Westminstenders: Long live liberalism

[RedToothBrush]

Talk of its demise are premature.

(Sorry up to eyeballs this weekend)

PMK. Been away for ages on a blessedly politics-free break and have a lot of catching up to do.

God I'm depressed this evening. Brexit, climate change, populist politics, concentration camps in America, Bolsanaro and Brazilian rainforest logging, stress at work. How do you all stay sane in the face of the relentlessness of it?

He's fine thanks x

Depressed here too.

I've eaten 2 packets of biscuits today...

I did the comfort eating in March - Brexit stash of chocolate endlessly eaten, and restocked, and eaten. So now I'm also fatter than I was before! I want to take the blue pill and somehow be someone that doesn't care about all the shit. But I can't.

How do you all stay sane in the face of the relentlessness of it?

Displacement activities to take my mind off it. Over the past three days I've read a 32 chapter fanfiction about Theon Greyjoy and Sansa Stark ... I have never seen an episode of GoT in my life. Anything to distract me from reality.

How do you all stay sane in the face of the relentlessness of it?

Not sure I was sane in the first place!

Spending a fair bit of time in my garden, also keeping an eye on a fledgling pigeon that is being fed by dad, but one of its wings seems a bit wonky so not sure how that will pan out. Also read a fair bit of post-apocalyptic fiction, decluttering the house and writing some fiction of my own steampunk 'world'.

Trying not to go into full-on worry mode until things are more concrete.

I've gone the opposite direction and am eating healthily! But am longing for politics of yesteryear.

As Simon Jenkins put it the other day in the Guardian:
'Throughout this eerie episode in British history, most Britons have assumed that, at some point, a god of finality, if not of sanity, would descend from the clouds and read the riot act.'

Waiting for the gods of finality and sanity here.

Cross stitch and gardening are my go-to mindfulness-type options!

I did just over 4 hours at the allotment - weeding - yesterday and I cross stitch most evenings. They both help me stay mainly OK.

But I'm also trying not to get concerned until I need to. I'm going to re-assess at the end of the summer holiday.

Waiting for the gods of finality and sanity - I like that. Can they hurry up now please?!

I might join a choir again - I can't sing and think at the same time

I put on nearly 2 stone in March/April - really pissed me off as I'd list nearly 4 stone over the previous 20 months

I've now lost half a stone again (only 2 stone to go on MN Boot Camp ) and am determined not to go back to comfort eating plus I'm spending time in the garden. Also knitted dh a pair of long warm socks for his 60th in secret. Now need to find a new project to get stuck into. Studiously ignores the afghan blanket that he as been nearly finished for 5 years I also knit occasional squares for Woolly Hugs and kinship hugs for people in the Yarnie Facebook group that I'm a member of. I used to do Danish cross stitch embroidery - maybe I should get back into it

gardening. decluttering. screaming at the telly. wishing it would all go away. planning to revisit the Armageddon stash cupboard in September.

What are you reading Crunchy? I'm considering re reading The Stand for the umpteenth time. It's calling to me.

I do mindfulness and run. I also get out into the garden as much as I can and notice how worms and pigeons don't give a stuff about brexit or concentration camps.

Sounds wanky but my voluntary work helps. Makes me feel like I'm doing something about the shitshow.

Got a few more plans I'd like to get off the ground before October...:)

Reading, watching tv comedies..
All helps.

I remember having one morning in March where I very literally screamed at a politician on the radio in the car on the way into work, then arrived at work and did a super breezy 'Morning!' like everything was normal. I did rather clash the cups around making my first cup of tea afterwards though.

Volunteering more sounds good too

So who is going on the next anti brexit march? 20th July.

I was so enraged by teresa May's speech in March I just looked at dh and - after a lot of swearing - that I was going to the March 3 days later...

I have rarely been so angry.

Oh bugger I'm away badkitten

How do you all stay sane in the face of the relentlessness of it?

I do two jobs (my salaried job plus keeping our small business ticking over while DH is in hospital) which doesn't leave much time to worry about Brexit. And I play the piano.

I'm directly affected (Brit in EU) but at least I'm not at risk of medicine shortages. DH could have issues though. Not sure what will be put in place for disabled/hospitalised Brits in the EU if there is no deal, in terms of applying for documentation. I don't worry about it; no point.

Yes we are away too sadly - I've been on all the other big ones

I am taking refuge in black humour and crochet..I have also set my expectations at zero - assume no deal and prepare to be fucked, basically. Any outcome above that is an achievement.

I am mildly amazed it's so quiet in NI, but as everyone there is effectively disenfranchised by the Stormont stitchup, it must be hard to get through.

BadKitten I'm reading The Undead (The First Seven Days) by RR Haywood. It's pretty funny along with being a good story, I'm really invested in the characters and wondering how they're going to survive (it's a zombie apocalypse set in the UK).

I find that listening to James O'Brien on LBC when he talks about Brexit helps. He's a very rare voice of sanity and restores my faith in the human race. I also feel comforted by callers phoning in and agreeing with him about the level of madness this is reaching. Today's been a hard day though. The comments made by Hunt about bailing out the farmers and fishermen have been surreal.

Good to hear that you and DS are back home again, Buffy 💐
I hope you chilled together this evening with the biscuits & wine / milk