviews as soon as I finish reading the books and not weeks after (like this one!)<br />
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This book was a present from my housemate <a href="http://www.mybookishfriends.wordpress.com/">JC</a> and her impeccable taste in literature meant I was sure I was in for a good read. This book is honestly one of the most pure and truthful accounts of childhood and love I have ever read. Beautiful in its complex simplicity and a joy to read!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#4 When God was a Rabbit</td></tr>
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Blurb: Spanning four decades, from 1968 onwards, this is the story of a fabulous but flawed family and the slew of ordinary and extraordinary incidents that shape their everyday lives. It is a story about childhood and growing up, loss of innocence, eccentricity, familial ties and friendships, love and life. Stripped down to its bare bones, it's about the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0d171d; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Title: When God Was a Rabbit<br />Author: Sarah Winman<br />Medium: Paperback<br />Publishing Details: Headline Review, 2011<br />Stars: ****/*****</span></div>
Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-62432588731063516442013-01-31T23:10:00.003+00:002013-02-08T23:27:40.027+00:00Park It!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0d171d; font-family: 'Josefin Sans';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://twitchfilm.com/assets_c/2012/09/parked%20uk%20dvd%20case_resize-thumb-300xauto-29783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://twitchfilm.com/assets_c/2012/09/parked%20uk%20dvd%20case_resize-thumb-300xauto-29783.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#8 Parked</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><b style="color: #0d171d; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">#8 Parked</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0d171d; font-family: 'Josefin Sans';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">: My sister loves Colin Morgan... she's a little obsessed, so she was happy enough to force me to watch this for what was her 3rd and my 1st time!</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0d171d; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">It's slow... like a lot of indie dramas tend to be, but this lacked the sparkle that makes slow special! It's definitely near the bottom of my top low budget Irish films list... i've seen around 4!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0d171d; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Morgan gives an excellent performance and the characters are pretty well developed, but the pace just killed it for me.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0d171d; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Film: Parked<br />Director: Darragh Byrne<br />Released: 2010<br />Watched at: Broadroad Lodge (The Parents' House)<br />**/*****</span></div>
Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-67519537405583823182013-01-22T14:12:00.004+00:002013-02-08T23:26:14.661+00:00Letters to a Young Gymnast<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Nadia Comaneci was the first gymnast to score a perfect 10. She soared into the hearts of millions overnight when she appeared on the competition circuit at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. <br />
Raised in a tiny village in Romania, she was sent off to a government run Gymnastics school after being discovered by Béla Károlyi, argubaly the sports most famous and conroversial coach. He, a Hungarian born national, coached the Romanian Gymnastic team until his defection, along with his wife, to the USA in 1981. After having trained many American gymnasts to Olympic glory, he was made National Team co-ordinator in 1999. <br />
His wife Marta now holds this role and helped put together last years' 2012 Olympic gold medal winning line up of Maroney, Wieber, Ross, Raisman and Douglas. The <em>Fierce Five</em>, as they have now been dubbed brought home team gold for the first time since the magnificent seven in 1996. (When the Karolyi's were at their coaching prime)<br />
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This book is not so much a story of Nadia Comaneci's career as a gymnast as a story of what life in Romania was like. There was lots of gymnastics, but none of it inaccessable to non specialists. I found it difficult to read in places, because although Nadia now lives in the United States with a American husband and their child, I still felt like I was reading a book in broken English at points. The gramatical structure of many sentences was basic and stilting in parts. However I still found this book interesting and enlightening, but then again I will<strong> </strong>read <strong>anything</strong> about gymnastics that I can get my hands on! <br />
Expect a few more gymnasts' autobigraphy reviews because I have some more on my <em>to read</em> pile!<br />
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Blurb: In <i>Letters to a Young Gymnast</i>, Nadia Comaneci tells how she found the inner strength to become a world-class athlete at such a young age. Now a woman of tremendous poise and self-assurance, she offers unique insights into the mind of a top competitor. From how to live after you’ve realized your dream to the necessity of “a spirit forged with mettle,” Comaneci’s thoughts on athleticism and sacrifice are eye-opening.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Title: Letters to A Young Gymnast<br />
Author: Nadia Comaneci<br />
Medium: Paperback<br />
Publishing Details: <br />
Stars: **/*****</div>
Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-20135033808830544622013-01-19T14:33:00.000+00:002013-01-19T14:36:52.548+00:00Enough films for a short film festival!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm going to need to make a habit of blogging my films immediately after I see them, or this year is going to be quite unsuccessful!<br />
Last week I watched 4 films, and this week, owing to a family tragedy I have spent a lot of time in the house with my cousins needing some light entertainment, explaining films number 6 and 7!<br />
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<b>#2 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof:</b> This screen adaptation of Tennessee Williams' hit stage play features Elizabeth Taylor with an immensely skinny waist and dresses to make any girl jealous. This is the first 'old' film I think I've watched on purpose. And I must admit I quite enjoyed it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2012/10/12/1350056421023/Paul-Newman-and-Elizabeth-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2012/10/12/1350056421023/Paul-Newman-and-Elizabeth-010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#2 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof</td></tr>
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Film: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof<br />
Director: Richard Brooks<br />
Released: Sept 1958<br />
Watched at: Home<br />
***/*****<br />
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<b>#3 Charlie Wilson's War:</b> I honestly have no idea what to say about this. I was bored from start to finish; its only saving grace was the fact that it was only 97 minutes long! I'm not opposed to political films, in fact I quite like them, but I found this slow and clumpy. Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts just didn't do it for me!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.iwp.edu/imgLib/20100809_CharlieWilsonsWar20074576_f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.iwp.edu/imgLib/20100809_CharlieWilsonsWar20074576_f.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#3 Charlie Wilson's War</td></tr>
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Film: Charlie Wilson's War<br />
Director: Mike Nichols<br />
Released: 2007<br />
Watched at: Home<br />
*/*****<br />
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<b>#4 The Great Gatsby:</b> One of my favourite books of all time, so it's a surprise I haven't actually seen this before. Robert Redford and Mia Farrow in all their beauty do a good job at portraying the hopelessly obsessed Jay Gatsby and the beautiful but unhappy Daisy Buchanan. The glamour and lose morals of the extravagant 20's and 30's. Very true to the book, which at times was to its detriment as the story was dragged out at points. Overall an enjoyable watch and left me very much looking forward to Baz Luhrman's offering later this year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.kuteclothes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/article-0-0070885700000258-219_468x351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://blog.kuteclothes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/article-0-0070885700000258-219_468x351.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#4 The Great Gatsby</td></tr>
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Film: The Great Gatsby<br />
Director: Jack Clayton<br />
Released: 1974<br />
Watched at: Home<br />
***/*****<br />
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<b>#5 The Dungeon Masters:</b> I do love a weird documentary and they don't get much weirder than this one! The film follows a number of 'gamers' as they play Dungeons and Dragons, a popular strategic RPG (Role Play Game) It looks at how they cope as their fantasy lives clash with the real world. Slow in places, this documentary lacks the compelling narrative that other documentaries of this nature need. But overall and interesting look into this strange world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFz0lRUJf7yUhsI9RBq87mqSKkIscxkRalymQ7uIrpVvXgKms4wtHiWyS0LosK2xSsVKQwT4rQno7AWdWIe4OrIB_f3aavQj52RQFDt38SKnnn0xQt7JTOzE783kxzKuEaDSu_Vo5jEU/s1600/dungeonmasters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFz0lRUJf7yUhsI9RBq87mqSKkIscxkRalymQ7uIrpVvXgKms4wtHiWyS0LosK2xSsVKQwT4rQno7AWdWIe4OrIB_f3aavQj52RQFDt38SKnnn0xQt7JTOzE783kxzKuEaDSu_Vo5jEU/s320/dungeonmasters.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#5 The Dungeon Masters</td></tr>
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Film: The Dungeon Masters<br />
Director: Kevin McAlester<br />
Released: 2008<br />
Watched at: Home<br />
**/*****<br />
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<b>#6 My Big Fat Greek Wedding: </b>A firm favourite of mine, it's a bit like a big tub of Ben and Jerry's and a class of Coke- ultimate comfort viewing! The sugary sweet and predictable narrative always makes me laugh and the Greek family reminds me a lot of my own crazy extended family, living in each other's pockets and sharing all elements of our lives. A 4* rating from me :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.kino.de/flbilder/max02/bf02/bf37/b0237005/w964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://images.kino.de/flbilder/max02/bf02/bf37/b0237005/w964.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#6 My Big Fat Greek Wedding</td></tr>
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Film: My Big Fat Greek Wedding<br />
Director: Joel Zwick<br />
Released: 2002<br />
Watched at: Pancake House<br />
