John: Browse The Strips

Sunday October 30, 2022

Lynn's Comments: In Lynn Lake, Manitoba (where we lived for six years), there was a Halloween tradition called, "Trick or Drinking." Lynn Lake was a tiny town. You could walk from one end to the other in about half an hour, so you could visit a friend, drink your fill and not have to worry about driving home. "Trick or drinking" happened after the kids were done with their rounds and had gone to bed. It was a time for the grown-ups to have some fun by dressing up, going to a friend's house and demanding a drink. If the host couldn't figure out who you were, they still had to invite you in, give you a drink and then wait until the next morning to find out who had been in the house! One Halloween, a gorilla walked into our house and demanded a drink. I gave him a beer and watched as he worked it into his head. No matter what we said or how hard we tried, we couldn't determine the gorilla's identity. Around noon the next day, we found out it had been the bank manager—one of the shyest and most unlikely pranksters in town! This just goes to show you that a costume not only changes the way you look, but can change your personality as well.

Sunday December 18, 2022

Lynn's Comments: This is another true story. My daughter was happy to deposit a donated gift on a table at the church but couldn't understand why it had to be left there. She wasn't the only kid to be taken away from the service in tears. It takes time to understand that it's better to give than to receive!

Thursday January 26, 2023

Lynn's Comments: My brother produced the dime in a few days, and after my mom washed it off, we saw that it had turned blue. The chemicals in Al's stomach had coloured the dime blue! He was so excited about this that as soon as he could find another dime...he swallowed it!

Sunday January 29, 2023

Lynn's Comments: My husband was good with kids—as were his staff. One day a mom wanted to be in the operatory with her son because she was sure he'd be too afraid of the dentist to be there alone. Everyone told her the kid would be fine, but she insisted. They let her stay. Everything went well until my husband was about to do the first injection, and the mom, in a loud sing-song voice said, "Here comes the NEEDLE!!" Well, the kid jumped out of the chair and headed for the hills. After that, parents were not allowed in the operatory!

Sunday February 5, 2023

Lynn's Comments: This was MY dad! He could make up anything on the spot, and the way he read stories was hilarious. When my own kids were little, I turned stories around and made stuff up and the kids loved it. I'd learned from the best.