Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 1-31-05

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Dear Reader,

I'm not overweight, but it's something that every woman in my family has had to tackle. My mother fought the extra pounds, and my grandmother had to fight even longer and harder. And me, I used to weigh 20 pounds more than I do right now.

I can't take credit for intentionally losing the extra 20 pounds, it just kind of happened, because one day I changed my thinking. So I was intrigued when I started reading, "French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure," because eating for pleasure--that was the change in my thinking.

Sample the book for yourself. I think you'll like it. I have ten copies to give away and when you send me an email, with your thoughts about the book, you're automatically entered in the drawing. I'll forward your comments on to the author.

To sample French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure, by Mireille Guiliano go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/alt/fren1.htmlThanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 1-28-05

Join my email book club. Over 280,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Judy, a reader, emailed and asked:

"Suzanne, just wanted to say how much I admire you and what you have done. I am 58 years old, and still struggling with what I want to be when I grow up. I've got an MBA and have done all the traditional corporate things. I've done higher education - until I got laid off. Now I'm resting in the mountains of Western North Carolina and trying to figure out a way to live my passion and make some money at the same time.

You seem to have done that very successfully. I know it must have taken lots of hard work. I've seen your name in several of the entrepreneurial newsletters, etc. as an example of a success story. What would you say has been your most valuable piece of advice?"

(Suzanne responds:) I think one of the best things that I've got going for me in life is that I'm willing to go out on a limb. It's not that I'm never afraid to crawl out there, and admittedly, sometimes I have to hang on for dear life--but I'm willing to take the chance.

Financially, I've been all over the board in my life. Early on, I had to use food stamps and I lived in subsidized housing. And then years later, I sold a business that I'd started and I had more money than I ever dreamed possible in my lifetime. I've invested that money in what I'm doing now. So I've bet the farm, so to speak, on finding ways to bring people joy through reading. And you're right--connecting with people, bringing them a few minutes of laughter and joy every day--that's my passion.

I did a lot of soul searching at one point in my life, and it became clear to me that without a doubt I was put here in this crazy, wonderful, place to do the little things in life. So when I'm out on that limb, and the winds blow down hard, I'm able to stay and fight the fight--because I know, that I know, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. And that's a blessing.

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

Warm regards,

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 1-27-05

Join my email book club. Over 280,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Licorice has always been a favorite treat of mine and eating too much of it has never been a problem, until a couple of weeks ago. My favorite licorice was on special at the store, so my husband stocked up, thinking he was being kind. But now, every time I pass the kitchen cupboard where we keep it, I've got to have one-and-one. (One-and-one is licorice code in our house for one piece of black and one piece of red. The only way to eat licorice is to mix them together. Sometimes I even do two-and-two.)

But when my husband pointed out a worn path in the floor that headed straight to the licorice cupboard, I realized my habit was out of control. Telling myself to "just stop" wasn't working. So I came up with a way to interrupt my behavior ahead of time, and then hopefully, I'd be able to talk myself down from my licorice craving. The pact that I made with myself was that whenever I wanted to eat one-and-one, I'd have to drop to the floor and do 20 sit-ups first. My own personal 20-step program. But timing is everything.

The other day I accidentally grabbed one-and-one, before I did my 20. I ended up doing the 20 sit-ups all right, but now I have another bad habit to break. I hold the licorice in my right hand, take a bite on the upswing of the sit-up, and then chew real fast, so I don't choke on the way back down.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 1-26-05

Join my email book club. Over 280,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

I've been eating way too much licorice lately and I've got to quit rolling hairballs. They are two bad habits that have got to go. I tell myself over and over that I'm not going to do these things anymore, but it's not working. So, I've come up with some ways to interrupt these undesirable behaviors.

I'll tell you about the hairball first. That's the worst one.
Whenever I'm sitting and reading for a long time, eventually my fingers end up wandering through my hair. I suppose it's a harmless nervous habit, but after a bit of wandering, I end up with strands of hair in my hand.

Now what to do with the hair? Tossing them on the floor is not an acceptable option for me, so I roll the strands up into a ball and set it on the end table beside my chair. The plan is to throw it in the trash after I'm done reading. But it's amazing what a big pile of hairballs a person can accumulate after reading for an hour. (I can now appreciate my poor cat's hairball dilemma firsthand.) But I'm happy to report that I've broken this nasty habit. As long as I read with white gloves on, my hair stays put. But now turning pages is a real challenge.

And so is eating too much licorice, but I'll address that bad habit tomorrow.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 1-25-05

Join my email book club. Over 280,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

My car's been in the repair shop for a couple of days, and it will probably be another two days before I get it back because the mechanic had to order a part. It's interesting how my life has changed because my car isn't parked in the driveway.

Running errands...well, I make a list and see if the items have anything in common--geographically. It's not that I don't like to walk, but walking takes more time. So I have to preplan the route, and then when I see how much effort is going to go into getting this "necessary" item, most of the time I lower my standards and figure out a make-do solution. I'm sure there must be a little more caffeine--one last buzz--left in those two day old coffee grounds.

It's amazing how many times a day the thought pops into my head, "Hey, I'm hungry for such and such," or "I just gotta have this or that," and I head towards the car so I can drive and get it. But not today.

Two days without wheels and all ready I'm a changed woman. Only two squirts of bubble bath in the water this morning, instead of my usual four, because I'm down to the end of my last bottle. I even washed out some of my used ziplock bags yesterday. (Oh no, maybe I'm turning into my mother. This is getting scary.)

I do have a walking trip planned this afternoon, though. You know how when you need one more of something, you tell yourself if you just look long enough, if you just dig deep enough in the cupboard, you'll find that one last--roll of toilet paper--but I didn't. So it's definitely time to walk to the store.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 1-24-05

Join my email book club. Over 280,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

I started the book clubs because I wanted to find ways for busy people to find the time to read. And that includes me. Believe it or not, even though books are at the center of my job, sometimes it's tough for me to find time to read. Ask any librarian and they'll probably tell you the same thing.

If you're feeling "out-of-control" busy, hit the delete key when my daily email comes. Don't save it, that will only add to your "I should have, and I will get to it someday" guilt file. If you ever want to retrieve a book that I've featured, email me and I'll send you back issues--5, 10, 15, 20 different books--as many as you want. That's what I'm here for.

I'll try my best to send you a variety of great books and you can kick back whenever you need a 5-minute getaway.

Thanks for letting me be part of your life and for reading with me.
It's so good to read with friends.

Warm regards,

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 1-21-05

Join my email book club. Over 290,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

A reader told me the other day, "Suzanne, some of your columns are hilarious. I'm sure that secretly you're a stand-up comedian."

Well, I do enjoy writing humor and I wouldn't mind trying to write a few lines for a comedian, but I'd never, ever want to do the delivery myself. Talk about a tough job. The Oscars should include a category for stand-ups-- I mean think about how many times a comedian must have to deliver "funny" when she's not feeling one bit funny. What if her boyfriend gave her the boot three hours before she was supposed to go on stage? Unless the night's routine was filled with scathing boyfriend jokes, this funny gal could be in big trouble.

I don't know what's in a comedian's emergency make-yourself-feel-funny-kit...a whoopee cushion? (I suspect that the sound of breaking wind is always good for at least one laugh.) But I have a new emergency trick of my own, and I'm testing it out today. I'm playing dress-up.

I have an outrageous hat and scarf on, and I'm sitting in front of the computer in my sun room, just waiting for funny to hit me. The hypothesis in my experiment is that if I dress up in funny clothes, I'll eventually start to feel funny. And who knows, it might have worked if the UPS guy hadn't rapped on the window and interrupted my experiment. No doubt about it, I look funny; he's still laughing.
But now I'm just feeling stupid.

If you want to see what stupid looks like, go to:
http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/funny1.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 1-20-05

Join my email book club. Over 290,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

I'm always excited when I have a new idea; just can't wait to try it. But when it's time to make it happen--to begin--fear sets in and I start questioning my decision to jump into something new. "Oh no, what have I done? Can I really do this? What was I thinking? What if I can't make this happen? I'll be ruined."

I know the lines by heart, because I've repeated them to myself many times throughout the years. It's an irritating routine that I put myself through--silly really. But I guess it must serve some purpose--because in the end--most of the time I do jump in, and I'm glad that I did.

I remember the first time I questioned my decision to jump in. My parents had signed me up for swimming lessons. It was the first day and I was standing on the edge of the pool, staring down into the cold water. The words were a little different. Instead of, "What was 'I' thinking?" They were, "What were 'they' thinking?" But nevertheless, I still needed to face the fear.

I gave myself three options, and they're still the ones that I use today:

1. I could walk slowly into the three foot end of the pool, let my body adjust to the water temperature, and I wouldn't have to worry about getting in over my head.

2. I could jump into the deep end. One big splash and under the water I'd go. Quite an entrance, but it can be a real shock to your system. No doubt my arms would have goose bumps, and my body would be shaking from the cold--so much that I could hardly think. But since drowning isn't an option for me, I'd be forced to take action. Any action; swim, float, tread water, whatever I could do to stay afloat, until I warmed up and got my wits about me again.

3. I could not jump in, and play tennis instead.

I jumped in the deep end that first day I "faced the fear". And I usually jump in the deep end today, too. But I have learned some things along the way, because now I know how to swim.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.DearReader.com

P.S. Last week's cookbook winners were: Tamara Hannon, Linda Wehmueller, Victoria Jacobs, Jan Glasoe, Jamie Albritton, Matthew Hairell, Dale Baird, Ricki Marking-Camuto, Sally Shipley, and Wendy Easton.

Dear Reader Column 1-19-05

Join my email book club. Over 290,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

The last time I went home to visit my mother, she sent a box of old photographs home with me. Tucked away in the bottom of the box was a Christmas card. It was a homemade card, a simple 8 ½ x 11 piece of green paper, folded into quarters. The front flap of the card had a small slit in each of the four corners and a recipe for plum pudding was inserted in it. When I opened up the card, inside was a poem about "The Story of Plum Pudding" and at the end, there was a two-line Christmas greeting from my Grandma Hale.

What a clever idea Grandma had. And the more I thought about it, the faster my mind started coming up with ideas about how I could create and use a similar card in my business. I love to cook--everybody loves recipes--I could insert some of my favorites, and it could become my signature card. I was inspired, and I couldn't wait to make my own card. And of course...and that's when I realized...I was going to say, that of course, Grandma Hale would be the first person I'd show it to.

I think of her often, but my Grandma Hale died years ago. I miss her, but today I miss her in a different way.

Gee, Grandma, I'm so excited about finding your card. You've given me such a fantastic idea. I don't know what you're up to, but I sure hope you're reading my column today--because this one's for you.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 1-18-05

Join my email book club. Over 290,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Inspiration seems to find me when I'm in the bathtub and that's okay. Soaking and writing, I can handle that. It's the jumping out of the tub part--when I've forgotten to set a notebook and pen on the white wooden bench that sits beside my old clawed bathtub--that drives me crazy. And I could actually injure myself some day.

I'm not sure how or why creativity strikes in the tub, but here's my theory: I like my bath water hot. So hot that I can barely slide into it without feeling a burn. It's a major shock to my system, but maybe it's that stinging jolt that dislodges something creative that's been stuck in my mind. An explosive, water-born idea that has to be addressed immediately.

I jump up--no time to reach for a towel--and run into the other room desperately needing to fill the prescription for my relief. But on the way to locating a pen and paper, it's a perilous course. I have wooden floors in my home--the original ones from 1926--and my wet feet slip and slide across them, keeling over out of control.

I can see it now when the paramedics arrive.

"How did this happen Suzanne?"

Naked, still dripping wet, with a cordless phone in my hand: "Well, I was in the bathtub, inspiration hit me--you know how it is, don't you? The words are right there, so clear in your mind, just beggin' you to write them down. I didn't have any paper and I was running to get some, so I wouldn't forget the idea. Did you know wooden floors are really slippery when your feet are wet? And here I am.
Would you hand me a towel?"

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.DearReader.com