Editorial

Saying Goodbye

This is it! Depending upon when you are reading this, I am either a few days away from moving, in transit or just settling in to my new home in St. Catharines...but at the time I am writing this, I have less than 4 days before the big move on Mar. 29th.

My checklist of things to do is getting slightly smaller as the stacks of packed boxes continues to grow larger, something that should find me feeling somewhat relieved, but [in true neurotic Kenny style] that's not quite the case.

I can't deny it will be nice to return to St. Catharines, the city I called home for over 40 years before moving to Welland in August 2012. And judging by your enthusiasm, this is something many of you are really looking forward to. It will be handy to be closer to my family, friends and medical professionals, particularly since my car is pretty old and could bite the dust at any time.

Still, there is a huge part of me that is going to miss Welland very VERY much. This is somewhat ironic considering I wasn't all that excited about moving here in the first place. But somehow, somewhere along the line, all that changed.

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One of the main advantages of moving to Welland (aside from the more affordable rent) was that this is where my partner also lived.  Living here meant I would get to spend more time with him and his family and they all made me feel like one of the gang.

Sadly, things would change last Summer when - after 6 years together - Rob and I separated. Although it was initially awkward, Rob and I soon became the greatest of friends and even having him and his mother move to the apartment on the opposite side of my bedroom wall, didn't (for the most part) make me want to rush back to St. Catharines.

Instead, it was comforting to have Rob and Merry next door. We did all sorts of neighbourly things for each other, including them feeding me when they had cooked a bit extra for dinner, Rob helping me lift things up the stairwells and me being available on a moments notice to figure out something technical or rescue them from a bat which had somehow found its way into their place. LOL!

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Being in a smaller apartment building than where I was before, meant I would get to know some of the neighbours quite well. I sure will miss "Old Man John", "Landlord John" and Mary, the lady who lived one floor below me. They all loved Timmi and each of them have told me they wished I weren't leaving.

Despite what I had been told by some people prior to moving, I quickly discovered that the city of Welland was no more or less scary than any other place in Niagara. In fact I became quite smitten with the "Rose City" and its many scenic places to spend some quality outdoor time.

Merritt Island proved to be a majestic place to visit and I swear there are towns smaller than the massive area that makes up Memorial Park (located mere minutes from my apartment) ...a huge favourite of both Timmi and myself.

Although Welland is about a third the size of St. Catharines, this simply meant I could run my errands and shop from one end of the city to the other in record time. Each December, I had a birds eye view from my balcony of where participants in the annual Santa Claus parade gathered to kick off each year's festive event.

Yes, there are many people, places and things in Welland that I am going to miss and although I am welcome to visit anytime, it won't be quite the same as being in the heart of it all.

I'm grateful for the many friends who have been instrumental in preparing to get me back to St. Catharines and look forward to spending more time with each of you again soon.

But a little part of me will always consider Welland my second home and I thank Rob, his family and everyone here for making me feel so welcome.

Kenny 

Where We'll Be

Ken is moving back to St Catharines and oddly enough, so is Scribbles. Our official moving notice above was redesigned from an old Yard Sale flyer, created in the early 90's when I lived on Capner Street. The original drawing included the address of and directions to the sale we had to get rid of some of our unwanted items.

There's no Yard Sale this time around, as I've streamlined my belongings to the bare necessities. In fact, I may very well go in search of a Yard Sale once I move, to find some blinds for the many windows I will now have and some mats or area rugs for the floors.

Below we see a collection of past moving notices. Ginny and I sure had a lot of pets, by the looks of the drawing and the apartment building Glenn and I moved in to was tall, but not the towering skyscraper seen here.

After all the years of living in apartment buildings and being in 3rd and 8th floor units, living in a lower level place is going to take some getting used to.  At least I will no longer be lugging bags of groceries and other items up three double flights of stairs. My back is already thanking me for that one.

Review

The Best Pharmacy in Welland

There's plenty of people, places and things I am going to miss about Welland and one of them is my pharmacy. Originally located farther down the street, East Main Pharmacy moved to a brand new building over a year ago.

The new store is spacious and well organized and the pharmacists and the entire staff are knowledgeable, pleasant and extremely helpful.

You'll also find some great specials, something you usually don't see at an independent pharmacy.

If you live in Welland and are unhappy with your current pharmacy and/or looking for a new one, East Main Pharmacy is the place to go.

