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17th Annual Classics in the Courtyard
Vicksburg Daily News -
VICKSBURG, MS – The Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation (SCHF) will host it’s 17th Annual “Classics in the Courtyard”, beginning October 18 through November 8. Each Friday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., the Courtyard at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center will be the backdrop for a different local music group to sing, serenade, and sway […]
The post 17th Annual Classics in the Courtyard appeared first on Vicksburg Daily News.
I wish my husband’s secret daughter had never come into our lives… she has ruined my perfect family
IT was a phone call out of the blue that blew apart Sasha Humphries’ family.
She and husband Rob already had two teen girls, and now an 18-year-old woman claimed to be his love child.
But while electrician Rob, 53, has welcomed another daughter with open arms, 53-year-old Sasha wishes she had never found them . . .
SITTING in the restaurant, I saw a beautiful woman walking through the door and I felt sick.
I knew immediately it was her, Josie, the woman who was throwing a hand grenade into my life.
She was the spitting image of my two daughters. There was no way she wasn’t related to them.
I realised then how much I’d been clinging to the hope that it was all a horrible mistake and my husband Rob’s past hadn’t come back to haunt us.
Josie was only 18 but so self-assured as she walked over to our table and introduced herself.
All I wanted to do was shove away this interloper. Instead, I plastered a smile on my face and pretended to be pleased to meet her. I’ve been pretending ever since — six long years.
I hope she doesn’t realise my true feelings, I’m not proud of them. But the truth is I don’t like her. I can’t bring myself to use the word hate, but I wish she’d never found us.
Josie had always known she was adopted and at 18 she got her birth certificate, which only had her mum’s name on, and tracked her down. She told her who her father was. Then she found Rob.
My husband turned white when he got the first call from her. I was beside him in the kitchen when she rang. He hadn’t even known his ex-girlfriend was pregnant.
They’d had a fling when he was 19 after meeting in a pub. It only lasted for two months.
He barely even mentioned her when we got together 22 years ago and had one of those chats that new couples have about past partners.
When he ended the call he explained she wanted to meet. He was in shock, but excited too.
He’s always been hands-on with our girls Fran, now 20, and Emma, 19, spending every moment with them when he’s not working as an electrician. He also felt enormous guilt.
It’s impossible not to feel a hint of jealousy
We’re not rich but we’ve managed with careful budgeting to have a comfortable life, enjoying a holiday abroad most years.
Josie’s adoptive father had left when she was five and her adoptive mum struggled to make ends meet, working all hours in a shop.
She’d missed out on luxuries and had little time with her frazzled mum. I only worked part-time when the girls were young.
Even before he met her, he went on about how much he wanted to make his absence up to her.
If he’d known she existed he’d have kept her.
I wish he had known. I’d have still fallen in love with him if he’d been a single dad but having this fully fledged adult infiltrate our family is different.
That first meeting in the restaurant, two weeks after her initial contact, lasted for hours.
I sat there while I watched Rob fall in love with her. It was nothing sexual of course, but I could have been invisible as he asked her questions about her life.
She felt like a rival and a threat to our happy family. I think many parents love their kids more than their partner, and here was someone that he immediately loved, and has grown to love more than me.
It’s impossible not to feel a hint of jealousy.
I didn’t take to her from the start. Josie is hard. I feel sympathy, she had to learn to fend for herself.
But it means she will take anything she thinks she can get. I think she’s resentful she missed out and is determined to make up for lost time, materially and emotionally.
I find her spoilt and entitled. She’s never acknowledged it might be tough for me
I find her spoilt and entitled. She’s never acknowledged it might be tough for me. She has bulldozed herself into our lives and inserts herself into every occasion.
The girls love her. They were excited when we told them about her after that lunch and met her a week later.
They were only 14 and 13, and were impressed by her. She’d left home and was working in a trendy bar in Milton Keynes. She’s always made an effort with them, I can’t fault her for that.
She’s never had a DNA test but it’s so clear she’s related to Rob and the girls.
I feel like the outsider
That’s one of the things that hurts, I’d always thought the girls looked a bit like me but now I realise they don’t.
When all of them are together, I feel like the outsider, they all look so similar.
My girls have left home now. Fran works in London in marketing and Emma is studying to be a doctor.
When they come home I want it to be the four of us but Rob invites Josie all the time. Even if I arrange to meet with one of them, he suggests I invite Josie too — that drives me mad.
She’s also constantly on the phone to Rob, asking him to help her out of some disaster or other, from a blocked toilet to financial handouts.
It takes nearly two hours to get to her in Milton Keynes but he’ll go whenever she calls.
Sometimes, I feel like she’s the “other woman” coming into our marriage.
I resent how he’ll drop everything. He’s much tougher on our girls, telling them to stand on their own two feet, because he feels no guilt about their upbringing.
He won’t give them extra money. I end up sneaking it to them from my savings to make up for it.
Fortunately, they don’t realise the extent of his help as that would be damaging for them.
