For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for November 03, 2019

I wonder… were there Home Depot and/or Lowe’s in 1980s Canada?

c) “Necessity isn’t the mother of invention—exasperation is!”

I am not sure this is the lesson I would take from this. John has “invented” something you can buy at the local Target or WalMart for $20 and the one from the store would have space for more than 3 pairs of boots. Last I checked, John’s family has 4 members, so I don’t know why he spent the time and money to make that in his shop, when a cheaper and better version for his 4-member family existed with a whole lot less effort.

Like the saying goes: “If Mamma’ ain’t happy no one will be happy.”

I would think that they would still need some sort of a drip pan underneath that new boot rack.

Well, at least John’s tool bench gets some real use.

My kids would have snapped those dowels like twigs.

I worked in a hardware store that looked like that but the lumber yard was quite different. One asked for cuts and did not wander the aisles. tell the clerk the project and he would get all you need. Better than the “duh” of today.

And the nails were tough, not the made in China junk we get today.

Home Hardware Founded: 1964, St. Jacobs ON.

Desperation is the mother of invention.

Wordless Workshop

My son has a boot dryer. It gently dries the inside of your boot with air blown through adjustable height tubes. It does need to be plugged in, but it is the cat’s meow! One of these would make a great holiday present idea.

It’s not included what she said to get them to use the boot rack – that’s what I want to know!

Same thing…keeping Mom happy is the necessity of necessities.

Lynn’s Comments:

After I drew up this strip, I actually found a boot drying rack just like the one I drew here. It was home made. My guess is that some enterprising company is making them out of plastic now!

My mom would put down an old towels for wet shoes, if we didn’t put them on the towels she made us clean the entire area. It was easier to just put the shoes in the right spot.

Isn’t John too old to be playing with dowels ;)

We used to have a similar sort of thing that sat on top of the furnace at home, for mittens.

You don’t get it, that one request justified all the time and money put into the shop. If the first model is not quite right, (zippty do dah) an excuse for more time and tools for the shop!! Tool heads Unite!

Love seeing John & Elly working as a team.

You got that right

I wonder if today’s Mrs Anthony Caine still likes to stomp around on water puddles!

Ace, True Value, Busy Beaver, any number of locally owned hardware stores or lumberyards.

Actually it’s laziness. Think about it, the best inventions were all labor saving devices.

I think I would be more upset about the kids walking out in the rain without a hat or umbrella.

what a GREAT IDEA!!

At least the kids are using the boot rack.

I believe she is true.

And exactly how would that stop the water from going everywhere like in the first pic?