Mrs.Baird's house: Browse The Strips
Foreign-Language Versions:
If there's a non-English version of this strip available, it'll show up below. Or, you can browse our entire collection on this page.
Portuguese Strip:
Wednesday, November 12, 1980
Foreign-Language Versions:
If there's a non-English version of this strip available, it'll show up below. Or, you can browse our entire collection on this page.
Portuguese Strip:
Sunday, July 24, 1983
Sunday, April 21, 1985
Sunday, May 11, 1986
Monday, February 2, 1987
Saturday, March 7, 1987
Monday, March 9, 1987
Tuesday, March 10, 1987
Monday, May 4, 1987
Tuesday, May 5, 1987
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Foreign-Language Versions:
If there's a non-English version of this strip available, it'll show up below. Or, you can browse our entire collection on this page.
French Strip:
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Lynn's Comments: What I wanted to say here, was--Michael had a kind heart. He wanted to cheer up an elderly neighbour, but was embarrassed by his own actions and played down the gift by saying the flowers were something his mother wanted to get rid of. I don't think the punch line worked too well and this strip sort of missed the mark. Sometimes the hardest thing about describing a situation like this is...well, describing a situation like this!!
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Lynn's Comments: Mrs. Baird was a background character who was meant to be put aside once Farley came into the family (her hobby was breeding Old English sheepdogs). To tie in with this, I also did a few strips about her being a friendly neighbour. I guess her short appearance struck a chord with some readers who asked to see her more often. In this Sunday page, I have her working in her greenhouse and talking to Michael--in a way that enabled me to say more about her personality and her past.
If Mrs. Baird was based on anyone at all, it would have been the ladies who lived across the street from us when I was growing up in North Vancouver. They were sisters, the "Miss Stewarts." They taught kindergarten and piano and were endlessly patient with me. I made a habit of going to their home uninvited and was rarely told that they had no time. When I needed an extra hug or another grown-up opinion, I headed for the Miss Stewarts' house and twisted the ringer on the front door to be let in.
Not long ago, I was in North Vancouver and I went for a nostalgic walk down Fifth Street. Their old wood frame house is still there, though mine is now a condo complex. A notice was on their fence to say the house and the one next door would soon be condos as well. I'm glad I got to see it one more time. There have been many unforgettable folks in my life, and these two ladies are certainly among them!
If Mrs. Baird was based on anyone at all, it would have been the ladies who lived across the street from us when I was growing up in North Vancouver. They were sisters, the "Miss Stewarts." They taught kindergarten and piano and were endlessly patient with me. I made a habit of going to their home uninvited and was rarely told that they had no time. When I needed an extra hug or another grown-up opinion, I headed for the Miss Stewarts' house and twisted the ringer on the front door to be let in.
Not long ago, I was in North Vancouver and I went for a nostalgic walk down Fifth Street. Their old wood frame house is still there, though mine is now a condo complex. A notice was on their fence to say the house and the one next door would soon be condos as well. I'm glad I got to see it one more time. There have been many unforgettable folks in my life, and these two ladies are certainly among them!
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Lynn's Comments: I toyed with the idea of making the punch line something like: "But, Mom, you don't PAY me!" But then, I thought back to the times in my own childhood when I hated doing menial tasks at home but would help a neighbour just for the fun of it. I didn't actually enjoy doing things for my parents until I was well into my teens! When it comes to understanding kids, it's a good thing we have our memories to rely on. We just have to admit that we did the exact same things.
Monday, February 1, 2016
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Lynn's Comments: The third panel says it all: this is what makes a house a home.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Lynn's Comments: This reminds me of a story: We had a cabin once, which needed a window sill replaced. When we removed the window sill, we discovered there was rot in the wall, so we had to remove the wall. With the wall removed, it seemed foolish to not take the opportunity to add a small bathroom. (We had been using an outhouse, which, with two small kids, was never a "convenience.")
In the local Lynn Lake garbage dump, where many good items were "stored," we found a fancy, "clean-waste" toilet, which heated up so deposited materials could be removed from the bottom in powder form. This we installed--without first using it to see how it worked. It heated up so much that it was actually dangerous. Later, we were told that the previous owner, while indisposed, had managed to burn some valuable "private parts." Thus, the discovery, of what we called "The Wonderbiff," in the dump. Armed with this vital information, we were determined to make the contraption work. With the Wonderbiff installed, we were now an indoor toilet family. Everyone used the biff, and as the contents heated and were turned to powder (actually a disgusting kind of crust which had to be chipped off a sort of hot plate inside), we noticed an odour we had not perceived before. Our neighbour, who was familiar with lakeside living, advised us to install a "stink-stack" on the roof of the cabin, to disperse any disagreeable smell.
We returned to the dump where we found pipe and flashing. The dump was our "Home Depot"; a place where you could find everything from good furniture to fine used clothing. We called it the "exchange." On the roof of the cabin, we discovered more rot, loose shingles, and a large squirrel's nest. A portion of the roof had to be replaced. We thought that real soffits might make a difference, and these we ordered from a catalogue. With the wall and window replaced, the roof repaired, the bathroom added and the Wonderbiff installed, we had spent an entire summer, and a huge amount of cash, all because a window sill needed replacing. This, I'm sure, is a saga cottagers and homeowners everywhere can relate to: the ripple effect of a simple repair. *Sigh*
In the local Lynn Lake garbage dump, where many good items were "stored," we found a fancy, "clean-waste" toilet, which heated up so deposited materials could be removed from the bottom in powder form. This we installed--without first using it to see how it worked. It heated up so much that it was actually dangerous. Later, we were told that the previous owner, while indisposed, had managed to burn some valuable "private parts." Thus, the discovery, of what we called "The Wonderbiff," in the dump. Armed with this vital information, we were determined to make the contraption work. With the Wonderbiff installed, we were now an indoor toilet family. Everyone used the biff, and as the contents heated and were turned to powder (actually a disgusting kind of crust which had to be chipped off a sort of hot plate inside), we noticed an odour we had not perceived before. Our neighbour, who was familiar with lakeside living, advised us to install a "stink-stack" on the roof of the cabin, to disperse any disagreeable smell.
We returned to the dump where we found pipe and flashing. The dump was our "Home Depot"; a place where you could find everything from good furniture to fine used clothing. We called it the "exchange." On the roof of the cabin, we discovered more rot, loose shingles, and a large squirrel's nest. A portion of the roof had to be replaced. We thought that real soffits might make a difference, and these we ordered from a catalogue. With the wall and window replaced, the roof repaired, the bathroom added and the Wonderbiff installed, we had spent an entire summer, and a huge amount of cash, all because a window sill needed replacing. This, I'm sure, is a saga cottagers and homeowners everywhere can relate to: the ripple effect of a simple repair. *Sigh*
Monday, May 2, 2016
Lynn's Comments: It was fun to see these dailies again. For the past week, I have been helping a friend move, and soon I will be moving to a new place of my own. I have been going through my friends' keepsakes, collections and personal things, as well as my own. It's important to go through the items we have collected and treasured throughout our lives. It gives us the opportunity to revisit some wonderful moments in our history. It also gives us the opportunity to chuck out a load of #*%$##@* junk!!!
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Lynn's Comments: This was something a dear friend said to me as I was helping her downsize from her house to an apartment. It's heartfelt statements like these, which make you wake up and take stock of all the good things in your life. At the age of 68, I'm beginning to give advice, too--requested or otherwise!
