Elizabeth: Browse The Strips

Monday, October 8, 2012

Lynn's Comments: I don't remember mushrooms being a bone of contention for us growing up because fresh ones were too expensive and canned ones simply disappeared into the stew. Mushroom soup was a staple gravy base and casserole sauce, so it didn't count either. When actual fresh fungi were finally introduced to our palates, we were all grown up. It's our children who have had the luxury of rejecting one of the most delicious culinary delights known to man!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Sometimes, the old chestnut command "If you don't like what we're having, make your own dinner!" backfired. I found the best way to make a less-than-yummy repast disappear was to offer no alternative at all. This, of course, might result in a stoic refusal to compromise followed by a midnight raid on the fridge. The one consolation was that they would eat at midnight the now frigid dinner they'd rejected at 6!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Lynn's Comments: I loved making up names. When I thought up the word Grubberware, it immediately conjured up the idea of a party where toilet brushes, rubber gloves, plungers, and other unattractive bathroom cleaning stuff would be displayed and sold. This meant I could draw toilet-related stuff (which was rather discouraged) and possibly get away with it. I guess there's a part of me that will always want to bug the guy in charge.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Lynn's Comments: When we had people over, my kids often sat quietly at the top of the stairs hoping for worthwhile gossip or a chance to sneak into the kitchen and swipe some goodies. I knew they were there. I could easily have shoved them off to bed, but as long as it wasn't a school night, I figured, out of sight, out of mind. This liberty came to an end when Aaron, after a huge ingestion of pop, decided to burp the alphabet. The hallway created the perfect amplifier. He was in bed by the time he got to "P."

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Lynn's Comments: The night I went trick-or-drinking, I wore a white-blonde wig, a Dolly Parton-style outfit, and my false teeth. In a British accent I'd learned from my mother, I greeted our wary hosts who repeatedly begged me to tell them who I was. I was one of the few revellers that night who got to do the big reveal the following day.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Lynn's Comments: When we moved to North Bay and there were many neighbourhoods to canvass on Halloween, we knew that one of us would be carrying Katie home. One night, I saw a friend pulling a wagon behind her as she accompanied her costumed children and I said, "Whoa! Is that to carry all the loot they're gonna get?" and she said, "Nope...it's to carry THEM!"

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Lynn's Comments: The problem was also compounded by the fact that the kids never liked those odd-coloured, molasses tasting, wax paper wrapped toffees that you only see during the last days of October--they'd always leave them for me. These ugly things are still given out at Halloween, they still taste the same, and I still like them!

Friday, November 2, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Like so many, I would rather buy a can of pumpkin filling or purchase a whole darned ready-made pie, than go to the trouble of making one myself. In reality, I have only once cooked and eaten a pumpkin. In this one true-to-life case, I did cook our Halloween pumpkin and learned a valuable lesson: Never cook a pumpkin you've used as a Jack-o-lantern...it tastes like *#$%!!!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Lynn's Comments: There were times that I did outshine my mom-in-law, but it was not in the pie-making department. I made great casseroles, soups, and stews; she did the breads, the roasts, and the baking. Both of us were fine in the veg department, so between Ruth and myself, we provided our men-folk with some mighty fine grub. There's nothing like two women in the kitchen--especially when they're both a bit competitive!

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Lynn's Comments: The original Farley really did love chewing gum. I discovered his penchant for gum when I saw him take some out of a wastebasket, work the Kleenex off it, and continue to chew for some time without swallowing. I had never seen a dog do this before, so Farley's gum chewing became a bit of a party trick. He particularly liked Juicy Fruit--even if it had been previously enjoyed. The thing was to make sure I was there when he spat it out, or I'd have a surprise on my foot later on.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Lynn's Comments: My mother-in-law, having been an elementary school teacher for many years, readily took on the challenge of teaching our children whatever they hadn't been able to grasp in school. She once used a fresh pie to help Aaron learn fractions. My dad-in-law was in the room when she asked, "What do we call the biggest piece of pie?" and it wasn't Aaron who answered but Tom who, smiling easily, said, "mine!"

