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My 2 cents:
I would like to see Liz and Anthony continue to grow in their relationship. I don't see the character flaws in Anthony that so many see, or see him as boring.
Still waters run deep.
Anyone can make a mistake by marrying the wrong person (for them)Liz wasn't ready to settle down when Anthony thought he was,and so he married Therese, who was totally wrong for him, and he was wrong for her. It was a mismatch, and does mot mean that either of them are a bad person.
If it is true love, and Anthony and Elizabeth have found each other at last, so be it. It is better for this to happen now, while they are still young, rather than for them to spend their whole lives apart,married to the wrong person, and always wondering about what could have been.

Teresa V, Cincinnati, Ohio

I wanted to let you know that I have grown up reading FBOW and am happy to see the hybrid strip. I like revisiting old story lines and seeing how you, Lynn, have developed in your craft over the years!
I have to admit, I'm not sure how I like the Liz and Anthony storyline as its going. I have rooted for them for years, but is this really the time for her to settle down? Maybe it is, but I'd like to see a little more of who Anthony is. Maybe Liz is the 'bridge' he needs to come out of his own shell and create an actual personality outside of being a victim.
I also was a little disappointed over the chance encounter at the mall with Terese. She had such a seething hatred for Elizabeth and while she did not care to keep her own child, could she easily dismiss that the woman she hated for so long is now a fixture in her daughters life? I would have liked to have seen her in a scene with Anthony playing out that dynamic.
I so enjoy my daily visits with this family, and from time to time, I still miss Farley :)

Pati, Asheville, NC

I think that Liz and Anthony should be together. They started as friends, they have gone through various hardships and relationships, and they have always maintained the friendship. I believe that they have built the foundation of a lasting relationship and it is very logical that they should be together. Liz, with her background in teaching, would be a wonderful and caring mother. She would be a mother to Francie; Therese is not a "mother". I would be very disappointed if Anthony and Liz did not end up together. I think that Francie will enjoy her "cousins", Michael's children. This Christmas dinner should glue the relationship.

Clare, Toronto

Woo-Hooo!

It's so good to see Grandpa Jim again... and in today's first panel, it looks like he's able to manuever around a bit.

I'm glad to know he's still "in there." That's a great Christmas gift!

Jim I, Bloomington IN

I've written a couple of times regarding the Grandpa Jim rehab storyline. I really appreciate the time that you've taken to look into the various forms of therapy that stroke patients often undergo on their journey to achieving some level of independence. I'm just writing because I am an occupational therapy student at OSU and that seems to be the one major therapy that Grandpa Jim has not received. Physical and Speech are HUGE for the recovery of stroke patients...but occupational therapy is also extremely beneficial and important...and yes, I may be totally biased. I was excited to see that a fellow cartoonist, Gary Trudeau had a Sunday strip a few years ago that featured the use of occupational therapy during their Iraq lower extremity amputee storyline. I think since your characters are so 'real' that it would be exciting to see the continued story of Grandpa Jim's therapy with OT.

Thanks for your time.
And it was awesome to see Grandpa Jim looking to independent with his wheelchair transfer in today's strip. Again, I'm a huge OT dork and enjoy his storyline.

Jordyn, -OT Student in Ohio

I have to thank you for years and years of wonderful stories. There were many laughs, tears, joys and sorrows shared, and even sometimes a better understanding of things.
I belive the Liz and Anthony story is going were it needs to. It seems to me that your characters tend to do what they want rather than you deciding what they should! I had no children and now I am a step mom as well as a step grandma to two children of divorce! I can see both sides of the issues involved. Liz and Therese both deserve to be happy, they are just traveling different roads. Thanks again for all the wonderful times, and the joys of revisting our favorite family!

Carol P, Parishville NY

My grandmother always said that making other people look bad doesn't make you look better. Perhaps you'd like to keep that in mind when you're working on the beige and cream masterpiece that is Liz and Anthony's like/taking it slow/just friends story.

You can turn Therese into a sharp-featured, puppy-kicking, witch clad in a fur coat made from kittens and it STILL won't change the fact that your boy Anthony was emotionally unfaithful to his wife from DAY ONE and that Elizabeth encouraged his attentions EVERY time.

Therese can reject her daughter and it will not change the fact that Anthony's actions were not those of a 'decent guy'. A nice guy, an *honorable* man, would have ended the marriage first, no matter how bad that marriage was or how much of a shrieking harpy Therese became, before asking another woman to 'wait for him.'

LC, Boston

I've read comments here from people who've excused Anthony's emotional infidelity to his wife thus: "Well, Anthony was only finding someone he thought he could love since he couldn't have Liz...what's wrong with that?"

I'll answer that question with a question: would any of you like being "second best" with your spouse? If you were no more than a consolation prize? If you were "settled for" because your spouse couldn't have the person s/he really wanted? Would you want to live the rest of your life like that? Or would you prefer to be number one in your spouse's heart and mind?

There is, after all, that little matter in the vows of "forsaking all others" and loving your spouse alone. Somehow, I get the feeling that Anthony's response to that part of the vows would be, "Define 'forsaking.'"

Jennifer S, New Jersey

I am the mother of a 21-month-old. When my mother sends gifts for my daughter, I tell her who they're from. I told her one time that her white stuffed bear was from her Grandma R, and now nearly every time she picks up the bear she makes the sign for "Grandma" (she isn't talking yet but she is able to communicate a lot of words through American Sign Language). She also recognizes my parents, and my husband's parents, even when it's been months and months since she's seen them in person, because we look at pictures of them together all the time. And she is not even two years old!

This is all to say that if Anthony has family pictures up around the house, if he says "Yes, that's your Mom," when Frannie points to the pictures or talks about them, if he says "Look at the shirt your Mom sent you!" when gifts arrive, then she may be very aware of who her mother is, and also very aware of the fact that her mother has not been around. Her choice of title (Mom rather than Mommy) may also have been influenced by the term Anthony uses when he refers to Therese. I think the portrayal has been very realistic, and am grateful for your delving into such a sensitive subject, Lynn. Kudos!

Suzanne R, Bethlehem GA

Hi there -
Just a quick note to THANK YOU for the Liz/Francie/Therese story line. I am a step-parent, and appreciate all thoughtful media attention on this role.

I remember when I met my husband, and the delicate line I had to walk with the child and with the ex... and it continues today. You eventually figure out where you fit, but its never easy. The best description I ever heard was from my stepson, after I had been around for about 2 years. One of his 7-yr-old friends thought I was his mom... I stepped in to correct the boy, but my stepson jumped in, explained I was his "stepmom... It's like an aunt, only better." I use this as my guideline to this day...

It's tough, and there's little guidance out there. Thank you for using your venue to delve into a dicey subject. At the end of the day, you do whatever is best for the child...

Thanks again, I am a long time fan. I've been reading since I was a kid, and remember it coming out in the 70s. Lots of laughs and tears over the years.

Nadine, Ste. Anne MB