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A letter today from Paul S commented upon the number of "new-runs" vs original strips that have run so far. I've ben curious about that myself, but because I didn't start reading until around the time April was born, I don't know the early strips. How can a reader like me tell the difference between original and new material? Thanks!

Lynne C, New York City, NY, USA

The most certain way to tell is by checking the early collection books, which contain the original strips.

I just now read your letter to fans dated Aug. 2008. I would say you were very successful making the transition back to the earlier style of drawing. I had just assumed you had retired and were running the old strips. I have to admit that as much as I still enjoy the strip I miss the Michael and Deanna story lines as they so much related to me and my wife raising our 2 kids. Nonetheless I still appreciate your strip. That being said, this is the 2nd time I've written you and I start EVERY day with my cup of coffee looking at Ellie on my coffee mug. Thanks and good luck.

Art H, Nampa, WA, USA

Over the past year, I have thoroughly enjoyed the new-run and re-run strips. The most fun I have had, however is reading the comments here in Coffee Talk and in other comic forums. As always, there are folks who love the old/new strips and folks who don't. Folks who appreciate Lynn's return to her beginnings and folks who want the older family back. Personally, I love both. Thanks for the ride, Lynn. And thank you too to all the people who keep this forum a lively place.

Jan C, Victorville, CA, USA

i wish lynn would join facebook so i could talk to her. i love her comic strip. i never miss it.

Judy L, NC, USA

FBorFW is on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Near-North-Bay-Ontario/Syndicated-Comic-Strip-For-Better-or-For-Worse/91672947902

How many readers noticed the spelling mistake in today's (Aug. 28) strip? We expect it in US strips, but not in Canadian ones......

Nick H, UK

You made a typo with "shreik". I before e, except after c.

Barry C, NV, USA

In Saturday's strip, Elly says, "Amazing, hum?" Why "hum"? Wouldn't "hmm" make more sense here?

Emily G, Montreal, QC, Canada

Why do Pattersons and their associates say "hum" instead of "eh"? Or if you feel "eh" is too much of a Canadian cliche, you can always go with the more American (though less delightful) "huh." But I know no actual humans who use "hum" in this way.

Katje B, Albany, NY, USA

Why would Elly give pencils to a toddler, leave her unsupervised with them, and then be shocked that toddlers put things in their mouths? I don't have kids, but even I'm not that clueless about that kind of thing.

Barbara R, LA, USA

I have been a fan of FBTW for as long as I can remember, probably from the beginning. The storyline that was the hardest for me to read was when Farley died. It really got to me and I cried so much during that time.

Darlene T, MI, USA

I didn't start reading your strip until Liz was in college, so I was interested in seeing the "early years". Who knew Michael was such an annoying, selfish BRAT and that John was a male chauvanist pig? OK, OK, it's not THAT bad, but still a little disconcerting.

Ellcyn, ID, USA

Still missing the old FBOW strips, would love to see Elizabeth and her married life and how Mike and Denna are doing and April would be going to senior year or College, but I am geeting used to it. Times have changed since these old strips ran today's comic talking about the kids getting raedy to go back to school I assume after labor day. Well that has changed here for many years My daughter started back to school August 19 how I miss the time when it started after labor day now the summer seems so much shorter sinece school doesn't break for summer till around June 10. So the strips bring back good memories of when kids could enjoy a long summer break.

Kathy, VA, USA

I've read with great excitement Lynn's statement that FBorFW will soon go to virtually 100% previously published material. Some bean spillers have expressed disappointment because the new strips reshaping the beginning of the FBorFW storyline are good, and they want more of them. One poster counted them up and got a total of 183 new strips as of last Thursday since the story restarted last September.

It makes sense that once Michael starts first grade with Shelagh Campbell ( see her bio in the Classic Section - and watch for a shortened version to move into the current Who's Who under Explore More) Lynne will not need to create new story lines but can focus on correcting any mistakes or "oops" material that interferes with the different elements of thirty years of the Patterson families story fitting together. It's what playwrights, novelists and film producers do before they put their creation before an audience.(Although I think playwrights and directors especially can change things while the show is on the road.)I think reaching this benchmark calls for some kind of celebration - if your doctor allows it, and you are old enough, join me in adding a splash of cognac to your java and/or mixing up some nice cookies or other treats to mark the occasion.

Those familiar with prowling around FBorFW's website will have visited the Q&Eh section under the Behind the Scenes tab. Q & Eh has a Whoops!Sometimes We Mess Up! category with three queries in it about strips which are in the Archives.These three mistakes have not been corrected, possibly because it's interesting to see them. But perhaps it is because the entire strip would have to be redrawn and put on the web and there just wasn't time. How many other "oops" are in thirty years of FBorFW even though the creator is an admitted perfectionist?

Without a need to create new strips there may be time to redraw those old ones that have an "oops" factor so that years from now the final product will be closer to perfection. If this work of art is virtually finished in the main aspect then the polishing can be done and hopefully we coffee drinkers get to learn about it.

I have another very personal reason for wanting to see FBorFW in its final polished state - or at least to know there will be a final polished state. For thirty-five years it has been, on and off, my hobby to study Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, note the line numbers and study maps of the road through Kent and around Canterbury and figure out just how the Canterbury Tales would have been finished and fit to the Pilgrim's route if Chaucer had not died at 60(or a little younger) in 1400. The Canterbury Tales is a human comedy with characters that even now some have mistakenly thought were real people and that their four day journey was reported by Chaucer instead of created. "Spill Your Beans" has lots of letters from persons who emotionally related to the Pattersons and others in FBorFW as if they were real. They like Chaucer's Pilgrims get criticized if they act in a way that "sets a bad example". Both works, 600 years apart are Human Comedies and thinking about this is for me !meaningful and enlightening.I do not expect to ever finish my project, which because it is research and not art others could do just as well. But it means a lot to me that a human comedy that has, in my opinion so much in common with this much older one that was never completed does reach a state where its creator can say - yes, it's all done.

Amy D, Vienna, VA, USA