It also annoys me that Josie is often late or cancels arrangements at the last minute. He never pulls her up on it but takes out his disappointment and frustration on the rest of us.
Two years ago she met a lovely man and she’s now more settled.
But four months ago she had a baby. I love her son, I’m not a monster, but I’m jealous that Rob is a grandfather before me.
Josie’s arrival put a huge strain on our marriage
I know technically I’m a step-grandmother, but it isn’t the same. I wanted being grandparents to be something we did together.
And if I’m brutally honest I feel he’s pushed me further down the pecking order in Rob’s affections.
Equally, I don’t agree with Josie’s parenting. She sees her baby as an accessory.
There are countless pictures of her on social media smiling with him. In real life it’s her partner that does most of the heavy lifting.
Josie’s arrival put a huge strain on our marriage. Rob and I agree about most things but he won’t hear a word against Josie. He loves her unconditionally and can’t understand why I don’t too.
I had to have counselling to come to terms with my thoughts. And I’ve learnt to bite my lip and not point out her faults to Rob.
But deep down I feel our marriage will never be the same again.
I’ll never understand how women manage when men father a love child through cheating. This has been tough enough.
- ALL NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED
NHS worker mum-of-three, 37, ‘died after being raped by stranger on park bench after night out’
A MUM-of-three was raped and killed by a stranger while she was unconscious on a park bench after a night out, a court has heard.
Natalie Shotter, 37, had been on a night out enjoying herself before she was allegedly attacked by Mohamed Iidow, a stranger.
The NHS worker was found dead by a passer-by in Southall Park, west London, in the early morning on July 17, 2021, the Old Bailey was told.
Homeless Iidow, 35, is on trial accused of her rape and manslaughter.
Opening the case on Wednesday, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said: “The prosecution’s case is that Natalie was a vulnerable woman, out at night enjoying herself, who was then taken advantage of by this defendant.
“Natalie Shotter does not appear to have been conscious at the time that she was raped, let alone consenting to the defendant.
“He could never have believed that she was consenting.
“It was the process of raping Natalie repeatedly that caused her death.”
Ms Morgan told jurors that it had taken time to understand what happened to Ms Shotter that night and what caused her death.
CCTV footage showed her barely moving and that she appeared to have been unconscious when she was raped and therefore could not have consented, Ms Morgan said.
Earlier that night, Ms Shotter was captured on other CCTV footage dancing outside a shop with other people.
Jurors were told the victim was little more than 5ft tall and weighed just 43kg (6st 11lb).
She had been drinking throughout the evening and may have also inhaled poppers, it was said.
Iidow has denied the charges against him and the Old Bailey trial adjourned until Friday.
The trial continues and is set to last two to three weeks.
Laura Woods makes rude joke about getting naked live on TNT Sports ahead of Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich
LAURA WOODS showed she’s in rude health with a naughty joke live on TNT Sports.
The presenter, who announced in July she is pregnant, was interviewing Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings ahead of their Bayern Munich tie.
Home fans are itching for much-missed Mings to return after 14 months out with a knee injury.
The 18-cap Englishman has resumed gentle action but is not yet ready for Unai Emery‘s high-flying first-team squad.
And fans who spotted the popular 31-year-old chanted: “Get your kit on.”
Woods broke from her pre-match chat to exclaim: “That’s the first time fans have ever sung get your kit ON.”
The mischievous exchange came as Villa uncover what it’s like to take on the cream of Europe.
Having won 3-0 at Young Boys in their Champions League opener, last season’s surprise package in the Prem hosted six-time European kings Bayern.
And Villa centre-back Paul Torres had a goal ruled out for offside before the break in a rousing contest.
Meanwhile, Woods is enjoying life too, having got engaged to Love Island star Adam Collard in September.
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The couple had already confirmed they are expecting her first child.
Woods has also just paid herself a £400,000 dividend to mark her switch to ITV and TNT.
The Arsenal, 37, has seen her earnings soar since departing talkSPORT in June 2023.
No wonder she feels able to spice up her broadcasting with cheeky asides.
A glimpse into the life of the broadcaster…
Inside Hollywood’s obsession with fat jabs – and what newly slimline Christina Aguilera really thinks of Ozempic claims
CELEBRITIES in pursuit of the “perfect” body are using fat-busting jabs to shed pounds.
But the injections, linked to a string of troubling side effects, have become a big issue.
Fans were horrified by Dirrty singer Christina Aguilera’s dramatic weight loss, with many speculating it could be down to Ozempic injections.
The 43-year-old, who looked slimmer than ever in a skin-tight bodysuit, has not commented on the rumours.
But lots of famous faces ARE using the likes of Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro to curb their cravings. And I’m A Celebrity contestants already on the meds will be allowed to keep taking them in the jungle.
Common side effects include nausea, diarrhoea, dehydration, blurred vision, depression and dizziness.
Nadia Cohen looks at other stars who have controlled their appetite with diet drugs – and considers whether they have gone too far.
