Big Brother Wraps Up for Another Season

I'll admit it. I spent far too much of my Summer glued to my TV watching the trials and tribulations

of this season's Big Brother house guests. It wasn't as though I'd never been a fan before. I watched Big Brother when it first hit the air 14 years ago, but after a few seasons I lost interest. I blame my pal Becky and her sister Susan for falling off the wagon. They got me hooked on the reality show again two years ago, when we were all enjoying the serenity of their family's cottage at Pappineau Lake. Despite the fact we were surrounded by nature and spent most of our time outdoors, they just HAD to gather around the TV to catch Big Brother and I continued to do so once the vacation was over.

This year's offering has been one of the most riveting ever. Big Brother pulled out all the stops with game twists, secret alliances, back stabbings and a colourful cast of characters that included 4 of the show's most popular past guests.

We cheered with delight when geeky Ian won this year's BB, thankfully beating out evil Dan and dippy Danielle.

Snug Bug

Christine Mantej enjoys a precious moment with her best "snug bug" Daisy Duke. We haven't seen Christine since earlier this Spring, sadly because I no longer work with her.  But Scribbles wants to let her know that "out of sight" does not always mean "out of mind" and we think of her often.

Miss You "Angel"  xo

haPPY pEOPLE dANCING oN thE pLANET eARTH

What are these humans doing? Dancing. Many humans on Earth exhibit periods of happiness, and one method of displaying happiness is dancing. Happiness and dancing transcend political boundaries and occur in practically every human society. Above, Matt Harding traveled through many nations on Earth, planned on dancing, and filmed the result. The above video, the latest in a series of similar videos, is perhaps a dramatic example that humans from all over planet Earth feel a common bond as part of a single species. Happiness is frequently contagious -- few people are able to watch this video without smiling.



Video Credit: Matt Harding &  Melissa Nixon; Music: Trip the Light

Cruisin' the Dub for a Worthy Cause

A&W was the place to be on August 23rd, as the popular burger chain hosted a fundraiser for MS. Rob and I went to the A&W Niagara Falls location, where we enjoyed a tasty meal, played games for charity, listened to live "oldies" music by the Cruisers and admired some classic cars, which were on display in the parking lot. I always love going to this revamped A&W location, it's truly a blast from the past.

While we were checking out the cool cars, we met Wally (aka "Sheriff") who owns a car dedicated to the Dukes of Hazzard. Wally's General Lee (pictured below) is crammed with Dukes memorabilia inside and out, including many autographed photos of cast members who Wally has met.

Wally is a major part of the group "KustoM  KarZ Club", which always welcomes new members. To find out more about the group and/or contact Wally visit KustoM KarZ here.

That's Alotta Bull

Keeping up with our friend Laura Degraaf's adventures this year is no easy task. Laura and her boyfriend Ryan Haanappel have been making the most out of every waking moment with a vacation in Calgary, attending concerts (including Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley and Zac Brown Band) line dancing, horseback riding, motorcycling, camping and lots of parties. WHEW...I'm exhausted just listing them all..LOL.

Laura is seen above at the Calgary Stampede with a very large bull and larger-than-life cowboy, who just happens to be wearing the same essemble as Ms. Degraaf.  When it comes to being a true blue Country girl, Laura definitely talks the talk AND walks the walk. YEEHAA!

It's time to pick the winner, in Scribbles Fit for Queen Contest. We had six entries and one of them will soon win a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Plate and Book set.

Since each of our entrants matched all six of our Queen related questions correctly, they would have each been entered in our draw twice. But since everyone got them, one entry per person was all we required.

We wanted everyone to see that we haven't rigged our contest.
So here's a short video clip where we will announce our winner....

It's a Girl

Congratualtions to Karen and Steve McGuire (inset above) on the arrival of baby Emily.  Emily arrived by C-section on Sat. Sept. 8th, weighing 9 lb 6 oz.  Karen is related to Rob who we see here with cute little Emily.

Dylan Pops a Wheelie

Putting on his big boy brave face, Dylan Dick waits patiently for the doctor at a walk-in clinic - in this photo taken earlier this year. I don't see any cuts, scrapes or broken bones and he appears to be ok. So why was young Dylan at the clinic?  He stuck a mini toy skateboard wheel up his nose and needed a physician to help get it out. 

What will inquisitive Dylan's next adventure be?  Who "nose"?

Invasion of the Mutant Plants

Joan Storie looks rather tiny standing beside one of the massive plants that adorn her backyard. Would you believe that large pot contains only three plants?  They barely covered the soil when she first planted them this Spring, but after a long, hot, sunny Summer and weekly treats of Miracle Grow, those three little plants grew into the enormous foliage we see here. 

Gee mom, that stuff really works....too bad they don't have a formula for us...hahaha!

How long can a bear take a bath in my rain barrel? As long as he wants to!

