Lynn's Comments: Ruth Carrie Johnston, my mother-in-law, was a lifesaver. She was my co-parent; someone I could count on every day and at all hours. My in-laws’ house was a 5-minute walk from our house, and I thanked my lucky stars for their love, warmth, kindness and generosity.
Lynn's Comments: Breastfeeding was, and always will be, a delicate, personal subject. I wanted to breastfeed my kids until they were at least 6 months old. I succeeded for the most part, but now and then when I was exhausted and unable to give them enough, the occasional bottle of formula helped us along. What I had to overcome was the guilt I was made to feel by experts, articles and other moms who never needed to supplement. Once I allowed myself to make safe and healthy choices that worked for us, without feeling guilty, I was able to breastfeed more successfully. It’s amazing how guilt and criticism can affect the way our body works.
Lynn's Comments: This has been wonderful for me too: watching my children play with my grandchildren. This is one of the many rewards in getting older.
Lynn's Comments: This happened to me. I had Aaron on my back and he pointed to a complete stranger in a supermarket (a very down and out character) and said, "Daddy!" It was a cringe-worthy remark. I was a single mom at the time.
Lynn's Comments: I lived for drawings like this one. This is when you know the muse is with you. There were times when I’d look up to some invisible source and say, "thank you." Most cartoonists and stand up comics will tell you they feel that they often have "help"! Maybe we channel some comedian from the past who still wants to create gags for a living!
Lynn's Comments: When I was a teenager, The Pacific National Exhibition grounds were a short bike ride away. My friends and I would ride over the Second Narrows Bridge and around the bend to where we could see the big arc of the rollercoaster. We'd go to the park even when the fair wasn't on, and without too much in the way of security, we could roam around quite freely. One time, there was an opening in the fence around the roller coaster, so we went under the huge track and looked up at what was, for its day, one of the scariest rides in Canada. We looked at the way the ride had been engineered and how the struts had been anchored to the ground. This was exciting. The best part of our adventure was finding stuff that people had lost while they were on the ride. I found a hat, glasses, some loose change and a toy or two…but the funniest find of all was a set of dentures. We could only imagine the anger and frustration of the person who got off the ride…without their teeth!
Lynn's Comments: These drawings were done with all of the sounds, sights, rides and disappointment I could remember. The only thing I ever won at an arcade was a big box of chocolates. Crazy with excitement, my friend Marian and I opened them up on the bus on the way home. Inside we found the dusty, grey, broken remains of what must have been the oldest chocolates in the world. Oh well, we did get a story out of it, which in the end, is better than a first prize after all!