2016 02: Connie Moves Back to Milborough: Browse The Strips
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Lynn's Comments: Friendships can be complicated. Being a "best friend" can saddle you with unreasonable expectations. My strongest friendships are with men and women who don't define our relationship. We are simply "there for each other."
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Lynn's Comments: Connie and Lawrence were characters I simply couldn't delete. For some reason, they were compelling and important. They "spoke to me." As I've said before, some characters allowed me to bring them to life, and others disappeared like smoke in a wind. I'll never understand why.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Lynn's Comments: Having purchased a house in North Vancouver, I understand the merits of working with a good real estate agent. If an agent knows the area thoroughly, listens well and really cares about what you need, he or she can be a lifesaver. The trick is to find someone with whom you click!
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Lynn's Comments: Recently, while looking for a house, I visited an artist friend who had the perfect place. As I walked around, I coveted the space, the design and the location. She graciously made tea and told me her home had been designed by a friend and built by her son. No wonder it suited her so well. Unlike the conch and the cowrie, humans don't always get to design the shell they fit into!
Friday, March 4, 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*
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Lynn's Comments: I started a routine of regular morning exercise. I was serious and determined--and I lasted for three days.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Lynn's Comments: Today, kids would not understand what's meant by, "taping a program!"
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Lynn's Comments: I have offered to help with projects only to discover that I was the only one who was really working on them! The adage, "Be careful what you offer to do," should be added to "Be careful what you wish for." Both can have serious consequences.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Friday, May 20, 2016
Lynn's Comments: Another true to life scenario.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Lynn's Comments: My dad managed a jewellery store. My friends imagined us to be rich, but nothing was farther from the truth.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Monday, June 20, 2016
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Lynn's Comments: I have several friends who have formed blended families. Their stories added so much to this series of strips.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Lynn's Comments: Having Connie, Lawrence, and their new family move back into the Pattersons' neighbourhood gave me much more to write about. Elly and Connie were a good mix of characters, and Lawrence was a wonderful sidekick for Mike. I had written them out of the strip without realizing how much they added to it!