SIGNS YOU OVERDID IT FOR THANKSGIVING

> Paramedics bring in the Jaws of Life to pry you out of the EZ-Boy.

> The Gravy Boat you used was a real 12 foot boat.

> You get grass stains on your behind after a walk, but never sat down.

> You set off three earthquake seismographs on your morning jog Friday.

> Pricking your finger for cholesterol screening yields only gravy.

> You had five TV sets side-by-side to catch all the football games.

> That rash on your stomach turns out to be steering wheel burn.

> Representatives from the Butterball Hall of Fame called twice.

> It looks like the leftovers are gonna last until Christmas.

> Your arms are too short to reach the keyboard & delete this.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13306641/Schoolboy-eight-killed-hit-car-horror-accident-quiet-Wiltshire-cul-sac.html

Schoolboy, eight, killed after being hit by a car in horror accident on quiet Wiltshire cul-de-sac

By Eirian Jane Prosser

Published: 10:41, 14 April 2024 | Updated: 11:39, 14 April 2024

An eight-year-old schoolboy has died after being struck by a car on a quiet Wiltshire cul-de-sac.  Emergency services were called out to the crash in Woodland View, Dilton Marsh at 4.30pm on Saturday.  The incident, which saw the quiet road in the rural village closed last night, involved a vehicle and the young boy who had been walking in the area.   The tragic scene saw Wiltshire Air Ambulance scramble to the road alongside other 999 responders but despite their best efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.   The little boy's family have been informed and is being supported by a specialist officers.  A man in his 30s is being interviewed, the police said, as 'is usual in these circumstances'.  Tributes have flooded social media this morning, with many paying their respects tot the boys family.  One wrote: 'What an sad news fly high little sending hug and love to his family and friends at this sad occasion.'

Another said: 'This is so very very sad. Sending my thoughts to his family at this most unimaginably awful time.'

'Rest in paradise beautiful boy, thoughts are with the family,' a third added, while a fourth wrote: 'My condolences to the family, this is so tragic to read.'

The devastating collision happened in Dilton Marsh on the warmest day of the year so far.  The quiet village has a local pub, called The Prince of Wales, a pre-school and a primary school as well as a parent and toddler group.  Woodland View is a small cul-de-sac with a few new build houses backing onto a large field. It is a close walk from both the primary and prep school.  'Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time', a Wiltshire Police spokesperson said.

'A man in his 30s is being interviewed, as is usual in these circumstances,' they added.

Witnesses to the collision or anyone with dash cam footage are being urged to contact the serious collision investigation team on 01225 694597 quoting log number 218 of yesterday's date (13/04).

Witnesses can also contact the team directly by emailing SCIT@wiltshire.police.uk.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13298793/Mother-student-died-inhaling-hippy-crack-nitrous-oxide-class-drug.html

'My 24-year-old daughter died inhaling three bottles of hippy crack a day. If she knew the risk she'd still be alive': Mother calls for nitrous oxide to be a class A drug as she reveals she checks her messages every day 'to hear her daughter's voice'

    Sharon Cook's daughter Ellen Mercer, 24, died on February 9 last year
    Ms Mercer was rushed to hospital after losing feeling in her legs

By Eirian Jane Prosser

Published: 07:55, 12 April 2024 | Updated: 08:15, 12 April 2024

The heartbroken mother of a young woman who died after inhaling up to three large bottles of nitrous oxide has called for the 'hippy crack' to be made a Class A drug.  Ellen Mercer, 24, from Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire, died in hospital on February 9 last year after being rushed to hospital when she lost feeling in her legs.  On Tuesday an inquest into the death of the business student, who had bipolar disorder, found that nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, in part caused her death.  Sharon Cook, 54, is calling for the government to crack down on the party drug, exclusively telling MailOnline that her daughter would still be alive today if she had been aware of its harmful effects.  Ms Cook also said she still checks her messages every day, 'thinking there will be a message from her daughter on WhatsApp or Messenger,' adding: 'I can still hear her voice.'

