Anne's house: Browse The Strips

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Lynn's Comments: The childhood horror of having to clean off a plate full of cold stuff haunts me still. Too bad the image of Mom standing over me (with a look that would scare the **** out of a mugger)...and a plate of cold liver doesn't deter me. I can eat anything right out of the refrigerator...especially cake.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Lynn's Comments: The last time I wrote about being a "sports widow" we had numerous messages from women who shared Annie's point of view. If I had grown up in a home where televised sports were part of everyday life and was something we all enjoyed, perhaps I wouldn't be so sarcastic about the hours wasted on the couch watching a bunch of guys chase a ball. My folks were more into music and comedy. I have women friends who are addicted to baseball and hockey, too - but not me. I vented through Annie and put into words the thoughts I'd had when I, too, was wishing my spouse enjoyed more vertical activities.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Steve Nichols was a character who rarely appeared in FBorFW. As Annie's less-than-perfect spouse, he was to be gossiped about unseen. This is likely the first illustration I did of him. I never put this drawing into my resource files and soon forgot exactly how I'd drawn him! In the next illustration showing Steve, he looked quite different - sans moustache. Nobody ever mentioned this to me and I never noticed until now. Things like this convinced me to keep an accurate character file.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Lynn's Comments: For children, the coming of Christmas is an endless wait. The ads, the lights and the music make them plead for the time to go faster. For mothers, there are never enough hours in the day. Living in a small, isolated community meant that we all knew and relied on each other for everything from babysitting to compassion to the proverbial cup of sugar. Without speaking, moms of toddlers knew from the angle of a smile or the nod of a head, how another mom's day was going. We shared, laughed with and supported each other as pageants, bake sales and community center events kept us thoroughly immersed in the holiday spirit. Christmas in Lynn Lake was as rich as any I have known - mostly because we were all so close. There was little class distinction here. Nobody was better than anybody else and if they thought they were, they became lonely pretty fast! Many of the down-to-earth punch lines in the strip came directly from the down-to-earth friends I had in Lynn Lake.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Lynn's Comments: My mother did not like surprises...or so she said. Gift giving was always a challenge for me because she was effusive, no matter what the gift was, so it was hard to tell whether I'd made the right choice or not. Mom was an excellent seamstress. She could make anything - even patterns from scratch. I was working at Woodwards in Vancouver, making a salary for the first time, so Dad and I decided to pool our resources and get her a Bernina sewing machine for her birthday. It was the latest thing. It could make designs and buttonholes without a template and you could use several colours of thread at once. It was expensive, however, and Dad worried that she'd be angry with us for spending so much when we could hardly afford it. He had to tell her our plan. Naturally, she said "Absolutely not!" She wouldn't have us spending wantonly on something she could well do without. So...we got her a jewelry box instead. When she opened her gift, we could tell that Mom was bitterly disappointed. "What's the matter?" Dad asked- genuinely surprised by her reaction. Pressing a hanky to her eyes, she cried, "I thought I was getting a new sewing machine!!" Go figure. Gift giving was always an awkward time in our family. Any time we did it right - it was a surprise!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Lynn's Comments: Katie was getting to be quite independent and was an easy kid to live with. My friend Marian across the street had her a lot of the time - having raised three boys, she loved having a little girl around and enjoyed looking after her. Aaron was in school, so I toyed with the thought of adding to the family. After some intense discussion, we decided that two was enough, but I still wanted the experience - so Annie, in the strip, got pregnant!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Lynn's Comments: With this new element of interest to work with, I put myself right into Annie's shoes and examined all the thoughts I might have if the tables were turned. I would have been excited, happy, fearful and anxious all at once. Even with help close by, having another baby is a decision which changes everything and should be carefully planned, if possible. I also knew a lot about Annie; things the readers didn't know. I knew that she had her hands full and that her husband was serially unfaithful - something she suspected but didn't want to know. It was challenging to write about and draw people in an ordinary neighborhood, dealing with ordinary things. It made FBorFW come alive for me - and so much more interesting than if it had been static and everything had remained the same.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Lynn's Comments: Living through Annie's pregnancy was a lot of fun. I got to talk to expectant moms about their experience and to remember my own. Looking at baby clothes is something we (ladies) all enjoy doing and I often wonder why some of the whimsical fabrics found in the children's shops couldn't be made into lines of adult clothing. Imagine an evening gown covered in tiny cartoons of anything from funny animals to funky flowers! Like Annie, the problem of swelling feet went along with the swelling tummy and once again, I heard from expectant readers who were glad to share their woes with their toes!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Lynn's Comments: My friend Mary seemed to have a bun in the oven every year. When baby number seven was on the way, she sighed and said she wondered if this one would be the last. I assured her it was indeed the last one and she wondered how I knew. "Well", I said, "your husband was one of seven kids and he told me he wanted the same number of children, too". "He did, did he?" she replied in her sweet Irish accent..."Well, why the h*** didn't he tell ME?!!!" We always wonder what the future will hold when we're in the family way - but it all seems so right when we're holding our beautiful new baby!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Lynn's Comments: A friend of mine in Lynn Lake was expecting at the same time as Annie was and her input was priceless. I could capture the way she walked and shuffled in slippers as her feet swelled. I watched her shape expand in all directions. She was more than happy to play a role in my research and, even though I remembered going through it myself, having another mom to talk to, made all the difference.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Lynn's Comments: Homework was a subject that riled us all. If Aaron had something to do for school, there'd be a stalemate right away. He might get out all the equipment. He might even start. But within a few minutes, he'd be miserable. I don't know how many times we sat and did his work with him- lesson by lesson, page by page. When some kids graduate to the next level of their education, their parents should get a promotion, too!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Lynn's Comments: It's true. I have no idea how to handle a newborn now. I have friends who automatically rip into the mother role; they know how to pick up, turn over, bathe, feed, and bundle a tiny baby, while I just sit by helplessly and watch. Strange... I had no problem handling my own children. I had no trouble changing them either. I guess when they're yours, it's different. At least it was for me!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Lynn's Comments: Even though you prepare your first child for months before a new baby comes by including them as much as possible and telling them that their status as "the oldest" makes them more important than ever, you still can't avoid the pain of jealousy. The absolute dependency of baby unavoidably pushes the older child aside. This is when partnership in parenting matters so much. The more hands and hugs and "I love you"s, the better!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Lynn's Comments: I thought I had my hands full with one child- but two were a challenge! Like many other moms, I was the main caregiver, teacher and disciplinarian. I was so lucky to have been able to work from my home!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Lynn's Comments: Up north, friends and family were our day care providers. Kate went to her grandma's or to my friend Marian across the street, and was content with her regular stay in new surroundings. For the most part, the local moms took turns. Kids' parties and afternoon craft days in private homes didn't require the attendance of every parent. We all knew how precious a few hours on our own were- even though we had nowhere to go! Just the freedom to grocery shop without the weight of a backpack or the awkwardness of a stroller was such a pleasure, we all made sure to share it! Some moms took advantage, leaving their kids too long and too often. Those of us who took in the children rarely complained, though. The free time wasn't just for the mothers. We genuinely cared about the kids' time off as well!

