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Friday July 3, 2009
July 3, 2009
Congratulations to Tam M, the winner of our Coffee Talk draw for June. Tam will be receiving a limited edition FBorFW print.
Lynn, thanks for the wonderful strip and the postcards from Mexico; lovely photos. Just to let you know though, Monte Alban was not an Aztec site. It was used by the Zapotec and Mixtec peoples.
Jenna, Los Angeles, CA
What a fascinating piece by Barb regarding the Social Function of Polygamy in Ancient Cultures! All I can add is that, with respect to Aztec "cannibalism", some anthropologists now suggest it may actually have arisen from a desperate need for high quality protein, since the slash-and-burn agriculture of the day not only drove away game animals, but eventually degraded the soil to the extent that large amounts of livestock were impossible to support.
Regardless of that I want to thank Lynn for sharing her travel journal. Her observations and her vivid descriptions make the reader feel he or she is "along for the ride" !!
Anna M, Winnipeg, MB
I find FBoFW amusing for various reasons, but I'm sorry, the "Farley stinks" strip actually made me queasy. I have dogs, I know dogs can get impacted glands or flatulence, and while we deal with it when it happens, it's really not a pleasant subject to encounter in the comics while trying to enjoy my breakfast. I'd be happier if bodily function "humor" (involving animals or humans) were not featured in my usually family-friendly comics page.
Cherie M, Natick, MA
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Lynn's Travel Journal: Oaxaca, Mexico Day Four
July 1, 2009
Kate is now well enough to continue our travels and Alanna takes us to visit some of the artists she is working with. Ocotlan is about a half hour drive from the city of Oaxaca. The highways are good and we drive with one wheel over the shoulder line to allow others to pass. Alanna points out the shapes of ruins on the hillsides. There are glyphs alongside modern graffiti and we wonder if the messages are somewhat the same. Alanna figures the original artworks were community markers…boundary lines between villages. Considering that we haven’t changed much over the years, I figure they could be ads like: Ëat at Xolotl’s, good grub, cheap prices” and “Monteczuma’s Wagon Repairs”. Sure, they could be more political in nature, but I prefer to think the archaeologists read too much into these things.ts she is working with. Ocotlan is about a half hour drive from the city of Oaxaca. The highways are good and we drive with one wheel over the shoulder line to allow others to pass. Alanna points out the shapes of ruins on the hillsides. There are glyphs alongside modern graffiti and we wonder if the messages are somewhat the same. Alanna figures the original artworks were community markers…boundary lines between villages. Considering that we haven’t changed much over the years, I figure they could be ads like: “Eat at Xolotl’s, good grub, cheap prices” and “Monteczuma’s Wagon Repairs”. Sure, they could be more political in nature, but I prefer to think the archaeologists read too much into these things.
We stop at a couple of artisan’s pottery shops and marvel at some comic female characters, sculpted with scanty dress, dancing with lascivious beaus. Kate buys a lady of the night, smoking a large cig. It’s so well posed, it looks like one of Bob McKinley’s characters, (wonderful doll artist, now deceased). The whimsy and the fine detail are delightful to see and, combined with superb craftsmanship, the Oaxaca province produces some of the finest art in Mexico.
There is a cochineal place along the way. This is a rare opportunity to see how cochineal bugs are cultivated and grown on cactus leaves. These tiny, soft pea-shaped insects crawl in their larval stage onto the leaf, put their mouth parts into the plant and stay there. They are covered in a white powder that protects them from the sun and come off easily when brushed onto your hand. Pop one, and the liquid stains your hand a rich dark red. This dye was sought after for centuries and was used among other things, to dye the uniforms of British and French armies. Until the discovery of synthetic dyes, it was the best known red coloring agent. It went out of favor, but now that we are more aware of the evils of synthetic chemical compounds, it is being grown once again. Indigo and ochre are also rich coloring agents as are nut shells, gourds and citrus fruits. Examples of naturally dyed feather headdresses, garments and wool are part of the display and it’s amazing to think that people in ancient times wore colors so rich and long lasting. I guess we always think of anything old as being in black and white.
MarĂa Angeles greets us at her taller (workshop) where about 10 young people are painting the carved wooden animals we are there to see. I present her with the armadillo I’ve brought – with the missing ears and she immediately sets one of her staff on the job of making new ones. There are shelves full of unpainted animals. The copal tree is the best wood for carving, but the tree is small and the wood needs to be dried well before it can be painted. Altogether, it takes about a month to do each piece, so the price is more than reasonable. MarĂa and Jacobo’s staff are experts. Their ability comes to the taller through word of mouth and many of these young artists are family members. They work at a long, sheltered table under daylight ,with no electric lighting. The fine lines and patterns they paint are done with firm, steady hands- a job for young people to be sure!
