It's All Downhill From Here: Browse The Strips

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Lynn's Comments: When you are used to living in a winter climate, an image like this will tell you the temperature has warmed up and the snow has become "sticky." It will also bring back memories of working long and hard to get to a hill for the sheer pleasure of taking a 10 second ride.

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Lynn's Comments: This was directly from my childhood. Mom would push us out the door and tell us not to come in until lunchtime. We'd play in the yard until our fingers were stuck to our mittens with ice, and our noses were running to our chins.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Lynn's Comments: Years ago, I had the fun of touring American Greetings with Tom Wilson who did the comic panel "Ziggy" (His son, Tom Jr., continues it today). There were many artists, mostly women, working at drafting tables and in offices all coming up with ways to say "I love you," "I care," "Sorry you're sick," and so on. It was an impressive and dedicated team of talented people.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Lynn's Comments: There always has to be a villain and I created Melody Morrison in opposition to Elizabeth. Again, I thought Melody would play a larger role, but it was hard for me to make a character all bad! To me, there is good in everyone and when you show both sides, you've got a character that demands the spotlight. I had no room to add more characters.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Lynn's Comments: I can't say it enough: If it wasn't for my teachers, I'd have been a lost soul. I owe so much to the men and women who gave me challenges and encouragement, and materials to work with. Most of all they gave confidence and a real sense of worth.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Lynn's Comments: Lately, I have been seeing friends I knew in elementary school. We talk endlessly about our childhood friends and the many instances, which are unforgettable. I remember standing next to kids I really wanted to talk to, apologize to or befriend--but I just didn't know how.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Lynn's Comments: Friendships can be complicated. Being a "best friend" can saddle you with unreasonable expectations. My strongest friendships are with men and women who don't define our relationship. We are simply "there for each other."

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Lynn's Comments: Connie and Lawrence were characters I simply couldn't delete. For some reason, they were compelling and important. They "spoke to me." As I've said before, some characters allowed me to bring them to life, and others disappeared like smoke in a wind. I'll never understand why.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Lynn's Comments: Having purchased a house in North Vancouver, I understand the merits of working with a good real estate agent. If an agent knows the area thoroughly, listens well and really cares about what you need, he or she can be a lifesaver. The trick is to find someone with whom you click!

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Lynn's Comments: Recently, while looking for a house, I visited an artist friend who had the perfect place. As I walked around, I coveted the space, the design and the location. She graciously made tea and told me her home had been designed by a friend and built by her son. No wonder it suited her so well. Unlike the conch and the cowrie, humans don't always get to design the shell they fit into!

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Lynn's Comments: This reminds me of a story: We had a cabin once, which needed a window sill replaced. When we removed the window sill, we discovered there was rot in the wall, so we had to remove the wall. With the wall removed, it seemed foolish to not take the opportunity to add a small bathroom. (We had been using an outhouse, which, with two small kids, was never a "convenience.")

In the local Lynn Lake garbage dump, where many good items were "stored," we found a fancy, "clean-waste" toilet, which heated up so deposited materials could be removed from the bottom in powder form. This we installed--without first using it to see how it worked. It heated up so much that it was actually dangerous. Later, we were told that the previous owner, while indisposed, had managed to burn some valuable "private parts." Thus, the discovery, of what we called "The Wonderbiff," in the dump. Armed with this vital information, we were determined to make the contraption work. With the Wonderbiff installed, we were now an indoor toilet family. Everyone used the biff, and as the contents heated and were turned to powder (actually a disgusting kind of crust which had to be chipped off a sort of hot plate inside), we noticed an odour we had not perceived before. Our neighbour, who was familiar with lakeside living, advised us to install a "stink-stack" on the roof of the cabin, to disperse any disagreeable smell.

We returned to the dump where we found pipe and flashing. The dump was our "Home Depot"; a place where you could find everything from good furniture to fine used clothing. We called it the "exchange." On the roof of the cabin, we discovered more rot, loose shingles, and a large squirrel's nest. A portion of the roof had to be replaced. We thought that real soffits might make a difference, and these we ordered from a catalogue. With the wall and window replaced, the roof repaired, the bathroom added and the Wonderbiff installed, we had spent an entire summer, and a huge amount of cash, all because a window sill needed replacing. This, I'm sure, is a saga cottagers and homeowners everywhere can relate to: the ripple effect of a simple repair. *Sigh*

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Lynn's Comments: This was a one-liner of which I was particularly pleased. Sadly, like so many remarks, word play and colloquial expressions, it could not be translated, so FBorFW remained an English only comic strip. Imagine the world of wonderful humour we would all enjoy if we could only understand each other's languages!