Lynn's Comments: Katie did not want to go to the Easter Parade. She didn't want to be in the parade. She didn't want to wear the hat. What finally persuaded her to go was Aaron saying that he'd get all the chocolate, the cake, and the other goodies and she'd get none. Even though I was not pleased with his sentiments, I appreciated his help.
Lynn's Comments: The concept of being born a sinner confused me. As a kid, I was unable to process this--it just didn't make sense. I hoped in time I'd understand. I'm still waiting.
Lynn's Comments: One tradition we really enjoyed every Easter was colouring eggs. My mother was a fine artist who tried every technique she could find to make our eggs different from the norm. She had us work with white wax crayons which kept the dye from colouring the shell. We then warmed and wiped off the wax so that another colour could be added where the wax had been. This was similar to the way the beautifully decorated eggs are done in the Ukrainian style. Ours were rough and "kid-like" but neat, just the same. She mixed vegetable oil with the dye to create swirling patterns. She put rubber bands around the eggs to make straight lines so we could draw around them. For us it was an art lesson as well as a great way to prepare for the coming of the E.B. who would hide them in the night!
Eating the eggs we had so carefully coloured was difficult because we hated to destroy the shells. This resulted in mom's "Easter tree". She would carefully break each shell in half, use a needle to tie a thread to the top and hang the shells from the branches of a small shrub she'd placed in a vase. For us, Easter Sunday was as enjoyable as Christmas--and without the expense!
Lynn's Comments: My friend Loretta Clarke has four beautiful daughters who were wonderful babysitters. Lynn Lake was so small that we were always within walking distance from home. If there was an emergency we could return in a flash, but Loretta would often be called before we were and would solve the problem first! The character "Paula" was a mix of all four of Loretta's girls: Sandra, Lorraine, Terri and Catherine. I love you all!
Lynn's Comments: This is from my own recollection as a teenaged babysitter; I'd have to be a disciplinarian, but I was too young to be taken seriously, so I had to play two roles: the friendly big kid, and the tough cop who'd turn the kid in to the authorities if they didn't shape up. It wasn't an easy job sometimes and I earned every cent I made.
Lynn's Comments: I always thought the word "babysitter" was funny. As a teenager, I actually sat on one of my charges once in order to make a point ... and then bribed the little runt not to tell his parents!
Lynn's Comments: The number of times we were faced with the daunting task of selling chocolate bars door-to-door was absurd. This subject brought in a lot of mail. Some folks sold them at work, but for us a dental clinic was not the place to fundraise with candy!
Lynn's Comments: After Aaron was "taken" by big kids on the school bus who promised to pay him later, we ended up buying all of the chocolate bars ourselves. I put them in the freezer, I gave them away and I ate them. The next time there was a drive, I asked if we could just contribute directly to the school.
Lynn's Comments: Like many little girls, Katie had a pile of Barbie dolls, clothes, and paraphernalia. Her tantrums (which were rare) weren't about wearing pretty things, however, she just wanted to be comfortable. It was I who wanted her to look pretty!
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!!!
Lynn's Comments: I was happy with this punchline. In cartooning, a phrase like "turning over a new leaf" usually leads to a smart reply. You can also change the words: "A nerd in the hand is worth two in the bush". I always caution new cartoonists against using a familiar quote unless they are planning to use it in a zinger in the last panel.
Lynn's Comments: Parents who stay at home today are fortunate to be considered part of the working class! There was a time when you would almost apologize for staying home to raise your family. I was lucky to be able to work from home and be there when my kids were toddlers and later when came home from school. I still think it's the best and most important job I've ever had.
Lynn's Comments: In my own small way, I took every opportunity to chastise the media for incorporating so much bad language into everything we see. Movies and television shows are filled with trashy material--this destroys our children's respect for our language and for us as well!
Lynn's Comments: My dad built a go-kart for my brother and me out of roller skates, a long board, and a butter box. It was more like a scooter, but it went fast and we were the envy of the neighbourhood.
Lynn's Comments: We had one bathroom in our house and my dad loved to sit there, read, and smoke. Sometimes he would sit for so long, his legs would fall asleep and he'd stumble out into the hall. This was the only room in the house with a locking door, which is why he chose to relax there. He called it his refuge--we called it a huge inconvenience!
Lynn's Comments: When dad had a mind to build something, he made great stuff. Trouble was, he under-built everything, and what looked like a sturdy vehicle, would last for perhaps two good runs. St. Andrews and St. George's Streets bordered our block of East Fifth and were two of the steepest hills in North Vancouver. Our "Dad-made" go-karts disintegrated instantly--but they had potential. Each one he built lasted a bit longer than the last one, and we always hoped for a kart that would make it through the summer.
Lynn's Comments: Our dad was a big kid at heart. He enjoyed riding the hills as much as we did. I always wondered why he was so eager to join us in our games and our fantasies. I later read in his sister's (my aunt Bessie's) diary, that he had always held a part time job, and after his dad was injured in the shipyards, he was sent to work full-time at the age of seventeen to help support his family. He never really had a childhood--and loved to share in ours.
Lynn's Comments: After watching Dad build yet another dud, Alan decided to build a more conventional go-kart. He took apart our old baby carriage and used the wheels. This looked good, but the axles and the wheels were too flimsy to withstand our abuse. Mom was angered by the destruction of the carriage, so Al removed the carriage wheels and took apart our wagon instead!
Lynn's Comments: This is what life was like when I was focused on my work. Time disappeared when I went into the world of For Better or For Worse. Aaron and Kate were used to waiting for me to come back to earth. In the meantime, they learned to be self-sufficient.
Lynn's Comments: Living on my own and working freelance meant that I was always very short of cash. One of the things I hated most was asking my clients for the money they owed me. I did all the right stuff; I had a proper billing system and a business license. All I needed was to be paid on time. It amazed me when people who could well afford to pay, made me wait for weeks--sometimes months...or didn't pay at all. I had to become more assertive, but it was hard!
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!