Is This One of Those Days Daddy: Browse The Strips

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Lynn's Comments: I could never enjoy sports on TV, but take me to a game- any game and I could find something good about it. People-watching was better than the sport itself and I don't think anything tastes better than a hot dog at a stadium. I'd go to spend quality time with my "other half", pretend to understand what was happening and look forward to half time. Did you know that the pixellated scoreboard was first invented by a woman? Well, you've gotta do SOMETHING while you're hanging around!!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Lynn's Comments: On rare occasions we would invite "the guys" over to watch the game. This was when smoking was as necessary to an evening out as the horse de oeuvres. I'd dutifully bring in the beer and pizza, watch long enough to appear enthused, and retire to the kitchen. Not that I was a domestic...I just couldn't stand the smell. Cigarettes, cigars, beer and pizza...all essential to a guy night out combined to create an odor that could peel wallpaper. Fortunately, today's gatherings are much less stressful. They happen somewhere else!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Lynn's Comments: As a kid, I thought being grown up would be the best thing ever. I thought about the freedom I'd have ... and now that I've experienced many years of freedom... I wonder why I didn't enjoy more those years when somebody ELSE did all the work and all the worrying!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Kitchens are often designed by people who never cook. Our place up north was one of these and the lack of useful cupboard space resulted in the occasional avalanche. We had a wall oven and the cupboards next to this had to contain stuff that wouldn't melt, shrivel or dry out. Imagine the fun we had separating a wad of emergency candles that had been stored in this heated hollow. Yes, a well designed kitchen is a necessity! And I didn't get one 'til my kids were grown and gone!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Lynn's Comments: This scenario took place word for word as I was grocery shopping with my son. I was a single mom on a very tight budget and if I went over $20.00 a week for the 2 of us, I wouldn't be able to pay my mortgage, (which was $150.00 a month at the time.) An older gentleman heard me comparing prices to those of my childhood and reminded me that times had changed for him, too. Here I am, now at the age of 63 likely the same age he was...and prices have gone beyond what any of us could have imagined. Strange then, to think that we likely waste more food now than any other generation in history.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Back to school always meant "back to bed" as the kids bumbled home with everything from flu to pink eye. Mine had to be certifiably sick before I'd let them skip school...none of the "thermometer under the hot water bottle" stuff... I wanted proof. Proof of a certified illness usually came in the form of a shared experience, as we all came down with whatever was going 'round. "The family that's sick together sticks together" and we did...under quarantine.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Lynn's Comments: I don't know what passes for the average allowance now. A buck a week was fine when Kate and Aaron were kids- they seemed to make do. As I recall, however, no matter what the folks decide to bestow.....it's never, ever enough!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Negotiating for added income with my dad always involved chores. He rarely gave us extra for breathing...there was always a lecture about earning; about effort and reward. My brother and I sighed, rolled our eyes and thought he was mean for denying us a free ride. We grumbled through the assigned chores, watched the clock and thought of Cinderella and other storybook orphans forced to work under the cruel gaze of a merciless supervisor. When we finally received the money, however, there was a real sense of accomplishment in having EARNED it. Perhaps that's one of the reasons we have both been hard and reliable workers.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Lynn's Comments: More than once I said this to my parents. My mom was especially miffed because if she'd had a choice in the matter, she'd have definitely raised someone other than me. It was a subject I often pondered as I looked at the ceiling in my room wondering how I got to be where I was, in this form at this time in history. I remember thinking about other parents and if I could change mine for someone else's- who would I choose. After examining the families of friends, I almost always came back to the parents I had....even though they frustrated me no end with curfews, rules and restrictions.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Lynn's Comments: To discipline or not to discipline. When is it time to be angry and when do you "let it ride". My family has always been into the one liners: never pass up an opportunity for wordplay. Never let a pun go unpunished. So, when a slip of the tongue was a slip of judgement, there was always the dilemma: was it funny enough to be given a star rating for genius or was it just plain rude? Instead of being direct with our opinions, we told the truth in jest and more often than not, the result was banishment to the bedroom for an opportunity to think...while the folks (within earshot) discussed the merits of the performance. No wonder both my bro and I were bound for the entertainment business!