Jun 1, 2011

What? I get to EAT it too?

Pat Fenerty's great niece is quite literally pretty in pink as she plays with the icing on her birthday cake. Pat says it was great to see the extended family come out to celebrate Olivia's 1st birthday bash despite the miserable weather. FANTASTIC pix Pat, too bad it's a little late for this year's photo contest, I'm sure it would have received lots of votes.



Creature Feature

Our friend Angela Whiteley-O'Neill of Nova Scotia sure is talented. We've featured her amazing bodypaintings on scribbles in the past, but this creative piece takes on a whole new look when viewed under blacklight [as seen in second photo above]. And it's one thing to paint designs on others, but just how the heck does she manage to use her own body her canvas and do it so skillfully?

Want to see more of her amazing work? Visit Angela's Breathing Canvas facebook page here*

*you must be registered with facebook to view this site




"Thanks for taking me
to the Playground, Daddy"

"OK, now turn on your signal...
...slow down, eyes on the road"

William Blythin (left) shares a drive with his little sister Keira and somehow this adorable photo reminds me of someone being taught how to drive.  We snagged this pix from the William and Keira's daddy's facebook page [insert sarcastic gasps here- LOL] I held off as long as I could Neil, in case you had decided to send it in for our photo contest, but today's the deadline, meaning FINALLY I get to share this amsuing pix with the rest of our scribbles family.


click pix to view large version

Stop and Smell the Flowers
With the mercury rising and sun shining brightly, it looks like we're in for a long hot Summer. A sure sign is the arrival of these beautiful flowers as seen today in my mom's backyard. The fragrant flowers, like Summer itself don't stay in bloom for very long, so we were sure to snap this pix while they still look great. 

 


Ken's Second Treatment at Rothbart

Fri. 5pm...

Just back from 2nd treatment at Rothbart Centre. LOTS of injections this time. Neck, shoulders, lower back and base of skull. I go back in 2 weeks and then in July for the more advanced x-ray therapy (more on that later).

At this precise moment I'm feeling very little pain. A bit tingly (kinda like when you go to the dentist) and tired so going to rest now.

Fri. Midnight...

Nap and a bubble bath felt good. Some muscle stiffness tonight so going to rest some more after this post.

I asked the Specialist today exactly what it is we are injecting into me. A fair enough question, I thought. And he is such a nice guy, even took the time to spell it out for me.  The injections I am currently receving are non-steroidal, a combination of Marcaine and Toradol.

What Is a Marcaine Injection?

Marcaine is a local anesthetic used to prevent or block pain. It is used in many procedures, from dental work to childbirth.

Marcaine injections are used in a discogram to help find the source of spine pain. By anesthetizing specific nerves as they emerge from the spinal cord, your doctor can determine exactly which nerves are sending pain signals to the brain, and can then treat these nerves individually, allowing you to reduce or eliminate systemic painkillers that can affect your overall function. Toradol is also present as an anti-inflammatory.

So this is what they are doing to me right now. Dr. James also mentioned they can try a steroid next time and has forwarded recommendations for specific meds to my family doctor. Physiotherapy in any form is also recommended and it is important for me not to lay around too much, because that can make things worse. 

However when it hurts so bad, I don't want to do anything, so if they can make the pain go away then maybe I will feel more like being more active. We'll see and as you grown to expect,  I'll keep you posted.



click pix to view large version

Siesta Time for Senior Pussycat

My cat J.R. certainly is relaxed looking, laying on the back of my sofa. It's a common scene, resting is one of J.R.'s favourite pasttimes, and if the sofa isn't handy, the bed, a basket of laundry or pile of shoes also make great places for my furry friend to fall asleep. 





  mini VIDEO CLIP


Down...But Not Out

As we see above I'm in good company as I lay on the floor to relieve neck and shoulder pain. My cat J.R. thinks I make a purrfect pillow and so does Timmi at times. Unfortunately I'll be spending more time on the floor resting my back and I am on a short term sick leave.


 

It's Coffee Time!
Little Keira Blythin of Niagara Falls has the right idea, now she just has to figure out how to get the coffee to come out. Actually, by the looks of it, we're pretty sure Keira is enjoying chewing on the lid as much as what's inside the cup.


Singing in the Rain

Timmi's styling in his brand new raincoat, a special gift from his Nana. Timmi spends 2-3 days a week with Nana (as part of mom and I's "joint custody" agreement...LOL). Wouldn't you know, many of the days Mom and Timmi are together it rains. No problem for our trendy pooch. Now he'll keep dry and be "cool" at the same time.

Great Gift Nana, you're right, he;s worth it. WOOF WOOF!