People living in Colorado Springs wondered why their rain water barrel was almost empty every day. They set up a couple cameras. And look what they caught on film ~ Isn't nature beautiful?  [Forwarded to Scribbles by "Wilma Flintstone"...LOL]

America's Got Talent Goes to the Dogs

Congratulations to Olate Dogs, the phenomenal trained dog act took top prize as the winner of this year's America's Got Talent. In a season filled with some of the most unique talent the show has ever seen, Olate Dogs narrowly beat out stand-up comedian Tom Cotter, who performed on the finale with veteran comic Joan Rivers.

Now finishing its sixth season, the show has had some of its highest ratings ever, thanks in part to the addition of new judge, radio shock jock Howard Stern.

Sadly this marks the final season Sharon Osborne will be a part of the show, following a much hyped spat with NBC when they axed her son Jack from the reality show Stars Earn Stripes alledgedly due to health concerns.  A replacement for Osborne has not yet been announced.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

September 10th was my furry friend J.R.'s 12th birthday. Ask anyone who's met him, J.R. is quite vocal, a trait he has had since the very first day we met -as you will see in the encore Scribbles video clip below, created for his 11th birthday last year.

Happy Birthday J.R. Ewing-Leavoy, you are still the most amazing kitty I have ever met.

"It's J.R.'s Birthday"

Pucker Up!

Up until recently, the closest my nephew Graham had ever been to fishing was helping me scoop a few koi from my friend Becky's pond for use in my aquarium, just over two years ago.  That little adventure is a mere ripple in a pond, now that he has experienced the "reel" deal of going fishing.

Accompanied by his parents, Graham appears to be captivated by their big catch, just as long as they're kept a safe distance from his face.

"Kiss the fishie Graham" 

"No thank you please!"

Mouse Trap

My mother sometimes has uninvited house guests....mice....and she was told that you can use toy snakes to scare them away. She bought a couple very convincing wooden snakes  placing one in her garage and the other in the kitchen closet.

This Summer when mom was on vacation in Renfrew, I dropped by regularly to check on her home. One night I was greeted by a chubby little mouse, who was sitting smack dab in the middle of the kitchen floor and did not seem the least bit fazed by my presense or that of my vicious guard dog Timmi.

Before I left mom's place on this particular evening, I moved the toy snake from the closet to the middle of the kitchen floor. Perhaps when I was gone the mighty mouse would see the fake snake and flee from mom's home.

Unfortunately, I forgot one important fact. My mother had made arrangements with a neighbour. She would check mom's mail each day and leave it in the kitchen. When I awoke late the following day, there was a voice message waiting for me. It was mom's terrified neighbour and her message was "There's a snake in the kitchen, get it out of there or get the mail yourself" I immediately returned her call and explained the origin of the snake. The neighbour laughed but I'm pretty sure she had to change her pants when she had raced from mom's place earlier.

And did the snake that scared the daylights out of the neighbour do the same for the mouse? Hardly!!. It was back the next night, boldly scooting into the dining room and right past Timmi. I eventually captured it in a bowl and tossed it outside, far from mom's house, pleading with the little critter to please stay away as he might not be so lucky next time.

As for those wooden snakes? I guess mice are smart enough to know that real snakes don't come with a Dollarama sticker and the words "Made in China". Now if we can only get mom's neighbour to figure that out.

Despicable Me 2 - Official Teaser Trailer (2013)

This trailer was part of the 3D previews they featured when my nephew and I went to see The Lorax. Graham laughed hysterically whenever the one minion would blow on the party favour, as the 3D the noisemaker appears to be coming right towards you. Now whenever I watch this clip all I can think of is little Graham's delightful laughter, which even has some of the other people in the theatre chuckling.

Enjoy this clip -For some reason it repeats playing even if you do not request it to. Just hit stop when you've had your fill of silliness.

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Our Services are provided to:

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• Families and Individuals
... • Anyone who needs a little extra help at home or in the community

Our Services Include (But are not limited to):

• Assistance with physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy routines
• Assistance with personal care
• Healthy meal preparation and housework
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• Supplemental care to individuals living in public facilities (hospitals, group homes, long term care etc.)
• Referrals and client advocacy
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Back to Cool

Dylan Dick of Douglas (say that one ten times fast...LOL) smiles for his mom as he boards the school bus for his first day of Senior Kindergarten. A scene that was played out at many of our readers homes, although we're not sure if everyone was quite as happy about it as our buddy Dylan.

Another Spin Around the Sun
Scribbles Celebrates its 33rd Anniversary

It's Labour Day weekend 2012. While many of you soak up the sun and enjoy the last long weekend of the Summer, I find myself in a familiar spot, burning the midnight oil putting the final touches on Scribbles.

