Elizabeth: Browse The Strips

Friday, December 23, 2011

Lynn's Comments: My brother and I were allowed to open one gift and our stocking if we got up before our parents did. Naturally, we were up before 6am, whispering in the dark as we sniffed out the right gift to open. Our dad, not wanting to miss any of the fun, was soon sitting under the tree next to us, waiting for Mom to make the coffee. Nothing could be opened until she had a coffee in her hand. Even now, the smell of fresh brewed coffee on Christmas morning signals that it's time for the greed-fest to begin.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Lynn's Comments: When our kids were little, I wished that my parents didn't live so far away. Christmas time, especially, would have been better if the other set of "grands" had been there to share it with. The telephone was the next best thing and the bill became our annual gifts to each other.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Lynn's Comments: After all of the preparations and expense; after the cards and the phone calls and the waiting for the clan to gather, the actual day of celebration seemed to be over in a flash. After getting the kids to sleep and the kitchen cleaned up I remember falling into bed dead tired, buzzing from too much food, company and excitement. Still, the sleep that came after everything was over was a deep and satisfying one- knowing I had a whole year to prepare for the next Christmas!

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Lynn's Comments: The day after the party, my husband was really under the weather. Surprised by how miserable he was, I asked him if he remembered the good ol' university days when drinking was a sport and the results taken for granted. His response was "I've never been drunk before! This is the first time!" I guess he was saving the worst for last.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Lynn's Comments: I knew the kids suffered any time we fought. We didn't disagree too often, but when we did, Kate and Aaron felt it was somehow their fault. We usually don't talk to them about the issues, we don't explain what's happening and why we're mad, so kids try and unravel the puzzle the best way they know how. To a child, the world revolves around them--and if this is the case, it must be their fault if the world leaves it's axis and gets wobbly sometimes! I tried to show that here.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Settling disputes between the offspring usually fell to me and there were times when I had no patience left to work with. I was so tired of the constant, petty squabbles to care. If the kids could go outside, they'd be too occupied to start a row, but inside, the tug-of-war waged on and I would often be at the "end of my rope".

I would envy the guys who disappeared into their workshops to "get stuff done". It was hard to deny them the time they spent over an oily valve or a piece of lumber or a broken pipe. This was, after all, essential to the household maintenance. The cool, quiet ambience of the workshop was a perfect place to spend an afternoon. Guys dropping by to give advice or lend a hand were welcome. They'd lean comfortably against the doorframe, chewing the fat, and hoping for a beer to materialize. Sometimes they even got sandwiches and cake! It might take a day to fix a gadget or repair a hose--time well spent according to the men folk, but... an entire day?!!

Some of my friends had hunter/fishermen in the family and when the weekend came, their men folk would go off to the call of the wild. The women kept the home fires burning and the small fry in line. When we came into contact with each other, we'd compare notes about the absent spouses. What did the guys REALLY do while we held down the fort? Mystery loves company. So, while I went along with the social flow, I resented it as well. Situations like this found their way into For Better or For Worse and I was always comforted by the responses from other moms who said, "That happens at OUR house, too!" It was wonderful to know I wasn't alone.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Lynn's Comments: The worst thing about having a kid in hockey is the gear. The odd hours of practice, the driving and the butt-numbing seats in the stands were a pleasure compared to the fitting, loading, dressing and stench of the required gear. Hockey moms go unappreciated until a kid grows up and becomes a hockey parent themselves!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Katie did chew her mittens--right through the thumb. This strip was another cry of angst from her mom. My kids were often lucky that I could "use" this material!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Here is another word for word exchange between my husband and me. The punch line was exactly as written. I didn't toss a measuring cup--but I sure wanted to. This resulted in his taking over the pressing of his own shirts and clinic gowns--until we hired a housekeeper who came once a week and actually enjoyed ironing!

