YOU | Happy Anniversary

YOU | On The Air!

PETS | Stray Likes to Stay

No Place Like Home??

NEWS | Peace Bridge Pays Tribute to Orlando Victims

NEWS | Vigils Mourn Shooting Victims

Eddie Desormeau, left, is consoled by Mike Post, right while holding candles during a moment of silence during a candlelight vigil mourning the victims of the Orlando night club attack on Sunday, June 12, 2016, at the Apartment Lounge bar in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Tom Brenner/The Grand Rapids Press-MLive.com via AP)

St Catharines Shows it's Solidarity 

A candlelight vigil was held Mon. June 13 at city hall in St Catharines. Mayor Walter Senzik was joined by residents of the area to pay respects to the 49 people who were killed at the Pulse Lounge in Orlando.  

YOUR WORDS |

EDITORIAL | Why?

Remembering my Trip to Juno Beach by Jim Steel

Proving he's not just Joe Friday's "dad" our friend Jim Steel shares this with us. 

Jim says, "I had a blog I kept at for a while (some funny stuff) and I wrote this when I returned from France in August 2010. My grandson returned to Afghanistan where he finished off the last half of his tour...

Remembering my trip to Juno Beach. My grandson Robert was on mid deployment leave from Afghanistan. We met up in Paris and later headed down to the coast and Juno Beach where the Canadians landed on D-Day, 1944.

The August sky was bright. Clear. Blue. The odd sea bird flew over head. I could see the White Cliffs through the heat haze. Far off. Ghostly.

The sand was warm. A few children making sand forts. Some on the tidal flats clam digging. Towels spread out on the beach. Sun bathing.

Families walking the promenade. A merry go round mounted by laughing kids. Parents at tables sipping wine and smoking cigarerttes. Probably Gitanes.

We are on Juno Beach near Courseulles-sur-Mur. Sipping wine. Strolling the beach. Picking up rocks. Picking up the past. I can’t imagine the chaos that went on here 66 years ago. The roar of naval shells overhead; incoming German artillery crashing and slashing into the beach. Pretty coastal homes being smashed to smithereens. (Ugly condos border the beach now)The rattle of small arms and machine guns. The crack and crunch of mortars and grenades. Paths leading from the beach -- busy with the living, the dead, the wounded.

The soft August wind swept across the beach grasses. Swaying like a regiment of phantoms on the move.

My grandson looks at me. He is thinking the same.

Back to Caen. A train to Paris. Next day I head off home. He heads back to Afghanistan.

Juno Beach. . . Afghanistan. . . . . and it goes on.

IN MEMORIAM | Gordie Howe

Read more CLICK HERE

PETS | No Quick "Fix"

My baby girl Miss Kitty was spayed on June 8th. The procedure went well, now it's the next 7-10 days I have to deal with.

YOU | Push It. Push it Real Good (for a Real Good Cause)

Our friend Christine Mantej never ceases to amaze us.  Here we see Christine on Day 3 of a 22 day push-up challenge.

Christine told facebook friends, "I was nominated to do 22 push-ups a day for 22 days to raise awareness for combat veterans."

"There are 22 vets a day that are committing suicide, and this is a small way to raise awareness for that issue."

Wow, that's a lot of lost souls Christine, We had no idea, so the awareness part is definitely working. And what better person to accept this physical challenge than you, Miss Fit Bit! 

Way to go Angel!

PETS | Cause for Celebration in the Middle of a Celebration

It was one year ago June 5th that the hilarious antics of Joe Friday, K-9 Krusader debuted on Scribbles.  Joe's "dad" Jim Steel had been taking awesome photos of Joe Friday, accompanied by amusing titles or text. It was a perfect fit for Scribbles, considering how many of us love and adore our pets. I was right. Joe was an instant hit.

Although we've all enjoyed Joe Friday's adventures this past year,  I had not met the lovable canine or his human friend. In May, I messaged Jim to see if we could arrange meeting and to get a photo for use on Joe's anniversary.

With so many things going on in our lives, it looked like we were not going to meet prior to June 5th. We talked on Friday and I joked that  Jim and Joe would have come to Pride in the Park if we were ever to get a photo with all three of us in it. I warned Jim that if they did go, Joe Friday was going to get a ton of attention.

