The Last Straw: Browse The Strips

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Lynn's Comments: There were times when housework depressed me terribly. The fact that it had to be done over and over again made the effort beyond unsatisfying. Being a mom and managing my other job meant that I was working (I figured) 10-12 hours a day. Eventually, my mom-in-law suggested I ask one of her friends to help me once a week, so I happily made arrangements to hire "Mavis." This hard working and thorough housekeeper indeed lightened the load, but she wanted to have her lunch prepared and she scoffed if I gave her a store-bought dessert! This meant that the time I saved was spent in the kitchen...but it was a CLEAN kitchen!

Friday, September 20, 2013

Lynn's Comments: I could never understand the cavalier way in which the men and the kids in my life regarded cleaning and maintenance of the house. They never seemed to take into account that the hall had been neatly tidied--they just kicked off their boots and happily dumped their clothing on the floor. My complaints were greeted with surprise and a "what's your problem" shrug. Later, after I hired someone to help me clean up, I too became complacent about dirty shoes in the hallway and wet towels on the banister. "Oh well," I'd say to myself, "Mavis will take care of it tomorrow!" A mess only registers if you have to tidy it up yourself.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Lynn's Comments: I have always needed a career. I needed to express myself creatively. I needed to earn my own living, and I needed the companionship of other adults. Even though I felt guilty for putting Aaron in daycare, I was a better parent because I was working. I was also able to pay the bills! The alternative at the time was to go on welfare, and I wanted so badly to avoid this.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Lynn's Comments: Like Michael, I wanted my room to remain in a constant state of upheaval when I was a kid. The mess was a sign of independence, a statement that marked my room as mine. Commands to clean it up were greeted with indifference. Even if I was forced to comply, the state of "tidy" might have only lasted a day. I could never see the reason why a room had to be kept in order if nobody saw it but me. A kid needs solid reasons, and the threat of punishment wasn't reason enough!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Lynn's Comments: My husband actually admitted to me once that he put the dishes in the dishwasher "the wrong way" on purpose! It meant that I did it all the time so it would be done "right!"

Monday, September 30, 2013

Lynn's Comments: During my coffee house days, I was often among the great and wanna-be greats of the folk music scene. One evening I joined a group of musician friends for beer and pizza. The young man sitting next to me was rapping constantly on the table, ignoring our pained expressions. Fed up, I put my hand over his the way a mother would silence a child. He was furious! Turned out he was the drummer for a famous group. He did stop tapping, however, for which everyone was grateful!

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Lynn's Comments: Alan's adjustment from singlehood to his relationship with Joan was a constant source of comedy. The thing I love about my brother is the way he greets adversity; he makes it into a story, which he embellishes just enough to make it great.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Lynn's Comments: While the character, Uncle Phil, was starting to get serious about the character, Georgia, my brother had met Joan in real life. Since the quitting smoking story and the move in the strip closely and coincidentally paralleled his own life, Alan had me promise not to have Phil and Georgia announce their wedding plans until he had proposed to Joan!

Monday, October 7, 2013

Lynn's Comments: Curlers had gone out of style along with the housedress, but Elly occasionally sported them. Curlers and gobs of face cream were a cartoon cliche. Television sit-coms and comic strips often used these props to make a woman look her most unattractive. Today, comedy has to rely on other props...and fortunately, the shapeless housecoat is still first choice in comfortable morning garb. The good thing is that husbands look bad in them too!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Lynn's Comments: My mother joined a weight loss program for which she needed one of those tiny food scales. After buying both Alan and me a pack of Smarties, she actually weighed them to prove that neither of us was getting more than the other.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Lynn's Comments: When the Smothers Brothers did that routine: "Mom liked you more than she liked me," it was no joke. Those of us who truly felt like the family disappointment saw this skit as confirmation that inequality was a reality for many kids. In our "British" family, boys were definitely preferred!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Lynn's Comments: As a kid, I had a talent for making insults. This "gift" could be quite a threat. Woe to the child who had a name that rhymed with something funny or initials that spelled a word. If I was suffering at the hands of a bully, I'd go into my repertoire of insults and "win." When I began to change from kid to teenager, however, I became a butterball, and if somebody called me "fatso," I'd crumble. What goes 'round, comes 'round!

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Lynn's Comments: My brother and I fought like crazy until we were both safely out of the house and on our own. Now, in our sixties, we are the best of friends. We've talked about our childhood and tried to figure out why we were so hard on each other. The old Smothers Brothers line "Mom always liked you best" was part of it but, we were also creative, competitive, and bored. Yes, it's a family fact: boredom is nicely relieved by a good dust-up!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Lynn's Comments: I have a wonderful costume trunk. Over the years, I have amassed a huge variety of dress-up clothes, masks, wigs, props and makeup. We never lacked for materials when Halloween, plays, and local ice shows came along. I was never too protective of the supplies, which have been lent to family and friends, and now, passed from generation to generation.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Lynn's Comments: One of my favourite props was a punk-rocker "wig" which I gave to the accordionist, Ray Johnson, of the Newfoundland comedy team, "Buddy Whatsis Name and the Other Fellas." After attending a show, I realized that one skit needed a punk-wig, so I offered it as a gift. It was a gift that keeps on giving. I got to know these talented and fabulously funny guys--just a bit. I get a card from Wayne Chalk (guitarist) every Christmas, and some day, I've promised myself that I'll go to see them live on stage in St. Johns.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Lynn's Comments: I thought that in time there would be a return to uplifting family friendly films--stories that left you feeling hopeful, the music rich with cadence and meaning; music that would repeat in your mind for hours afterwards. "The Lion King" has been a recent one, but to my mind there just aren't enough.