Evolving online times

This coming week or so is looking like a pretty draining one to be honest with large scale Political instability over here (we'll skip the groan up political stuff behind it, it's just bad shall we say) and because of upcoming changes in UK law that in likely to bring in  age verification though registering details to a provider to access some sites if if like me you're strictly sfw although how effective this might be in practise remains to be seen.
I most admit I am taking a more pragmatic approach to it because sometimes you sign up to sites and through a combination of changing interests and time constraints you really don't us them that much.
So from that point of view there are a couple of sites I have effectively outgrown that makes losing access to them no real loss but there are a few others such as FA that  I do find handy keep in touch with favourite artists and friends and they won't be adopting the scheme the UK government wants so either it slips through as they're more into commercial ie money making sites or not.
The likes of Tumblr aren't effected nor as far as I'm aware Similar Worlds.
Sometimes it's hard to believe this blog has been around in its present form for some thirteen years since I moved from a freebee on an early social media site that's no longer with us to blogger which remains a popular choice for long form blogging.
It's seen various places come and go such as Google+, Yahoo360, Geocities, friends reunited, tinier me and the experience project in all that time in a variety of interactions with people, some good, some not so good.
You could say the only real certainty is that cycle keeps on repeating itself  so having stand alone structures for your blogging still makes sense.

What we need today

In a week that has seen much that has a major impact on us such as the political meltdown over "Brexit" in parliament and not least the Christchurch massacre on Friday that cost the lives of 49 innocents at prayer I think outside of our concerns and prayers we need to refocus on what is right in the world.

 SOURCE:ami-lkshake
This is also important if like me you are dealing with having to complete a form that is very negative in how it focuses  in the way you are impacted by your conditions because it leaves you feeling not just tired from doing it, but also with a very negative depressing view of your life.
We need to remember that life goes on, that we are human with the ability to feel and help others who are upset or ill.
We came into this world with an innocent heart that enjoyed the simple pleasures of life and even now those things can help us cope with what life throws at us  in time helping us to heal what is on our minds.
Even when we are are not well, to focus on those things helps our day.

Floral relaxation

It has been a somewhat turbulent week not least today with current affairs so I'd sooner move on to something more soothing

 Although we're alternating between seasons having had when I typed this snowfall followed by brilliant sunshine followed by drizzle it is proving fine for blossoms out of doors and indeed even indoor ones as these flowers I had for my birthday are surviving well.
I find looking at flowers very relaxing just having to change the water every so often and typically they last a few weeks by which point I usually replace them.
I'm slowly but surely working through the PIP form with just a couple of bits to do before photocopying and mailing it back

Do people pay attention any more?

Moving a little from really what most of last weeks entry was about one thing I do feel like talking about is just how little attention some people take to what you have posted and written on site profiles BEFORE starting to message you or even commenting on a post.
It never ceases to amaze me the level of ultra low grade messages sometimes no more than literally "Hi"  I get at one site.
Like you have chosen to open up a conversation with somebody but have offered up nothing at all to actually talk about such as what I have mentioned on my profile or my 'stories' that are about my actual life not being the works of a fictional genius when you ask dumb questions like "Have you been spanked" when in seconds you'd find an entry or two about just that by merely looking at that profile. and looking at groups and stories.
Then there is what I am open about, namely because of an industrial injury my hands are damaged to the extend I can't do as much for myself as I did needing assistance with everyday living which means I am not inclined to retell whole experiences over and over again in messages and I may not able to reply for a period because I need to keep what limited function for far more important tasks in my life than reply to your inane messages.
There is a note that clearly says that and yet so many just ignore it wanting a slice of my very limited abilities to type.
This is before we get into those who want to play 'scenes' with me even though in my life nothing not least the spanking part are 'scened' as if it's just a role play  so much that they are the agreed sanctions that happen in real time to the rules around my attitudes and behaviour I agreed with various people to try to help me and not a fun, kinky based thing.
I'm glad at SN I'm the not the only one who doesn't and doesn't like like been told I'm just sceening or role playing this.

