Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for August 06, 2014

So much for “no fuss!” Actually, I think this is going to be a really great party! ;)

Where’s Joan’s family in the final panel? (Probably getting ready.)

@Evie

AMBUSH…!!

Awwww that is so sweet!

It is sweet! The family is ready to welcome Arnold with open arms. I say, let them throw a party! It may not be Evie’s style, but it will be an obvious statement of how happy they are that he’s part of the family.

That does look nice. Maybe this could be good.

Oh, it was nothing!

Why isn’t Evie’s name first??

“If we DON’t make a fuss, How would you know we CARE?”

so sweet, thank you for a happy bump this morning!

Maybe Arnold will realize how selfish he’s being, Evie is very important to their lives and she’s an amazing role model. In a few more years Alix will be right there with them exploring the world and trying to make it better and think about how bad Holly could be without her grandmother to keep her on the path to adulthood. Evie doesn’t owe her family anything but they owe her a lot, here’s hoping that Arnold realizes the importance of family.

Look at the smiles, deal with the rest. It’s the smiles you’ll remember.

Sounds like my wedding, a potluck at my brother’s house. Small family event with warmth and love

I don’t see anyone but family, and the people being honored were not required to dress up. Looks good to me. The only problem is the timing…Arnold probably needs to go straight to bed after that long-haul flight.

There is now Evie!

She can’t hear you. If you want to preach, go find some real human beings.

That was a fast set-up. one would think they have been planning this for a while now, if it wasn’t for their first reaction.

@JanFebruary 23, 2007, the following strip was published (click for full size):Is that Arnold at the far right edge?I couldn’t find an image of him before that, and all later images I found had much less hair on top. Such a change seems odd to me (others in the strip change hardly at all).

Looks sweet!

Thanks, Mabrndt! You always know where the archives are.

My own current is at an impasse (as I think he should have introduced me to a brother or two, if not his mom and aunt after 8 months of dating every week). I may be making another new start (before my 77th birthday). My friends and family will have to understand.

I do it MY WAY.

Even last Saturday, I can’t read his expression:

you took the response to the extreme. No where does Evie say “don’t do ANYTHING”. She just said “keep it low key”. YOU zoomed right past Evie’s minimalist compromise solution to the opposite extreme. Chill out.

This looks appropriate and fun to me—let the party begin!

It’s great that they are congratulating them and want to celebrate - especially when they have never even met Arnold!