Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 07-01-09

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

The past few weeks my husband and I have been fixing up our house like we're getting ready to sell it. But we're not. Why do people (including me), usually wait until they decide to sell their house to get their house in order? Why don't I fix things up while I'm living here, so I get to enjoy them instead of strangers?

I'm thanking the Home and Garden Channel for my newfound desire to fix things up around my house, and to even notice they needed fixing in the first place. For six weeks, mostly lying around in bed recuperating from surgery, HGTV was my favorite channel. I vowed when my energy returned, a transformation would happen in my house and it's going on right now.

The wrought iron railing on my side porch has been painted, the ceiling in my dressing room and bedroom are being touched up. The roof sprung a leak two years ago, the roof got fixed, but the watermark stains were left behind. The sexy little lights underneath my kitchen cupboards fizzled out over a year ago, the grout on my kitchen floor needed mending here and there, and some of the wooden blinds in my house were damaged when Mama Cat, (the feral cat I take care of) had surgery three years ago. Mama had to recuperate indoors and when the anesthesia wore off, she scoured my wooden window blinds looking for an escape. Mama's surgery scars healed, but the claw marks on my wooden blinds didn't. I've even hired a carpenter to screen in my front porch and the minute the old fashioned porch railings were in place, it was instant curb appeal. (And no mosquitoes.)

Just like you and me, even the folks on HGTV do the math when they're evaluating what to spend money on. If you update a kitchen it means extra dollars when you sell, repaint and it's money in the bank, screen in your front porch--I have no idea what that means in dollars--but in the meantime the enjoyment of sitting on the front porch is priceless to me.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

P.S. Congratulations to the winners of last week's Hat Giveaway (don't forget to send me a photo when you get the chance): Cara Coe, Mary Diane Hawkins, Sabine Veasey and Martie Philpot.

 

Dear Reader Column 06-24-09

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

It's been my favorite hat for the past 22 years. Whenever I wear it I still get compliments. The hat has ambiance. Years ago, when my husband and I lived in Wisconsin, almost every summer we'd go to Door County for an extended weekend. My favorite hat was one of the "finds" I discovered there.

My favorite is showing its age, so for the past five years I've been on the lookout for a similar hat. I tell myself it's aging with style, hopefully just like me. Shabby chic, I think they call it? A classic, clean, vintage look. A few wrinkles, (that's me) some little holes in the brim, (that's my hat) but in my mind, we both look as good as the day I bought it.

If you'd like to see "my favorite" and enter a hat giveaway, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/hats-0609.html

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

P.S. Congratulations to the winners of Monday's "Just Because Giveaway": Elizabeth Brewster, Linda Houdeshell, BJ Cordray, Lee Ann Degele, Elva Elisa Escobar, Teresa Lawrence, Alina Migeed, Lillian Glickman, Joy Prevost and Marina Carlin.

Dear Reader Column 06-11-09

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Just when I thought the party was over (way over, since my birthday was two weeks ago) one last gift was delivered to my door. A festive box filled with white cheddar and caramel popcorn, almonds, chocolate, cookies, and taffy, wrapped in bright striped paper, with a note on the outside of the box, "Happy Belated Birthday! Best wishes, Doreen."

It was the absolute best assortment of treats I've ever received, no kidding. Even my husband commented on the goodies as he was helping himself to the caramel corn--it's his favorite.

One last hurrah two weeks later, I'm sold on the idea of having at least one friend who never sends my card or gift on time. And that's exactly what I wrote in my thank you note to Doreen, (hoping she'd take the hint and volunteer). But in her reply, Doreen told me she's been the Queen of Belated Birthday Gifts for years. It all happened quite by accident. Here's her story:

"I'd always try and pick the perfect gift for my nieces and nephews when they were younger. It started out easy because when they were little anything was a hit, and I saw them a great deal, so I knew their personalities. But as they got older and I saw them less, finding the perfect gift was a lot of pressure. How could I please my niece who at three got drums from me that she loved, (my sister didn't but that's another story) or my oldest nephew, who when he turned 21, received an embarrassing photo album with pictures I'd snapped over the years. My procrastination got even worse when I had to start mailing gifts instead of bringing them in person. The birthday circled on my calendar would come and go and I'd still be searching for the perfect gift."