I told the staff I would be moving soon, when I was picking up a prescription recently and made sure they knew how much I had enjoyed their service. Their reply was a similar sentiment of that I've heard from my neighbours, "We're sorry to see me go."

With the number of prescriptions they fill each month for me, it's little wonder. 

Kids

Topsy Turvy

Upside down or right side up, Rachel and Evelyn Blythin are just adorable, in this photo found on daddy Neil's facebook page.

You

My sister Kim is featured in the pix above at the dinner my family had for her in honour of her 50th Birthday. Kim actually turned the big 5-0 on Mar. 15, but it was Mar. 23 that we were finally able to schedule a family gathering.

Pets | Age Chart

Clever Ideas

Re-Tired

Turn an old large tire into a decorative little pond. Make sure you have a filtration system to keep the water fresh.

From TV Stand to Mini Kitchen

Now isn't this one clever?  Don't drag that old TV stand to the trash heap, repurpose it by turning it into an adorable toy kitchen. We don't have the exact instructions on how to do it, but the before and after photos above give you the idea.

Lots of little girls (and even some extraordinary little boys) would love to play house in this cool kitchen.

Got Pallets?

Hate weeding? Don't feel like turning up a bunch of grass? Use a pallet as a garden bed - staple garden cloth on the backside of the pallet fill with dirt and start growing!

In Memoriam | Opie

Our condolences to Larry Sage on the loss of his buddy Opie.

Humour

Pets

Although we don't know whose cat is featured in this online find, we do know there isn't a cat owner out there who can't relate to this one.

Pets

It's hard not to fall for our Ottawa friends Megan and Andy's newest addition, Olive. We've featured her frolicking with her big brother Floyd and dressed in sweaters, but of "all-of" Olive's photos, this one is truly the cat's meow.

Inspiring

Here's an original Scribbles drawing from the mid 80's. All these years later and I'm still holding on to those balloons, who'd a thunk it?

Pets

Daddy's Little Helpers

My moving day back to St. Catharines is March 29th and there's lots of preparations yet to be taken care of.

Thankfully I've got lots of amazing friends who are on board to help get me from Point A to Point B and judging by these pix, even my "kids" are getting in on the act.

JJ is helping with packing (although it appears to be more of a game than work to him.)

Meanwhile, if we can't get everything in to the U-Haul I've reserved for that day, we can always ask Timmi to load up his sporty car as well.

I spotted the kiddy car outside, near our big garbage bin out back and couldn't resist placing Timmi in the driver's seat for this amusing photo op.

Now if only I can get them to unpack and arrange things once we've settled in to the new place, I'd be really happy....LOL!

Entertainment News

Mick Jagger posts poignant tribute to L'Wren Scott
The Associated Press

(AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)

NEW YORK -- Mick Jagger paid poignant tribute to his late companion, designer L'Wren Scott, on Tuesday, calling her his "lover and best friend" and saying he was struggling to understand why she might have taken her own life.

Jagger posted the message on his Facebook page as the Rolling Stones cancelled their seven-date tour of Australia and New Zealand, "14 on Fire," in the wake of Scott's death. The noted fashion designer was found dead Monday in her Manhattan apartment, an apparent suicide.

"I am still struggling to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way," Jagger wrote. "We spent many wonderful years together and had made a great life for ourselves. She had great presence and her talent was much admired, not least by me."

He added: "I have been touched by the tributes that people have paid to her, and also the personal messages of support that I have received.

"I will never forget her."

Jagger was believed to be on his way to New York after hearing the news in Australia. The band issued a statement expressing regret that the tour was being postponed.

Meanwhile, details emerged in Britain about financial troubles that Scott's eponymous label had been experiencing. Last month the designer cancelled her London Fashion Week show, due to reported production delays.

Accounts filed by Scott's LS Fashion Ltd. in London show the company had liabilities that exceeded assets by 4.24 million euros ($5.9 million) as of Dec. 31, 2012.

The company's long and short-term debts totalled 6.75 million euros against assets, capital and reserves of 2.51 million euros, according to the accounts, which were filed in October.

That news raised questions about whether Scott's label, popular on Hollywood red carpets, would now be able to survive. Steven Frumkin, dean of business and technology at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, said that was an open question, but that despite the company's difficulties, the brand could survive with skilful marketing.

