PETS | Contented Cat

JOE FRIDAY | Encore Joe

WISE WORDS | by Rich Hunt

ENCORE POST FROM 2016 | PHOTOS & QUOTE BY RICH HUNT

KIDS | Mother's Little Helper

ENCORE POST FROM OCT. 2016  |  PHOTOS AND CAPTIONS BY MANDY DICK

YOU & ME | Jane's SUB-sational Birthday

My family gathered for a few hours to celebrate my sister Jane's birthday on July 22, however preparing for the event actually took a tad longer.

The event was held at my mom's apartment and I was her party coordinator.  A week or more prior, we discussed what the menu would be. We wanted something that would be tasty, but not require one or both of us to be spend hours in front of a hot stove. After all, we wanted to enjoy ourselves just like the rest of the gang hopefully would be.

Mom and I came up with the idea of subs, but instead of buying them already prepared from a sub shop, we would purchase popular ingredients required to make them and let the guests do-it- themselves. This way everyone's sub would be just the way they liked it.

The day before the party, mom and I went to our local Walmart Superstore and Dollartree, where, between the two places, we found everything on our very well plotted list. I helped lug the stuff into mom's apartment and that was all she wrote for day one.

The actual day of the get-together, Timmi and I went to mom's several hours before the rest of the family were expected. We had trays of cold cuts, assorted chopped veggies, various sliced cheese, pickles, sauces, chips and a fruit tray.

PHOTOS & GIFS BY SCRIBBLES

I had made my infamous homemade iced tea, which I brought with me. Mom had put the bottles of pop in her small freezer and their contents were very close to becoming completely frozen when I retrieved them. No one would be able to say the pop wasn't cold at today's function. LOL (inside joke here.)

My sister Kim purchased a cake with fresh strawberries on it, which she would bring when she arrived after work, so we had that part of the birthday covered as well.

I helped mom put sections in the dining room table and gather up chairs from around her home, so everyone would have a place to sit. Even though mom isn't a big fan of them, I had bought some balloons and blew up a cluster. How can you have a birthday party without balloons?

Guests arrived starting around 5 pm, including of course the birthday girl, her husband Ken and son Graham, who I picked up using mom's car.

The sub idea was a big success and I liked that once it was set up, mom and I could join in the fun without having to keep serving the rest of our group. The eating of the cake, opening gifts and taking photos all followed.

Now that the prep and party were wrapping up, I wouldn't require mom's car anymore, so my niece gave Timmi and I a ride home. I won't lie, I was in massive pain by the time I got home and despite meds. stretching exercises and ice packs, I was still hurting all night and into the next day.

As they say, "No pain, no gain". It took planning and manual labour, but we had pulled off another fun-filled family birthday party and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.... just not any day soon. LOL.

Glad you had a good time Jane!

YOUR WORDS | Are You Blinded By Ego?

"Many people who are enlightened will tell you that's it's easy. Even if it took them 90 years to get there.

Ego is the main reason one can never be enlightened and most of us are living an enlightened life blinded by Ego. If you know what's on the other side of that, it's easy, if you don't, it's scary and you can hold on to it for the rest of your life...till you die!

Your fight becomes about numbers. How much good vs. bad have you done in your life. The simple thought that you have the right to judge how much good vs bad YOU have done IS the ego.

You can not judge others nor can you judge yourself. Sometimes the bad is necessary for the good. Just like death is necessary for life. You can only accept.

Judgement = EGO Acceptance = Enlightenment."

Encore comment by our friend Rich Hunt - originally posted December 2014

YOUR WORDS |

YOU | Pay it Forward

READERS RECIPES | Chocolate Delights

FROM SCRIBBLES MARCH 2006

White Chocolate Fudge

Submitted by Kim Papple

Prep time 20 min  Refridgeration time 2 hrs

2 kg (6 squares each) Bakers White Chocolate

¾ cup dondensed milk

½ cup dried cranberries

Line 8 inch square pan with foil, with ends extending over the sides. Microwave chocolate and milk in large microwavable bowl on medium heat for 3 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add cranberries and stir in. Spread fudge mixture into prepared pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift fudge from pan foil handles. Cut into pieces. Store in fridge in covered container up to 3 weeks (do not freeze).

Chunky Chocolate Jam Bars

Submitted by Kim Papple

Prep time 20 min

1 ½ cup flour

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 Cup Butter (softened)

1 ½ cups quick cooking oats

½ cups chopped pecans

5 squares semi-sweet chocolate - coarsely chopped

½ jar red raspberry jam

Pre-heat oven to 350 degree F. Line 13 x 9 inch pan with foil, grease foil lining. Mix flour, brown sugar and baking powder in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add oats and pecans, mix well. Press half of the crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of baking pan. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate. Spoon jam over top, Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake 25-30 min or until lightly browned. Lift from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into bars.