Friday 20 December 2019

Generation X actually














A glimpse of blue sky and a taste of sun, although I think it has rained every day since and the water is rushing down the streams. The dog's route across one bit of water was cut off this morning and he had to gallop through the stream to get to me. I try hard not to put the lights on until the children get home from school, but I end up peering at things in the gloom. It seems a bit much for them to get home to a house where the curtains are already drawn though.

Photos from a walk along the sea front. There's a marine lake there (penultimate picture) and people like to swim in it, even in the depths of winter. In fact they were diving in while we went past. In moment of madness sheer bravado I said that I would put on my swimsuit and get in next time we go there. For a second it all looked really healthy and invigorating. The truth is I can hardly bear to get in a heated swimming pool when the air temperature is sweltering. I think I am probably highly sensitive. Hopefully they'll all forget I ever said it.

We have a Christmas tree now. I was a bit sweary when the car ended up full of pine needles and then later when I'd hoovered and the dog knocked a load more off so I hoovered again and the dog knocked a load more off so I hoovered again and, well, you get the picture. I have calmed down now. The children have put all of the decorations out of the dog's reach, so every single bauble is piled on to the top third of the tree and the rest of it is completely bare except for a string of lights. It looks like goodness knows what, but I am channelling my inner calm and letting it all wash over me.

Here's an interesting thing. The children had an election, a day or two before the actual election. They had the parties' manifestoes to read before they voted. The Green party won and the Lib Dems were second. The Conservatives were last by quite a long way. From memory, that is exactly the order in which Greenpeace ranked the parties in respect of their environmental policies. I am hoping that the future will be brighter for the planet.

In other news, the children have had to explain their insults to me. That's how uncool I am. Apparently 'Ok boomer' is a thing Young People say to the Older Generation. Happily it wasn't directed at me, being only Generation X, apparently, but honestly, it seems I have to look up more and more stuff. Acronyms are out of control and jargon is rife, without people making up new insults.

We are all paddling towards Christmas, although a virus is circling and the urchins have had temperatures and headaches and are a bit on the floppy side. No doubt they will all perk up once they hear the jingle of distant sleigh bells. Hope all is well at your end.

13 comments:

  1. I enjoyed all your photos and story. Dayle reads your blog and asked me if that last house is yours? I'd love to see more of your home and interior! I hope Bertie doesn't bother the ornaments and maybe you can move some of them lower. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. Sadly not, although I'd love to live in a thatched cottage. Yes, maybe I can lower the ornaments, one bauble at a time. CJ xx

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  2. Beautiful photos - I'd love to see a picture of your tree! Ours is covered in homemade decorations that my girls have made over the years. I love it but it must look a fright to anyone outside the family. I'm with you on the wild swimming. I can cope with the balmy temperature of the leisure centre pool but struggle otherwise - it's getting it past my middle that I find the worst. Fingers crossed that your boys forget, although I doubt it very much! :o) Good luck avoiding the lurgy and have a wonderful Christmas. xx

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  3. Lovely to see Clevedon in the sunshine, we were only there a couple of months ago. The pier is so elegant, a wonder it stays up on such delicate legs. Have a wonderful Christmas with all the fun in the world. 🎄

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  4. Definitely a Boomer here. Who thinks up these crazy titles ! Lovely photos of one of my favourite piers. Such a pretty little town. I love the old museum there too. Laughing about Bertie and the baubles. Wizard is too ancient to do much damage now. When both cats were smaller we had to secure the tree with rope as they thought nothing of climbing up to the top of the tree. Plastic baubles always hung on the bottom branches. Good luck :) B x

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  5. Lovely post and pictures as usual. Bertie's antics had me smiling.
    All's well here apart from a soggy plot. xx

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  6. I love the image of that sideways tree....must get a bit windy, then?

    I laughed at your tree troubles...ours are much the same, but because of George (our not-quite-grown-up cat). The other day, when I went to water the tree, I noticed it was listing heavily to one side, thankfully being held in place by the bookshelf. I'm just going to leave it. There's no point. And yes, the needles. Ugh.

    I'm kept well abreast of youth culture by my girl -- I know the "ok boomer" one, and also many memes for which knowledge is mostly useless because no-one else my age is In the Know. I once made a clever (I thought) reference to the Tide Pod Challenge to my peers and all i got was blank looks. It loses something when you have to explain it. :D

    I'm very encouraged by the children's voting results. Perhaps we ought to put them in charge now. xoxo

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  7. Love your pictures, the light in them just says Winter. When I waslittle we had to put all the chocolate decorations at the top of the tree out of reach of the labrador-sure you can guess why. I'd heard the OK Boomer insult was doing the round- apparently ageism isn't an issue in the same way every other ism is. Good that the school election showed such positive results for the Green Party, hope they all continue to vote that way as they reach voting age.

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  8. I am Gen X, too. So so boring. I took Annie shopping for party top and now feel like whatever came before the Boomers (the undead?)... it is a bit of a chore being middle aged and uncool I find but I am resigned to my fate now. Good luck with the Christmas tree... did you read the news headlines about a Labrador that ate 29 or so gingerbread decorations, ribbons and all? It needed emergency surgery to get all the ribbon bits out.... Our dog is not fussed about the tree but loves to drink the water from the stand.

    The children's election results are promising. A glimmer of hope for England maybe? Everybody should vote Green, all things considered.

    Wishing you and yours a happy Christmas xx

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  9. We have been vet visiting and another appointment tonight. It's an eat problem so furry ears have been reduced and there is much shaking of the head. Very wise to have decorations above dog height or you could be needing vet visits too. I'm afraid that I'm a Boomer. Love to know what a generation X stands for.

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  10. My daughters recently explained "ok, boomer" to me. Like you, I wasn't up to snuff with some of the newer insults! My elder daughter had participated in a debate at an "old boys" club and one member had assumed that all of the participants (who come from various ethnic backgrounds) were international students, rather than actual citizens, and "how wonderful it was that they could attend school in Canada". My daughter tried to explain that they were all Canadians but was dismissed. My daughter posted a photo on Instagram of her friends and herself in a wood panelled room at the club and wrote the caption "ok, boomer" at the bottom. That's when the term was explained to me!

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  11. Hi CJ, thanks for such an enjoyable and relatable blog. "OK, Boomer" is big in the US now as well (or at least it was last month); the best was when my 80 year old Dad used it in conversation with my daughter (14). Her yelp of surprise was probably heard a block away. I admit to priming my father. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and good politics in 2020!

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  12. Lovely photos of Clevedon. Hoping your Christmas tree says more or less in tact and wishing you a very happy Christmastime x

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