Monday, January 23, 2012

Lynn's Comments: These words came directly from my mother's mouth and later from mine. Seems to me that kids enjoy being in on the local gossip as much as we do! Trouble is they, too pass it on!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Here's another example of how to bring readers up to date with a few underlying story arcs. In the first panel, you catch up with what's going on in two relationships and still get a kid-fuelled smart remark as a punch line. I loved this ploy!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Some strips require no explanation; no example of how it came to be. "It's MINE" played out between my brother and then, naturally, between my kids. This is one of those timeless scenarios which parents are so used to, that the only intervention considered is on behalf of the TOYS!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Looking out the front room window requires a face print. There's no way around it. Combine a check on the neighborhood with a greasy facial negative and you have accomplished two things at once. Forcing one's nose and lips onto a glass surface is a satisfying form of artistic expression which I'd continue to do today if I didn't personally have to clean it off.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Lynn's Comments: After looking for the bathtub plug for some time, I once settled on a spud that fit right into the hole. I'll do anything to have a nice, hot bath! Years later, I was visiting friends in Cuba. A neighbour kindly invited us to her house for dinner and when we went to do the dishes afterwards, there was no plug in the sink. She was about to use a soup pot to wash up in when I saw a basket of fresh potatoes under the counter. I selected one the right size and popped it into the hole.

Potato is "papa" in Spanish and the word for plug is "tapa". So, I said, "Look! You have a papa for a tapa!" She laughed and I promised her that I would bring her a plug the next day. My friends and I went to every hardware store in Havana and could not find a simple rubber stopper for a sink! There were a number of things we couldn't find: a large garbage pail with a lid, a good pair of scissors, and masking tape--these things are found everywhere back home. I couldn't believe that these small, useful items that we all take for granted were so hard to find.

The following year, I went back to Cuba. I took our friend a plug for her sink and a number of other things. She was more than pleased--she was grateful. Circumstances there are different now. Cuba has opened up and stores are able to carry more products. I still visit my friends and we always recall the time I used a papa for a tapa... a little trick I brought from home.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Rod was away often, as he worked in the isolated villages in Northern Manitoba one week out of every month, so it was a treat to be able to go to a convention once in awhile and stay in a nice hotel. On one occasion, Aaron was told that his dad's absence made him the MAN of the household which was a serious position with a lot of responsibility. As Rod left, he asked Aaron if he had any questions. Aaron thought it over and said, seriously; "What will you bring me?" I used this punchline instead!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Again, this was a fabricated scenario. There wasn't much my kids wouldn't eat. Anything that went well with ketchup would go down; quiche included!

Friday, February 10, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Kitchenware and home cosmetics demonstrations were actually a big deal in Lynn Lake. We all looked forward to the opportunity to get together and if we bought some overpriced items, well, we had supported the seller and the hostess and all was well in the world.

The best home demo party I ever went to was here in Corbeil. It was my first opportunity to meet the local ladies, so I spruced up and took my chequebook. What I discovered was a relaxed and welcoming group, dressed in jeans and T's, drinking beer and gossiping about the neighbors. After several drinks, we were ready for the pitch and with all of us happily into the sauce, the demonstrator sold us everything!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Lynn's Comments: This, I think is true. A couple needs to separate from time to time in order to reflect on their relationship. After a rough patch, you might wish your partner would just "take a hike" but when they are away for a few days, you realize just how much you depend on, rely on and love each other.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Lynn's Comments: To end a dispute between Kate and Aaron, I did divide the kitchen table so that each child had their own side. I then divided the couch and Aaron himself divided the living room. This bit of biblical rectitude resulted in a deep interest in equality. Both kids then wanted to divide the house, the hallways, and the stairwell into "what's yours" and "what's mine".

The task was not a small one, but they were determined. It gave them something to do together and the price of a roll of masking tape was a small price to pay for silence. I decided to use this in a Sunday strip. The thought that they might even have tried to divide the dog had me smiling for days!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Lynn's Comments: My brother, Alan, moved from my home in Dundas to Hamilton and eventually to Stratford, Ontario--where he was principal trumpet for the Stratford Festival Theatre. In the strip, "Phil" only moved once and I never specified to where.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Alan's ordeal with the vegetarians did not end with the fridge and the juicer. He remembers giving them a list and some money for groceries.... and all they brought home was carrots! It wasn't long before he was making plans to move again.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Alan did have a fish tank and Aaron wanted one as well. I allowed him to have a goldfish for a while...kind of a "Starter" pet. The fish lasted about a week before it died from over stimulation. I think it must have been glad to go.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Lynn's Comments: I like to think that I make good soup and, when I do make it, I tend to make a lot! I like to have enough to freeze and to share and some to eat right away. It was a blow to the ego when they preferred the canned or packaged stuff. Mine was chock full of "goodns"--a meal in itself. Somehow, with the passage of time, they have learned to appreciate homemade soups and often make it themselves. Katie makes enough to freeze, enough to eat and enough to give to me!