Tatts the Way, Uh huh, Uh Huh
He'd Like It, Uh Huh Uh Huh

To commemorate the passing of Ricky Holditch earlier this year, a lot of those close to him now sport tattoos to remember him by.

First (I think) was Ricky's pal Donny, who had his entire arm inked with Ricky's West Hill nickname shortly after Rick's passing. Then Ricky's girlfriend Stephanie had poker chips tattooed on her body.

The most recent addition...Ricky's sister Tammie... has a full house of poker memories with a new tatt on the back of her neck, in memory of her little brother.

Great stuff guys and gals, I'm sure Ricky would be honoured.




Their Big Day Approaches

New Jersey lovebirds Joanne Bonadies and Kent Kildow will exchange vows on July 3rd and we're so excited. Joanne is known to me as my "SS" (my Soul Sister) which is what she calls me too, and has for the 20 years or so that we've been very special long distance friends.

I was so touched to recently receive an invitation for Rob and I to join the happy couple in New Jersey for their wedding. Unfortunately, financially things are rough and we will be unable to attend. You can be assured my dear "SS" I will be thinking of you and Kent that day and hope it is as special as you are.

Can't wait to see the wedding photos and share some with scribbles. Thanks again for the lovely invitation. It really brought tears of happiness to my eyes (or maybe my meds were kicking in...LOL) You found your soulmate this time SS and I'm so happy for you. xoxo





Shutterbug Squirrel Snaps Back!

LOL- It's fiction, we obviously photoshopped the camera in the pix above. The squirrel was spotted outside of my mom's place and allowed me to take several pix before continuing his trip along the wooden fence.






Fun From Top to Bottom

We just love to keep things fresh and fun here at scribbles, so lately we've added exciting theme banners at the top of our page.  Tulips were in bloom at Easter, we went to Jolly OIe England for William and Kate's wedding and recently dandelions were aplenty. Luckily we've mowed them down and currenty it's time for Spring planting. 

And that's not all that changes regularly at scribbles. Each week we feature different scribbles pals and celebrities right beside our scribbles logo. Add our new postings and info packed sidebars and scribbles truly is...fun from top to bottom.

Thanks for continuing to enjoy it all


A Real Pain in the Neck

It's no secret, I've suffered from chronic neck and back pain for a very long time. I've tried a lot of things and not much helps, so there's always pain. My doctor recently referred me to the Rothbart Centre for Pain Care in Toronto.

My first visit was on Friday the 13th (eeek, was this an omen?) Our pal Bob Miller was only too happy to drive me to and from the clinic. Besides, there just happened to be a large park right across the road from Rothbart, giving Bob -an avid photographer- lots to take pictures of while I was at my appointment.
My initial treatment consisted of 10 injections, 5 on each side of my neck. These epiderals are designed to block nerve endings, the cause of the constant pain. It wasn't as painful as some may think and it has offered some relief to some of the painful spots. I return in 2 weeks for more injections, then back in July for a more involved procedure with the possibility of up to 6 months painfree, which after being in constant pain for so long,would be truly amazing.

Thanks to everyone who offered their best wishes on facebook, as always, I appreciate your support.


Interested in learning more about Rothbart Centre? CLICK HERE to visit their official website



A little bit at a time

When preparing for my appointment at Rothbart, I put together an extensive history of my pain, one of the things I have noted is activities that cause pain.

Sadly one of those things is sitting at a computer for extended periods of time. At work- I've been temporarily relocated to the company's Niagara Falls location, where it is a slower pace and better for my recovery. At home, well I hate to say, but I'm going to have to do keep the updates to smaller packets.  Shorter periods of time at the scribbles desk fits in with my pain management right now...we'll still update just not a million new things at a time.



A Tender Moment
by Mikol Zahorchak
 Fort Erie,ON

Renee Brady smiles as little Kolbalt Zahorchak-Nelson shares a laugh with his dad Dave.



"Look, I told you already, shut up your seed hole"





Smart Butterfly
by Karen Bridel
 St Catharines ON

This amusing photo may look familiar. It was the winner of our Readers Photo Contest 2008. I guess the butterfly saw her friends on the shirt and decided to pay our little friend a visit.



The Right Betty is the White Betty

Ok, it takes me a while sometimes. When our pal Katie Lacey got a new car a while back, she named it Betty. I assumed Betty as in Betty Rubble and recently  featured Katie and Barney's beloved beside our scribbles logo.

OOPS! Turns out I had the wrong Betty. Because her new car is white, Katie named her Betty, as in Betty White. Well, DUH! That makes sense. LOL. OK Katie, I've made a note of it like I said I would. Betty White Rules, but Betty Rubble is still pretty cool too.

