@purplepadma@beige.party
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purplepadma

@purplepadma@beige.party

Hi, I’m Charlotte, I’m late 40s and I relocated from London to #Pembrokeshire in west #Wales five years ago. First year #psychology #PhD student at University of Surrey in the #MentalHealth sector. Interests include #QualitativeResearch, #books, #running, #fitness, #cats and capybaras. Bisexual, cis (pronouns: she/her)

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ChrisMayLA6, to disability
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

Across the political Right, the narrative is that disability benefits (primarily Personal Independence Payments; PIPs) are too easy to get & are often paid to the 'undeserving'... however, in reality nearly half of applicants are rejected, rising to over two thirds for endometriosis (a gendered dimension I'll leave you to ponder), but with high rates of rejections over-turned on appeal (often with the same evidence).

More Tory lies, callousness & inhumanity

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/may/12/claims-conditions-personal-independence-payments-disability-benefits-cancer-arthritis-amputees

purplepadma,
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

@ChrisMayLA6 @Research_FTW I got “zeroed” last time I was reassessed, despite getting PIP for years for a lifelong condition. I appealed, and it was restored to its previous level. What a waste of time and money. Also they only gave me a year’s award… I will have bipolar until I die, but they want me to reapply for PIP every year. If they really want to reduce costs, they should end the constant reassessments

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

Where do you live and how do you feel about it?

Obviously, don't tell me exactly where you live, no actual addresses please! You can be as vague as you like.

I live in Central Missouri in the U.S.

Pros:

This is an absolutely beautiful place, green rolling hills, lots of rivers, lakes, ponds, and natural springs, cool caves to explore.

Lots of farming here, so great access to quality fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, and dairy.

It's relatively inexpensive to live here compared with other states, because it's a "flyover".

I'm close enough to three major cities, that it's an easy day trip, and I'm about halfway to anywhere in the U.S.

We have one of the best Conservation departments in the U.S. and this is one of the few things that is a bipartisan issue. Lots of awesome nature programs that are free or cheap, state parks, conservation areas, bird watching, hunting, boating, foraging available to everyone.

Cons:

Yeah, it's a big one, it is a RED STATE, while a lot of the cities are blue, there is a large rural population, that votes red. Abortion is not legal here. People often vote against their own self interest.

While I'm not against responsible gun ownership, lots of people aren't responsible, and people have access to guns that definitely should not.

We have very few employee protections here, while the cost of living is relatively low compared with other places, it's taken years to get to a $12 minimum wage, and it's still not enough.

purplepadma,
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

@RickiTarr I live in a small town in Pembrokeshire, a coastal county in the southwest of Wales, UK

Pros:

Really strong community vibe in town. We found it quite easy to make friends when we moved here

The scenery - the coast here is stunning, rugged cliffs and golden sandy beaches. Our nearest beach is 15 mins by car

Being somewhere with a Labour government

Almost a 15 min city situation - GP, dentist, grocery shops, library, cafes, restaurants, pubs, primary school, vet, train station, museum, swimming pool, community centre no more than a 20 min walk

Cons

Public transport is dire. Even the best bus routes only go once an hour and stop at 5.30pm. No buses on Sundays or bank holidays. The majority of local villages have no bus service at all. Trains only go once every two hours. There are very few taxis and so few Ubers that you have a really long wait

Being so far out west, we’re a long way from London and the major airports. We always have to drive to the airport the day before a flight and stay in an airport hotel

Almost no options for takeaways, other than poor quality Indian, poor quality Chinese, ONE good pizza place and big standard fish and chips. No Uber Eats or Deliveroo out here. I lose my mind when I go to a city and see all the food delivery options!

Overall I’m really glad we relocated 6 years ago, I don’t think I could go back to living in London now. I’ve adjusted to the slower pace and smaller scale of life.

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

So, what's the thing, what's the big thing no one can help you with? How do you cope with it?

purplepadma,
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

@RickiTarr Bipolar. I’m on all the meds and have had all the therapy. I have a decent psychiatrist. I do better now than I used to but my life still gets hijacked every year-18 months by an active episode. It makes it very, very difficult to build/maintain a career. I don’t really cope with it, I just despair

Jaden3, to random
@Jaden3@mastodon.social avatar

Seeing all da cops beating up students on campus now y'all no what it like growing up black in the US !

purplepadma,
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

@Jaden3 The US government is so far up Israel’s arse that they are prepared to beat up nice white college kids now, apparently without caring about the optics

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

How much alone time vs socializing do you need?

For me there are a few people who are usually equalizing, and I can just be around them, so I won't count that. But generally, I find about 3 times a week, I'm game for socializing. A day in between to rest is usually nice, but the larger the gathering or if we go somewhere particularly noisy or I'm meeting new people that involves more effort, and my social battery empties sooner. I'm very curious where everyone else falls on this!

purplepadma,
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

@RickiTarr I always used to consider myself an extrovert but now I can’t cope with more than two or three social things in a week. I say extrovert because I don’t like to be on my own very much. If I do crave alone time, it’s really only being on my own in a different room while someone else is in the house. I guess I am hard to please

purplepadma, to books
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

Have you read Station Eleven? It’s absolutely wonderful and it’s 99p on Kindle today!

