Author: MichelleMcHatton

I'm a writer. I'm also a wife and a parent who works too much and lives too little. In addition to writing I also love to read, listen to music, travel, cook, I enjoy looking for bargains at flea markets or thrift stores, Christmas, football and of course writing! How did I come up with the title of my blog? Two things: 1. I live in New England (duh) and 2. Canadian singer Alan Frew once arrogantly told me to "get a New England life"--again--DUH! I already HAVE one!
Today I Saw The Future

Today I Saw The Future

by MichelleMcHatton

Today was Saturday.

After sitting in stuffy classrooms all week, children long for Saturday.  Just like their adult counterparts, they use the weekend to unwind, to have fun, to maybe do things they didn’t have time to do during the week because of their school obligations.

But because of the NRA and the members of Congress who support the NRA (and are ass-fucked by the NRA), children who would normally be spending time at the mall, going to the movies, maybe a birthday party, or just chilling with Mom and Dad or doing whatever, spent their Saturday marching the city streets of America, even the city streets of other countries, in a march for their lives.  Saturdays shouldn’t be spent like this for anyone, least of all children.  Yet in 2018, here we are.

The kids who spoke and marched today are the future leaders of our country and the world.  They have shown more than once that they are strong, they are resilient and they won’t take shit from anyone.  My thirteen year old daughter is one of them.  The NRA and members of Congress, especially the GOP, should fear the future.  I, for one, look forward to it.

#MarchForOurLives

Lights, Cameras, Movies

Lights, Cameras, Movies

by MichelleMcHatton

Over at In the Seats, I took at look at two films screening at the Canadian Film Fest this week. The first is Michelle Ouellet’s drama Prodigals which focuses on a man confronting his past when he returns to home for a murder trial. The other is Jeremy LaLonde’s The Go-Getters, a comedy about an […]

via Canadian Film Fest 2018: Prodigals, The Go-Getters — Cinema Axis

The 80’s Revisited

The 80’s Revisited

by MichelleMcHatton

I always knew it would happen one day.  Or at least hoped.  The day my child said she wished she had been around in the 80’s so she could’ve experienced the music.

My thirteen-year-old recently came across the Jennifer Garner flick “13 Going on 30” on Netflix and was immediately taken in by the 80’s theme of the film.  Especially the music.  “Head Over Heels”, “Jessie’s Girl” and particularly “Thriller”.

“Why couldn’t I have been around in the 80’s?” she whined.

“Just because you weren’t doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy that music now,” I reminded her.

The other day we were returning from running errands and sat in the car listening to the last strains of Wham!’s  “Careless Whisper”.

“I love this song,” she said.  “Who sings it?”

“George Michael,” I told her.

“Who?”

“Wham!  George Michael.  You know, ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’.  You know that song,” I reminded her.

“Oh yeah.”

We continued talking about Wham! and 80’s music as we entered the house.  I relayed my teen love for Duran Duran to her.

“You know, the group who sings ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’.”

“Oh, yeah.  I like that song.”

“Yeah.  You know what the lead singer’s name is?”

“What?”

“Simon.  Want to know what his last name is?”

“What?”

“LeBon.”

She laughed.  “What a funny name!”

I smiled.  “Yeah, that’s what the rest of the band thought too when they first met him.”

I went on to tell her how there were three members in the band with the last name of Taylor but they weren’t related.

“Really?  How can they not be related?”  my daughter asked.

“Because in England the surname Taylor is like the surname Smith in America.”

She also thought it was cool that John’s real name was Nigel, because that’s the first name of one of The Muppets.  Which is another thing from the 80’s that she loves.

But that’s another 80’s story for another time.

Growing Up A Toys “R” Us Kid

Growing Up A Toys “R” Us Kid

by MichelleMcHatton

After 70 years Toys “R” Us is getting ready to close their doors forever.

I grew up a Toys “R” Us kid.  My daughter grew up a Toys “R” Us kid.  What other store exists where you can go and walk among zillions of toys and have fun?  Toys “R” Us was it.

It’s the only place I could find The Muppets figurines my daughter loves.  I even found Muppets pins.  I scored some major toy bargains from Toys “R” Us over the years.  A Loopz game for five bucks one Black Friday.  And a Barbie Dream House several years ago for $99.00!  Coupons and reward points helped.  That was Toys “R” Us.

Now with the liquidation pending I will once again venture out to what was once the world’s biggest toy store and see what final bargains I may be able to snag.  This time for my five-year-old niece.

And who could ever forget the theme song?

 

Hollywood’s Biggest Night

Hollywood’s Biggest Night

by MichelleMcHatton

I’m not a big fan of the Oscars.  I don’t think I’ve ever watched one award show.  However, I am a big fan of movies.  For all my life they’ve made me laugh, cry, scream, even shake my head.  They have entertained me.  Isn’t that the point of going to the movies?  To hopefully be entertained?

This is Hollywood’s biggest night.  So many worked hard for weeks, months, years to earn their chance at entertainment’s highest award.  Anyone outside of Hollywood has no inkling about the ins and outs of making movies.  So don’t act like you do.

If you’ve ever watched a movie of any kind and enjoyed it, don’t be knocking the people behind the creativity.  If you feel you could’ve done a better job, then do it.

If you feel that the Oscars are nothing but a bunch of Hollywood rich brats who are going to lecture you, nobody is telling you to watch it.  So don’t.