Most of the crafts are done entirely by one family. Each family creates a unique product and continues to produce their “signature work” for decades. There are other families doing the painted, carved copal, but in my opinion, this is the finest.
Maria gave us cold drinks, answered all our questions and showed us on her hands how the dyes are combined to make brilliant colors. Using cochineal, indigo, lime juice and baking soda, she quickly turned her hand from red to brilliant orange, blue green, purple and violet. She amazed us all with the speed in which she did the demonstration. Again, the ancient peoples of Mexico wore rich and vibrant colors, a tradition still so evident today.
Maria’s family owns a restaurant across the road. After goodbyes with hugs and a promise to return some day, we went for snacks and a cervesa. The flowers that surrounded the patio were so unusual, we took more pictures. Sitting in the shade, admiring our new purchases (and my new ears) we talked again about how truly fortunate we are to be travelling with friends who love the art, know the area and have so many friends here.
Hasta la proxima
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July 1 (Canada Day) 2009
July 1, 2009
Have been a life long fan. I was there when you first became syndicated & was blown away with your ability way back then. Have always been an artsy type guy & consider you to be one of the best at what you do. Your web site is fantastic!!
Jim F, Michigan
I was very interested in your account of your visit to the ruins, and am grateful for the photos you posted. They're very clear, and it looks like you had great weather.
I am, however, puzzled by what "they said", regarding polygamy being one of the reasons for the fall of the Aztecs. I hadn't heard or read about this before, and I wonder who "they" were, and where did they get their information?
When Hernan Cortes arrived, the Aztecs were either at their peak, or just past their peak, and were being undermined by a number of causes, not the least being that they were annoying their neighbors by their incessant demands for humans for daily sacrifice and feasts. (One event demanded 20,000 victims, and cannibalism was considered a privilege of the upper-castes). These neighbors were not only happy to see strangers with cannons and guns, but made sure to provide Cortes with his own translator and point him and his army in the direction of the city (and may have told them where and when to enter), and later, back him up with up to 200,000 warriors.
Other causes that weakened the Aztecs were the diseases that had been introduced in 1492, and which were spreading across the land; a devastating earthquake; and later, bad weather and crop failure, followed by famine. That a comet and an eclipse also were seen as dreadful omens of the end of their civilization may have dispirited the population even more.
Polygamy among the nobility, on the other hand, had been anciently used by civilizations as far apart as Egypt and Korea. The children were educated and trained. The sons became generals, diplomats, scribes, physicians, artists, engineers and overseers. The daughters were given to become wives to other members of royalty, particularly to other countries' nobility. They were, on one hand, hostages to assure treaties would be kept, and on the other, they were spies for their home countries. In the middle, they were a source of information about their home countries. Biologically, the "new blood" or new DNA they brough to the court avoided the perils of in-breeding.
To have only one wife would have severely restricted the ability of the court to progress. To have a daughter of a king become a concubine was an insult to her home court - it made the country look less of an equal, and more like a tributary.
Concubinage was common, but the children from such were generally trained as tradesmen or to situations where they would assist the children of the "higher birth". Daughters of such were given as wives to lesser nobility or sent off as concubines to other courts.
Knowing human nature, I would expect the same of the civilizations of the Americas.
These nuggets of information I've gleaned from countless National Geographic magazine articles, reports I had to write in school, and other sources, such as Google and Public Television. I hope that you found reading them worth your while.
Barb, Bend, OR
I am so much enjoying the old strips. I didn't' read them all that much back then. I was single and having fun...LOL But I am loving them now. Lizzie is a hoot. Most of them don't lose their appeal. Some a bit dated but they are still funny.
Thanks for all the laughs and a few tearing up moments over the years. I do miss new strips so much...but content that the family lives on in the papers and online. Can't wait for the Farley stuffed dog to come out so I can get it for my Granddaughter.
Patricia B, MA
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Lynn's Travel Journal: Oaxaca, Mexico Day Three
June 30, 2009
Kate was sick for much of the night. Around 2am, I looked for the Imodium I always carry and she took a good dose. It didn’t work, so she took some more. Later, when the problem continued, she checked the expiry date on the package. It had expired in 1999!!!