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

Alright, I'm not normally a person who talks about my dreams, but I usually have cinematic dreams and this one didn't have an ending, and I need your creativity.

I dreamed I was working at a Mental Health Institution. We were having some kind of government inspection, it seemed really off, they were paying special attention to certain patients. I inadvertently found out that they were from some shadowy organization, and they believed that certain people who had schizophrenia and delusions were actually seeing into alternate realities, and they were planning on taking them for training of some kind. It surprised me so much, that it actually woke me up, and I couldn't finish the dream. What would they use this for and why? Help me finish this in my brain!

purplepadma,
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

@RickiTarr Reminds me a little bit of Stephen King’s The Institute, where kids with a small amount of psychic power are shut away in a clinic and experimented on for a secret government programme. Some people think that psychosis is a kind of psychic power…

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

Seriously heard someone saying they don't listen to many black artists, because they aren't really into rap. Bitch please, feel free to share songs from Black artists from any genre. Here is one of my favorites, if you like this song please check out her other work:

https://youtu.be/KovrJ8HXI1Q?si=HOYIG7YMuAUTsJz6

purplepadma,
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

@RickiTarr I heard Rachel Chinoiriri interviewed on the radio last week, talking about how people lose their minds because she’s Black and an indie singer-songwriter https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/rachel-chinouriri-what-a-devastating-turn-of-events-b2539072.html

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

What is the thing(s) that attracts you to a person romantically or otherwise?

purplepadma,
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

@RickiTarr Sense of humour; kindness (to children, animals, waiting staff); shared ethos/politics, decent opinions!

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

Me: Wouldn't it be cool to add a couple new songs to my rotation, I'm gonna ask for recommendations, and then get some stuff done.

Also Me: Still sitting around listening to bangers hours later, not getting anything done.

purplepadma,
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

@RickiTarr I’m challenging myself by listening to radio shows playing new releases (various genres) and adding songs I like to my playlists. I’m enjoying it

purplepadma, to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

I do feel that potting up some plants (apple mint and chocolate mint) in a trough we bought last week was a better use of my time than a nap. Tom right as usual! We’ve had lunch and we now need to go out to a garden centre we’ve not been to before to buy crushed seashells for our new herb border

purplepadma, to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

New piece of stellar advice just dropped! Been told by a relative to “just think happy thoughts”

purplepadma, to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

Here’s a feel good story: French bakers beat world record for longest baguette https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68962680

purplepadma, (edited ) to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

Have you ever knowingly conversed in an informal manner with a murderer?

purplepadma, to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

I’m really struggling to clean my teeth again tonight but I must because once again I have eaten SOOOO much sugar.

purplepadma, to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

Morning! It’s a rainy one here. Alice is getting ready to depart and I’m looking forward to a life coaching session and some group journaling this afternoon. I’m sleeping SO badly lately but I’m cheerful 😁 How are you?

purplepadma, to Cats
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

Miss Cinnamon wants to play Carcassonne

Miss Cinnamon trying to knock Alice’s green meeple off the table

purplepadma, to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

Only just got back and now I need to wash my hair and blow dry it (which I hate) so that it looks nice when we go out to dinner tonight. I’m going to wear my new jumpsuit with the tropical print, the colours go with my new nails really well

purplepadma, to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

siesta. Miss Cinnamon says it’s too warm outside for creatures with black fur coats

purplepadma, (edited ) to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

Do you prefer your battles to use…?

purplepadma, to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

Tom only has two more days of his current contract. This means that we will have considerably less disposable income, but that he will have time to spend with me when he can help me get out and do stuff. It will be weird with neither of us working.

purplepadma, to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

I feel safer and less out of control after a visit from my friends. My bestie stroked my hair until I felt better and understood my state of mind. I am now in the bath with a conditioning mask on my hair as it was so tangled she couldn’t run her hands through it 😔

purplepadma, to random
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

I think Tom wants to go out for a walk or something tomorrow, as the forecast is dry with sunny intervals. I expect it would do me good

purplepadma,
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

@isotope239 Also this weekend we are going to buy some me colourful flowers for the troughs on our front wall, that should be a nice thing to do

Mrfunkedude, to random
@Mrfunkedude@mastodon.social avatar

I turn 55 (😭) this Monday, meaning that this is now my BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!!!

So I expect all of you to double your efforts on cat and dog pics as well as fart jokes. (some of you have been slacking in that department.)

Let's go!

purplepadma,
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

@Mrfunkedude Happy birthday from Miss Cinnamon! (And Tom’s legs)

Mrfunkedude, to random
@Mrfunkedude@mastodon.social avatar

Woke up with the worst hip pain.

More proof that this whole “waking up” thing was a bad mistake.

purplepadma,
@purplepadma@beige.party avatar

@DamonHD @Mrfunkedude I’m struggling to DO waking up, but I also struggle to do being asleep at night

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