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What the deuce is wrong with Deanna? DIdn't she pick up on the 'MommyIwannnnnnnnnnnnit!' vibe when the kids left the albums Elly stpidly left behind and realize the kids would do any blasted thing to get what they wanted? That tiny, tiny children like Meredith and Robin simply cannot be reaasoned with because they cannot reason? It would have cost her little more than five minutes to simply let them look at one album and get MICHAEL to quit reminiscing about petty acts of vandalism and finish the chore she stared sp she could look through an album and avoid braining themselves. Instead of doing something smart like that, she trns her back and, BAM, her kids halfway kill themselves getting ehat they want. It'll be a miracle if she doesn't go through another Farley incident of twelve and an even bigger one if the children survive. Just because Elly's negligence in not childproofing the back gate after she saw how easy it was for April to open it DIDN'T kill the kid doesn't mean these people should be so complacent. Far from it! They SHOULD hover over the children because it's not really possible to be TOO sare.

Paul J, Saint John, NB

Isn't Robin a little bit past the 'Shove everything that doesn't move and some stuff that does into his mouth' phase? I know that not ALL children grow at the same pace, but this could end up being a serious problem for the poor kid. There's a rare condition known as 'pica' which causes the sufferer to swallow any old thing long after (decades after, as a matter of fact) his fellows have outgrown that sort of thing. Let's just hope for Robin's sake, he's just growing juuuuuuuuuust a little slower that other three years olds but will reach the same destination his peers do.

Paul J, Saint John, NB

Now, let me get this straight: Robin puts a THUMBTACK in his MOUTH and his parents react like someone asked them the time of day. Who cares When he stuck the accursed thing in the wall and why he did it: what is worng with these two dunderheads? The child could have done horrific, possibly lethat, damage to his GI tract and the blockheads AREN'T horrified?? Good grief! Since Robin will put any stupid thing in his mouth and his parens are THE most heedless morons to mar the face of the Earth, the child will be dead in a year at this rate!!

Paul J, Saint John, NB

Just discovered Coffee Talk the other day and am enjoying/being amused/being amazed at some of the comments. I too am Elly's vintage and my children grew up with Michael and Liz. Donna from Kamloops' comments made me write. We all feel the Pattersons are our friends/neighbours/ourselves. Lynn, you have done an incredible job to have touched so many people. Your strips elicit such passion from your readers. We care what happens in the Patterson family and are like the nosy neighbours butting in with our two cents worth. I can't think of any other comic strip that would elicit such intense emotions. I know you love Charles Schultz's Peanuts, but who on earth would get irate because Lucy pulled the football away from Charlie Brown once again? Other strips develop story lines, but they don't develop their characters as three-dimensional.

I too dread the day when the Pattersons stop living in real time, even though I understand the reason. My personal plug for the story lines: I hope Grandpa regains enough communication ability to make their lives less frustrating. Perhaps word cards to assemble sentences? (or perhaps speech) But I don't know if that's unrealistic with the type of stroke he had.

Thanks Lynn for all the years. Enjoy your future!

Sandy, Red Deer, Alberta

May I make a suggestion as regards the Anthony/Liz storyline? It seems to me that one of the biggest objections from readers is that they (okay, me too) feel that Anthony would hold Elizabeth back. It occurs to me, though, that we've never had a chance to see what he would actually do, faced with a chance for Liz to go upward and outward.

Any good relationship/marriage is a partnership. Yes, Anthony has a child to raise, and a steady job - but his child is young enough to move without trauma, and with his skillset, he can always get another job. Why not have Liz be invited to return to Mtigwaki as a teacher, or be offered/want to pursue some other equally exciting, career advancing position? She would, of course, discuss the opportunity with Anthony - especially if the two of them do pursue a serious relationship. A reaction from him along the lines of "Great! Let me go pack!" would, I think, go a long way towards shutting up some of the criticisms of Anthony, while at the same time pleasing the Anthony fans. (Plus, there's potential for a strip or two about what he and Therese do about visitation).

After all, chances are pretty good that one of the things that attracted him to Liz in the first place was her independence and her sense of adventure - and on her side, it would mean that she could take the stability and support that she gets from him with her wherever she went. It would liven up Anthony in the eyes of your more negative readers, while only reinforcing his charm in the eyes of his fans. We expect give-and-take in real-life relationships, why not in the funny pages?

No matter how you choose to conclude this storyline (and if you want this idea and haven't already finished those strips you are more than welcome to it), I look forward to reading it. I have enjoyed your work for years, and still read it daily.

Rachel H., Fla

What gets me about the "pro" FBOFW" and the "anti FBOFW" situation is that WE ARE NOT THAT FAR APART. Most of you pros mention that you have grown up with the strip, remember it from far back, love love, kiss kiss, etc. Well guess what? Those of us who are upset with the recent downturn in the quality of the strip are with you. We grew up with the strip, we identified with the characters, and we cared about them. Then - bang - there was a point where this strip turned bad and lazy, like its creator stopped caring. We care about the characters too - we care too much to see them trashed, and made to act in a manner that goes against what we know of them. We were rooting for them, and we were forced to watch while they were lobotomized and made into unlikeable pod-people. We would desperately love for Lynn Johnston to become re-invigorated, to rediscover her mojo, whatever it was that infused her characters with the spark that made us love them. She is making us loathe them, and believe me, we do not enjoy that feeling. There is no joy in Mudville, people. We grieve for the lost warmth and personality and talent of an inspired family strip, and out of our unhappiness we mock the cheap, disappointing sham that takes its place

Does Lynn understand that there is a point, popularly referred to on the Net as jumping the shark where her strip took a wrong turn? Where the characters started acting unlike themselves? Where it stopped being real and started being forced? The strip has become a parody of itself, instead of the truly inspired slice of everyday life it USED TO BE.

If we didn't care, would we snark?

Ann, Edmonton

I have read FBOW since the beginning and I cannot imagine starting my day without it. My son and daughter are just a tad older than Michael and Elizabeth and the strip coresponded to our lives many times.
I would love to see Elizabeth marry Anthony, not because he was her childhood sweetheart but because he loves Elizabeth. He is loyal supportive steadfast, loves children,dependableand a hard worker. These amazing qualities are very hard to find. It sure beats exciting (helicopter pilot or Hotty as look fade with age but the personality is always there.
I also have a grandson and granddaughter (my daughter's childre. Sadly, my son was killed 2 years ago and left no wife or children.
I can read about Michael's family and imagine what my son's would have been like.
Thank so much for all the years of laghs, frustration, tears and joy!
Sincerely,

Elizabeth, USA