Why is it so important to me to have everything ready by Labour Day? Simple. It was exactly 33 years ago on Labour Day that Scribbles rose out of nowhere on its way to becoming the unique website you see today.

Most of you know the saga by heart. We started as a single copy hand drawn digest shared by its readers. In the late 80's our format became an actual magazine that each reader received their own copy of and with the introduction of the internet, in the late 90's we became an emailed newsletter and then a website.

The backbone of Scribbles has been consistent... make our readers the stars and give them a variety of entertaining features. Maybe it's this genuine goal that has made Scribbles as much fun for me to create as it hopefully is for you to read.

Thanks for being a part of the fun as we celebrate 33 fun-filled years of Scribbles and enjoy our revised website.

Ken Leavoy

Editor and CEO

Movin' On Up...
Ken Relocates to a Little City and Smaller Apartment that hold Big Promise

It's said that moving is one of life's most stressful situations for even the strongest of individuals, so it's only natural that someone as neurotic as I tend to be would be a mess at the mere thought of leaving one home and relocating to a new one.  There were many reasons I was reluctant to move. I had lived at my cozy apartment on Roehampton Avenue for over 17 years and still loved the place. But a major increase in rent followed by the sudden loss of my job left me with little choice. Like it or not, I would have to find somewhere less costly to call home.

The search for a new abode was far from pleasant. Oh there were plenty of apartments out there, but each one came with a snag. It was either too small or too expensive. They didn't allow pets, or there was no balcony or access to outdoors whatsoever. Just when I had all but given up, Rob made a bold move, asking his mother's landlord if he had any apartments available. As it turned out a unit would be vacant by the end of July, which just happened to be when I had to be out of my old place. Following a phone conversation with the landlord I was accepted as a new tenant.  Talk about a major relief. Now if I could just get through the tasks of packing and moving without totally losing my mind, I'd be alright.

I spent the next month tossing out stuff I really didn't need, meticulously packing boxes and labelling each of them, while counting how many sleeps until moving day...the day I dreaded the most...and one that came and went with no problems at all.

I had a ton of people to help get things from point A to point B including my buddy Doug and his son Andrew, my brother-in-laws Ken and Don, niece Erin, nephew Patrick, family friend Bob and joining up with us at the Welland end of the move, Rob, his brother Rodney, sister Patti, niece Joanna, nephew Deryk, mother Merry and cousin Travis. The whole process took only a few short hours and I made sure there was plenty of cold beverages and hot pizza for my much appreciated moving team.

At last after months of worrying, packing and worrying some more, I was now in my new place surrounded by box upon box of my belongings just begging to find a new home. With a flair for design and decorating, it took little time for me to make my new surroundings feel like mine. The video clip featured below with attest to that.

Going from a modern highrise to a smaller 3 story building does take some getting used to. Some things are similiar, some things are not. Some are better, others not so much. I'm once again on the 3rd floor and in apartment 18. I have a one bedroom unit with a balcony, but no storage room. There's no elevator and I've given up my cushy covered parking spot. The view from my balcony is that of a large parking lot as opposed to the trees, birds, squirrels and butterflies I was accustomed to. I only have to go down one floor to get to the laundry room, which is accessible 24 hours and costs less than Roehampton Place.

Sadly I'm no longer in the same building as my little sister, but do have my marvelous "mother-in-law" Merry under the same roof and get to see Rob much more now that we both live in the same city again.  And although I miss St Catharines a lot, I've discovered Welland is a nice place and the fact I'm paying almost $200 less a month in rent makes it even nicer.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped in one way or another, be it using your muscle, your money or your words of encouragement. I'm grateful to have each and every one of you in my life and that's something a few extra miles will never take away.

Parking Lot..."You Ugly!"

You may have noticed in the video above, what appears to be stained glass windows in the living room of my new place. Those windows are actually my balcony doors and when the drapes were open I had a lovely view of a big ugly parking lot, heavy traffic and a street light. This is a huge difference from the trees, singing birds and other small critters that I had grown accustomed to seeing from my balcony, when I lived on Roehampton Ave.

I knew there would be sacrifices when I downsized, but I had no idea how depressing looking out at that parking lot would be until I was all settled in to my new home. Realizing that I am quite capable of being depressed without adding a dreary view, I went searching online for something to hide it. The stained glass is actually 4 panels of a window decal from a company called Artscape. The panels adhere using static and can easily be removed and reused.  The description for the window decals said it blocks harmful UV rays while still allowing in light and they are ideal for hiding an undesirable view.  As soon as I read that I was sold and headed to Home Depot the very next day.

As it turns out my sister Kim was also in the market for window decals and also went to the same store, on the same day, for the same product .. gee great minds really do think alike...LOL!

Miss You Much!

The view of the trees and wildlife aren't the only things I miss about my old apartment. I really miss  having a shopping mall within walking distance. I miss the most amazing superintendent named Vivian and her lovable sidekick Judy [pictured here when I said my goodbyes to them]. They kept the building in ship shape, not always an easy task when you have over 100 units to watch over.

