Sep 25, 2011

Poem

Scribbles is...

Scribbles is a unique site that Ken creates for you,
A place to showcase the many things that you enjoy to do.

Thre's lots of unique contests and funny photos too,
Plus celebrities, events and videos, to name only a few.

So please keep visiting scribbles, the way you always do,
Cuz if you stopped reading it, Ken would certainly be blue.


Rollin' Along

Ciuchcia (Steam train engine), a four-month-old dog, chases a cat in a courtyard after being helped onto a specially made wheelchair at Schronisko, a shelter for homeless animals, near Piotrkow Trybunalski, Poland, August 26, 2011.  REUTERS/Peter Andrews


True Colours


Fall is officially here and that means it's time for Mother Nature to surround us with trees filled with colourful leaves. Sadly those breathtaking colours never last long, as the trees soon become bare, reminding us Winter is just around the corner.

Here's a few encore photos of one of our favourite places, St John's Conservation Park, which- believe it or not- I have not had the opportunity to visit this year (you can thank my messed up neck and back for that one.)

We'd love to share YOUR Fall photos with your fellow scribbles friends, so please feel free to send some to us.




And just look at this fabulous Fall photo below by our artist
pal Amy Ballett. It was taken last year in Niagara-on-the-Lake
and the house in the pix is supposedly haunted.


THIS JUST IN...
Real Northern Colours
Marsha Scott sent us this photo which she took last week while vacationing around North Bay. Very nice Marsha!


Playing in a Travelin' Band


Our pal Gail Sharratt Mallory enjoyed watching her daughter Katie as she marched in this year's Niagara Wine Festival Grande Parade. Katie rocked on with her classmates from Laura Secord Secondary School in their infamous "Junk Band".

Looks like Katie had a blast and is every bit as silly as her adorable mom. Need more laughs? Scribbles will be adding a collection of Gail's photos very soon, 100% guaranteed to make you laugh (or your money cheerfully refunded)


Welcome Back Katie!

Our pal Katie Lacey's recent trip to Disneyland may have started off a bit "crappy" (LOL) but from what her mom Diane Murray told us, lovely Ms. Lacey had a blast all the same.

Katie returns to work at Talk Wireless this week and we're sure she'll have many tales to share with us and hopefully she'll post some pix on facebook for us to "steal" and "reveal" to our scribbles family.

M.I.C. (see you real soon) K.E.Y. (why, because we love you),
M.O.U.S.E.!!! 

You

SPRING BREAK ENCORE
ORIGINALLY POSTED: 9/25/11
Minnie Mouse's Long Lost Twin?


SillyRob looks a bit cheesy as he jokes around wearing Minnie Mouse ears. For the record, the Disney cap was a gift his Aunt Linda received from her daughter Gloria, but my big guy couldn't help but try them on. 



SPRING BREAK ENCORE
ORIGINALLY POSTED: 9/25/11

Stand Back Sandra!

We found this amusing pix amongst Sandra Vedder-Burger's facebook photos, it was taken while she was on vacation with her family. 

Good thing this prehistoric creature isn't alive, especially considering what end of it Sandra is standing near.  LOL!


The Doctor is "In"

With all the problems I have had with my chronic neck and back pain plus my visits to our local hospitals when I thought I was having a stroke (but thankfully was NOT), I have seen plenty of doctors, specialists and medical staff over the past few months.

It's no secret that there's much room for improvement in the Niagara Penninsula, when it comes to professional and accurate health care, as I discovered first hand. When I had my TIA/ mini-stroke scare, I saw what a terrible lack of communication there is amongst our local hospitals. And when I had my follow-up appointment with a grumpy old cardiologist a week ago, I once again was reminded of the sad state Niagara's health care system is in.

Fortunately, there are exceptions to this rule. My family physician is Dr. W. Oelofse (more commonly referred to as "Dr. O".)  He has been my doctor for several years now and no matter what my issue may be, Dr. O has always been caring, courteous and professional. He was there for me a few years back when I was suffering from depression and he has been there for me through all my neck pain issues. Dr. O takes my concerns seriously and always makes me look on the positive side of things. He makes me laugh and he relieves my concerns. 

Although numerous tests have ruled out that what I experienced a while back was NOT a stroke (WHEW!) unfortunately my nerve burning treatments in Toronto have not relieved my chronic neck pain. Dr. O has ordered additional MRI's and prescribed something more heavy duty to deal with my "heavy duty" pain. He hasn't given up on me and that in turn makes me feel better about where things are at.

