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Sunday December 25, 2016

Lynn's Comments: This is what I do and have always done: I carefully remove wrapping paper from a gift and fold it gently for reuse. I then try to use it as packing material, if possible. I also keep the bows. Good ones I do reuse, especially the ones I make myself. Both my daughter, Katie, and I have a wrapping space in our homes--complete with paper, tape, ribbon and cards. It drives me crazy to see someone scrunching up and discarding a perfectly good bow. I have launched myself across a room to grab a bow before the gift recipient casually crushed it into a ball! I love gift-wrapping and I prefer to make my own bows. I learned how to do this when I was about 8. Before the introduction of commercially-crafted gift toppers, the making of an attractive bow was an art. At the back of our jewelry store on Lonsdale, we had a gift-wrapping table. My mom did gift wrapping as a courtesy to our customers and she taught me how to make her famous bows. If you'd like to learn how, you can watch my quick video tutorial here.

Monday December 26, 2016

Lynn's Comments: I had a talking doll when I was about 8. She was entertaining for a while, but much more fun when her record broke and she became just a doll!

Friday December 30, 2016

Lynn's Comments: One of the best New Year's Eves we ever spent was the first year we stayed home with the kids. We had a junk food dinner, watched the celebrations on TV, and went to bed just after midnight. The next time we tried this, the charm had worn off a bit, and after that, we let serendipity take her course. The first time was the best time and something to remember.

Sunday January 1, 2017

Lynn's Comments: Yes, this is from my childhood, then from my children's childhoods...and I'm still writing letters on everyone's behalf! Mind you, they email more than I do. I still send hard copy. Maybe that's what's hard about it.

Monday January 2, 2017

Lynn's Comments: I used to ask the kids to help take the tree down. I thought it was a nice way to spend time together. Their help lasted for a few minutes, of course, and after awhile, I did it all myself. Christmas is a wonderful time of year, thanks to all the moms who make it happen!

Thursday January 12, 2017

Lynn's Comments: This punch line was fun to draw up. You have to get the right expression. Elly has to be looking dumped on, but not angry. Not yet. The anger comes afterwards...when the slight has sunk in.

Saturday January 14, 2017

Lynn's Comments: Our small, black Spaniel, Willy, never barked when a stranger came to the door. He would probably have welcomed an assailant on a dark street, but when the snowplow came up our long country drive, he became Superdog. He was a flea against an elephant; threatening the plow as it advanced and sure he had won when it backed away. He’d bark himself silly every time our driveway was cleared and it always made me laugh!

Thursday January 19, 2017

Lynn's Comments: It was a good thing that I worked from home because our second vehicle, for awhile, was totally useless. It was too cramped for kids, too small for groceries; I could never see the point in owning a sports car. But…I'm not a guy. Maybe you look good if you're "wearing" one.

Sunday February 5, 2017

Lynn's Comments: This is the story of my life. As a non-sleeper, I am often reading or doing my mail in the middle of the night. Oddly enough, when I have an early morning deadline, I manage to sleep so soundly that I am comatose when the alarm goes off. Strange stuff!

Monday February 6, 2017

Lynn's Comments: This was an opportunity to make an important observation, I hoped, without sounding preachy. There are serious things a cartoonist wants to say; the challenge is in choosing the right time and the right way to say them.

Tuesday February 7, 2017

Lynn's Comments: Some of our best family times have been when the electricity was out. Not only did it make us creative and prepared, it gave us a break from sound. Until the appliances are off, we have no idea how much ambient sound we live with!

Wednesday February 15, 2017

Lynn's Comments: I had so much fun with the English language. These strips won't translate, so my work was generally only in English language papers. The good thing is that folks are using comic strips like mine to teach ESL. Seems the puns and wordplay are a great way to get right into a language, and what better way to learn than through funny words and pictures.