But now Doreen's tardiness has become a tradition and family members, especially her nephew Kyle, would be disappointed if her gifts actually arrived on time. "Now I know my birthday is officially over because I received your gift."

Personally, I've always felt bad standing in front of the Belated Birthday card section, looking for that special card to make amends. But not anymore. Isn't it amazing how Doreen took something that's usually a negative, feel bad about yourself thing, and turned it into an idea that just might leave folks clamoring to become the designated Belated Birthday Gift Sender.

If you're reading this Doreen don't forget me next year--but make it at least three weeks late next time. You know how I love to keep the party going.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: New authors, old favorites--all wonderful books you can win: Tom Sullivan, Alive Day; T.L. Hines, Faces in the Fire; Ninni Holmqvist, The Unit; Jeanette Windle, Veiled Freedom; and Jeanne Adams, Dark and Deadly. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader Column 06-09-09

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

I spent this past Saturday watching old movies and shredding with my new shredder. Eighteen pieces of paper is the maximum my shredder can chew up in one bite and I had four big boxes of paper that needed to be destroyed. I'm usually a "shred-as-I-go girl," but three months ago when I didn't open a piece of direct mail from a Catholic supply store--just slid it into the shredder--instantly I heard a screeching metal grinding sound and my shredder hasn't moved one tooth since. The free St. Joseph medal tucked away inside the direct mail piece brought my shredder to its knees.

Let me back up a bit. Truthfully I have no idea which patron saint medal was inside. (Now I know how rumors get started.) I'm not of the Catholic faith, but I guess I've been referring to it as a St. Joseph medal because he's the Saint I'm the most familiar with. Years ago my husband and I decided to move to Florida even though we hadn't sold our home in Wisconsin and when there was still no sale after one year (a new development had been built nearby which hindered selling) the real estate agent called and announced it was time to "Bury the Saint!"

Clueless, everyone but me seemed to be aware of the practice of tipping a St. Joseph statue upside down and burying him in the backyard of a house you're trying to sell. So tip and bury into the ground St. Joseph went, and a couple of months later I did sell the house. Not to take any credit away from St. Joseph, but I also did some extra fix-ups on the house, too.

I've never asked a realtor but I do wonder, 'Why they don't just plant St. Joseph in the back yard immediately after they plant the For Sale sign in the front?' But then again, especially in today's housing market, I imagine St. Joseph must be exhausted so anyone with social graces would only call on him in an emergency.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

 

Dear Reader Column 04-29-09

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

If I'm supposed to attend a meeting at 3 p.m., I'm killing time in the lobby at 2:30, just in case. Just in case I get stuck in traffic, or I show up at the wrong building. It's happened.

A few years ago I had an appointment at the corporate offices at Saks in New York City. The woman I was meeting didn't give an address, so I assumed it was SAKS on 5th Avenue, the fancy building with the clothes in the window I can't afford unless they're on a sale rack. Our meeting was scheduled for 10 a.m., but when I showed up at 9:30 looking for an open door, the only way to get in the building was through the employee entrance. And that's when the security guard informed me that the corporate offices were around the block.

Around the block in New York City can be a 20 minute walk, 25 if you're wearing "presentation heels." The heels I bought at Saks the night before. But those stylish, stupid shoes hurt my feet so badly that I couldn't stand to have them on more than 30 minutes, and going for a walk was out of the question. But a cab had dropped me off and the only way to get to the corporate office was to put one foot in front of the other. Limp, limp, stop and adjust the heels, with the pointy toes that were digging into my feet, moan and groan a bit--only seven minutes before my appointment--so I took the pain in stride and sprinted the last few feet. I made it on time, but just barely. It was a great appointment, but I was sorely disappointed that no one commented on my shoes.