****/*****<br />
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<b>#7 RV- Runaway Vacation</b>: Robin Williams stars in this silly family comedy. 'Peeta' from the <i>Hunger Games</i> and 'JoJo' of noughties pop fame play Williams' disconnected kids. Familiar faces also pop up in the form of 'Spencer' from <i>Criminal Minds</i> and 'Annabeth Schott' from the <i>West Wing. </i>This silly, slapstick comedy had us in stitches- exactly what we needed this week. But no amount of tragedy could convince me to give me this film more than 2 stars!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.joanna-levesque.org/interface/rv1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.joanna-levesque.org/interface/rv1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#7 RV- Runaway Vacation</td></tr>
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Film: RV- Runaway Vacation<br />
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld<br />
Released: 2006<br />
Watched at: Pancake House<br />
**/*****<br />
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Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-5301569974383216342013-01-11T23:25:00.001+00:002013-01-11T23:47:04.052+00:00Domestic Abuse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>There was once a girl who lived in a city that she loved very much.</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The city had been battered and bruised, but with the past 15 years the bruises had been yellowing and fading. For many they were a story, a distant past no longer relevant or present in their lives.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">But then <b>one day things changed</b>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Some people started staying out late at night and holding up the traffic.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The policemen stood on the streets day and night, accepting all manner of missiles thrown at them. The ugly bruises and scars that had been buried in a shallow grave resurfaced in a blur of red, white, blue and yellow. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Fire.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Fires across the city, contained in little bottles, raging on public busses and inside wheelie bins smatter the news bulletins;</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">unable to be extinguished by the tears of the girl who lived in this city.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>But still she cried</b>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">She cried from frustration, that years of peace had not been enough for people. That there is still discontent simmering under the skin of this place.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">She cried as she watched her city held to ransom by people let down by the system. She sighed deeply in bewilderment but not disbelief, that a small piece of cloth could cause so much heartache.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">She cried for the people who had missed the memo that this place was going places, it was on the map, the tourists were coming, there would be new jobs.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>And tonight she prays that the damage is not irreconcilable.</b></span><br />
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Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-23142263357934130102013-01-09T00:09:00.002+00:002013-01-09T00:11:50.541+00:00Breathe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This. film. is. incredible! I felt like at the beginning I took a deep breath and didn't breathe again until the credits rolled!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Based on the true life story of Maria (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Naomi Watts) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">and Henry Belon (Ewan McGregor) along with their three children who, whilst on holiday in Thailand, survived the earthquake and tsunami of Boxing Day 2004. <i>The Impossible</i> is well deserving of it's critical acclaim and unending 5 star ratings.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/the-impossible-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/the-impossible-poster.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#1 The Impossible</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Much has been discussed around this release about the ethics of capitalising on such a disaster; but this film was perfectly made and brings home the humanity of this type of suffering. Yes, the director made the creative decision to tell the story of rich white, English speaking tourists (the original family were Spanish) and the plot was obviously manipulated for effect in places, but it does a good job of displaying the scale of the devastation. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So often I think we can see disasters like this on TV, on our news screens, in the papers and recognise the tragedy but still remain disconnected from the utter devastation and ruination of hundreds of thousands of lives, both claimed and forever changed by natural disasters. This film addresses that. It forces its viewers into a position where they are powerless to help the victims and must be content with watching their suffering and anguish play out in front of them, praying it will be ok- but knowing that for so many people that day there was no happy ending.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I cried, I watched through gaps in my fingers, I gasped, I winced, I even retched in one place and in the end I left the cinema, feeling like I had been through an ordeal, but also feeling a little more connected to the suffering of people on the other side of the world to me. That is the beauty of good art!</span><br />