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Lynn's Comments: I rarely saw my parents kissing. Sometimes they held hands but it was a discreet show of affection--which was quickly over if someone drew attention to it. Still, they were very romantic. They thought about each other and did things for each other easily and naturally. They were husband and wife, but they were also the best of friends. I often made fun of the two of them and their mushy ways, but in the end, I wish for all the world I could have had a marriage like theirs.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Aaron and Katie were both independent children. Trusting and eager to explore, they enjoyed Kindergarten, Saturday art classes, junior skating, and other activities that required them to be separated from Mom and Dad for a period of time. I credit this not just to parenting but to the wonderful daycare workers, playschool teachers, babysitters, and other caregivers who worked with them during their formative years. Together, we instilled confidence in themselves and confidence in us. We were really fortunate to have such a responsible, trustworthy team of people to back us up and give the kids a healthy, enjoyable, and safe environment to grow up in.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Lynn's Comments: This little snowsuit, Katie actually wore. It was one of my favourites and when I washed it, I foolishly put it in a hot dryer. It came out looking like a scraggly, matted sheep and I cried when I saw it. Kate didn't seem to notice and happily wore it until it became too small. At the time, my mother's creed was, "If it doesn't go into the washer and dryer, it goes OUT!" After this, I became much more practical. I bought things that could be easily laundered, and I made sure I was aware of her favourite things. My motto was, "If it's cute and she likes it--LOOK AFTER IT!"

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Lynn's Comments: In the log home we owned from 1983 until 2003 our laundry was upstairs and out of the way. It was therefore easily ignored until we needed clean clothes. Next to the laundry appliances I had a sewing table, which would eventually become so heaped with mending that the sewing machine disappeared. When I finally grit my teeth and settled into the task of fixing all the defective duds, I would inevitably discover items of kids' clothing that had been there so long, my kids had outgrown them! By putting this scenario into the strip, I absolved myself of guilt and hoped that other busy moms would also forgive themselves and do what I did: pass the stuff on to someone else! I did, however, repair it beforehand!

Monday, December 3, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Our old chesterfield became the repository for all kinds of flotsam--some of it dangerous, like matches and needles. I was always careful to work my fingers into all the crevices before declaring it bounce-worthy. Here's a story my dad told us: A friend of his once stepped on a small needle. It went so far into his foot that he couldn't get it out. He left it there and forgot about it. A number of years later, he found a bump on his knee and when he scratched it, out came the needle! Is this possible? I don't know! Maybe someone out there can tell me.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Lynn's Comments: There was a time I'd go into a house like this--where the people took scattered toys, dog hair, and mangled furniture for granted. I'd step over Tinker Toys and half eaten sandwiches wondering how in the world they could live like that! I'd see crusts on tabletops and a sink full of dishes, and I'd think to myself, "How can she stand to live in a house that isn't clean, tidy, and well organized?!!" ... Then I had kids.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Lynn's Comments: We didn't have a chainsaw--we didn't need a chainsaw ... but for some reason known only to men, my husband bought a big one, with all the safety gear that went with it!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Lynn's Comments: I have always wondered why gymnasiums didn't harness all the energy that is wasted by wheels on exercycles and the like as they spin all day long. With that in mind, I think hamster wheels could be installed in homes where kids tear around relentlessly. If this energy was being put to good use, such as running the vacuum, perhaps we wouldn't resent the mess and the dust they create quite so much!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Lynn's Comments: This is another personally-experienced scenario which reached the papers. Even though we admonished the combatants, we laughed all the way to the food court!

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Lynn's Comments: It's hard for most adults to keep a secret, but for a kid, it's almost impossible. I once overheard my son trying not to tell his sister what she was getting for her birthday. His words went like this, "If I knew something but I don't, but if I did, I wouldn't tell you but it's something you'll really, really like." He struggled with every word, and in the end, managed not to tell. I was so proud of him

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Lynn's Comments: I have always wondered what it is that makes boys and men want to run around shooting each other, when a really good, moderated argument would resolve almost anything. My thinking is: If women ruled the world, we'd get the politics over with expediently, thereby saving the civilian population, then do our best to rejuvenate each other's economies by shopping! This said by someone who admits to having been a street fighter at the age of five!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Lynn's Comments: My dad took us to the Hudson's Bay store one year to see Santa. We were a bit too old to do the Santa thing, but this was something we felt we were doing for Dad. He was in a great mood and enthusiastically encouraged us to wait in a long line. As we stood there, he went on and on about the decorations and the scene in which Santa had been placed. I remember thinking that he was way more excited about this than we were. Eventually, Alan and I had our turns on Santa's lap, were photographed, given a candy cane, and allowed to go. Dad was beaming, and on the bus heading home, he quizzed us about our Santa experience. "Well," I said, "he was greasy and smelled like cigarettes and needed to use a toothbrush really badly."

Alan added, "His beard wasn't real and didn't fit right, and I didn't like the way he said 'Ho, Ho, Ho'." Dad looked out the window of the bus for a while and said little else about our trip to see the great Claus. When we got home, I overheard Dad talking to Mom about our excursion. As it turned out ... the man who was dressed as Santa was a great pal of our dad's!