Thousands raised in cancer charity tree collection
More than £12,000 has been raised for the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust, which is based in Worcester.
Volunteers went to households and collected donations in return for taking away Christmas trees.
They visited 658 homes across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, over the course of three days last week.
"We couldn't have done it without our fantastic volunteers and corporate partners, so a big thank you for your time, efforts and resources throughout the campaign," a spokesperson said.
"The money raised will help fund our vital work with young families facing childhood cancer so we really can't thank you all enough."
Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
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Chicago Tribune
11 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Asking Eric: Neighbor denigrates Chicago
Dear Eric: We are a group of three female former co-workers who have gathered regularly for 10 years to celebrate birthdays and Christmas. We have taken turns at each other's homes and always had a nice time eating, laughing and reminiscing together. This year, one member of our group ghosted the other two of us. She will not respond to phone calls or messages. We are totally in the dark and confused by this and don't know if we should continue to reach out or let it go. She has given us no indication, at any time, of a problem. She recently became a grandma and didn't invite us to the baby shower. My feeling is to let it go and hope she is OK. What do you think we should do? – Heartbroken Dear Heartbroken: This abrupt shift is concerning. If you know someone else who knows her, even casually, you should reach out to them just to confirm that she's physically safe. You don't have to get into the details of your friendship, but something as simple as 'I haven't heard from her in a bit, do you know if everything is OK?' could put your mind partially at ease. Since you know about the new grandchild, it's likely you already know that she's fine, just not responding. But if you have a doubt, reach out. It may not prompt her to re-establish contact with you but could affirm that she has a good social safety net, should she need it. Now, it's possible, though unfortunate, that she may have outgrown the friendship, or something may have shifted in her feelings, and you and the other friend may not have noticed. This can make you feel powerless, in addition to hurt. One way to take some of that power back is to perform a ritual of closure for your friendship. Don't worry, this sounds fancier than it is. Right now, there's just a sharp drop-off where your friendship used to be. That's going to feel like a wound that doesn't heal. Write her a letter in which you thank her for the times you spent together and the gift of friendship she gave you and wish her well. You may not even want or need to send it. This is a letter for you, as well. We may not always get to tell those we love 'goodbye and thank you,' but that doesn't stop us from saying it. And in speaking it, it becomes real. Dear Eric: I'm a right above-knee amputee. I became an amputee two years ago due to an escalated argument with my mother who stabbed me seven times while I was knocked unconscious with a bat. She was given 12 years. She'll do six and a half. She is also my neighbor. Should I move? But also, why should I move? I bought this property as a teenager. I've worked all my life. Why should I give up a home I have poured blood sweat and tears into? Is it worth the trauma to stay? – Want to Stay Home Dear Home: You shouldn't have to move. And it sounds like you have a number of years to figure out how to make your home a safe space. Talk to the local authorities and perhaps the DA that handled your case about your options for a restraining order or other protections. However, this isn't just about property or physical safety. Even with her incarcerated, this neighborhood is a site of violence for you and so it's likely that the trauma is going to keep being perpetuated if you don't address it. You've suffered a huge loss, and a therapist or support group can help you process that. Tending to your emotional well-being will better set you up to make a healthy choice when she returns. Dear Eric: Recently I was chatting with a new neighbor and said that I had lived in Chicago for a number of years prior to moving to my current city. This new neighbor looked at me and said, 'I'm sorry.' When I said, 'sorry about what,' he turned and walked away. Can you shed some light on this? – Former Chicagoan Dear Chicagoan: As someone who loves Chicago whenever I visit, I don't think there's any light to shed here, alas. People who feel the need to denigrate entire cities need to work on their conversational skills. Maybe get a hobby. It shows a real lack of understanding about how large the world is. It's silly to write off an entire city. It's silly to write off an entire block. If you don't want to live someplace, that's perfectly fine. But to say no one should live there or it's beyond saving? Wow, I can't imagine being so unimaginative.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Listen to Plymouth Argyle weekend review