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#1<br />
Film: The Impossible<br />
Director: Juan Antonio Bayona<br />
Released: January 2012<br />
Cinema: QFT<br />
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Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-40293623373895330022013-01-08T00:39:00.001+00:002013-01-08T11:42:57.666+00:00Death by Crime Fiction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are a lot of things I immensely enjoy in life. Some of these are perfectly reasonable and normal things like spending time with friends, red wine and travelling. Some are slightly more unusual; board games, playing violin and McDonald's chips dipped in McFlurry's.<br />
Then there are my guilty pleasures; those things you really shouldn't love but can't get enough of and are beyond the point of caring. I have a fair few of these but this post deals with two specifically;<br />
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Crime Fiction and anything about the Amish!<br />
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Imagine my excitement when I found a crime fiction series where the police detective grew up Amish and all the murders involve this small, curious, Pennsylvanian Dutch speaking community in Ohio! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/imagegallery2/bds/201248/9781447202158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/imagegallery2/bds/201248/9781447202158.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">#2 Gone Missing by Linda Castillo</span></span></td></tr>
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I devoured this in two days of light reading and I'm not ashamed to say that I enjoyed every second of it. Even when I felt like i'd read the same evidence about three times, told in three different ways and the police still hadn't clocked it (I'd nailed the murderer in the first chapter for pete's sake!)<br />
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This book is really everything guilty pleasure crime fiction should be; terrible one liners, cliche relationships and a few too many murders than a small town should really have (a la Midsommer!)<br />
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In a few weeks the details will blur and the characters will depart my mind and it shall just be another notch on my crime thriller bedpost!<br />
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Title: Gone Missing<br />
Author: Linda Castillo<br />
Medium: Paperback<br />
Publishing Details: 2012, Macmillan<br />
Stars: **/*****<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://chrisewan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Faber-Jacket.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://chrisewan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Faber-Jacket.gif" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#1 Safe House by Chris Ewan</td></tr>
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The first book I read this year was also a crime thriller. Set on the Isle of Man, this one was more literary than the one above. The characters were multi-dimensional and they operated within a much tighter plot with more twists and a case that kept you guessing to the end. Safe House by Chris Ewan is one of those CT's that can trick you into believing it's Pulitzer prize worthy!<br />
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Title: Safe House<br />
Author: Chris Ewan<br />
Medium: Kindle<br />
Publishing Details: 2012, Faber and Faber<br />
Stars: ***/*****<br />
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Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-7957732180093796652013-01-08T00:06:00.002+00:002013-01-08T00:06:44.466+00:00The 50/50 Project<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I like projects... I like challenges... I like being being busy for a purpose.<br />
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Last year I decided that I would run a marathon. This entailed me clocking up an average of 45 miles running a week for almost 6 months. That's a serious time commitment, but in May I ran 26.2 miles and raised a lot of money for charity. The next six months just seemed to be spent attending a lot of sporting events as a spectator including the Olympics, Paralympics, World Cup Gymnastics and numerous Ulster Rugby matches!<br />
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In 2013 I am going to congratulate myself by spending much more time on the sofa. I have dubbed my venture the 50/50 project.<br />
I pledge to read 50 books and watch 50 films and in doing so write more (as I will be forced to blog them to prove to everyone i'm not cheating!)<br />
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You can follow me on Twitter @katie_cloud or by the hashtag #5050Project<br />
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Please feel free to join me on the hashtag! I'll also need some suggestions of books and films to read and watch; you know what to do!</div>
Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-89822402736714055952012-12-31T21:04:00.002+00:002013-01-01T01:59:12.114+00:002012- You Beauty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have been looking forward to 2012 for a long time. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Since the 6th July 2005 to be precise. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was sitting in the kitchen of a church in Belfast on a summer mission team. It was around midday and my team was having lunch. I was sitting beside a girl named Rebecca and across the table from Ben and David. I still remember I was eating a hot dog and the bread was piled on floral fine bone china, the type that you encounter at grandparents houses and country church fete’s. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had been waiting on my mum to text me to let me know where the 2012 Olympics would be held. I knew London was in the running and although I didn’t think we had a chance (it was our first ever bid, this was the 3rd for Paris) I was hoping it would be in Europe so I might be able to go to something.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I screamed and danced up and down on the spot when my mum told me that London had won the bid. I can’t tell you how many times in those years of waiting that I watched the footage of the bid team reccieving the news and the crowds in Trafalgar square celebrating with wide eyed shock and unquenchable enthusiasm. Everyone knows what happened the day after on 7/7 on the transport network, but for me 2012 showed the triumph of the human spirit. What can be achieved when people are united under a common goal or banner. This summer was glorious, but it was only a small part of this year, which for me, was greater than many of the previous put together.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Anyone that knows me will know I love the olympics, so 2012 was always going to be an exciting one for me, but I decided that because it was a home olympics, something I won’t see again in my lifetime, I should make the year memorable, do something amazing, an olympic challenge. I read Bear Grylls book ‘facing up’ which documents his ascent of Everest and I decided that I was going to do something amazing this year.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I decided on a Marathon because it seemed insane enough for me take on, but simple enough to accomplish.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In January I had the opportunity to be on Desert Island Disc’s after submitting a track and my story. 30 minutes in Uncle Hugo’s studio in Broadcasting House and my story was told. You can listen to the programme here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00nsbdk</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In February I turned 24 and started a relationship with a friend who had been sitting across the table from me that afternoon in Belfast, when I began to get excited for 2012. It seems strange to me that after so many years of waiting 2012 was finally here and two months in it was already better than I could ever have hoped for. We stayed together until the middle of June when we mutually went our separate ways, but those 4 months were some of the most fulfilling I have had.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">March and April were filled with much running, an average of 60 miles a week and renewed writing efforts. They were also filled with Northern Ireland being obsessed by the Titanic- in Belfast you could not get away from it (you’d almost forgotten that part hadn’t you!) I went to the Titanic Light show in the slipways and it was one of the nicest things i’d seen done in Belfast, by Belfast, for Belfast.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">May brought the Marathon and after 6 months of training (something I never thought i’d have the will power to do) I completed the Belfast Marathon in 5:54:54 and raised over £800 for my two charities.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">June was the wind down from school and wind up to the busiest summer of my life. July and August saw me in London twice, walking in the Swiss Alps, singing in the Royal Albert Hall, watching Jess Ennis do her 100m Hurdles and High Jump in the Olympic Stadium, watching the gymnastics, sneaking into the athletes area and meeting some of my favourite gymnasts, holding Kayla Harrison’s Olympic Gold medal, watching live olympic basketball and generally enjoying the Olympic spirit and atmosphere in London. I also went to Seville and had an amazing time in the sun with beautiful food and 5 bottles of beer for three Euro!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The autumn felt really slow after the buzz of the past two months and much theatre was seen, many books read and many gigs attended.</span></div>
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November and December brought all kinds of fun and more live sport, including a trip to Glasgow to watch the world's best compete!</div>
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I have loved this year and this blog post is more of a personal reminder for me of how blessed I am to be able to do all the things I love and have the resources to go to the things I want to go to. I have an amazing set of friends who put up with a full 12 months of olympic mania from me, and for that I will be forever in their debt... until Rio and they have to do it all over again!!</div>
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I wish this was more concise and coherent, but maybe 2013 will see me hone my writing skills... Everest this year is to write a novel!</div>