Alanna and I went down to the farmácia and bought fresh stuff and Cypro, an antibiotic you can get over the counter, there. It’s what they gave us in Peru and Alanna, through experience, thought it would do the trick.
Kate seemed well enough to take a trip to Monte Albán, one of the well preserved archaeological sights nearby. A great deal of restoration has been done to these ancient buildings and we were fortunate to be there on a clear, quiet morning. A few vendors on the entrance steps sold hats and masks, and guides were eager to show us around. Alanna knew the place well, so we followed her lead. I always find these places to be powerful, somehow; sort of like being in a shrine; a living museum. The magic and the majesty of these ancient cities take my breath away. We climbed one of the temples and marveled at the view. You could see where terraced farming had taken place and where private homes had stood in rows on the hillsides.
They say that one of the reasons this civilization collapsed is that Aztec rulers were allowed to have many wives, but the common people were monogamous by decree. So, the kings had hundreds of royal offspring who in turn produced lots of children, all of whom were too royal to work in the fields or build temples or do any of the real work. There is evidence of uprisings where the commoners overthrew the families of the kings, eliminating a lot of their own population. This combined with deforestation, war and illness made life tenuous long before the Spanish arrived. A real lost civilization.
Kate was not well enough to continue to other sites, so we went back to our B&B and she went to bed. I felt terrible. A mother always hopes these things will happen to THEM and not their children! Fran, Alanna and I went back into town where we explored the artisan’s shops and the chocolatarĂas.
Chocolate grows in Mexico. I’d always wondered what the pods looked like and we were fortunate to find one of the shops grinding the beans into powder. The pods are about the size of a pear. They are hard, fluted and filled with thumbnail shaped beans. Each bean has a dusty brown coating and when you break one open, the chocolate inside is black and a bit oily. The taste is bitter and strong.. These beans are roasted, ground and then mixed with other ingredients to make all kinds of products. We had chocolate milkshakes- to DIE for and bought stuff to eat to cook and make drinks with.
Back at the ranch, Kate was able to get up and socialize…(having also eaten something to die for) and we went over everything we could think of, trying to guess what Kate had eaten that none of us had. Well…It was MY fault! It was the carrots I bought at the market. I had washed them, but not in treated water, had cut them into sticks and put them on the table to eat raw. Nobody else had eaten the carrots. Case solved and another lesson hammered home. One: wash veggies in treated water and or boil them before they go down!!! Two: check the expiry dates on your meds before you travel. Stuff 10 years out of date won’t work.
I have apologized on my knees for the error. I knew better- I really did!! Nothing like learning from actual experience…and I still wish it had been ME!!
Hasta manana
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Tuesday June 30, 2009
June 30, 2009
I've been able to find VHS copies of all the For Better or For Worse specials, plus both season one and season two of the tv series on DVD. I found most of them on Amazon.com, but half.com lists several also. The only one I can't find anywhere is A Storm In April. FYI - the Halloween special was The Good For Nothing.
Dee W, USA
Just wanted to say that i had a great laugh on your monday strip!! My nephew loves to do the same thing as me. Up and down game!!Thanks so much for all of the laughs.
Katelynn, Lloydminster, AB
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Monday June 29, 2009
June 29, 2009
I am a huge fan having read the strip for years - my children just a year or two behind the ages of Michael and Elizabeth. The strip was therapy and good advice too - to laugh when things are "worse" rather than "better." I'm enjoying the strip all over again but I can't help wondering how Michael and Elizabeth are doing - I miss them as adults!
Karen W, Denver, CO
Some newspapers, like my local, don't carry the Sunday strips so until my son gave me one of his old laptops and I found your site, I didn't know why you had gone back in time. I've loved your family since way back, so revisiting them brings back all those "first time" laughs or sighs all over again.
Honey S, near St. Louis, IL
The Chicago Tribune delivered to my front yard still carries the FBoFW comic strip.However, the page is so crowded and the print so small that I have to really adjust my bifocals to read the essence correctly. I have written to the paper, also, but I want you all to know that having such a nice clear comic here on-screen is much appreciated.
Diane W, Normal, IL
I wanted to comment on the strip about the seasons. I spent 10+ years in Nairobi, Kenya and found there were also changing seasons there - just not as drastic as ours. The rains brought out all the flowering trees and the dry seasons the wonderful drying yellows. The longer we lived there the more we noticed the seasons. On the other hand, coming back to Canada I was really excited by the snow!!!