May 1, 2011

another classic original drawing by scribbles- YES, I can draw too!

You like us, you REALLY like us!

We're thrilled to announce that scribbles is now averaging 100 visitors PER DAY! You have no idea how exciting that is to us. Why so many hits? Well with new content added almost everyday including reader's photos and adventures, events listings, TV show links, video clips, cool contests and much more, why wouldn't you want to return often?

And unlike the past two years, the fun will continue all Summer long, with more new stuff for you to enjoy. If you have things you'd like to see in scribbles, we'd love to include them, so email us at scribblesonline@sympatico.ca

Thanks for making scribbles part of your daily routine and keep coming back because you never know what exciting new things you'll find next.


Rub a Dub Dub, I Sure Like This Tub!
Diane Murray's niece Kailey enjoys her Auntie's new tub
(almost as much as we enjoy sharing this great photo with you)



Easy Rider

No, Timmi isn't getting ready for the Friday the 13th Biker's Bash in Port Dover, he's reluctantly wearing a Harley Davidson cap I got him. It had been a few years since I put it on him and his reaction was pretty much the same this time around..."Take the picture then take this thing off me, I do not wear hats!"

If I were able to enter our READERS PHOTO CONTEST, I'd submit this one, but alas, I cannot. But YOU CAN! We've already received a few very cool entries. You have until May 26 to find the ideal photo and send it to scribbles. You could win a mp3 audio/video player.


And for my next trick,
 I shall blow bubbles...without using a wand.


My nephew Graham is seen here posing with the flower he made his mom Jane. We'll show you how much fun he had with all his family on Mother's Day (myself included) soon. Hope all our mom's out there had a great Mother's Day.




Janet Miller, Tim McGraw and Ken Leavoy in this scribbles exclusive photo

Stand By Your Man

I remember when I worked at Convergent Telecom, if you mentioned the name Tim McGraw both our friend Janet Miller and yours truly would light up like a Christmas tree. Whenever the Country hottie would appear on TV, we'd be talking about it the next day. We liked him, loved him, we wanted more of him. LOL!

Today I discovered that Janet will be attending Tim McGraw's concert in Hamilton on June 27th. That's the same concert I will be at with our Talk Wireless pal Connie Bering [right].

Gee maybe we'll run into each other there Janet. But I'll tell you the same thing I told Connie, you can look but you can't touch, Tim's all mine!! LMAO. [hey, a "girl" can dream]


remember you can view our photos in large format by clicking on them

Pool Inspector at Work

Looks like French Bull Dog Preston is quite interested in what is going on in the backyard fish pond found at the house he shares with his doggie sister Raina and human "mommy" Becky. "Mom" was cleaning out the fish pond with her new vacuum and Preston made sure the job was done right.

Timmi and I joined Preston, Raina and Becky for a visit and "lupper" (OK, yes we made that term up ourselves, based on the brunch idea, "lupper" is a late lunch or earler supper) Becky made amazing BBQ burgers and her sister Susan had dropped off her world-famous macaroni salad because she knew I was going to be there for a bite. How sweet is she??  "Mary", "Jack" loved the salad and I am so happy you are back in St Catharines (can't wait to see the new place).

Thanks for a great afternoon Becky, I'm happy to have been of assistance figuring out the pond vacuum hoses (who knew that the round end of the hose would fit on the round opening?) LOL

Spring Has Sprung in Becky's backyard.

 Here's a shot of one of her flowerbeds.
 Becky has big plans for the yard this year and Timmi and I can't wait to see it again in full bloom.



encore readers recipe:


Susan Edward’s Amazing Macaroni Salad

pkg tubette macaroni *
dice 1 small red pepper
dice1 bunch green onions
dice 2 stalks celery
chop 6 boiled eggs
chopped red cabbage
1 regular size jar Hellman's Mayo
1/2 cup melted butter

All of the above quantities can be changed to suit your own taste. Cook the macaroni according to package
directions...drain Add chopped eggs and melted butter...blend well (the butter prevents the salad from becoming too watery the second day)

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.You may find that the salad needs more mayo after it's been chilled.

[*Ken adds: The tubette style macaroni is an important ingredient to this recipe. I guess it would work with other macaroni, but it just isn't "Susan's Amazing Macaroni Salad" without the tubettes. Susan's other secret ingredient is love and fortunately we have the kind of readers that know exactly how to add that special touch. Happy cooking...I'll gladly sample to see if you got it just right : ) ]





And now Timmi gives us
 his imitation of me doing a back stretch...