Being messed about again

Sometimes it can seem that you're surround by a Government run merry-go-round as having eventually got my money sorted for being unable to work even if felt up to it, we have another hoop to go through because the money that's supposed to help meet my personal needs has had a change.
In Britain, we have for a longish period of time given by assessment money to people to help meet the costs of disability such as adaptions, equipment, services or support outside of social services through a variety of differing schemes.
The last expansion of this came in 1992 with the replacement of Attendence Allowance and Mobility payments for under 65's by a broader mainly self certified scheme called Disability Living Allowance where you set out what your needs were and why, doctors and consultants would be asked  to verify the accuracy of you said and so you'd be given an award for varying periods depending on likelihood of it improving or not.
I remember applying for it in November of 1994 and because of my own situation was given an 'indefinite' award because mine cannot improve, quite the opposite actually so when in response to some concern about the potential for fraud, many people were sent to 'medicals' periodically effectively I was exempted not that much fraud really existed but it satisfied the man at the pub who thought so and so believed they shouldn't be getting it.
It is worthwhile considering what actually is the criteria to be considered because to simply have a condition of itself isn't sufficient, you normally need to show how that effects you, what you may need and how that help.
The example people tend to quote against automatic condition as qualifier is a person has a eye deficiency - let's say they are short-sighted - and while without correction they are impacted supplying a (inexpensive) pair of glasses enables them to get around so they don't *need* extra payments.
Two things I'd say from that is this presumes people have sufficient money after regular spending to buy a pair since free glasses ended for most people over eighteen in the mid 1980's and some eye conditions don't lend themselves to simple correction and are grounds to such as severe impairment or actual blindness.
Fuelled by what was seen as increased costs and the idea some with low care needs didn't really need financial help the then coalition government  in 2010 decided to change the system to something that had less provision for lower rate care needs and radically reduced distances  for showing a person was unable or virtually unable to walk with face to face assessments by people called health care professionals who aren't and don't consider anything from specialists to decide if you do.
This is called Personal Independence Payments (P.I.P's)
To date the governments own National Audit Office Report has shown this change has actually allowing for inflation resulted in more spending on disability payments not the anticipated reduction, more cases are won on appeal at expense and many reports from the health care professionals contain errors sometimes even whole falsehoods.
I received a letter late last week informing my INDEFINITE award was stopping soon and I'd have to make a fresh application for PIP so I now have to get a form and fill it out like I did for the Work Capability Assessment eighteen months ago and like I ended up to sort out my main income replacement benefit just before Christmas.
I finally after a long wait and a twenty-two minute phone call got the form coming to me soon.
Will this ever end as with me at least nothing can change for the better and to be honest they might as well of just passported me over as they all the information they need as I'm not getting any better as my body ages.

A message from Theo

Hello. It's Mr. Theo the 2nd here this Monday morning sitting here having been sunbathing after last weeks really sunny weather while this blogs own tries to figure out how to make the self timer work so I can take my own picture.
I think they've been going outside not that I get taken out much enjoying the fresh air and the strange case of the winter flowering species  that should be like the daffodils planted locally.

 You normal expect to see them in Spring but it appears to have come up early as have a number of blossoms too following a period of higher temperatures in the last few weeks here in the North-west Midlands.
That said it was blowing a strong gale last night when I went to bed.
I think they may be something different happening later on in the week here but I can't remember much being just a stuffied teddy bear but I think you might see something about it in a week or so.
Regards, Theo

Winter Littles Camp 2019

This week we go back about a week and a few days while I was away at the UK Littles Camp somewhere in the Midlands for a meet up that turned out a bit different than normal and not just because we were in a different location.

First off setting off on the Friday was chaotic in the extreme for damage near Norton Bridge that caused over 50 minute delays and cancellations on my train and on many others as it affected the whole West Coast Mainline between Scotland and London.
It was more by luck and following gut instinct I found a train within a few minutes to time although technically it too was delayed by over 50 minutes so arrived something like on time as I waited with a friend to pick up another person.

I like taking pictures so when I spotted this view nearby, I was rewarded with this lovely sunset scene that to me sums up Winter with the rolling hills in the background.
Arrival on Friday afternoon was made easier for it being roughly an hours drive from my friends as we went around the countryside and  through a  town  with walled gates that anyone familiar with this part of the Midlands would recognize.
We unpacked meeting Andi, Daisy and Suzy, putting the food we bought for the week away and had lamb shoulder steaks, mashed potato and greens while everyone else had various Indian foods ordered locally before making a bit of start on one of several jigsaws and I read a couple of comic annuals.