Kudo's to Dr. Oelofse, a rare gem in Niagara's health system. He truly is a remarkable doctor and I'm grateful to be one of his patience.


I was always taught to respect my elders,
But it keeps getting harder to find one.


Household Tips

- To determine whether or not your eggs are fresh, immerse them in a pan of cool water. If an egg sinks, it fresh: if it rises to the surface, toss it

- After you cook potatoes, save the water (it will keep in the fridge for a few days) and use it in soups, breads or anything that calls for extra liquid. The potato starch adds body and nutritional benefits

- To disinfect slimy, smelly sponges or dishcloths, soak them overnight in a mild bleach solution or a mixture of half vinegar and half water. Run them through the dishwasher, or soak them and nuke in the microwave for a minute. Careful – let them cool before you pick them up!

- Sprinkle kitty litter in the bottom of your garbage pail to absorb odors and any liquid that might leak out of the bottom of the bag

- To make your house smell wonderful, sprinkle cinnamon on a square of aluminum foil and place it in a hot oven; turn off the heat and open the door slightly. It’s better than potpourri!

- If your cookbook won’t lie flat, lay a glass baking dish over it – you can read through the glass

Sep 23, 2011

Let's Dance!


It's only aired for one week and already the new season of Dancing With the Stars is loaded with controversy and surprises. This season's "stars" are the must eclectic ever. There's CNN mouthpiece Nancy Grace, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy's Carson Kressley (dancing with a GIRL!), TV host Ricki Lake, Military man, burn victim turned actor J.R. Martinez, reality TV star Rob Cardashian and the one-to-watch, Chaz Bono, the show's first ever transgendered contestant, to name but a few.

Although some close-minded viewers have decided to boycott this season because of Chaz's appearance on the hit ABC series, others are tuning in for the very first time ever to see how Cher's son does in the weekly dance competition.

The show airs Monday's at 8pm on ABC and CTV/CTV Two and the weekly results show airs live Tuesday's at 9pm.  There's never been a better time to tune in to the ballroom and watch the stars shine.



Sep 19, 2011

What a Bad Trip

Wee Bobby Miller was walking down the street,
  When an uneven sidewalk, got caught in his feet.
He hit the ground suddenly, with a mighty thud,
  Leaving his hands and face all covered in blood.

When he saw what he looked like, he had to groan,
  And decided it was best for him to go home.
And although he can walk to places that aren't far,
  In the future Wee Bobby will probably drive his car.

UPDATE: Bob's all better now friends and looks as good as new

Sep 15, 2011

what you've been up to...

The Virtual Stranger,
 Baptized Baby and Runaway Piggys
that Saved Scribbles

So, here's the scoop...as enjoyable as it is to bring you scribbles, it can sometimes take a while to put it all together. Most of the times, this is no big deal, but with my pains, recent hospital visits and trying to squeeze some working hours into the big picture, there's not a lot of time left for recreation. 

I gave it some thought and came to the conclusion it was probably time to say goodbye to scribbles website. I could use facebook to post pix and videos instead. Heck, I even put together a goodbye video!

Enter Jackie, Alina and three little pigs. Jackie is a new online friend who only recently discovered scribbles and really loves it. Alina is Rob's niece, who was baptised on Sept 11th and her mother Heather told me how she was looking forward to seeing the event on scribbles. And those three little pigs? They escaped their pen at Happy Rolph's and our pal Ginger immediately sent us a photo labelling it a "scribbles exclusive".

Suddenly putting scribbles out to pasture seemed a bit premature. There's still so much to share. If I can't get to the updates as often as before, so be it. You all understand (as you've reminded me time and time again) when I'm not feeling great and you end up waiting a bit longer.

Besides scribbles has often been the glue that keeps me from cracking up completely. I'd surely go stir crazy without my favourite outlet to express myself to my friends. Scribbles stays and that farewell video can go in the vault for now.

You'll find articles below on our new pal Jackie, Alina's baptism and those runaway pigs. Thanks to each of them for reminding me of the unique appeal of scribbles. How could I put an end to that??



Rub His Head for Luck

Rob's sporting a shorter haircut these days and as we see above he's a real hit with my little buddha...I think I'm seeing double!


Big Day for Alina

We've featured Alina Dennis on scribbles since the day she arrived into the world in January. The little angel has stolen the show, as we've proudly presented photos of her wearing pretty headbands and looking so cute.