Can you tell that being on time is one of my pet peeves? And it's one of the traits that my husband and I have in common, except when it comes to meeting friends for an informal occasion.

If the party starts at 7 p.m., then my dear husband expects us to be walking through the door in harmony with the big hand on the 12 and the little hand on the 7. Now if this were a job interview or a first date, punctuality would make me stand out in a good way. But when you show up on the dot for a party, the first to arrive, it's an awkward feeling. So I try to find ways to stall. For instance, my husband thinks I'm typing column notes this very minute, (and I am) but really it's a ruse. We have a dinner date with our neighbors this evening and we offered to drive to the restaurant. My husband is hurrying-me-up because it's eight minutes to lift off. "It's time to go, Suzanne, we'll be late!"

But it's only a two minute walk to our neighbor's house and we're driving, so you do the math.

"I'm coming Dear, still typing column notes."

Dfajiaourepure fjeorueouroe rr fjoejroejroe kdlfj; ldafjjdkf dljfldkjfkd...

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

 

Dear Reader Column 04-24-09

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

I receive such inspiring emails from readers. These three stories set the tone for my day when I read them, I hope they bring you peace and contentment, too. I love to hear from readers. Tell me a story any time. I'm listening.

From my Email Bag:

"Suzanne, I had to smile at your column where you mentioned how you have multiples of everything. My Dad passed away on April 1st and I had to travel back home to take care of the house. My Dad had multiples of every single thing! I have enough toothpaste now to last a family of four for a year. I shipped three pods of household goods, furniture, and collectibles to my home.

After I thought about it, I think it was more about getting out and being around people. He lived alone and had to be lonely. And you can't go to the grocery store or Walmart without buying something, so he'd just buy more of what he knew he would use.

So now when I brush my teeth or use any of the zillion things I'm still unpacking and working into my household...I smile and think of my Dad."--Debbie

"CONGRATULATIONS on catching Goldie. Some just don't understand those with a heart for cats but I and my aunt in Wisconsin do!

I had a cat like Goldie, her name was Tangerine. Tangerine came to my house when the farm she was staying at closed. Tang would let me pet her. She did not want to come into the house, but we coaxed her and when she finally did, then she wouldn't leave the kitchen. When I had to move I couldn't keep Tang, but she found a home with my aunt in Wisconsin. We put Tang on a plane and she flew to Green Bay alone. Aunt Elizabeth now has Tang and she lives the life of luxury. Twice a year Elizabeth and Tang fly to my house in Atlanta from Wisconsin to visit. Tang is a well seasoned, happy traveler in her kitty house. Amazing that a cat from a Georgia farm flies the friendly skies twice a year, and is so happy and adjusted in her apartment life."--Kris Bone

"I learned this trick from the best vet I've ever had. This came up when a client was moving, and the owner was concerned that the cat would try to trek back to its old stomping grounds. First, let the cat walk around a little bit. Then you put something the cat will like (butter, say) between its toes. When the cat happily licks the butter (or whatever) off its feet, it gets the odors and flavors of your house along with the butter. This allows the animal's instinct to instruct him that this place is in his domain. He knows he belongs there, else why would those flavors be all over his paws?

I may be anthropomorphizing here, but I think you could use the help, as I'm not sure Goldie's going to find his neutering the bonding experience you seem to hope for. I can't say exactly why, but ask your husband. I bet he'll back me up!"--Thomas

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

SEARCHING FOR YOUR NEXT BIG THRILL? Read the "Between the Lines" feature interview with Carla Neggers then read about great thrillers from: Mark T. Sullivan, Carla Cassidy, Laurie R. King, John Darrin, Heather Graham, Kyle Mills, Lisa Jackson and Keith Gilman. Go to: http://www.thrillerwriters.org

Dear Reader Column 04-20-09

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

It used to make me feel more secure when my pantry was stocked and I had a second one of each of my favorite things on hand. And it wasn't just multiple food items that brought me a sense of "all-is-well-with-Suzanne." Favorite tops, socks, pens, even when I finally found the perfect pan for a one layer cake, I decided to buy two--just in case. If one was perfect, two must be divine!