He said it was crucial that the label also stake a claim to a wide audience, as Scott did in a recent collaboration with Banana Republic, and not just go after the high end of the market. Scott's designs have been popular with celebrities like Madonna, Oprah Winfrey, Tina Fey, Amy Adams, Nicole Kidman and first lady Michelle Obama.

Prominent fashion writer Robin Givhan noted that with a private company, it's impossible to know what the future holds. But she suggested that survival could be a challenge for the label, since it was "still quite young in its development and with a very limited audience. It certainly was not a household name." She added that the fashion line was "based on a particular esthetic sensibility that was quite personal."

Scott was adopted by a Mormon couple and grew up in small-town Utah. She made her way to Paris after high school where, aided by her 6-foot-3 height (some say it was 6-foot-4) and striking looks, she found work as a model for some prominent photographers.

But she became more interested in working with clothes than modeling them, and eventually made her name as a top stylist in Los Angeles and a costume designer for films including "Ocean's 13."

In 2006, Scott founded her label, with an initial collection based on the "Little Black Dress." She became known for designs that had a vintage feel and bared little skin, such as her famous "headmistress" dress -- prim, with three-quarter sleeves, but also close-fitting and stylish.

Event

CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER INFO

Scribbles Video

Aqua Man

We're catching up on some of the videos we had planned on having already put together and this is truly a fishie one.

Our pal Bob Miller has not one, not two, but SIX aquariums in his apartment and we were offered a chance to check them all out earlier this year (as in Jan. 3rd.)

Here's our video featuring Bob's fabulous finned friends!

Scribbles Video

Fun & Games

From homemade board games to plush toys and theme parties, Scribbles finds many ways to be creative.  This video shows you how!


Comment on this video, click "No Comments" to leave your message

In Memoriam

Our deepest sympathy goes to Neil & Ginger Blythin and family, on the loss of their beloved friend Guinness.

I am reminded of this saying I heard several years ago after the departure of one of my fur babies.

"A pet is not forever,

But its loving memory is"

My thoughts are with you at this time of sorrow.

Love Kenny

Guinness' "Mom" Ginger wrote this touching message on facebook:

"Guinness Frederick Blythin. A great dog with the most wonderful sense of what it means to be family. I still remember the night Neil and Drew came home with him. From that point on we went from being a couple with one dog to a family with two dogs (and boy did our family grow from there!) Guinny Fred would always greet us at the door with an appropriate gift for the youngest member of the family returning home. He was "Nurse Guinny" when one of us was sick. He was the best and we miss him terribly."

Inspiring

Wildlife

Music Video

GET HAPPY!

Walk Off The Earth  teams up with pals from Parachute for a very unique cover of "Happy" -the Oscar nominated song by Pharrell William's as heard in Despicable Me 2.

Humour

A Letter from Owner to Dog...

Dear Dog:

When I say to move, it means go someplace else, not just switch positions so you are still in the way.

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note - placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help, because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything larger than a king-sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue to sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort.

Look at videos of dogs sleeping. They can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. In addition, I have been using bathrooms for years; canine attendance is not mandatory.

The proper order is to kiss me, then go smell the other dog's behind. I cannot stress this enough. It would be such a simple change for you.

Thank you.

Inspiring

Support

CLICK HERE to visit MORE NURSES WEBSITE

Entertainment

Ellen Degenere's group "selfie" was retweeted so many times on Oscars night, it briefly broke Twitter. But that's not all the attention this star-studded shot has received. As we see below, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, as the Lego people and The Simpsons now have their own versions of the photo. We bet even Ellen didn't see that one coming.

 Even we are getting in the act...

You

Hotter Than a Pepper Sprout!

Rob and Rodney Dennis celebrated birthday number 34 with a party at the apartment Rob shares with his mother Merry. The twins were joined by their sister Patty, cousin Sandra, along with Rob's next door neighbours...my dog Timmi and I.

After enjoying some beverages and listening to music videos, Rob and Sandra decided it was time to entertain us with some karaoke (something they both love.)  I was impressed by Sandra's impression of June Carter-Cash when she and Rob sang "Jackson", originally sung by June and her "man  in black" husband, Johnny Cash.

Munchies included two small cakes and Doritos, although Rob took some razzing for not having any salsa to dip the chips in.

This year's party may not have been as wild and crazy as past parties, but the SMALL group of guests still managed to have BIG fun.
 

