OK thanks for your prompt reply. following the items I′ve found on the interweb I can get posts into columns (using your grid tips https://www.transformationpowertools.com/wordpress/multi-column-wordpress-template) but as you pointed out all the formatting disappears and it looks very ugly and I don′t think I′m proficient enough to re-style the grid to keep the original clearstyle look and feel so at this point it seems I have 2 main options.
1) use the grid format and post any questions I have on that thread regarding how to style it
or
2) find out if it′s possible to alter the current table so that each post displays in the same table row instead of in a new row.
any ideas which would be the simplest route to take?
thanks