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Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-71962407081268762542012-07-26T00:11:00.001+01:002012-07-26T00:12:48.643+01:00The Italian Job: Il Pirata<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">I recently paid a visit to one of Belfast’s best kept (relatively new) secrets. Il Pirata in Ballyhackamore, situated in the building that once housed KFC, is without a doubt the finest Italian I have had in Belfast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">We’ve come a long way with what we can offer as a city in the past few years and the standard of eateries has not been left behind in these improvements. Belfast now boasts a culture, arts and food scene to rival any European City, but we still hold that grotty charm that I love about this place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Il Pirata is an authentic Italian restaurant that serves far more than pizza and pasta, I would highly recommend the polenta chips, they were scrumptious. On offer are a range of ‘small plates’ and main courses. The menu has plenty of choice without being too crowded and the portion size was good (though I would suggest ordering a side with the main meal)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">I had the salmon and it was delicious, perfectly cooked and the flesh just flaked off and almost melted in my mouth. Everyone else in my party of 7 was also impressed with their dishes of choice. The atmosphere was casual and the wait staff were attentive and could offer good advice about what to order. (it took forever to get the bill though)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">I will definitely be back to this restaurant and I am so glad that Belfast is finally coming into its own as a city and 2012 has most certainly been ‘our time, our place’. Get used to the increased numbers of tourists wandering about with cameras because I have a feeling we are only going to be seeing more of them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">#comeonourweeland</span></div>
</div>Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-43923341112204723782012-07-20T23:35:00.001+01:002012-07-20T23:35:27.375+01:00The Water Sustains Me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am so thankful I live on an island. There's something about the water that sustains me, there's something about the river that restores my soul and I love it!<br />
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Today on my way home I took a walk down by the docks. The clouds were streaked pink coming off Cave Hill and I sat looking at Samson and Goliath reflected in the water until they faded into black to mirror the sky. <br />
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It's so quiet down there and it's mindblowing to imagine the noise that was there 100 years ago, the absence of rivet on steel is almost eerie. So as I sat and watched the last streaks of light fade from the sky I played this song [below] out of my phone, and at that moment I was so happy I could have just let the river carry me away. I am so blessed to live in this battered little city. I love its grotty charm and its wonderful people, I love its history and the future it has infront of it. Thank you Belfast for being so wonderfully you!<br />
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All that I have is a river<br />The river is always my home</div>
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The water sustains me without even trying<br />The water can't drown me, I'm done<br />With my dying<br />**</div>
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Where the blue of the sea meets the sky<br />And the big yellow <strike>sun</strike> [cranes] lead<strike>s</strike> me home</div>
</div>Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-11458825387507175502012-04-08T02:22:00.002+01:002012-04-08T02:22:53.716+01:00Northern Soul meets Urban WannabeI have been having some serious writers block. I was hoping 2 weeks of at Easter would go some way to sorting it, but we’re one week in and i’m not much further on. <br />
I’m really excited about what i’m working on at the moment, but I just can’t seem to get any of it out onto the page.<br />
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I’m in the middle of writing a collection of poems on the changing face of my city. I’ve been studying the works of the old school Northern Poets; Longley, Heaney, Kavanagh, Hewitt etc.. and looking at how they viewed the changing landscape of their time. I’m trying to verbalise how I view the city in light of it’s literary and historical past, but also what this city means to me now and the hope I have for it’s future. I believe we are standing on the edge of a very pivotal time in our city’s story and I want to blend that beautiful Northern soul poetry with the modern literary heartbeat that is radiating from Belfast at the minute.<br />
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I don’t know if it’s possible, but if I get anything halfway decent i’ll let you know!Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-45800428614295625322012-02-24T23:56:00.001+00:002012-11-07T16:03:11.799+00:00Alma Mater<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I wanted to blog more than this in 2012. This post is more of a personal documentation than a carefully crafted treatise!<br />
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I'm at a pretty transitional point in my life at this moment and it's been a little disrupting. I've just left a wonderful school, where I have met inspirational teachers and taught confident and perceptive pupils. I had the chance to work in a brilliant department amongst a staff who value everyones individual contributions. In short I LOVED THAT SCHOOL.<br />
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Now i'm moving on<br />
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To the place where everything began for me. My alma mater. The school which shaped me, which nurtured me, which encouraged me. The school where the teachers I had have become my friends, where I found people to champion my dreams and encourage my talents. Where I feel at home.<br />