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Lynn's Comments: We had an enormous cherry tree in front of our house. One wouldn't think a tree could be so much work, but ours was. Dad pruned it, mom watered it, we treated it like the gift it was and after the blossoms fell, the cherries ripened, we had pies, preserves and fresh berries all from our own garden. The problem was, it dropped stuff. Like a pet, it had to be picked up after. How we resented raking the blossoms and the leaves, how we resented the litter of twigs and the caterpillars that had to be picked from its branches. The tree was not to be climbed and not to be punctured. It was a rival for our affections and sometimes, I think, rightfully so. Sad to say that a few weeks after my parents sold their house the new owners wanted less shade in the garden and cut the tree down. What we'd give now for the right to rake up the leaves and watch the cherries grow again!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Lynn's Comments: When Farley came to live with us, my thinking was "leftovers disposal unit" but my husband had other ideas. A dog was not to be used for recycling; he was to eat foods naturally consumed in the wild. This meant regular trips to a mink farm to retrieve freshly ground and frozen meat by-products. This unpleasant stuff was then mixed with a special kibble, which Farley ate without relish. Whenever I could get away with it, I'd break down and slip him a treat...ham, beef with gravy, you know, the GOOD stuff. Eventually, I discovered that my husband was doing the same and once he had tasted people food, Farley held out for the goods. He became a little choosy - and I didn't blame him one bit!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Lynn's Comments: When this strip originally ran, folks asked "What in the world is a GARBURETOR?" Well, in Canada, that's what we called a garbage disposal installed in the sink. I was told it was called "insinkerator" and a variety of other things, but I was not about to change a Canadianism and so the word stayed. Whatever it's called, I have never owned one. The dog and I took care of the leftovers.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Lynn's Comments: The childhood horror of having to clean off a plate full of cold stuff haunts me still. Too bad the image of Mom standing over me (with a look that would scare the **** out of a mugger)...and a plate of cold liver doesn't deter me. I can eat anything right out of the refrigerator...especially cake.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Lynn's Comments: It's a lousy way to do business, isn't it? You pay on time every month...but, slip up once and the computer spits out a scathing reminder to "PAY UP, YOU DEADBEAT!" I wish - just once, the telephone company or the hydro would be appreciative enough to thank me for my regular and consistent remittance.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Lynn's Comments: It's rare, now that an actual human contacts you regarding a payment. When it does happen, you get past the shock and then you wonder which country they are calling from. Who are these people and how on earth are they are trained for this job? These folks have an attitude of such superiority, such command...and they are prepared for a fight. If you can make them laugh, however, you can get past their posture and actually have a conversation.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Elementary school relationships were intense and serious. A "best friend" was validation that you had worth. Best friends gave you confidence, security and status. There was serious competition here and if a third person came onto the scene- the change in chemistry could be explosive. The old adage "three's a crowd" is never more true than in early grade school. I remember adding a new friend simply because I was offered the opportunity to use a bike or share some candy. I bought into others' friendships, too when I had stuff to share. Allegiances morphed, changed and regrouped according to the mood of the day, but the "best friend" was always at the centre of the relationship.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Gordon was a year ahead of Mike and Lawrence when they met, but a slow learning curve and troubles at home made school work difficult. He was later moved back a year, giving him a chance to catch up. Easy going and non confrontational, Gordon was likeable. He was the kind of kid who always saw the bright side. He could make the best out of a tough situation. He was a survivor.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Kids can accept an intrusion, but if the "best friends" status is threatened, it's serious. Sharing toys and time, games and secrets makes your connection intimate. Nothing is trivial when you're a kid- it's all about relationships. From Kindergarten until grade school I hung out with a girl called Arlene. She was my best friend until Caroline was around, and then Caroline took my place. When Caroline was around I became the odd number three. I lived with the knowledge that I wasn't Arlene's favourite and it was OK. Still I wished I had a VERY best friend and when Lucia Messina's family came from Sicily and moved across the street, she and I formed a bond that lasts to this day!