But most of all I miss with all my heart and soul having my little sister, her hubby and her son living only a few floors away. We shared so many good times (and good food) over the years and it will take a long time to get used to not having them so close by.

Jane and Graham did join me recently for a sleepover at my new place and it was nice to create one of my first new memories here, hopefully one of many as the days go by and East Main Street in Welland becomes more and more like home  : )

2012 marks two big events. Scribbles 33rd Anniversary and Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. We're celebrating them both in our FIT FOR A QUEEN Contest.

We have a very special commemorative plate and book up for grabs -generously donated from one of long time readers.  To enter this contest, match the item in column A to the correct answer from column B.

Answer at least 3 correctly and your name will be entered in our random draw. If you get all 6 correct, your name will be entered in our draw two times.

We'll accept your entries until SEPT. 16th and we'll announce our winner a few days later.

MATCH ITEMS IN COLUMN A TO THE CORRECT ANSWER FROM COLUMN B ...You might find it easier to jot your answers down on a piece of paper and then email them to us at scribblesonline@sympatico.ca

FIT FOR A QUEEN CONTEST RULES:Contest open to all readers who are on Scribbles mailing list. If you would like to enter but are not yet on our mailing list, send your email info to scribblesonline@sympatico.ca and you will be added. ONE ENTRY PER READER. Canadian residents only. Contest closes Sept. 16th. One name will be selected in our random draw.

There were lots of happy Scribbles couples celebrating another year of wedding bliss this Summer. 

Here's a few of them...

Ernie and Cathy Dick celebrated their 35th anniversary.

 Anniversary number 10 for Peter and Jeanne Prince.

 Another anniversary for Tim and Sally Vince.  

Dave Webber and husband Chris celebrated their anniversary this Summer too.

Cool as a Cucumber...
...Amazing Uses for this Wonder Veggie

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon? Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will
be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminium to giving off a scent undetectable to humans but driving garden pests crazy, making them flee the area.

5 Looking for a Fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool- rub a slice or two of cucumber along your problem area for a few minutes; the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!

6.. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B Vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body has lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries, often by European trappers, traders and explorers for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8.Have an important meeting or job interview and realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or spa visit? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water.The chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath; the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel?Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean; not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!

Puppeteer Passes Away

Jerry Nelson, a master of voices and puppetering who voiced Muppets including Count von Count during more than 40 years with Sesame Street, passed away on Aug.23rd. He was 78.

Also a musician and actor, he took part in dozens of Muppet projects, from the 1971 TV movie Tales From Muppetland: The Frog Prince, to 1979’s The Muppet Movie, to the 1980s series Fraggle Rock, to last year’s The Muppets.

Nelson joined Sesame Street, which debuted in 1969, early in the show’s run. He soon took on major characters including The Count, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Sherlock Hemlock.

“The cast and crew of Sesame Street and the staff of Sesame Workshop deeply mourn the loss of cast member and creator of dozens of Muppet characters, Jerry Nelson,” said a message on Sesame Street’s website.

“A member of the Sesame Street family for more than 40 years, he will forever be in our hearts and remembered for the artistry in his puppetry, his music, and the laughter he brought to children worldwide through his portrayal of Count von Count, Herry Monster, Fat Blue, Sherlock Hemlock, the Amazing Mumford and many other beloved characters. We will miss his extraordinary spirit and the joy he brought to our Street.”

Nelson also had small, decidedly un-Muppety roles in films including Robocop 2 and The Nail Gun Massacre.

Article courtesy: The Calgary Herald

One Year Later...

Jack Layton's headstone was unveiled in the Necropolis Cemetery on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012. The Bronze bust was sculpted by Olivia Chow (Photo: Natalie Johnson / CTV Toronto)

"I think the first step in finding your calling is shedding the idea that it will be one thing, a word on a business card that will bring you value and definition. Then you can discover you never lost your calling. You will see your unique touch on life everywhere, even in the darkest moments.

Every day I find joy in moments of falling unexpectedly below the surface or daily life-through the portal of a poem, an unexpected kindness, a shared silence-and finding myself naked of role, history and agenda, simply present."

by Kim Rosen the author of "Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words"

Nikki's Big Surprise!

See what happens when boyfriend Justin -a hopeless romantic - surprises his girlfriend Nikki with a one-of-a-kind wedding proposal, in this clip from the TV show "Mobbed" starring Howie Mandel.



Thanks Mikol for putting this clip on your facebook page, as you can see, I really REALLY liked it and stole it right away...LOL!  I actually remember seeing this on TV a year or so ago and it was just as exciting the second time around. What a cool way to get married and the groom's not too hard on the eyes either...as he would say "Hell Ya!"