Oprah Winfrey
SHE publicly battled with her weight for decades, but chat show queen Oprah, 70, insisted using fat-fighting jabs would be the easy way out.
Now, having shifted almost 3st, she admits she has been using a weight-loss drug, which felt like “a gift”, though she has not confirmed which one.
She said: “The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like . . . a gift, and not something to hide behind. I’m done with the shaming from other people and myself.”
Rebel Wilson
ACTRESS Rebel, 44, made a career out of being a bigger girl, playing Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfect films.
But in her memoir, Rebel Rising, she said food helped her cope with an abusive relationship with her dad, adding: “I wasn’t dealing with my emotions properly, I was just stuffing my face.”
After shedding 80 pounds through healthy eating and exercise, Rebel then used Ozempic to maintain her shape.
She said: “Someone like me could have a bottomless appetite for sweets. So I think those drugs can be good.”
Sharon Osbourne
SHE may have lost 3st, but Sharon said Ozempic took its toll on her body.
Issuing a stark warning, the former X Factor judge, 71, told Piers Morgan last year: “At first, you feel nauseous. You don’t throw up, but you’ve got that feeling. You get very thirsty and you don’t want to eat. That’s why I keep saying you’ve got to keep this stuff away from younger people.”
She worryingly added in another interview: “I couldn’t stop losing weight, and now I’ve lost 42 pounds, and I can’t afford to lose any more.”
Kelly Osbourne
KELLY, 39, says she is a fan of Ozempic – after meeting someone who believed that it had “changed their life”.
“They explained to me how it took the mental obsession with food away and allowed them to dig deeper . . . and how life-changing it was,” Kelly said.
“It completely changed my opinion on it. If there’s a medication out there that can help people lose weight, then what’s so bad about it?”
Kelly, who lost 85lb after having son Sidney in 2022, has denied using the drug herself.
Jessica Simpson
JESSICA revealed in her memoir Open Book that she took diet pills early in her career.
But she shot down accusations last year that she was using Ozempic, saying: “Oh Lord. I mean, it is not. It is willpower.”
The singer and reality star, 44, dropped 100lb following the birth of her third child Birdie Mae in 2019 through diet, exercise and quitting booze.
And she ignores widespread speculation about her fluctuating weight, saying: “I am fortunate to have been every size.”
Meds need supervision
“POTENT” diet drug Ozempic should only be taken under strict supervision, according to Europe’s top expert on obesity and weight loss.
Professor Jason Halford, from the University of Leeds, says: “Ozempic is the most powerful drug we’ve seen so far. It also comes with some quite serious side effects.
“The problem is, many people use social media as a source of information rather than their care practitioner. This is not something which should be done without close medical supervision.”
Watch Man Utd flop Van de Beek score first goal in more than TWO YEARS then celebrate wildly in Champions League
DONNY Van de Beek scored his first goal in over two years as new club Girona suffered a 3-2 defeat to Feyenoord in the Champions League.
The former Manchester United man found the back of the net for the first time since August 2022.
Just look at how much it means
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 2, 2024
Donny van de Beek scores his first goal since in over two years to level the game up!@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Pao0WOnrGS
Van de Beek, 27, failed to settle in at Man Utd after his £40m move from Ajax back in 2020.
The Dutchman was sent on a string of loans after struggling for game time, with his last goal coming against Arsenal back in August 2022 during a loan spell with Everton.
But that all changed this summer when he finally earned a permanent move away from Old Trafford and joined Spanish side Girona.
A new home seems to have come with a return to form too as the midfielder scored his first goal since that day at the Emirates Stadium 26 months ago.
Van de Beek was teed up by Arnaut Danjuma inside the area and smashed home to level the scores to 2-2 against Feyenoord in the Champions League league phase clash.
The 19-time Netherlands international celebrated wildly having pulled his side back level and finally got on the scoresheet after a lengthy goal drought.
However, his goal was ultimately in vain as just six minutes later teammate Ladislav Krejci turned the ball into his own net and put Feyenoord back ahead.
The 3-2 defeat is Girona’s second in the Champions League this season, compounding their 1-0 loss to PSG on matchday one.
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The La Liga club put together a spectacular season last term, finishing third in the Spanish top flight – just four points behind Barcelona in second.
Van de Beek will be hoping he has taken the right step to re-track his off the rails career after his nightmare spell at the Theatre of Dreams.
After making the switch to Man Utd, Van de Beek only made 23 STARTS in four years for the Red Devils.
While his loan spells with Everton and Eintracht Frankfurt were just as fruitless making just five starts for the Toffees and only four for Frankfurt.
40-year-old man fatally shot outside senior home in Bronx; suspect on loose
Police say the victim shot once in the chest and leg in front of a senior home.
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“Identity, Privilege and Power” topic of October Chat Room, Oct. 16
The post “Identity, Privilege and Power” topic of October Chat Room, Oct. 16 appeared first on VUMC News.