Ms Cook added: 'I don't think she realised how dangerous the drug was. As it was legal she was inclined to think it was safe.  I don't think she realised just how harmful it is and if she had realised she wouldn't have taken it.  I read somewhere that there had been 56 deaths in the last few years and they weren't very well publicised, I had no idea and hadn't heard about it.  Obviously it's heartbreaking. [The government] needs to come down harder on it and they should definitely make it a Class A drug. It is dangerous so it should be up there with heroin and cocaine. Class C is not strong enough in my book.'

Nitrous oxide, sometimes referred to as NOS, was made illegal last year with the Government making it a Class C drug. Users can face a community order or an unlimited fine, with repeat offenders potentially serving up two years in prison.  The drug can be used in medical settings but those caught supplying it for unlawful reasons could face 14 years behind bars.  Ms Mercer's post-mortem found she had died of bilateral pulmonary thromboembolism, deep vein thrombosis, and 'long-term complications of nitrous oxide use'. 

'Large blood clots' had formed in the young woman's legs before moving to the arteries in her lungs which caused a 'sudden cardiorespiratory collapse'.  In the months before her death Ms Mercer had required urgent medical care several times, including just days before on February 5 when she called the ambulance service saying she was 'unable to get up' and felt 'pain in both legs and lower back.'  The student had initially told her boyfriend not to call an ambulance as she did 'not want to lose the buzz', it was reported.  Ms Cook was unaware her daughter had been taking the drug but recalled the last time she spoke to her, Ms Mercer had complained about losing the feeling in her legs.  She told MailOnline: 'I had no idea at all [that Ellen was taking the drug]. I spoke to her a few days before she died when she said she could not walk.  And I said go to the hospital, you must go to the hospital and then I didn't speak to her after that. That was the last time I spoke to her.  She did go to the hospital after that the following day and she called 999 but obviously it was too late.  I just wish she had gone sooner. If she had gone two weeks prior when she first lost the feeling in her legs she would probably still be with us now, so that is hard to think she didn't have to die.'

The grieving mother, however, does not just place the blame of her daughter's death on the Government's laws on the drug.BBMs Cook blames the failures within the mental health services, who had discharged and failed to check up on her daughter despite warnings from her mother.  She believes Ellen had been using the drug which cause people to feel relaxed, light headed or dizzy as a form of coping mechanism after not getting the correct support from the health service.  'I think had her mental health been more stable she would not have gone down this path with nitrous oxide. If she was in her right mind she would not have done it. So I think she was really failed by the mental health services, completely failed,' she said.

'She had bipolar and she got discharged from the mental health services before becoming ill again,' she added.

'They didn't follow her up and I rang them and asked them to go see her and they just ignored it. They didn't go see her. But she was struggling with her mental health.'

Upon her discharge from the mental health facility in April 2022, Ms Mercer was supposed to be given a higher dose lamotrigine to help treat her bipolar, however, her mother said this was never followed through.  After Ms Mercer's death, her mother said she received a letter from the NHS trust 'admitting they had failed and should have done more' to help her daughter.  Ms Cook said her daughter's mental health had declined after the death of her father when she was 19-years-old.  'She never really got over it. It hit her really hard and her grandmother had died just eight days before, so we had a double funeral. It was a really tough time,' she added.

Ms Mercer's brother, Joe, 27, also said mental health issues had also played a role in the death of his deeply 'kind and deeply caring sister'.  He told MailOnline: 'At her core, she was a very bubbly, energetic person. She was incredibly positive. Whilst drugs were involved in the situation.  I think really what we are looking at here is a mental health case that didn't receive as much attention as it should have.  People with bipolar have addictive personalities and drugs are addictive substances the two will go hand in hand.'

Paying tribute to his younger sister, Mr Mercer added: 'She was incredibly energetic, a million miles an hour on anything she was passionate about. She was kind, caring and deeply thoughtful for people.  She kind of filtered between a lot of different interests but the primary focus of a lot of them was art, in any form.  Whether that was drama or singing or writing or drawing, she tried her hand at all of them to varying degrees of success.'

Ms Mercer had been living away from her family home for almost three years when she died. She had moved in with her boyfriend in a rented flat in Woodford Green in Buckinghamshire.  She had done well at both GCSES and A Levels but had decided not to go to university because of her mental health.  Paying tribute to her daughter the day after the inquest concluded, Ms Cook said: 'She was funny, kind, caring. She was just a lovely girl. She was really into acting, singing and dancing when she was younger.  She was really outgoing, a real extrovert. A pleasure to have around. Always 100 miles an hour but funny with it.

What are the risks of nitrous oxide?

Nitrous oxide, has been nicknamed 'laughing gas' due to the euphoric and relaxed feeling people who inhale it can sometimes feel.  The substance also known as 'hippy crack' is normally bought in pressured canisters, commonly transferred to a container, e.g. a balloon, from which the gas is inhaled.  Although possession of laughing gas is not currently illegal, English law prohibits its sale to under-18s if there is a chance they will inhale it.

The effects of nitrous oxide:

• Feelings of euphoria, relaxation and calm.

• Dizziness, difficulty in thinking straight and fits of giggles/laughter.

• Sound distortions or even hallucinations.

• In some people, a headache can be an unwanted immediate effect.

Risks include:

• Unconsciousness or death from lack of oxygen. This occurs when the available oxygen for breathing is effectively pushed out by the nitrous oxide.

'You always knew she was in the room, you were well aware that she was around, you couldn't miss her. She really was so funny. One day she would just come rollypollying into the living room and she would just do these mad things.'

Ms Cook now lives with her son and her younger daughter Daisy, who was just 11-years-old when her older sister died.  'She misses her. It's been really hard on Daisy,' the mother, who used to work as a courier added.

The family are understandably still coming to terms with the sudden loss, but Ms Cook said they are coping as best they can.  'We are coping. It was obviously harder in the first few months,' she said. 'It has gotten easier as time has gone on but I still expect to hear from her.  I still check my messages and think there will be a message from her on WhatsApp or Messenger. I can still hear her voice.'

Medics who tried to save her found there were 'features of neurological compromise' with later tests finding that laughing gas had left her with serious circulation and breathing problems.   Michaela Kirtley, an emergency medical technician from Phoenix Response Services, a contractor that worked for South Central Ambulance Service, attended Ms Mercer's home on February 8.  When she arrived at the scene, she was shown to the bedroom by Ms Mercer's boyfriend.  'I took notice of the room,' she said. 'There were no sheets on the bed at all. There was just the duvet, severely stained. The room was bare.'

The scene the medic had witnessed made it clear to her that she was dealing with a 'vulnerable person'.  Ms Mercer was said to have been 'talking as normal' with the only vital sign outside its normal range was her heart rate, which could have been due to anxiety.  The young woman said she had burned her legs after spilling a gas canister on them and that she had been unable to walk or go to the toilet for two weeks, she said.  According to the emergency worker the 24-year-old looked six months pregnant and the wounds on her legs were described as being filled with pus.  Ms Mecer's boyfriend then led her to a box of gas canisters, which were identified as nitrous oxide.  'I had never seen such big bottles,' Ms Kirtley said.

She told the inquest that the canisters were 600g and that Ms Mercer's boyfriend said she took 'two to three bottles' per day, but had slowed down in the last couple of weeks.  Her boyfriend said she 'shouted at him' because she wanted to continue her high, when he was asked why he did not call an ambulance, according to the Sun.  At the opening of Ms Mercer's inquest in February, Berkshire coroner Hannah Godfrey said that the student 'had a history of nitrous oxide abuse'.