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Taking your elementary school woes home to mom was often an unrewarding experience. Grownups forget just how stressful and meaningful these first relationships can be. My mom tried to comfort and understand, but she'd often brush my worries aside, saying things like "you'll have plenty of time for"...well, whatever! Time isn't a factor when you have no concept of time. When your world is a blur of new people, new feelings and new things to learn, time is just another four letter word.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Moms need best friends, too; someone to confide in, someone who will tell it like it is. Friends who tell you the truth with kindness and diplomacy are a gift. I am lucky to have such friends.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Without knowing it, Connie has been taking her frustrations out on Lawrence. Desperate for companionship herself, she has unwittingly upset her son. Sensing ambivalence and insecurity in his mom, Lawrence has become worried and insecure as well. There is nothing more rewarding than telling your kids that you're not perfect, you're sorry and they are so very loved.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Deciding what we were going to be on Hallowe'en was always a challenge. Everything depended on what was cool, what could be made out of found materials and what would survive in the rain. Vancouver weather was a factor in all outdoor activities, but nothing could keep us from our quest to score the most loot possible on the 31st of October. Ours was a neighbourhood rich with pickings. Lower middle class, mostly new immigrants and Canadians "home from the war"; the folks around us were generous, kind and imaginative. All you needed was a costume, a pillow case and energy to run up and down the steep hills of the North Shore.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Lynn's Comments: My Mom could make anything. She was artistic and creative and like Dad, she loved theatre. Since our choices were endless, it was hard to come up with an idea ourselves. My brother and I would waffle from one thing to another until the last minute- but somehow, our parents would come up with the best costume ever and out we would go into the night- on our own. Hallowe'en was a safer time, then. At least it seemed to be!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Lynn's Comments: The small school annex that housed our grades one and two classes was 3 blocks from home. I would often forget or lose things and Mom would make me trudge down 5th street to search for whatever it was that had been left behind. It was a short distance to go, but en route were several neat houses we had to check out, hedges with secret openings in them, dog houses, a corner store and a small vacant lot. It's no wonder we were often late coming home. It's no wonder that books, jackets, lunch pails and even socks would vanish on the way home! Mrs Hardacre really did exist. This was a salute to a memorable lady and a fine teacher- with an unusual name!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Like household chores, homework was approached with the cry of "Do I HAFTA???!!!" The more you rebel against a chore, the bigger it becomes. From time to time our folks would sit down and do our schoolwork with us and this made it fun. Once, over a long weekend, I had to find a bug, draw it, find out where it lived, what it ate and how it benefited the earth. I was in elementary school...and wondered how long it would take me to do this thing. As I recall, Dad and I spent an afternoon chasing down grasshoppers, learning about them and he even helped with the drawing. It was a big project for a little kid...but with Dad as my biology partner, the time went all too fast.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Lynn's Comments: In the early years, I bounced from subject to subject. Other cartoonists did a “gag a day” and I tried to do the same thing. I had, however found that doing short sequences worked best for me and in time I learned how to bring one idea to a close before introducing another. The ups, downs and dial tone hums of marriage were always good fodder (and mudder) and although I never did wear face cream to bed, I couldn’t resist doing a gag about it.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Still learning about the craft, I did a couple of "in the dark" strips wherein the subjects talk with the lights out and black panels ensue. This is sort of a cop out, since you don't have to draw anything! It wasn't until this strip came out in the paper that I was disappointed in myself for taking such a shortcut. Funny...when you see your work from the perspective of the reader "out there" you have a totally different opinion of it. Still, I wonder if the gag would have worked had I drawn everything!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Lynn's Comments: I dressed Katie up in a "Little Bo Peep" outfit for Hallowe'en one year and she looked so cute, I couldn't stand it! Trouble is, we lived a northern community where the temperatures dipped well below zero at this time of year and every costume had to fit over a parka. I took her door to door, opening up her jacket to show off her costume to friends. Kate objected to this strenuously. I eventually resorted to explaining who she was and what she was wearing so she could go directly to the loot without preamble. She lasted for 4 blocks ...a good space for a toddler, not far enough for me. I was just getting into the swing of things. I still have her costume and some day, if I'm lucky, I'll see it worn again.