Of all the birthday tributes received by Nelson Mandela over the past few days, perhaps the one most likely to bring tears to his eyes was from Sooty. You can see it on YouTube, alongside those from the Clintons and the Blairs. The accomplished magician, one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers, waves a wand over a pair of cakes and transforms them into the number 90 – the birthday celebrated …

LAKEPORT — Lori Illingworth has 50 cakes and 50 cards and no one to give them to.

Your best friend from college now lives six states away, and the cousin you grew up with is on the opposite coast from you. They may be thousands of miles away, but your out-of-town guests still play an important role in making your wedding day everything you dreamed it could be.