Good Boy Timmi...let's go get a cookie.


remember you can view our photos in large format by clicking on them
Doggie Play Day

"Little" Gonish is all grown up these days as we see in these pix. Gonish lives in Port Colborne with his human "dads" Dave and Chris. They recently enjoyed a wet and wild outing with who appear to be Gonish's siblings (either that or Dave and Chris have increased the family two foldsince we last caught up with them.

Lake Erie might be a bit cold for us human folk, but as you can see above the happy dogs found it very invigorating.


Leapin' Lizards!

When our pal Katie Lacey recently went to Cuba, she took lots of festive pix and posted them on facebook. We liked them all, but this one was just a little different and so we're featuring it here today. I'm not sure what lizard-type creature this exactly is, but he looks pretty harmless. When I was in the Bahamas 10 years ago, there were little lizards everywhere, so maybe this guy is a relative of theirs.




and now in the struggle of Women vs. Nature, here's our score:

Women: 0  Nature: 1

When our Niagara pals Rhonda and Sharon recently installed a new light fixture outside their home, they thought it would be a good source of light in the evenings. Unfortunately, a momma robin had other plans for the pretty new fixture and built a nest on it.

Rhonda reported on facebook she waited for a time the robin was away and checked- no eggs yet, so she took the nest apart. Within no time, the robin had rebuilt it, bigger and better than before and then proceeded to lay her eggs. I suggest to Rhonda and Sharon that they buy another light fixture for themselves as this bird has roost and they now get to watch the circle of life right from the convenience of their own window.



letter from a child:



remember you can view our photos in large format by clicking on them
Future Olympian?

Our Welland friend Pat Fenerty was only too pleased to let scribbles share this photo of her great niece Olivia. Pat posted the adorable pix on facebook where she says 8 month old Olivia is doing her Esther Williams impression and will be ready for the Olympics around 2023! Mark your calendars folks, we might just have a gold medalist here. 


'Teflon Man' Brian...
"He's Everywhere, He's Everywhere!"

Imagine his surprise when Jack-of-all-Trades Brian Heit saw this month’s edition of ‘SNAP- ST CATHARINES‘.
There on the paper’s front page (in glorious living colour) was a half page photo featuring Brian and his lovely wife Marcy, dressed in funky tie-dye clothes.

Heit, best-known around Niagara as a member of council and  General Manager of Talk Wireless, told us his wife Marcy seemed unimpressed that the couple’s photo made it to SNAP’s cover page and was thankful that the paper did not identify the twosome. Choosing instead to mention the fundraising event they were attending rather than who these colourful characters were.



What a Doll

Little Alina Denis just gets cuter by the minute. Check out those big beautiful eyes -so sweet! 

Arriving in January, Alina's parents Heather and Rodney opted for a home birth, assisted by two midwives. The couple were even featured in the Welland Tribune newspaper, along with their 4 year old son Kade -so little Alina has been a local media starlet right from the day she was born.


email from our readers

"Thanks to Scribbles, I only just found out about the existence of that very sorry character, Misery Bear...!  Scribbles helps me to stay up to date with what's going on in the outside world!!  Just when we think our life couldn't get much tougher, all we have to do is think of Misery Bear...no-one's life is as bad as his!! "

Francesca Mackie
Toronto, ON

[Glad you like Misery Bear Francesca. He does have it pretty bad eh? Makes my life seem pretty good...hahaha.]



NEW!



remember you can view our photos in large format by clicking on them


Bewitching


At Talk Wireless, two of the people I have the pleasure of working with are Pam Hopkins [top left] and Diane Murray [top middle]. As we discovered some time ago, we're all fans of the old Bewitched series. Because of this Pam is Samantha, Diane is Endora and I've been typecast as Uncle Arthur....LMGAO.


Recently Pam ("Sammy") found herself in Salem with her beau and they stumbled across the Bewitched statue seen below. Pam said she just had to take a photo of Samantha, since that's her character.  Very cool Sammy, did you happen to see an Uncle Arthur statue anywhere??






"Oh my stars!! Uncle Arthur!!"
"Arthur, grow up and take that ridiculous spell off Samantha"



Happy (and Soggy) Trails To You

Recently our weather has seen lots of gray and rainy days and a major windstorm that left trees downed, hydro out, roofs removed and one man dead, after being hit by a steel door. Not much of a Spring so far, I'd say.

Then there was today (Sat.Apr. 30). The sun was shining and the temperature was warm. A beautiful day and excellent time to go for a 'walkie' with my pal Timmi. Just across the street from the apartment building I live in, there is a park and a trail than runs behind houses. Once the location of railway tracks, the trail travels a great distance. It was still pretty soggy in areas and since both Timmi and I are out of shape, we did not travel too far this time out, just long enough to enjoy some sunshine and release some endorphins.