For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for October 22, 2017

and they say you shouldn’t joke about your work

Panel 2 – The thought finger is pointing at the light bulb thought balloon as Michael stares directly at the readers. Michael is definitely breaking the fourth wall. Too bad he is breaking the wall with this terrible, terrible pun.

Panel 7: Elly’s expression does seem to say, "You left them because they are leaves. I cannot believe MIchael actually tried to get out of work with word play this bad. We are Pattersons. We have standards. There is no family pride in him. I might have let him pass if he had said:

I had to take time off from raking. I was on paid leaf. I am telling the truth. You are filled with disbe-leaf. You should be g-leaf-ull. This exemp-leaf-ies a terrible leaf pun."

I never raked leaves; I just mulched them with my mower.

Nice try, Michael!

what a lazy canadian teen

That’s why you mulch. even so the leaves are supposed to be left to decay and feed the grass.

Lynn’s Notes:

My son got away with a lot of stuff…because he was so darned funny.

Elly’s not fond of wordplay, I take it!

Too bad for Michael they didn’t have leaf blowers back then.

I mow them in the fall and have someone come in the spring to do cleanup.

With a dozen mature trees on 3/4 acre, either leaving them for one big clean up or mulching them guarantees a dead yard in spring. And this year they aren’t changing color at all. They fall green and turn brown on the ground. Guess the damage summer heat and too little rain are beginning to show

Rake the leaves, Michael, you’ll live longer.

I’m surprised that Michael doesn’t have a “glowing” butt. Isn’t that usually Elly’s reaction to his shenanigans?

What I love about Lynn’s Patterson family is that they are so flawed, just like us real prople.

Wish I’d thought of that one, as a kid. Not that I’d have gotten any farther than Michael, though.

I’m old enough to remember when it was legal to burn your leaf piles. October in New England meant: The smell of burning leaves in the crisp October air; fresh apple cider; football games in the backyard; and of course, diving into those huge piles of freshly raked leaves !

I raked a gazillion Elm tree leaves when I was a kid. Until all the Elms died. I do miss the lovely shape of the Elm. There are a few mature trees here and there, but their days are numbered. They always succumb sooner or later.

From Wikipedia: “in recent decades, most mature elms of European or North American origin have died from Dutch elm disease, caused by a microfungus dispersed by bark beetles. In response, disease-resistant cultivars have been developed, capable of restoring the elm to forestry and landscaping.” This looks hopeful!

How about Elly pay Michael a penny for every leaf pile he makes? He is already doing one pile. Since Elly spent so much money on clothes, it is fitting Michael pay her back that way. Only $589.75 to go, then Michael will be debt free!