You

Kids

Pint-Sized Helpers

Neil Blythin recently posted the three pix above on his facebook page.

In the photos, we see two of Neil and his wife Ginger's kids -Keira and William - keeping the sidewalk in front of their home free from snow.

The Blythin's also have twin daughters, who are 8 months old. Since being able to stand and walk on your own is a rather important part of shoveling, little Rachel and Evelyn are off the hook for now.

Neil joked on his facebook page, "Training for my little minions has begun. Soon I will have a small army of helper monkeys... Muah hahahahaha!"

They are so cute Neil and I'm betting they thought it was lots of fun to be mommy and daddy's little helpers. Enjoy that while you can, the novelty usually seems to wear off as they get older.

Video

Clever

Gutter Gardening

From the facebook page The Gardening Club, comes this very interesting gardening idea.

"Creative gardener Suzanne Forsling grows her own vegetables in a gutter garden, attached to the side of her house", says The Gardening Club.

"While this idea is inexpensive and incredibly practical, we think it has visual appeal as well" they continued. 

I like the idea, but you would have to make darn sure you liked the idea enough to commit to putting those gutter things all over the outside of your home, because if you change your mind a year or so later and remove them, your wall will have holes all over. Definitely not a good plan if you are renting...LOL!


To read more about Suzanne Forsling's clever design CLICK HERE.

You

Enjoy Your New Home Lorenzo

What I'm nervously preparing for at the end of March, our pal Lorenzo Cromwell has just completed.

Artist Lorenzo moved on March 1st, where he will now be neighbours with friends Mikol Zahorchak and his BF Dave Nelson.

We hope you are getting settled in nicely to your new environment Lorenzo and that your kitten Miss Lilly is adapting to her new stomping grounds. MEOW!  MEOW!

You

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Pam & Craig's Secret Wedding

She did it! Our Talk Wireless friend Pam Hopkins is now Mrs. Craig Saltzberry, after a small "well kept secret" wedding on March 1st.

Scribbles first discovered the big surprise via Pam's facebook page, where she posted a photo of hubby Craig and her, getting ready to cut their wedding cake. We wasted no time in advising Pam that we wanted to put her wedding story on Scribbles and she was happy to share this info with you!

Pam told Scribbles, "Craig proposed January 11th and we decided to pick a date when there isn't any birthdays, etc. That's a hard thing to do!! so March 1st it was. It was the best kept secret because we just wanted a small affair with just our kids & Immediate family there for ceremony & dinner."

"I didn't want people to read about the wedding coming up & then get hurt feelings when no invite arrived for them." Pam added. "It's so hard but if you don't cut it off somewhere the next thing you know it blossomed & then you are renting a hall."

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Pam and Craig were married at The Little Wedding Chapel on Lundy's Lane in Niagara Falls, ON.

"It was a wonderful afternoon & evening - and we now get to spend the rest of our lives extremely happy :) ", beamed the new Mrs. Saltzberry. "It's so nice to have been given another chance at happiness".

"And to make this year even better, I'm going to be a Grandma (or Nana as I will be called) in June. My daughter is expecting a little girl at the end of June."

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WOW "SAMMIE"...

I'm blown away with all your great news, especially the wedding. So nice to see nice things happening in your life. You most certainly deserve every minute of it.

Love You Always,

"Uncle Arthur"

Pets

"Nope...There's Nothing Going On Here"

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Once upon a time, Floyd (the black kitty above) had an entire apartment and sometimes even an island to himself. He got lots of attention and life was grand.

Then along came Olive.  Floyd's "parents" Megan Fox and BF Andy Tinneberg adopted Olive over the Winter and despite what it appears like above, the new siblings actually do like each other.

Gee...it almost makes me want to get a friend to keep JJ amused. [insert reassuring disclaimer here: I am NOT getting another cat] Timmi would surely run away from home if that were to happen, he already dodges one kitten on a daily basis, there's no need for a tag team.

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We're not sure if the sweater Olive is sporting in the photo on the top right is part of an initiation process or if Floyd had something to do with it, but it is an interesting look for the newest addition to Megan and Andy's home in Ottawa.

BUT WAIT! Here's proof of how much Olive loves her new sweater....In the photo on the left, Megan's boyfriend Andy comes to the rescue, after Olive made an attempt to leave the couple's apartment. Megan says Olive rushes down the hall almost every time the door is opened (gee, she must be related to my JJ, who does the same thing here.)