Between 2001 and 2020, 56 deaths in England and Wales had nitrous oxide mentioned on their death certificate.  Some deaths, however, included in medical settings so not all had been because of misuse.  In recent years, use of the drug has become an increasing problem, being one of the most abused substances with those aged 16-24.  Last summer, at Notting Hill Carnival it was reported that there were 13 tonnes of canisters containing the drug collected after the festival.  Inhaling the gas brings about short-term feelings of lightheadedness, fits of giggles and hallucinations.  Heavy, regular abuse, however, risks significant health risks including anaemia and in more severe cases, nerve damage or paralysis.  It has been identified as having potentially fatal consequences on the UK's roads from incidents of drug driving.  Nitrous oxide, however, does have legitimate uses such as being used on maternity wards during labour. It is still legal for those purposes.  Licences are not needed to carry nitrous oxide, but users will be required to demonstrate they are not intending to consume it for psychoactive effects.

A clergyman was walking down the street when he came upon a group of about a dozen boys, all of them between 10 and 12 years of age.  The group surrounded a dog. Concerned that the boys were hurting the dog, he went over and asked "What are you doing with that dog?"

One of the boys replied, "This dog is just an old neighborhood stray. We all want him, but only one of us can take him home. So we've decided that whichever one of us can tell the biggest lie will get to keep the dog."

Of course, the reverend was taken aback. "You boys shouldn't be having a contest telling lies!" he exclaimed. He then launched into a ten minute sermon against lying, beginning, "Don't you boys know it's a sin to lie," and ending with, "Why, when I was your age, I never told a lie."

There was dead silence for about a minute.  Just as the reverend was beginning to think he'd gotten through to them, the smallest boy gave a deep sigh and said, "All right, give him the dog."

The owner of a drug store walks in to find a guy leaning heavily against a wall. The owner asks the clerk "What's with that guy over there by the wall?" 

The clerk replies, "Well, he came in here this morning to get something for his cough. I couldn't find the cough syrup, so I gave him an entire bottle of laxative."

The owner screams, "You idiot!  You can't treat a cough with a bottle of laxatives!"

The clerk calmly replies, "Of course you can! Look at him; he's afraid to cough."

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/05/18/numbering-our-days-with-hope?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=257063150&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--qYYKD6OVUxoHaumGEGlhHtVdTG7UeiL1M0OvmRXQg4h1LTxoNdyXxW4nApaR16sdh221iyiET9PZlV-_5bb871UYHtw&utm_content=257063150&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Numbering Our Days With Hope
May 18, 2023
by Ruth Chou Simons

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 (ESV)

Do you ever get bogged down in the everyday mundane?

I sure do.  Do you sometimes feel as if the right-now, never-ending emails, to-dos, laundry, homework, conflict resolution, dirty dishes, and carpool lines are always pressing in, always swirling, but never quite getting you anywhere?

Me too.  One of the encouragements I find myself repeating again and again to myself and the women around me is not to let the mundane, everyday tasks of life or the busyness of any particular season rob us of rhythms and priorities that help us know and love Jesus more. We always need the reminder to keep our eyes on our eternal hope in Him.  Maybe it’s my age (let’s just say I’m in my mid-late 40s, shall we?), or maybe it’s the season I’m in (preparing to graduate my oldest child from college and see him off to grad school in another state), but Psalm 90 and its implications have resonated in my heart and mind over the last several months.  The psalmist, often presumed to be Moses, asks God to “teach us to number our days” (Psalm 90:12).