That's the theory I was operating under two weeks ago, when I went searching for the perfect reusable water bottle. I drink a lot of water and I'd been feeling guilty about the number of plastic bottles I toss into the recycle bin each week. So after two weeks of searching, I was thrilled when my husband brought home a blue, not too big, not too small, just the right size water bottle. Environmentally friendly, convenient to use and easy to wash--I absolutely loved it. Seeing how much I loved the water bottle, my husband bought me another one--and that's when I discovered that less is better for me.

When I only had one bottle, I always knew exactly where it was, but now that I own two, I can't seem to find either one of them. You'd think a girl wouldn't have to pay so much attention to keeping track of her water when she owns two bottles, but apparently less is better for me. Too much of anything and suddenly it's not quite as precious as it used to be.

*Win a water bottle of your own. I have three brand new water bottles to give to readers--and I'll even sign them. To enter the drawing, send an email, including your name and address to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/waterbottle.html

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: New authors, old favorites--all wonderful books you can win: Dori Carter, We Are Rich; Lis Wiehl and April Henry, Face of Betrayal; Laura Hayden, Red, White and Blue; Latayne Scott, Latter-Day Cipher; and Natasha Mostert, Keeper of Light and Dust. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 04-16-09

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Would you pay $50 for a fresh loaf of homemade bread? Thirty people in Great Bend, Kansas did 21 years ago when their local library was facing a financial crisis.

In 1988 the small library in Great Bend, Kansas was facing a $10,000 deficit in their budget and when the city council couldn't find any more money to help, James Swan, the Library Director at the time, decided to use his bread making talents to raise the extra money. Swan drafted a fundraising letter offering to bake one of his famous homemade loaves of bread (his bread already had a reputation at the local Farmer's Market) for anyone who donated $50 or more to the library.

Thirty people signed up for a loaf of fresh homemade bread and the bread donations totaled $3,100. What a clever way to raise money for libraries. The bread story got me thinking, I wonder if baking homemade chocolate chip cookies could accomplish the same return for libraries? I'll have to noodle that idea a little more.

It's National Library week and since many libraries are facing budget cuts right now, and some have had to close their doors, I've been promoting my Dear Reader Stimulus Package this week. Here's my idea...

Email a note about why you enjoy your local library (include the name of your library) and I'll forward your comments on to the director and staff--who doesn't like to get compliments? Then, I'll enter your name in a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to Target and if your name is drawn, I'll send your library a check for $25 (that's the Dear Reader Stimulus Package). I have eight gift certificates and eight stimulus checks for libraries. It's a fun way to celebrate and spread some good will. Hundreds of readers have already written, join in the fun. I'm waiting to hear from you.

Thanks for joining in the celebration, send your note to:
Suzanne@EmailBookClub.com

From my Library Email Bag:

"Why I like my library...Kankakee (IL) Public Library.

I am a mother of three boys ages ten, seven and four. Where else can you take them and say, 'Look around and pick out whatever you want, and we can bring it home'? The staff are always friendly and not at all concerned about the noise level that comes with my crew.

They love to ride the windowed elevator to the 2nd floor where the entire floor is filled with kids' books and fun places to read...especially the pirate ship! They also like to be able to pick out any movie to take home or just watch in the car. They beg to go, and it has allowed me to read more novels in the last two years than ever before! I also personally enjoy sampling all the music CD's, too...simply awesome. We are truly blessed."--Tricia Mills

I'm anxious to hear about your favorite library. Be sure to write:
Suzanne@Emailbookclub.com

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: With so many new books out every week, we promise these are five that deserve your attention: Mark T. Sulivan, Triple Cross; Arthur Phillips, The Song Is You; Jessica Bram, Happily Ever After Divorce: Notes of a Joyful Journey; Jilliane Hoffman, Plea of Insanity; and James LePore, A World I Never Made. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader Column 04-10-09

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Suzanne is off today, dying Easter Eggs with Paul and James, her two grandchildren. Here is one of her favorite Easter columns. Have a wonderful weekend. She'll return on Monday.

