I grew up with just my mom. She and I were like best friends. She's a very independent woman and I admire that about her. In my life I've tried to be like that. To be okay with being on my own and being independent.

My mom was a single mom and she had enough on her plate. I knew when I was doing something I wasn't supposed to and I tried to keep her from finding out about it. I did a pretty good job of that.

The relationship between Cathy and Mom in the strip is the one relationship drawn from real life that I have proudly never even tried to disguise.

I auditioned on my own. I tried to make a mark for myself without anybody's help not even Mom's.

I've never really been very good at marriage. It's one of my failures. I've tried my best but I do realise the common denominator is me it's something I'm doing.

Instead I think over the years we have cut the strength of marriage and relationships by the law and weakened the institution. We have tried to deal with relationships with no-fault divorce with child custody with so many other avenues and it has not helped.

Marriage is too interesting an experiment to be tried only once.

I suffered I really suffered with all three of my husbands. And I tried damn hard with all three starting each marriage certain that it was going to last until the end of my life. Yet none of them lasted more than a year or two.

I tried marriage. I'm 0 for 3 with the marriage thing. So being a ballplayer - I believe in numbers. I'm not going 0 for 4. I'm not wearing a golden sombrero.

All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind.