school: Browse The Strips

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Lynn's Comments: In junior high, our teacher used to cut things so short we had no time to change before our next class. Her rule was, we HAD to shower. She'd watch us as we scrambled, slipped, and slid through the water and into our clothes--barking at those of us who tried to get away with not taking off our underwear. Some of us wondered if she was "unusual" or just plain mean!

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Lynn's Comments: Science projects for me were always a lot of fun. Both my parents were so keen to get involved, that all I had to do was know the facts and write an essay.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Lynn's Comments: Katie asked to have her ears pierced as soon as she saw other little girls with earrings. We said she could have pierced ears for her fifth birthday. We took her to the local jewellery store, and she was almost too excited to sit still; however, she didn't expect piercing to hurt so much and refused to get the second one done. It took a while to make a decision: Either take the one out or have the second earring put in. She decided to go ahead with the second one--as long as her brother couldn't watch!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Lynn's Comments: I first started to "notice" boys when I was in 3rd grade. I had a real crush on Jimmy Thompson--he lived near me, and I'd walk home from school with him whenever I could. One day I told him a story about my grandfather (my dad's dad) and how he had been in a terrible accident at the shipyards, where he worked in Collingwood, Ontario. I said his head had been crushed and he had a metal plate put in where his skull had been removed. I said you could attach stuff to his head with magnets, and this got Jimmy's attention. He walked home with me--straight to my house where he demanded to see my mother. He said I'd been lying to him, and when he told her my story, she said, "you know, Jimmy, it's actually quite true." He was duly impressed and agreed to be my friend. I had learned that a good story was a great way to get attention--and I also learned that (for the most part) it had to be true!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Lynn's Comments: One of the best costumes my folks ever made for my brother was "the mad scientist." It consisted of a lab coat, an Einstein-style wig, a black moustache, pipe, and granny glasses. In the pockets of the coat Dad had placed severed fingers, a tube of fake blood, and a stethoscope. The bag Al carried was covered in mathematical formulae--a real nod to Dad's ability to do research. I don't recall what I wore that year, so--Al was a hit and I was a miss.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Lynn's Comments: Mike Peters (Mother Goose and Grimm) tells a story about how upset his girls would get if he embarrassed them in public. Now, Mike just can't help himself--he's a wonderfully theatrical guy with a prankster's edge. When one of his girls left her school lunch at home, he delivered it in person by leaping into her classroom dressed as Superman. This strip reminds me of that day, and how Marci still winces when she thinks of her dad in that costume.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Lynn's Comments: Nope. Nobody in our family ever made a talking head on a table as a Halloween costume. This was another descent into the "writer's mind" where silly ideas lie. The prospect of sustaining such a monstrosity made me think about how a small group of boys would treat their experimental pal; whatever they did, it would be messy!

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Lynn's Comments: Writing about the trials and tribulations of being a student brought memories flooding back. Here, I relived the anxiety of writing exams. Like everyone else, I hated them. There is an art to studying, which I didn't learn until high school, and that is: there will always be questions asked about things which aren't covered in class--studying your class notes is never enough. If you want to ace an exam, you have to thoroughly read your textbooks, take notes, and memorize anything you think might be relevant. Before I started to do this, I would study my notes, get an average mark, and feel cheated! I knew what was in my class notes--but exams proved that I didn't know the subject.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Lynn's Comments: I wanted Brian to be someone who felt a bit alienated by his intelligence. He would rather work on a school project than join in team sports or hang out at the corner with"the guys." Gordon was on the "outside"because he was mechanical. Academic subjects were a waste of time for someone who preferred to be under a car or taking apart a machine in his mother's kitchen. Michael was frustrated by his inability to concentrate. Even though he was a bright kid, he never achieved top marks in class--he was a dreamer! These three boys all felt inadequate for different reasons, and yet, they all had something in common: they lived in the same neighbourhood, and they got along with each other. Friendship ultimately overshadowed their differences.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Lynn's Comments: Kate's kindergarten teacher was Miss Dorothy Lyon. Here was an opportunity to give a nod to a favourite person.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Lynn's Comments: This was from memory. On my first day of school I seemed to make one gaffe after another. It didn't take long before I hid my embarrassment by being a clown.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Lynn's Comments: As soon as I could talk and interact with other kids, I knew there was a hierarchy, a pecking order into which I had to fit. In the classroom and out in the playground, I knew where I was welcome and where I wasn't. So many different elements came into play: temperament, ability, looks, interests, even cleanliness were things we considered before friendship could begin.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Lynn's Comments: I had a terrible time with math. I used my fingers until I was stopped. Then I learned that if I kept my ruler on top of my desk, I could use it to help me add and subtract.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Lynn's Comments: This was my grade two teacher. She actually rapped me on the head with my pencil, calling me "Germ spreader!" The thing which really got me down was that I hadn't bitten my pencil. I liked to keep my stuff in good shape. They were my brother's teeth marks she'd discovered.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Lynn's Comments: When scratch and sniff first appeared in books and magazines and other fun places, I thought it had great cartoon potential. Imagined a dog sending another dog a greeting card, which was, naturally, scratch and sniff.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Lynn's Comments: My mom made bread every two weeks. Being a kid, I figured I was missing something by not having store-bought Wonder Bread, and eagerly traded my school lunch with friends. The weird thing about the commercial bread was that you could press it flat and fold it up like cardboard. It tasted like cardboard too unless you put lots of margarine on it. (Few families could afford butter.) One of my friends made his own lunch every day, and the things he found to press between slices of bread varied from garlic cloves to dill pickles to just plain sugar.

Sometimes I traded with him, sometimes I didn't, but I was always envious of his store bought bread and the way he was allowed to make his lunch any way he wanted to. What we didn't know about each other was that my mom couldn't afford to buy commercially made bread, and his mom went to work before he got up. He had to dress himself and his brother, make both their lunches, walk his brother to a neighbour's house, and then get himself to school. With nutritious meals to look forward to and a mom who was home to look after me, I was the lucky one.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Lynn's Comments: This was me. I loved to sharpen my pencils until the tips were like needles. Some pencils shredded and broke, and others were perfect. I recently bought a sharpener, which gives me the same sharpening satisfaction as the old school sharpeners did. The brand name is "Sharp Tank."

--You're welcome!

Friday, February 12, 2016

Lynn's Comments: I can't say it enough: If it wasn't for my teachers, I'd have been a lost soul. I owe so much to the men and women who gave me challenges and encouragement, and materials to work with. Most of all they gave confidence and a real sense of worth.