My husband bought me fresh tulips last week. It wasn't a romantic purchase, more of a rescue. We were at the market and after we picked out some strawberries, we walked through the flower section and that's when I got a case of the "remember when" blues. Looking at the spring flowers made me think about my father and our Easter tradition.

Every year, the day before Easter, my father would walk down to the florist and when he came back home he was carrying two small white boxes. Inside one was an orchid corsage for my mother and in the other box, a pretty pink and white carnation corsage for me.

My father wasn't a sentimental man, far from it. He never said "I love you" but once a year, when the tulips and daffodils of spring were peeking up through the ground--signaling a change in season--briefly there'd be a change in my father, too. I'm not sure how or where my dad got the idea, but buying a corsage for my mom and me, it became an Easter tradition. "Look at what my dad bought me." I wore my corsage all day long, even after I came home from church and changed into my play clothes and I fell asleep with it on my pillow too.

When I was older and moved out on my own, my father stopped buying me an Easter corsage. I missed it. Not just the flowers, but the feelings I used to get every year when he'd hand me the box from the florist.

And now here I was standing in the middle of the market, tears in my eyes and my husband knew why. "I think you need some fresh flowers for Easter, Suzanne. Don't these tulips look like spring?" And he handed me a pink and yellow bouquet of tulips--a new beginning and a new tradition of love.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

SEARCHING FOR YOUR NEXT BIG THRILL? Read the "Between the Lines" feature interview with Carla Neggers then read about great thrillers from: Haggai Carmon, Rob Marsh, Robert Liparulo, Gordon Aalborg, Paul Levine, Robert Dugoni, Clea Simon, Jilliane Hoffman and Allison Brennan. Go to: http://www.thrillerwriters.org

Dear Reader Column 04-06-09

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

My husband is a Craigslist fanatic and now he's got me hooked. Instead of going to the beach, or doing the laundry, lately we've been spending any extra non-working minutes checking Craigslist. At least six times a day, we log on to see if any new home furnishings have been listed. My husband and I have always loved a mission. Whenever we've needed something new to replace something old in our home, it's not the actual "getting something new part" that we're excited about, it's the hunt. So we were thrilled when our son and daughter-in-law told us about their upcoming move, because it gave us an excuse to help them search for deals to furnish the new place.
Let the hunt begin!

To get a real deal on Craigslist--to get the good stuff--you have to be ready to hookup your trailer immediately. (Our small trailer hooks up to the back of our car in minutes.) We've gotten so good at interpreting the ads on Craigslist that last week I bought a coffee table sight unseen. I couldn't go look at it right away--a girl's got to work some time--but I knew if I waited to check it out later that evening it would be gone.

But late last night our Craigslist adventures took a new twist. It was 11 o'clock, I was already sleeping, and before my husband came into bed he decided to check Craigslist one last time. And there it was--just what we'd been looking for--the perfect lamp for our son and daughter-in-law's bedroom. So my husband quickly replied to the listing and three minutes later our phone rang. It was our son calling. He thought for sure my husband was playing a joke on him--our son was the person selling the lamp. We're a family of jokesters, but my husband wasn't in on the joke, hadn't a clue, because when you reply to a classified on Craigslist you have no idea who the seller is.

So my husband and I are still searching and if you're looking for a gorgeous lamp, I know where you can find a real deal and I can vouch for the seller...

*If you have a son or daughter, or grandchildren, or you're crazy about your neighbors' kids, be sure check out today's AuthorBuzz (the link is right after my column.) In addition to free signed books, a child can win a chance to have a character named for him or her in author M.K. Scott's next book.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: New authors, old favorites--all wonderful books you can win: Jennifer Cody Epstein, Painter from Shanghai; M.K. Scott, Zamora's Ultimate Challenge; Leanna Ellis, Ruby's Slippers; and Julia Hoban, Willow. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader