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Monday June 16, 2008

I am very happy that Elizabeth and Anthony will marry. They were meant to be. It was destiny for their storyline to be together and for Gramps to see them marry.

Doreen, Farmington NM

Hi Lynn,

I've always read your strip and I have always enjoyed it. I feel like I know most of the characters and grown up with the Mike and Liz.

When I read your strip, I don't expect to get the full story... only parts here and there. Just like my own family and friends, I don't know every part of their lives, but I think that I know some of the important stuff!

I like that For Better or For Worse mimics real life. Not just in the growing and the aging, but in the unpredictability of life. Who really gets much control over what life throws at you, let alone at your friends and family?

Please stick to your guns and tell us the story the way you see it unfolding.

Tara

It enough that he knows you're happy and have solid plans for the future!? When has Elizabeth not been happy and had solid plans for the future? She's wanted to be a teacher from the word go. And in spite of some heartbreak that is unavoidable in this life, she's a pretty happy person.

What Elly means is, "It's enough that he knows you're going to settle down and get married at 26 to the most boring man alive so you will never have to leave this suburb again."

Brenda M, Surrey BC

"Both Paul and Warren were new...and though they were attractive and fun...what did you REALLY know about them?"

Only what you bother to show us, which lately has all been artificially contrived to make Anthony look good in comparison.

George K, Seattle

Wow! What a wonderful sentimentalist John is! And I love how just him and Liz have this conversation by themselves - without all the others around. It shows what kind of relationship they have - honest and open.
I do hope that we see SOME passion from Liz AND Anthony. While I do love these two together, I really don't remember seeing them tell each other "I love you" or be passionate or romantic since they got back together .... Really, Lynn, are you just teasing us with this and going to pull it all away at the last minute - or are we going to get a peak into the romantic side of their life together before the wedding.
Oh - and please don't kill off Grampa Jim before you put the "freeze" on this whole wonderful lifetime of memories. But - they are yours to do with as you please ... just please be nice to them and maybe just end it all with the wedding and reception. That is what I think would be the best ending. Just my opinion.

Anne, Marysville WA

Thank you Lynn for your comments. I truly believe it's what needed to happen.

I loved today's strip with Liz and her dad. It was nice to see them connect that way, even though the subject was touched with sadness.

Janice, California

Simple question! My mother, mother-in-law, wife read your column. I read it, to see , TODAY, again to see if there is a predominantly smiling face in the strip? I continuously see the LONG faces that perpetuate your strip, look at the top of the page & see the heading, reading "COMICS", and I ask myself; What is funny about this picture? To me, a white male, married (34 years) with 4 kids, I read the "Comics" for escape, with a dab of reality mixed in. The 'hit-the-nail-on-the-head" syndrome happens occasionally, but , for me, the continual sad-face visuals are, to put it bluntly, more depressing than uplifting. Like many people, I think, I glance at the headlines, read the police section, (to see if any of my friends have been arrested), then head to the "COMICS" section to get a good laugh & perspective on the day. My Point? Some Days, I read you first, to get the "long-face" stuff out of the way; other days, I read you last to see if there is, finally, a smiling upbeat tone to your message! I write this as I visit your website for the first time, partially out of frustration, thinking to myself, where is this woman coming from? I am surprised because, on this site, I see SMILING FACES GALORE! Happy people enjoying life, as opposed to the underlying current I see running through your daily strips; the "Woe is me" theme that jumps out at me, regardless of the actual dialogue.

To me, the visuals far out-way the story line. I get the overall message, but at the same time, I say to myself, I've read the front page, the police report, the "bad news", now I want to read the "Comics", because I need a Good Laugh! Bottom Line? I see your picture,with a smile on your face, your characters with smiles on their faces, yet I don't see that in your strips! Enough with the "LONG" Faces! Could you add a little "COMICS" to your message! Hope I wasn't too critical!

Craig V, Campbell NY

I understand what your saying but it doesn't change the fact that the Anthony/Liz relationship doesn't work, especially in this make believe world.You may as well have a dragon come to April and give her psycic powers....actually,that would be more believable. And dosen't it bother anyone that every time Liz showed some independance she gave it up and ran home to her parents.Face it, Liz didn't know what she wanted then and now she's jumping into an old high school fantasy trying to make it real.The rest of your characters live in the real world, why doesn't she? At this point I'd say just have Anthony get in a fatal car crash or something, ANYTHING to stop this wedding from spoiling the story.

Anonymous, CA

The frustrating thing -- well, among many frustrating things with Lynn's writing over the past couple of years -- is that she HAD the ability to show two people in love. I remember several strips where we saw Paul and Liz together showing warmth, affection, passion and even elation. Now I know one can't stay with "elation" forever, that's not realistic, but if a young couple can't show some elation leading up to and through the early engagement period, when the heck can they? Aside from a brief blip after Liz got the 'token that proves she's taken' (ugh), Liz and Anthony have been somber, morose, and generally bleh. Which basically describes their relationship.

One of my favorite strips in FBoFW history was the Sunday strip with Liz and Paul taking a hike (I think it was for Canada Day or something, 'cause it ended with a big ol' maple leaf in the foreground). The pair weren't all lovey-dovey-smoochy-woochy, but they were clearly in constant emotional and physical contact with one another as they shared a lovely day. Now THAT was a way to show gentle, physical affection without being sappy. We have yet to see Lizthony have even an approximation of this sort of quiet yet passionate connection.

And to answer her question, what did we know about Paul? Well, prior to the character assassination, we knew he was impassioned and spontaneous enough to seek Liz out, brave enough to be a cop, and loyal to his community yet selfless enough to transfer from a place he loves for the woman he loves. AND he was "fun and attractive," qualities that, contrary to Lynn's apparent beliefs, aren't necessarily bad things or warning signs. To the contrary! Anthony is hardly a good match for Liz just because he's spent his entire life in one single place, close to her parents, being a virtual Eddie Haskel, mooning over Liz even during his marriage to another woman. That is NOT an automatic plus in a future husband. It certainly shouldn't be for the adventurous, curious-about-life young woman who went up north to teach. Gosh she was a wonderful character. What happened to that Liz? Oh yeah, I know: Lynn happened to her.

Kira L, New York

Dear Lynn,

I so enjoyed reading your comments! It's so wonderful to know that you read and take to heart the comments here. It is indeed obvious that your fans are passionate about the lives of the Pattersons (and their friends)! I can't wait to see how the storyline ends, even though it will also make me sad. I'm slowly acquiring all the collections, though, so soon, I'll be able to visit the Pattersons at every stage of their lives any time I want!

Thank you, Lynn and staff, for creating such a realistic world for us to enjoy!

Sarah, Seattle WA

john was funny in yesterdays strip and gave great words of wisdom today,mand hes pretty cool:)he's rright too,eveyone can't live forever and we all need to enjoy what time we have when we have it,and we also need to enjoy the peole in are lives beacuse you never really now how long you have with someone

Bridget Q, New Glasgow NS

I thought over your letter a bit more and it occurs to me that you might not have needed three strips to show that Liz had visited Jim after all. It seems to me that if the first panel of Monday's strip had shown Elizabeth telling April that Jim's rapid deterioration both saddened and frightened her the more she saw it, that would have been sufficient. We would then know that Liz stopped in for a chat before driving April home without having to be shown it. We'd also know that Liz did so regularly.

Paul J, Saint John NB

Hi Lynn. I appreciate that you're doing the best you can with your limited time. But I do have some disagreements with your recent comments on this blog. For instance, if you are having such difficulty fitting everything important into the strip in the limited time remaining before September, then why do you keep rerunning old strips when you could use those days to show things that actually advance the plot (like Liz visiting Grampa Jim - or even mentioning that she had visited Grampa Jim, and Liz and Anthony saying "I love you" to each other)?

Also, your argument that Liz and Anthony are perfect for each other because Liz's parents approve of Anthony doesn't fly with me. This isn't the 19th century; it's nice that they like him but there's more to marriage than whether your parents approve of your spouse and whether he or she can offer you financial stability. Again, how about seeing them say "I love you"! We don't need to see physical affection between them, just 3 simple words!

Elizabeth R-P, Ann Arbor MI

Lynn~

I have been reading and enjoying the strip for years. Yes, I am saddened that it is going to end. I do understand why, though.

What you wrote yesterday sheds a lot of light for me on the writing process and why things are done the way they. I guess that I knew right along that everything you do is intentional and has to be that way. Over the next couple of months you are going to be doing your best to convey a lot of information in a short period of time. If you were writing in novel format all the words would take up very little space. You have no choice, but, to be concise, carefully choose what information is to include in each strip and what to leave out. It would, almost, be nice if you could rewrite the the strips in novel format so that you can be more detailed and include all the content that people keep saying they wish had been included and that you would have liked to include and, just, have not been able to in a 30 second strip.

I feel that Liz and Anthony are a good match and will go on to have a wonderful life together.

As far as the wedding is concerned...I hope that we see characters that we have not seen in years--Carrie & Wil, Bev & Dan, Phil & Georgia among others...

I look forward to seeing how you wrap things up between now and the end of August.

Brian D, Maine

With all the comments here regarding Anthony and Elizabeth's upcoming nuptuals and theories of a possible dysfunctional union, I strongly urge the both of them to immediately seek the wise counsel of Mary Worth. Ms. Worth comes highly recommended by scores of scores of people from all walks of life who have benefited greatly by her sage advice lovingly given usually "for their own good" and often during extended free-loading visits in the clients' own homes. References are many and she has blessed such celebrated unions as Blondie and Dagwood Bumstead, Dr. Rex Morgan and June Gale, RN, even acclaimed newspaper reporter, Brenda Starr and the mysterious Basil St. John.

I would advise them avoid quick-fix help from discount counsel such as Lucy Van Pelt. Though incredibly economical (just five cents!) her advice tends be more of the Dr. Laura kind - a "quick fix" and somewhat mean spirited.

Yes, Anthony and Elizabeth, I heartily suggest you contact Mary right away and follow her road map to a long and fulfilling marriage. (Conveniently located just a few strips away)

John, New Castle PA

I was brought to tears by your "coffee talk." Thank you for you extraordinary gift of your comic strip! It has seen me through both good times and bad. Your response to your readers was timely as criticism has been harsh. Until one "walks a mile in another's shoes and having the public understand the 30 second time frame of your strip was beautiful!

Marilyn D, Calgary AB

Thank you for the summary, it explains some things. I am lookng forward to the wedding, but will we be seeing Anthony and Francie during the wedding preparations? Are you going to deal with Therese?

Laurie, Minnesota

"Both Elly and John regard Anthony highly and...[Elizabeth] respects her parents' opinions."

Yeah, they thought so highly of him that they kept pushing him on Elizabeth when he was married and had just become a father. Despicable.

No doubt there are people like the Pattersons in the world, people who will behave so. I can't help thinking, though, that the author wants us to find their behavior admirable. Sorry, I don't.

JRI, NYC

I've read FBOFW for quite a while and have enjoyed the storyline. I occassionaly read Coffee Talk but am always amazed at how people critize what Lynn does with the characters and storyline. FBOFW has been around for many years, so Lynn must be doing something right! For those who have a definite opinion on what should happen to the characters, develop your own strip and do with them what you want.

Joan C, Nebraska

I almost didn't tune into Coffee Talk this morning because I am becoming disheartened but the overwhelming multitude of cynical comments. Well, thank goodness I did, because Ms. Johnston had written us fans a message! A message that has emphasized what many of us have been writing/saying/thinking for weeks now! Thank you Lynn! I love FBorFW, can't get through my day without a fix! What a marvelous piece of art you have brought to life. Keep up the fantastic work!

Genoa, The Berkshires MA

Rush into a wedding? The Liz and Anthony relationship is far from rushed. My husband and I were married in 6 months, now that was fast! The good thing is that we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary in December of 2007. Yes, marriages can and do last. It will be interesting watching Liz and Anthony. Who knows, maybe their life together will become more exciting than their lives apart. Just give them a chance! Let the fun begin!

Sandy, Colorado

I love your strip and seeing the "children" grow up has been amazing. I think Anthony and "Lizardbreath" are perfect for each other. It's nice that young April spends so much time with her grandfather. It's showing what is wrong with America today, the family value has gone downhill. I remember spending Sundays with my grandparents every weekend and it's just not like that anymore. Thanks for bringing back a good old fashioned value to the comics and keep up the great work
A huge fan

Laura, Garner NC

Reading the last week or so's strips (the storyline about Jim's increasing frailty) has been both difficult and a blessing for me.

I lost my grandmother just a few months ago - I had been living with her and caring for her for the last few years. She was just shy of her 95th birthday when she passed on. Like Elizabeth, I wanted her to live forever. She'd been a big part of my life for the last 43 years and I wanted that to go on.

Her funeral and everything that has happened since have been more of a celebration of her life than a mourning, though I do miss her presence and really miss talking wih her as we used to do.

The emotions that you express in your strip are so organic and visceral without getting too much so. I'm glad you chose to go with the combination of old strips interspersed with the new ones - As painful for me as I'm sure the upcoming story with Jim's passing will be, I look forward to reading it. I think it's going to be cathartic for me.

Thanks for so many wonderful years and I wish you many more.

Jera M, Texas

I notice that the BIG decision of when the wedding will be is being made by Liz and her family, with no input from or conversation with Anthony. Sure.... That would happen.

As for your choice to emphasize the friendship between Liz and Anthony, and not the love and physicality: Okay, but you would think that at least the engagement would have been sealed with a kiss.

You have done such an excellent job of having your characters "live" in your readers minds, that we cannot help but react and have opinions about how they are doing. Our feelings are a testament to your skills.

Thank you for doing such a great job.

Marian T, Winslow Maine

Thank you Lynn for your note today.I was feeling bad for the way the readers have complained about the way the strip has changed. I would get angry at some of the stoopid comments. I wish you and yours all the best and want to thank you on how the Patterson family has dealt with all the changes in their lives . Im not Kidding when I tell you they have helped me accept the things that have happend in my own family and I dont think I could have made it through some of them with out you and the Pattersons .You were my therapy. Thank you with all my heart. And you just do what you want to tough nuts to those who cant deal with it .Its all good, and its a great way to escape lifes harsh realities dont you think. Love to all who made it a great ride.

Cindy, Michigan

If Ms Johnston is so hurried that she can't show Liz visiting her grandfather why has she wasted so much time with flashbacks to the early days of the strip? Those old strips had little to do with the current story lines & they mostly show the "Worse" side of young married life. I wasn't a huge fan of the strip in the earliest days, but do remember that the "Better" side got its due.

We've been told that Anthony is smart & funny--but that's never been evident from the strip. He's a single father because he married a women he didn't love & turned his back on her when she suffered PPD. Her already planned return to work caused him to cry that he had no Hooome, to a girl he'd just "rescued"! Sorry, his good job & the approval of Liz's parents won't make us like him.

The monthly letters & bios on the website do not count. For quite a few years there, Lynn Johnston wrote a fine strip with well-rounded characters & interesting plot twists. Please--let her return to end the strip with style!

NB, Houston

Dear Ms. Johnston:

I applaud you on your note to all of your readers. I am a dedicated fan and finally caught up with my complete collection of your books. Currently I am unable to receive your newsletter due to my computer crashing but I still catch up at work while on my break. Yes, we do sometime get caught up in a storyline (too much) but the 30 seconds you provide to us makes us what to reflect what your saying to what we do in our personal lives. You bring laughter, tears and honesty to your strip and I (we) think, why can't we have a family like this or having another chance with someone we love. My only family is my Mom and we are very close. My apologies for such a long note; I just want to say thank you so much giving us such a wonderful strip and I personal will be sadden when this comes to an end. May God Bless you and your family.

Donna, Philadelphia PA

First, thank you, Lynn, for your note to the blog. I'm hoping it will cut down on the extremely negative comments. Sometimes they're so negative I wonder why the contributors even read For Better or For Worse.

Secondly, I wonder if it's occured to some of those contributors that the reason Liz and Anthony have wanted to "take it slow" with their wedding plans might be for Francie's sake. Liz and Anthony have known each other forever, but for much of Francie's life, their only contact was by email while Liz was up north, with the occasional visit. Francie hasn't really known her very long. Personally, I think they have been treading softly to give Francie more time to become comfortable with Liz as a daily part of her life. And wouldn't any of us choose to have a loved one at one of the most important events of our life, rather than to not?

Angela, Pennsylvania

Thank you, Lynn, for taking the time to give us all your insights. It is much appreciated!!!

Jenn N, Bellingham MA

Thank you, Lynn, for taking a few moments to address some of the recent discussions about Liz and Anthony.

You're so right in how time is related in the strip. Too often people want a second-by-second detailing of life, and it's impossible to do that in a three- or four-panel strip.

Your efforts and thoughtfulness do not go unnoticed by many of us. If you didn't do such pain-staking and dedicated work, you wouldn't have the responses by so many of your readers.

Always enjoy the strip... always!

Jim I, Bloomington, IN USA

Lynn, I appreciate your note to us so much. I have been reading the Coffee Talk opinions and wonder how people get the ideas they do.
I have been following your strip for years and years and wouldn't miss it in any form you choose.
Best regards.

Kay S, Chicago

After reading Lynn's note to us, I feel more confident that she is still approaching the strip with a very conscious attitude. It is nice to know that her decisions are well thought-out, and that she anticipates consequences ahead of time. But the Liz-Anthony relationship bothers me.

I think a lot of people's parents have "a guy" they'd want their daughter to marry. For me, that is the rich cousin of family friends who shares our religion. Maybe you've never had this experience, Lynn, but something about my parents trying to force romance on me with this man totally ruined all the initial attraction I had for him. I know you are trying to show Liz and Anthony's 'romance' as very mature, respectful and settled-- probably the opposite of the rest of her relationships-- but there is always some element of passion and heat in a relationship, no matter how mature it is. Otherwise you are just friends, the same as this man and I have become. I shudder to see Liz marry Anthony because I can't imagine her being happy married to him any more than I would be happy married to the aforementioned man.

Elyse, Chicago

Hmmm, anyone care to ask Anthony how he feels about SETTING the wedding date, much less moving it up? Seems like Liz has made this decision and informed her family all on her own. He's the one who said in the beginning that he didn't want to rush. I think Lynn is setting us all up for a big surprise!

Kelly, Newnan GA

I appreciated Lynn's message to the readers explaining Liz and Anthony's relationship. Clearly, Lynn is in control here, and the rest of us need to keep in mind that this is a fictional strip. However: I don't see how the fact that John and Elly trust Anthony and can vouch for his good character has anything to do with whether Liz is really in love with him! Sure, maybe they think he's the greatest guy in the world, and she knows he's reliable -- that's certainly important, but it's not love. The explanation makes it sound like "settling" on her part. Her parents like him, he's responsible, his friends reflect well on him so she might as well marry him. Too many women think just this way and end up with their relationships in shambles as a result! Marriage shouldn't be a business transaction. If Liz were my friend, I'd be telling her to get out - now! She's got years and years left in which to find someone who is all that Anthony is PLUS ...assuming she even wants to find someone, which is not the only acceptable option.

Amy, Toronto

Will everyone stop picking on Elizabeth? And Anthony? None of her previous boyfriends seemed right for her. Erick? a jerk. Warren? Too self-centered. Paul? A great guy, but he does not belong in the city, like Liz does. and Anthony..... he isn't perfect, of course, but WHO IS!!!????! For the most part, he's GREAT!!!!! Liz isn't perfect either. And why all the talk about Liz and everyone being selfish?!! So what if she didn't go to see Jim? IT IS A COMIC STRIP FOR HEAVENS SAKE!!!!!! And 'For better OR FOR WORSE' On top of that! We can't expect everything to be perfect. Ms. Johnston can't please All of us! I, for one, LOVE how everything has turned out. I LOVE Anthony, I love Marion's dress. and I loved today's strip!

Keep up the good work!

Jessie, Trenton ON

Liz needs to tell Anthony. Elly, or someone, will find some wondrous antique stuffed in the crawl space that will cover the wedding costs. In the Patterson family, like most of us, small miracles happen all the time!
It is wonderful that Lynn reminds us of that fact on a daily basis.

Mary S, rural Missouri

While it is great to see how excited and involved people are getting in the story line between Liz & Anthony, I am just crushed to see all the negative comments! Maybe things are progressing differently than readers would hope...but it's not their story to write! We have been invited to share in the lives of the Patterson, not to write the lives of the Pattersons. And as for Liz moving her wedding date up to please Jim, good for her! Liz is a grown woman with her own job and Anthony works too. They can help with wedding expenses. John and Elly shouldn't have to foot the bill. And it can be a small affair, maybe in the backyard of her childhood home. As a later in life bride, I didn't marry until I was 39, I would have been SO BLESSED to have any of my Grandparents there. Lost my last surviving Grandparent 2 years before my wedding. Everyone should just relax and enjoy the love story.

Tracey W, Alexandria VA

Hmmmmm.... All the John-bashing about how insensitive, selfish and bigoted he is, and here he goes and redeems himself...

I just wish he'd hurry up and have that father-daughter talk with her about Anthony

Will, St. Louie

I want to echo another poster asking for Therese's side of the story. You gave Warren's full biography which explained a lot of his actions. It would be interesting to do the same thing for Therese.

Thanks for your great strip!

SH, DC

I lost several dear family members the year of my wedding, and was grappling with the decision of moving the wedding up in order to have them make it. While having a perfectly executed reception and coordinated flowers/favors/bridesmaid dresses isn't easy on short notice- having a simple wedding with friends and family is.

But rushing through any planning to make sure certain people can be there just makes your remaining time with the terminally ill a whirlwind of deadlines and exacerbates the feelings of missed opportunity.
I suggest- spend the time you can being with, and caring for, the people who are ill. Have the wedding you want. Though the two may not coincide, they will 'be there' regardless of whether they are present with boutonniere on or not.

Marion, Eugene, OR, by way of NYC

If Liz still wishes that everyone could be around forever, how on earth is she going to deal with "...til death do us part..."???

Karen, Boston

Hi, I've been reading this strip for many many moons now, and i just wanted to zip in to say, thank you! A family is a family, from young to old and everything in between. I've always enjoyed 'popping in on the Pattersons' with my daily strip fix, and can relate to many of the characters. Thanks again and keep up the good work!

Darlene O, Winnipeg

I seriously hope that Liz runs away quickly. And Lynn, use words everyone knows the meaning to now. We all know you are smart, don't rub it in.

Guy, PA

If Lynn plans to retire, I think she'll have Liz and Anthony get married soon. If she DOESN'T plan to retire, she just might have Liz meet a new guy, spend a long time trying to decide between the new guy and Anthony, dump Anthony and get totally involved with the new guy but tell him "I'm not ready to get married yet, I need a little more time", and have the time drag on and on and on while she's just UNABLE to make up her mind, finally when Lynn's really ready to retire, the new guy will get fed up waiting for Liz to make up her mind and move on to somebody who's really hot to get married, and Liz will have to go back to Anthony and keep him dangling while she goes on and on saying "I need a little more time, I need a little more time"... but then Grandpa will show obvious signs that he's about to die, and Liz will have to decide whether to marry Anthony while Grandpa is still alive, or keep stalling for more time...Then Grandpa will die and Liz's biological clock will run down, but then, maybe she doesn't want kids to begin with...but I get tired of her always saying she needs more time while she keeps the guys dangling! That's how she lost Paul, who I thought was the best one, by saying "I need more time, I need more time, I want to move back home and I want you to transfer to my home town"...If he had transferred there, then she'd still be putting him off, saying "I need more time, I need more time"... When is the time ever right for Liz? Will the time EVER be right?

Baby K, Orlando FL

Hi,

Thanks for taking the time to address our concerns about the strip by sharing your feelings and thoughts. I agree with you totally when you argue you can't possibly show us everything that happens in the characters' lives in "30 seconds, once a day".

So what I don't understand then is why you keep showing us reruns of strips from the past. If you're so worried that you won't be able to wrap up the storylines in a neat package by the end of August (which real lives never end up in, by the way, for better or for worse), how does it seem logical to show us so many of these rerun strips? Even some of the new ones are unnecessary to the overall plot, like the strips where Elly and Connie griped about teens and texting, or drink coffee while talking about the past.

The end of August deadline was set a long time ago, but there have been weeks at a time with just rerun strips, with readers *begging* to be shown more of the current storylines. Maybe if the reruns were cut out completely until after August, there would be more time to show us the things that we are asking to see. Blaming the lack of content on the short amount of time left and the medium sounds a bit hollow when a lot of strips that could have been used for plot development have been wasted on reruns that could be shown after August.

Thanks for letting me have what I think!

Laura, Fredericton NB

I have to say I'm a little mystified by some of the comments, especially about Liz's wedding dress and upcoming wedding. First of all, no, it doesn't look exactly like the dress Grandpa remembers but Lynn's drawing style has changed a lot. This strip is art, not a documentary of real people. Isn't that enough? Also, I've noticed (with some disappointment) that more than a few people here seem to think that weddings must take forever to plan. My own wedding was small but perfect and was planned in about two weeks. Weddings are, basically, like funerals when it comes to planning- you need flowers, food, an officiant, and a place. And yet no one takes years or spends tens of thousands of dollars on a funeral! Anyway, I also wore my mother's dress. It had been stored in a box in the attic for about 47 years when I took it out to try it on. And you know what? If you've been using mothballs, the dress was a high quality fabric to begin with, and you don't have some major vermin problem then the dress comes out of the box fine.
Keep up the good work, Lynn! I love Anthony, and I think that his marriage to Liz will be great!

Hallie, Springfield VA

Thank you!!
It seems so many come here with the intent of being critical and very few remember that it's your plan to bring all the story lines to a close. Would we all prefer that you were imortal? Of Course! but all things must come to a close..

Thank you for keeping us "engaged" for all these years.

Maria, GR MI

Ooooo....More forshadowing? The look on Liz's face is priceless...I would definately say that was a 'wash' look to her previous 'wish' for a summer wedding....Wishy-washy....Why do I get the impression she's just not into it.????

Love the story..It's interesting..Thank you , Lynn, for all the years FBORFW has given us!

Natalie A, Arnprior ON

While I agree that most readers don't want to see an endless display of passion from Liz and Anthony, I think most critics are pointing out that there has been NO passion from them. All relationship and wedding talk from them has been "I guess" and "I suppose" and "maybe" - not a good sign of a solid, sure-thing marriage.
As for the comment that Anthony saving Liz was creepy, the saving of her from Howard wasn't creepy. The creepy part was that immediately after, while they were still waiting for the police to arrive, he starts in on how she should "wait for him". He's a married man at this point, and a friend of his has almost been raped, and all he can think about is his own needs. That's creepy.
Paul and Warren were perfectly good boyfriends until Liz chose Anthony - then Lynn wrote them as having negative traits, I guess so the readers would choose Anthony, too.
Paul asked for a transfer to Mtigwaki to be near his girlfriend, and before it had been approved, she quits her job there and zips back to Milborough. Imagine how Paul must have looked to his boss, "You know that transfer I asked for? Well, can I change it? See, the girlfriend I was transferring to be closer to decided to move somewhere else, so that's where I need to go now." No wonder he gave up and chose Susan.
This wedding of convenience is just the final straw. I'm sure all their plans will just magically fall into place, even though finding caterers, a church, etc. should be next to impossible only weeks before a summer wedding.
I'm also presuming that the strip's final panel will be of Liz and Anthony standing before the minister, saying, "For better or for worse..."
It's that predictable.
Oh, and Liz will have an updo.

Marley, Listowel

Yea April for being honest with what she thinks of the wedding dress! Maybe Liz will pick out a dress that is more her style now. Or if she doesn't that's fine also. I will really miss the Pattersons when they stop sharing their lives with us. I still miss the monthly letters from each of them. I hope we can still have coffee talk after October. I love reading the positive comments left by all of you. Thank you Lynn for continuing the strip longer than you planned.

Sarah, Painesville Ohio

Dear Lynn:

First let me say that I am in my late 20's and have read your strip since I started caring about the comics page,and have mostly enjoyed your work. However I really feel that if you are going to put an end to new material in your strip that you should have the grace to vacate your spot on the papers that carry you.

Please don't take this as personal criticism, I feel that way about Peanuts also. There are so few inches given to comics in newspapers that new artist are rarely seen. You should set an example for all legacy strips, when the creator retires something new should get a chance to shine.

Sarah, San Francisco

Pushing up the wedding date so that Jim can be there is not doing Jim a kindness; it is being selfish and callous to his needs. Jim is in a terminal, medically fragile state, one that is not conducive to spending an entire day attending a wedding and reception. Such a long, activity-filled day is tiring for anyone; it is excruciating for someone so severely ill, to the point where it would be cruel to force the patient to go through all that. And all this is assuming he doesn't die OR deteriorate to the point where he can't even leave the house prior to the wedding.

If the motive for pushing up the wedding date really is for "Jim to be there," (and I find that questionable) then Liz and Anthony (and Elly) need to forget about having a big, traditional wedding. They need to call an officiant, get their license, and have a small, private ceremony at Iris & Jim's place, with immediate family only. They should do this within the next week or so, before Jim deteriorates even further. In other words, replicate Mike & Dee's original ceremony, only with both sets of parents in attendance.

Sam T, Manchester England

I just had to stop what I was doing and drop a line or tow.
My day has to start out with the Patterson family. Or else I seem to have a bad day.
The Patterson life seems so real and true to life in our everyday life. I see things happing to them that I have gon through.
So Just wanted to say thank you for the Patterson's and hope they are around for a long time.
Thanks

Ron E, Bozeman MT