Recently Alina's parents Heather and Rodney had her baptised. The ceremony took place in Dain City on Sept 11th. Friends and family were on hand to watch as Alina was officially welcomed into the church.

She squirmed a bit when her head was anointed with holy water and as a result got a little of the precious liquid in her eye. But being the trooper she is, Alina barely fussed about it and was all smiles after the big moment was over.

What a special day and one I was honoured to be invited to share and thankful that I was feeling well enough to attend -although I did have to take a pass on the reception at the Dennis home afterwards. Congratulations Alina.

 scribbles VIDEO CLIP:
Alina's Baptism
"Beautiful Stranger" and "Hung Up" performed by Madonna



Giddy Up!

Who is that beneath the helmet and sunglasses?

Why it's our friend Diane Murray, who proves once again you're never too old to learn something new.

This was her first time on a horse and it appears the wait has just made it that much more enjoyable. Diane told us she had a great time.

Way to go "Endora!", you're the best sister a warlock like Uncle Arthur could ask for.



Pam's Nuts about "Chippy"

There's no shortage of reasons for our pal Pam Hopkins to enjoy a visit to her trailer in Burk's Falls and one of them is her little pal "Chippy". Chippy takes peanuts right from Pam's hand and often stuffs them in his cheeks (as we see above) before rushing away.

Pam tells us Chippy's not the only wildlife enjoying a bite at her home away from home. Some of the birds are quite vocal if they feel its time for another feeding from Pam, even if it wasn't that long ago that she already fed them.

Sounds like it's a jungle out there Pammy, and one that sounds like a lot of fun to be a part of.


A Shiny Key and Sticky Fingers, But No New Car

After 32 years, it's never gotten old. I just love when someone comes along who we introduce to scribbles for the first time.

Our "newbie" scribbles friend is Jackie Skinner-Raposo of Burlington, ON. We "met" when we shared comments on a local radio station's facebook page. The station had recently tweaked its playlist and neither of us liked it. Since then Jackie and I have gotten to know each other a bit better.

Jackie has amazing luck when it comes to contests. She's won a trip, concert tickets (most recently Def Leppard and Heart) and more. She also won a key that could possibly start the engine of a new smart car. The winner would be revealed on Labour Day during Burlington's Ribfest.

We posted a good luck message to Jackie on scribbles and she was so pleased to see it. "Hi Ken! I was blown away! I can't believe you did that for me ! Thank you so much. I loved it." , she wrote.

And after checking out scribbles Jackie later told us, "I couldn't believe your website. So sophisticated and informative."

Boy Jackie, that's a very nice thing to say about scribbles, I don't believe we've every been called "sophisticated" before, I know I personally haven't, not sure about scribbles though...LOL!  I'm sorry you didn't win the smart car, but at least you got to thoroughly enjoy that rib sauce!

Welcome and enjoy!!! 
  


Lookin' Good, Under the Hood

Rob was excited to show my brother-in-law Don and his father Jim what it looks like under the hood of his classic '87 Buick LeSabre - when we were all gathered at the Papple's home for my niece Erin's 16th birthday.

The real reason Rob likes to pop his hood, is because of the unique way it opens. Throw in a pair of fuzzy dice and it's very groovy baby....LOL!



Little Piggies Break Free!

Ginger Blythin was quick to squeal, after she witnessed three little piggy's break free from their pen at Happy Rolph's.  She forwarded this pix to us marked: "scribbles exclusive" and also noted that there was another fence surrounding the entire small animal section- so the little breakout artists didn't get too far.


Early to Bed and Early to Rise,
Might make her Tired, But oh so Wise!

Going back to school may rule, but when your classes start bright and early, it's not so cool.

Such is the case for my niece Erin Papple, she attends high school in St Catharines and this year they've opted for earlier start and finish times. As a result, Erin and her classmates are done school each day by 2:30pm, meaning there's lots of the day left for homework and other activities.

On the down side, classes at Erin's school begin at 8:10am, meaning students need to be at school before 8 am in order to be in class on time. Yipes! That's brutal Erin!!

When your Uncle Ken was in high school (in the horse-and-buggy days...LOL), classes started at 8:50 am, which was early enough for me. Can't imagine trying to be awake, alert and ready to learn at 8:10 am. Good luck and be sure to get to bed early on school nights.


He Likes it Little

My mom's cat looks pretty squished, tucked all up in the little cat bed I brought to him while his "Mommy" was away in August. Truth is, Sensi doesn't have to use that baby-sized bed, as we see above, because he also has a nice big bed to stretch out in. To each their own I suppose.