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!

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 11, 2012

Lynn's Comments: When I did the weekly comic panel for the Dundas Valley Journal, they paid me $10 for each one. At the time, I was living on a shoestring and was desperate for a few dollars more. When I asked if they would increase my rate to $15, they refused. This is when I started doing cartoons for my obstetrician--preferring the approval from his patients and staff to the paper. I guess my pride was more important than my pocketbook.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Lynn's Comments: Moms are always looking to other moms for advice and moral support. I don't know what I would have done without my "mom-friends". We shared everything from our personal meltdowns and ensuing guilt to comparisons of our kids' behaviour and development. Without judgement or criticism, we helped each other survive! Looking back, all the angst seems so "over the top". It's just that when you're standing there on the edge of the canyon, it's sure nice to have a friend to coax you back into the car!!!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Lynn's Comments: I was once hired to do an illustration for a magazine in Nova Scotia. It was a rush job. I had to get the art there by courier--for which I paid. When I didn't receive a cheque in ninety days, I called to complain. I was told they had used another artist's work, and since they "paid on publication" and my work had not been published, I was out of luck. I was also out the courier charges!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Lynn's Comments: I once did a series of illustrations for a publisher who produced a quarterly children's annual. He didn't pay me and wouldn't answer my calls. I came up with a plan. The next time he needed a small piece of art, I agreed to do it, but rather than mail it to him, he had to come to my home and pick it up. When he arrived, I refused to give him the art until he paid his bill. He said he was broke and would do anything to even things up. I asked him to mow my lawns, which he did. I still savour that image!

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.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Lynn's Comments: Because I worked from home, there were moms in town who felt they could drop in for coffee any time. One of these ladies was very offended when I asked her to come when I wasn't working and to please call first. Both of her kids were in school; I was paying a sitter to watch Kate. Every hour at the drafting board meant time I could spend with my family later. It was a hard concept for some--who thought that doodling on paper couldn't possibly be work!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Lynn's Comments: After receiving a pretty rough scolding, I decided I was never going home. I was going to stay in the backyard and suffer. My dad put up a tent for me and brought me some hot soup in a thermos. It was autumn and I was about 7 years old. I didn't want his help, but I accepted a sleeping bag and an air mattress, and prepared to spend the rest of my life separated from those, who in my opinion, had treated me mean. Night fell. Dad brought me a book and a flashlight, and as I watched him go inside I felt, well... vulnerable. I tried to sleep, but the wind and sounds of the neighbourhood kept me awake. When it started to rain, I wished I had not been so definite in my decision. The tent wasn't waterproof and it definitely wasn't warm. I decided to sneak into the house, sleep in my bed until early next morning and then sneak outside again. Fortunately, Dad had left the door unlocked.

Next morning my bed was too comfortable to leave, so I slept in. Dad brought in the tent. Mom hung up the sleeping bag to dry and washed the thermos...and nobody said a word. Sometimes, you don't have to say anything to get a point across.