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USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
My youngest is off to college, but I reject the term 'empty nester'
My son will leave, as his brother did, and my wife and I will remain in a nest that, granted, will have more space and be a bit quieter. But those who say 'empty nest' suggest something is missing. My wife and I will soon be, in the parlance of parenting, empty nesters. It's a term I've decided to reject. I've been rejecting a lot of things lately, if I'm being honest. Things like the fact that my youngest son – who approximately 15 minutes ago was a warm, burping bean slung tenderly over my shoulder – is now an adult human, both prepared for and (rudely) excited to head to college. And the simple fact that I played a small part in raising two remarkable additions to humanity, and the 'they live among us' portion of that job is done. How is that possible? It was a blink. It was a marathon that unfolded like a sprint. Taking my youngest child to college is a chapter's end I want to reject the reality of the moment – a moment I share with all parents preparing to send their last offspring out into the world – but it's a fool's errand. Opinion: On a college visit with my son it hit me. He's leaving. He's ready. And I'm not. This is a moment that should come. That must come. Our kids enter our lives, fabulously and chaotically. They give us more than we could ever imagine while wearing us down to shadows of our former selves. We live for them and through them and around them, all to prepare them to split, to go out and do their own things and live their lives and hopefully – hopefully – find we gave them the tools to live well. So I can't reject the fact that he's grown. He's taller than me, stronger than me. It's all very obnoxious, frankly. And I can't reject the fact that he's leaving. He's ready. I may or may not be, but it's happening. And I'm happy – thrilled, really – for him. Go get 'em, kiddo. I'm so proud of you, it hurts. The term 'empty nest' doesn't reflect the reality of a happy home But I can and will reject the oft-used term 'empty nest.' I'm writing this from a chair in our living room, and while no one else is home save the dog, I don't see emptiness. I see, vividly, as if he were there, my youngest's now-long legs dangling off the arm of the couch while he tells me about his day. I see him years ago, on the sidewalk outside, walking to the bus for the first day of middle school. I see him and my wife and his older brother at Christmas, collapsing in laughter. I look into the dining room and can hear the whirr of drones he'd fly around the house, the shouts of 'BOOM!' around the old wood table where we played countless games of UNO and Yahtzee. I see, clear as if they were there, LEGOs strewn about the floor and Hot Wheels tracks twisting and turning up and over furniture from one end of the house to the other. To new and struggling teachers: Don't give up. America's kids need you. | Opinion You fit a lifetime into raising a kid for 18 years This nest isn't empty. Not even close. In his 18 years, we've stuffed this house so full of memories it's a wonder the drywall doesn't crack from the pressure. Smiles and tears and skinned knees and arguments and lectures and hours of football and snacks and movies and long tales and 'Be safe!' exhortations as he had one foot out the door. This nest isn't empty. He will leave, as his brother did, and my wife and I will remain in a nest that, granted, will have more space and be a bit quieter. But those who say 'empty nest' suggest something is missing. They suggest emptiness with a note of negativity. As if the home where we raised our children will somehow become vacant. That I reject. I'll miss my son terribly, but I won't return home to emptiness I will miss my youngest as I've missed his brother. It will hurt like hell at first, I know. Not hearing him rattle around upstairs. Not seeing him surreptitiously toss bits of whatever he's eating to the dog. Not seeing him wave with a goofy grin as he parades through the living room with a pack of cackling friends. Locking up the house at night and knowing he's somewhere else. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. I'll miss him, but whatever room or hallway I pass through in this house will never be empty. This nest, blessedly, will forever be full, brimming with moments and movement and the echoes of our boys, scenes from a monumental chapter of our lives and theirs, with many chapters to follow and more moments and echoes to add. I won't call myself an empty nester. Nope. I reject that. But as I hug my boy and drive back to the home he helped fill with boundless joy, I'll gladly call myself the luckiest man alive. Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @ and on Facebook at You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.