Saturday after getting up and helping set things up for breakfast, Miss Green had organized a cake and biscuit making cookery class where various biscuits and cakes were made in animal shapes such as Dinosaurs using moulds and a caterpillar  from swiss rolls covered in pink icing.
Fudge and I decided to make cupcakes - eighteen of them - using a commercial mix to which two eggs, a portion of margarine, milk and flour were added and whisked by hand before going in the oven.
Above is a few that were decorated with icing sugar, the shapes being cut out using a mould.
The midday meals were meat based salad buffets put together by Daisy and Suzy that were much appreciate with fries too.
Saturday saw Jillian's General knowledge quiz complete with pictures of famous stars in their earlier years you had to identify.
We had mainly fish and chips from a nearby chip shop (where else?) for our evening meal Caroline having places the order earlier  and being picked up just after the mad hour at the store.
It may of been had a little later than normal but I think the quality more than made up for it.
Sunday after going out was more a relaxing day and for tea we had various mainly steak based pies mashed potatoes and peas prepared by Miss Green with help from assorted others followed by  Sammy's home made Strawberry cheesecake having been made the day before was served which was delicious.

Across the days several jigsaw were done including a three dimensional Harry Potter one, one of Amsterdam and this one.
A number of people took advantage of this areas outstanding natural beauty - it has an official status to that effect - to go on walks.
Sunday night meant it was time for the "All purrpuss nekomimi Music Quiz" that was hosted by a certain Neko who has a lot to do with this blog that was run in four teams.
Amazingly there was draw so the Neko had to generate a tie-breaker that put Mr Paul's Tone Def's in the lead followed by the LKMFK's.
This was followed by Miss Green's reading of a farmyard story before bedtime, a ritual I very much like.

On the Monday, a good two cars worth of us walked two miles each way from a parking lot to visit the attractive  medieval market town of Ludlow which can be seen here with St. Laurence's church to the left with the castle, which we visited together with the towns market interacting with people.
Although I didn't make the very top, the Normans not really being into disability access, I did with assistance did get beyond ground level which was great for me personally.

This is Clun Castle that a number of us visited on Sunday as Fudge kindly offered take a few us with them which is more a relic of motte and bailey construction, quite a way up for which I did need a fair amount of assistance.
Monday afternoon was taken up with Alice's enjoyable Disney Princess treasure hunt that was staged in the place we stayed going up down a good number of stairs.
In the evening after the Chilli Con Carne that Karla and Caroline had made with cottage pie for one who cannot be doing with spices and rice that was delicious.

A couple of people left on the Monday due to work and related commitments but as unexpected we'd been allowed to stay an extra night and my train had been booked for midday when everyone had left by around ten am Tuesday, Miss Green and I went to the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre to see the exhibit on the ice age Woolly Mammoths that were found at Condover, Shropshire in 1986/7 and how that part of Shropshire had changed over the centuries covering geography, history and agriculture to the present day.
It's interesting to note how this part of Shropshire played an important part in Great Britain and the significance of the Woolly Mammoth find.
This also included a film presentation in a mini film theatre with seating.
We went on to see the meadows plus a short walk that was accessed via the fire doors and returned where Miss Green enjoyed her cream tea and I had a choco pudding with cream all of which were sourced from local producers and made by hand in the pleasant cafe.
We then moved to a nearby rail station to catch my train straight home but not before seeing a freight train come through on platform one and arrive at the biggest and best rail station in the North-west Midlands, hopping into a taxi in minutes straight home.

Doing something like this doesn't take an ocean of organizing necessarily but does require a certain amount of planning and  co-operation which remarkably worked well even though unlike previous times there was no fixed rota with people just helping out as needed even if you were there to relax and enjoy being in little space.
Thanks to the various persons who bought, fixed and served food, loaded and unloaded the dishwasher, put on events that made things so enjoyable plus thanks to Suzy for organizing and Miss Green and Andi for finding and checking out the place.
As remarked upon in the main text, this time people really went beyond four walls in large numbers enjoying what the area around where we stayed had to offer both in ones and twos and even going as a group out, carpooling as necessary enjoying that time.
If coming to this place can have that effect, let me say this plain: Unless there's a good reason not to, let's return for another Winter because that wasn't just healthier for being outdoors, it brought people more together. This is what I feel we needed.
From a personal point of view this was easily the most rewarding Camp for not just being out but also for doing more challenging things such as getting about Clun Castle and walking to Ludlow and back being helped along the way.
It may of been difficult but your help doing this was so rewarding so to those who literally pulled me up and along helping me to do things I hadn't managed before many many thanks cos you can't know what that feels like.
Roll on Summer Camp.