Perhaps what’s most encouraging to me in this passage is the use of the word “teach” because that means it’s normal not to automatically have wisdom for how to live our days purposefully, wisely and rightly motivated. This is something to be learned over time.  Numbering our days means pausing for regular consideration of our days in light of God’s ways recognizing the finite gift of our lives here on earth and gaining “a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12) as we steward what God has given us. This framework gives us permission to live with both courage and caution, simultaneously constrained and carefree. In the big, life-altering decisions and in the everyday mundane.  The eternal hope of Christ gives purpose to our days. There is a destination we’re headed to a hope not yet fully realized and this world is not it.  So numbering our days isn’t about mustering up fervor to “live life to the fullest” or to “carpe diem” our way through life. No, life’s meaning has already been secured by the image of God we carry in us (Genesis 1:27) and the finished work of redemption purchased for us by Jesus (Ephesians 1:7).  What does it mean to number our days, then?

It means rejoicing in our eternal hope and allowing it to shape the choices we make how we spend our time, where we look for encouragement, how we spend money, what entertainment we seek out, and the people we choose to invest in and listen to.  If we consider every day as part of God’s plan to teach us to take our eyes off of our immediate circumstances, we can set our minds on the God who has purposefully placed us in the midst of our current season so that we might live for Him. When we remember that God has numbered our days, we treasure everything that reminds us we already have everything we need in Him.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13247695/gogglebox-stars-died-remembered-wake-george-gilbey-death.html

The Gogglebox stars lost over the years: Famous faces on Channel 4 hit no longer with us remembered in the wake of George Gilbey tragedy

By Matt Strudwick

Published: 09:24, 28 March 2024 | Updated: 10:00, 28 March 2024

Gogglebox fans are in mourning following the shock death of George Gilbey, aged 40, in a 'work accident'.  The former Celebrity Big Brother star died yesterday when he fell to the ground while working at height. He died at the scene.  The TV personality's death has rocked fans of the show as tributes poured in on social media.  The father-of-one had a seven-year-old daughter Amelie Iris Gilbey with Gemma Conway in 2016.  George, from Clacton-on-Sea, rose to fame on the second series of Gogglebox with his mother Linda McGarry and step-father Pete in 2013.  MailOnline has taken a look back to remember all of the famous faces of the Channel 4 hit show who are no longer with us. 

Pat Webb

The beloved Gogglebox star died aged 75 in January following a 'long illness'.  Pat, who featured on the show from series 10 to 12 alongside her son Stephen Lustig-Webb.  Stephen, who appeared on the show for 10 years before leaving in 2023, took to Instagram and shared a sweet photo of himself with his mother.   He wrote: 'Mummy Pat, you were one in a million, took everyone at face value, would share your last fiver with a stranger, the salt of the earth and the absolute centre of our world! Rest in peace mum.' 

Pat joined Gogglebox after Stephen's ex-partner Chris Steed left the programme in 2018.  From 2019 until 2023, Stephen appeared alongside his husband Daniel.  Stephen was one of the series' longest-running stars having joined when it first started in 2013.
 
Dave the Rottweiler

Gogglebox's Malone family shared their devastation in October 2023 that their beloved dog Dave had died.  The adorable pooch was known to millions of viewers as he regularly appeared on the Channel 4 show alongside the family Tom Sr, Julie, Shaun and Tom Jr.  The family took to Instagram to share their heartbreak as they confirmed the upsetting news.  They posted a sweet video of the Rottweiler standing on their driveway waiting for Tom Sr to return home alongside a heartfelt caption.  The family gushed over how much their beloved dog Dave meant to them and confessed that they would miss him 'so much'.  They wrote: 'RIP Dave xxx There are no words to describe you, or how much you meant to us.  We are all going to miss you so much.'

Pete McGarry

The step-father of George Gilbey died from bowel cancer in June 2021, aged 71, with his family by his side.  His beloved wife Linda revealed he had been diagnosed with the disease earlier that year but despite a recent operation to remove the tumour, was told he only had six months to live.  He died just days after the prognosis, with the widow telling The Sun: 'Pete was a lovely man and I was so lucky to have him for 25 years.'