Fast forward to Pride in the Park, mid afternoon. I'm with a group of Pride enthusiasts, under a covered area smack dab in the middle of the park. I'm sitting on the ground when someone starts sniffing at my ear, It was Joe Friday with his wonderful dad Jim and his doggie girlfriend Lily. It was a great surprise and Jim stayed long enough to say hello, get the money shot and then head out.

I had been correct when I forewarned Jim that Joe Friday would be popular. Jim explained it had taken a considerable amount of time to go through the park to where I was located, because everyone wanted to say hi to Joe Friday and Lily.

Thanks so much for popping by the Pride party Jim, that was very nice of you and another unforgettable moment from a week of festivities and celebrations.

Here's some classic Joe Friday pix....

ENTERTAINMENT | Abba reunite for first public performance in 30 years

The four members of Abba performed alongside one another for the first time in over 30 years in Stockholm this weekend.

On Sunday, at a private gala to mark 50 years since songwriting duo Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson met for the first time, the pair were joined by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstadon stage at Berns Salonger in Stockholm. As well as discussing their career, the group sang their 1980 hit Me and I, according to Swedish newspaper Expressen – an event many fans never foresaw happening.

The impromptu performance reportedly began when Lyngstad and Fältskog recited the track as a tribute to Andersson and Ulvaeus, before the other half of Abba joined in and made the reunion official. Footage of the performance hasn’t yet surfaced, but images appeared on social media.

Although the group’s last tour took place in 1982, the four-piece were last publicly seen together in Stockholm for the opening of a new entertainment venture, Mamma Mia! The Party.

Despite their occasional individual performances, the group – made up of two former married couples – decided they would not reunite for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. “Agnetha is not flying, so I don’t know how she’s going to get to New York,” Andersson told Rolling Stone at the time.

Speaking to Expressen, Lyngstad said of their 2016 reunion: “It was absolutely amazing. A lot of emotions.

“We’ve made this journey throughout our history. Benny and Björn in particular. It’s been very nostalgic.”

“We took a break in ‘82, and it was meant to be a break,” Ulvaeus said in 2014. “It’s still a break and will remain so. You’ll never see us on stage again.”

YOU | Going the Distance

proceeds from the WALK FOR WOMEN benefits GILLIAN'S PLACE 

ME | Born To Be Wild

YOU & ME |

YOU | The Gift of Sight

L TO R: JODY, BECKY & SUSAN

Becky Lee was understandably proud that her late sister Susan (aka Mary) was acknowledged for having donated her eyes to help someone else see. 

The certificate was received by Susan's daughter Jody Edwards. 

Becky wrote, "So proud of my big sister Susan for giving the gift of sight to someone from being an organ donor. Her daughter received the recognition this week. Luv ya miss ya Mare xoxo❤❤ So honoured to be your baby sister!"

This is indeed special. A little bittersweet, but special. Susan had a magical way of seeing the world around her. It is comforting and joyful to know someone else is now carrying on that vision. 

EDITORIAL | United We Stand

When I posted a pix on facebook a few hours before the Unity Awards would begin, I joked I was practicing my fake smile which I would use when someone else's name was announced as the big winner. I was of course just joking, but after seeing the other nominees in my category, I truly felt I didn't have a chance.

Several friends sent messages wishing me luck. One friend simply wrote "You've got this", and she was right, I did. [I'm now trying to steal her crystal ball and see if I should buy a lottery ticket...LOL]

It was touching after the ceremony, when we were heading out, people were whispering to me that they had voted for me. Another nominee said when he saw my name he thought that he would likely not win...so basically he was thinking the same thing I thought when I had seen his name. How sweet. Gee I wonder if he's single?

A man in the parking lot had nothing but praise for Scribbles and the fact it's been around for 37 years.  "We love Scribbles" he said, as we I were walking away. The freaky part was, although his face looked very familiar, I didn't know the name of this man who was such a big Scribbles fan.

It was an honour to have received the award and even more profound how I quickly learned Scribbles has a following far larger than I imagined.

It kinda reminds me of that old shampoo ad, "I told two friends about Scribbles and they told two friends, and they told two friends, and so on, and so on."  LOL

Thanks to everyone who voted for me and the kind messages you left on my facebook page. That's a whole lotta 'Likes'.

MORE PRIDE FUN:
If you missed our coverage of Pride Niagara's Kick Off Party: CLICK HERE 
To see coverage of Pride Flag Raising ceremonies across Niagara: CLICK HERE

VIDEO | 'Humble & Kind' by Tim McGraw

PETS | All Fluffed Up