Anne M, Russell, ON
Hi, Lynne, it is great to revisit the old strips, which I was first reading when my kids were small.I am by ancestry French Canadian and Micmac on both sides,so the strip and your inclusiveness has always had deep resonance for me. I am a retired English Professor who now mostly writes Young Adult books, and I guess it is sort of a compliment when people mistake one's fiction for reality. You are wonderful and valiant. If you are ever in NM, mi casa es su casa. Thanks for many years of joy, laughter, and Oh, yeah, she really nailed THAT one spot on...
Patricia S, Albuquerque, NM
Just wanted to say, how glad I'am that I found your website again. My computor crashed last year and I was not able to get one until just recently. Anyway, I have been a big fan for years and have all of your books, had been missing your strip in the newspaper and was sad to see that you have retired. But since finding your website again, I did go out and purhase your last book and true to form it was as great as the others. I'm glad Elizabeth and Anthony finally got married, watching April grow up over the years was like watching my neice, your whole series always brought a smile/or tear to my face as I would look forward to reading it each day in the paper as well as in your books. I wish you the best in your retirement and thank you for making the world just a little more pleasant with the lives of those in "For Better or Worse".
Willie J, Carmichael, CA
Shaun Cassidy in Friday's strip! Well that dates this pretty well! Loved it!
Tracy B, Denham Springs, LA
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Friday June 26, 2009
June 26, 2009
I saw a lot of comments about the Father's Day episode, and a lot were negative. I have to say, I found it VERY funny b/c that's a little bit how both Father's Day and Mother's Day goes around our house. :) My kids (2 and 4) both made my husband gifts, and we saw my Dad for church & breakfast. But it was pretty much right - I still had a lot of responsiblities to keep up on, and I found myself asking him to help out - while I go do this, can you take Olivia swimming?, while I cook dinner, can you get the kids washed and ready? Can you swing by on your way home and get this for dinner? etc. And he did it very graciously. Part of appreciating your husband and your Dad - and your husband AS a dad - is allowing them to feel accomplished and needed. I appreciated the comic and I think it's really relevent.
Cindi M, Lake Worth, FL
I loved the strip of Michael playing the game under the covers with the flashlight. I used to do the same thing only when I was young (I am pretty much the same age as adult Michael) I was reading For Better or For Worse under my covers. I got the knock on my door a number of times to put FBorFW away and go to sleep!
Ryan, Seattle, WA
Growing up I always read For Better or for Worse. April was a little baby when I started reading it. I liked reading the strip but it never had any meaning. I am now older and have a family of my own. I am so glad she "started it over again" and we get to relive the characters and they grow up. My son is about the same age as Michael is now and there are so many things that I relate to now that I'm a mother. Michael even looks like my son! I have to check the strip every day to see what the kids are doing. We're also "The Pattersons". :)
R. Patterson, MS
Have read your strips for over 20 years and always saw my family in yours. Todays strip was especially meaningful as I now live in FL and am hating the heat and missing the seasons, yes, even the snow and ice! after living in Michigan for 15 years. Just had to tell you how much your strips mean to me, first thing I read on the computer each morning and keep up the great work!!
Judy C, St. Petersburg, FL
While I applaud your creativity and would never want to limit your freedom, I miss the "old" strip. As one of two strips I follow, I mourn the loss of these friends and their on-going story. I don't quite understand the retreads. Had you continued the old strip and pitched in a few of the original style for Mike and Liz's family... I'd be happier. Of course, for me it's enjoyment, and for you it's work, and I do believe people should be happy in their work, so if this is your way of being happy, more power to you. I supposed you could do both; sleep is overrated, after all...
Rob S, FL
I am one of your many devoted readers and I just want to say how happy I am that you have gone back to the earlier times of the Patterson family. It was getting so depressing with everyone growing up, loosing Farley and Jim’s decline that I was loosing intrest and could hardly read the strip. Please keep it in this time frame. I read the comics for enlightenment and joy and for my laugh for the day. Please don't let the family grow any older. Look at Blondie and Dagwood and how long they have been around. Yes, Alexander and Cookie have become teenagers and Daisy had a litter of puppies a long time ago but that is as far as I want it to go. I read the comics for the fun artwork and silly comedy and yours is one of the best. Please keep Farley a puppy and no more rabbits. I love rabbits but not in the house.
Galen R, Wichita, KS
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