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But I am scared.<br />
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I'm scared that i've got expectations (something I try never to have) I'm worried that I will fail to be the person my friends here have championed me to be. That it will be too hard to fit in with a different role, that I'll mess everything up and disappoint those who have believed in me the most.<br />
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But I trust in my abilities, in the joy I get from teaching, that everything will work out fine. I trust that there is a God who is <strong>for me</strong> preparing my path, who knows the number of hairs on my head. A God who loves me more than anything I could ever do or fail to do.<br />
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The cry of my heart is to be someone who makes a difference.<br />
It's not ok to me that kids go through their schooling thinking that they are useless. It's not ok to me that in schools children feel lonely, vulnerable and alone. It's not ok to me that school aged human beings think their voices are not heard or don't matter. I want to be a competent enough professional to ensure that I can make a difference.<br />
This is all I ever wanted from life.<br />
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Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-31764404195157564612012-02-07T18:59:00.000+00:002012-02-07T18:59:03.230+00:00World on Mute<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">It's like someone put a veil around me, a shroud of uncertainty and isolation. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The world, usually in technicolour, seems somehow dulled. The mist engulfing the city tonight engulfs me too, pulling me into its unsearchable depths. My heart aches, my eyes feel heavy, like my soul. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The river courses its gentle stream as I walk beside her, unaware of the raging torrents of emotion contained inside me. One foot in front of the other I carry on walking. I want to walk into the mist, to disappear from everything, to leave my responsibilities behind me. I want to leave the Lagan to her ageless journey. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><b>I envy her</b>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">She knows where she starts and where she ends, coming to the final few meanders of her path here at the mouth of the ford where her secrets become the lough's; where the lough becomes the sea. Her path laid out before her every step of the way. But me? I wander at her shore on the edge of a knife, veiled and muffled. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">One foot in front of the other is all I can manage tonight.</span><br />
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</span></div>Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-27036419259303691702012-02-05T18:36:00.001+00:002012-02-05T18:38:46.788+00:00You have the capacity to be incredible!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I have just watched <i>I have Never Forgotten you: The life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal</i> and I have never wept so much at a documentary before. This man was exceptional.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Friday 27th January was Holocaust Memorial Day and I did a few lessons on it with some of my classes in school that week. When I was researching information I came across this man Simon Wiesenthal the 'Nazi Hunter', I recognised the name but I didn't know who he was. I've only just got round to watching the documentary I found on him and I am so glad I did! His story moved me immensely; he encapsulated the grief of an entire generation lost at the hands of the Nazi's. He raised a daughter who would never have anyone to call auntie, uncle, cousin, grandmother, grandfather. He continued remembering and fighting for justice for those he was never able to forget. And he kept going even when people accused him of making the holocaust up, refused to believe the things he went through and spat at him on the street. Because of this unrelenting vision he had it is possible to quote the paragraph below from the aforementioned documentary:</span><br />
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<i>“Without Simon Wiesenthal’s activity, there would not be war crimes trials today. The reason that there is a permanent UN war crimes tribunal in the Hague is directly attributable to the work that Simon Wiesenthal began in 1946. No one had a more stacked deck against them than Simon Wiesenthal who came<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"> out of the holocaust with nothing, nobody, was 99lb and barely alive and with that he wouldn’t give up. To me that’s the lesson of Simon Wiesenthal; that one person if they want to and if they try can make a difference. He made a difference to the world”</span></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">For me the year 2012 will always be synonymous with the Olympics, but I want it to be much more than that. I want it to be a momentous personal year. I'll never win a gold medal, but I want to do amazing things, see amazing places, spend amazing times with great friends. So i'm keeping an 'Olympic diary' of all the really cool things I'm going to make a conscious effort to do this year. But after watching this documentary I think i'm also going to add 'find out amazing things that people have done' to the 'Olympic year' list.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><br />
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Human beings are capable of incredible things, in the same way they are capable of unspeakable things. It is up to us to be incredible in order to prevent the unspeakable from happening in our world! You have a voice, and if you want to, if you try, you CAN make a difference!!</span></span><br />
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</span></span></div>Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-55659919815550482672012-01-24T22:04:00.000+00:002012-01-24T22:04:05.885+00:00If you were here beside me...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiF0IT-FMQM3w7fcapM0EMtDAeWS7XOFHN5jBZxHqFW3UFbFUU0vErAZGuH2ZW1vcjfzJYVe30C67K3MdKKH9dmUobDnDfi2VPu-4TugOMkshHQ0hxopYiTZh2knIZMuHbelDAj0aGMzE/s1600/IMAG0346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiF0IT-FMQM3w7fcapM0EMtDAeWS7XOFHN5jBZxHqFW3UFbFUU0vErAZGuH2ZW1vcjfzJYVe30C67K3MdKKH9dmUobDnDfi2VPu-4TugOMkshHQ0hxopYiTZh2knIZMuHbelDAj0aGMzE/s320/IMAG0346.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
I can't explain what Snow Patrol's music does to me. Gary Lightbody is the best lyricist of the decade, hands down! There is just no arguing with me on this point!<br />
To write a blog about how much I love Snow Patrol would never do my feelings justice, so I won't try. I'll just say that last night was a special experience, and as long as Gary is up there, it always will be!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><br />
"I miss it all from the Lough to the Lagan<br />
and the lack of it splits me in two"<br />
-New York</blockquote><br />
I just love the way he writes. His music is laced with Northern Irish idioms, you're listening to an amazing song and them BOOM, there's references to 'The Lagan', 'Ireland in the World Cup' and setting 'Fire to the third bar' The way he describes emotions is so beautiful it sometimes takes my breath away. Seeing Snow Patrol is always a profoundly spiritual experience for me, the lyrics are so special. It's like he sees into my soul and sings at exactly the frequency that makes it hum.<br />
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That is all I have to say.</div>Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-72251993250656816562012-01-18T22:53:00.004+00:002012-01-18T22:58:02.220+00:00Silent Conversation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>"Words may be less important than I'd previously imagined."</b></span></blockquote><br />
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Over the past few months it has become very clear to me that <b>I love</b> conversation. I <b>long</b> for words.Words feed my soul, they make me feel relevant, they make me feel human, they make me feel wonderfully infinite and completely inconsequential all at the same time! I cannot feel fully alive in a world without discourse.<br />
Chat, dialogue, Pow-wow, debate; call it what you will, I will talk to you about anything! Made in Chelsea, Shakespeare, Celebrity Big Brother, Particle Physics advances in CERN; I'm not fussy, but please <b>don't say nothing</b>!<br />
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In pre-Islamic Arab society a person commanded respect based on their command over words. For them words literally were power. The Qur'an talks a lot about the power of words and the eternal consequences of them, so does the Bible. And I guess that I really do believe that words are power. As the most beloved headmaster of Hogwarts once said; <br />
<blockquote><i>Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic.</i></blockquote><br />
I have just been to see the silent movie <i>'The Artist'</i> in the QFT. I'm not very good at writing reviews of things, but I really loved this film. It was a beautifully told story with an exceptional score and I enjoyed it more than I expected to!<br />
I didn't miss the dialogue and the story was perfectly relevant and moving and enjoyable without it. Humans really are the most wonderful creatures- although this film also has an exceptional dog! If you get a chance I would really encourage you to go and see <i>The Artist. </i> If you heard 'silent movie' and were put off I encourage you to think again.<br />
<br />
Tonight was good.<br />
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And while I crave and long for conversation; I am willing to admit that there is, perhaps, more value in silence than I previously gave it credit for.</div>Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292655028964308948.post-1210070426447727452012-01-17T21:45:00.001+00:002012-01-18T18:15:08.113+00:00From the Lough<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.chrismckeown.com/exhibit/files/gimgs/5_belfast-lough-from-holywood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="375" width="375" src="http://www.chrismckeown.com/exhibit/files/gimgs/5_belfast-lough-from-holywood.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The flat light swallows the line between sea and sky<br />
and the hazy grey horizon holds it's secrets.<br />
<br />
Dreaming of times long passed<br />
The cranes lie sleeping<br />
<br />
Silent steel and rope and rivets<br />
inhabit their memories<br />
<br />
Giants that built Giants,<br />
White Star Liners and men<br />
<br />
Thousands upon thousands of men<br />
streaming through the gates as the siren summons<br />
<br />
Silent now, a shadow of what was before.<br />
2012 will resurrect her memory<br />
<br />
But memory will not bring life<br />
Not like before<br />
<br />
In the flat grey light<br />
The Giants keep their watch<br />
and the Lough keeps her secrets.Kt Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205897922808554417noreply@blogger.com0