A statement issued on behalf of the family announcing his death said: 'Pete will be dearly missed by the entire Gogglebox family, cast and crew. Our thoughts are with Linda, their children and grandchildren.  Since 2000, Pete and Linda have fostered over 100 children and he is a beloved father, husband and grandfather.'

Mary Cook

The TV personality, famed for her witty one-liners, died aged 92 in August 2021. She appeared alongside the show with her best friend Marina Wingrove.  Channel 4 announced the news in a statement that read: 'We are extremely saddened to share that Gogglebox star Mary Cook passed away in hospital this weekend at the age of 92 with her family by her side.  She will be dearly missed by the entire Gogglebox family, cast and crew.'

They added that Mary was a 'beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother and dear friend to many.'

Mary, who worked in the hospitality trade, had been married and widowed twice, and met best friend Marina at St Monica Trust retirement village more than ten years before her death.  The pair joined Gogglebox in 2016 at the start of series eight and became instant fan favourites due to their 'brilliantly witty and often cheeky comments.'

Andy Michael

The Gogglebox star also died in August 2021 aged 61 following a short illness.  The family first appeared on Gogglebox in the debut episode in 2013, but were dropped in 2014 because Mr Michael was running for Ukip in the 2015 General Election. After he failed to secure the Hastings and Rye seat, the family returned for future episodes.  Mr Michael, who won a legion of fans by sharing his unfiltered views on the week's TV alongside his wife Carolyne and children Katy, Alex, Pascal and Louis from their home in Brighton, was the son of immigrant parents from Cyprus.  A family statement, given to the PA news agency at the time, said: 'We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Gogglebox star Andy Michael at the age of 61 following a short illness.  'Andy passed away last weekend with his family by his side. 'Retired hotelier Andy, who brought much wit and insight to Gogglebox, was one of the show's original cast members, appearing in the very first episode in 2013.  Beloved father to Katy, Alex, Pascal and Louis, and cherished husband of Carolyne, Andy was a much-loved and respected member of the Gogglebox family, and he will be very sadly missed.  Our love and thoughts are with Carolyne and the entire family. The family have asked for privacy at this very sad time.'

June and Leon Bernicoff

June died in May 2020 aged 82 - three years after her husband Leon passed away.  The retired teacher died following a short illness and was one of Gogglebox's original cast members alongside her husband.  She left the show in 2018 following Leon's death, aged 83, in December 2017 following a short illness.  A statement from Channel 4 and production company Studio Lambert, on behalf of June's family, said: 'We are deeply saddened to announce that Gogglebox's much-loved June Bernicoff passed away at the age of 82 on May 5 at home with her family by her side after a short illness.  As the first couple to be cast for Gogglebox back in 2013, June and her husband Leon were a huge part of the programme's success.  Their warmth, wit and contrasting personalities endeared them to the nation during the course of the first 10 series.  Following Leon's passing in December 2017, June wrote her first book, Leon And June: Our Story, which was a deeply moving and entertaining chronicle of their 60-year love affair.'

June met Leon at teacher training college in 1955, but kept their relationship a secret for five years, as she knew Leon's Jewish family would not approve due to her Catholic faith.  They married in 1960 and moved into the same Liverpool home that they appeared in during their Gogglebox stint, and had four children and three grandchildren.

Caroline Aherne

The comic great died in 2016 aged 52 following a two year battle with lung cancer.  She starred in The Royle Family as well as the show's specials in 2006 and 2010 before becoming the voice of Gogglebox in 2013.  A statement issued by publicist Neil Reading said: 'Caroline Aherne has sadly passed away, after a brave battle with cancer.  The BAFTA award-winning writer and comedy actor died earlier today at her home in Timperley, Greater Manchester. She was 52.'

Aherne passed away alone at her home in Cheshire because her family were not aware her condition had deteriorated, a family member told The Mirror.  'It was too quick, we didn't expect her to go,' they said. 'She wasn't in a hospice. She was just at home. She left on her own.'