November spawned a monster....?

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Surrounded by Christmas decorations, forced to listen to Christmas songs and it is November 19th. Christmas now lasts from Bonfire Night or Halloween until Valentines Day.  It is exhausting. I am exhausted by it but it won't put me off my actual Christmas break. I'm definitely half grinch!?

November 2016 has been a funny month, a mix of the good, the bad and the bizarre. My birthday was a lacklustre affair, and I should have known not to drink when I was in a weird mood, the alcohol turns me into an emotional wreck, all that was missing were the panda eyes from ruined mascara.  No, it wasn't THAT bad but I've had better but my friends were great as always. I was surrounded by friends and some family and they indulged me, you need to be indulged on your birthday.  The bizarre event was/is Trump, he has been elected in the USA despite losing the popular vote by over 1 million but it isn't the system that is flawed, it was the campaigns and the hate filled rhetoric from both sides (though Hilary was neither sexist or racist but she didn't win enough people over to win). Racism, sexism, islama-phobia all unleashed in middle America and I worry that the venom cannot be put back in the vial. Trump is busy preparing his cabinet and cabal of advisers, and so far it isn't looking good for the liberal minded Americans, the majority who didn't vote for him.  I spent a lot of time in the USA during the GW Bush era and thought he had stirred up some strange views and given the extreme right the oxygen it needed, Trump will make GW Bush look like JFK.  It is possible that I am being too negative but even if Trump's presidency is only one term and he manages to rein in some of his worst traits, it is going to be a horrible 4 years, horrible for anyone who isn't white, male and Christian (or irritatingly pious). I hope the checks and balances that exist are put to good use, the people of the USA who didn't vote for Trump are going to have a very anxious 4 years as are those of us in the world who live in countries that love to get up close and personal with the USA (too close in the UK's case).  The following song is perfect for the upcoming Trump presidency. November has indeed spawned a monster!




The good news of the month was the arrival of my friend's baby last week, 1 week early, healthy and already home and I will meet baby Jan next week in Barcelona and I can't wait.  I hope Trump doesn't ruin the world in which he is about to grow up in!

When we have a man in the White House who wants to build a wall to keep out Mexicans, who wants to cozy up to Putin and who thinks woman are just objects to grab, the whole world, or at least those of us with common sense, should shudder!

November 19, 2016

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