Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 1-17-05

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,

Last week I asked if you'd tell someone about the book clubs, and oh, my, did you respond. I was copied on thousands of emails that went out to family and friends. I can't thank you enough.

My mission at the book club has always been to create ways to make it fun and easier for people to find the time to read. But I certainly couldn't do it without you. You are the best friends a woman could have. Thank you so much.

From my Email Bag:

"Muchas Gracias, Suzanne. Great, great nonfiction and business readings. I've gotten so much out of the service. Thank you for the selections."-- David Frank

"Dear Suzanne, my bricks-and-mortar book club is a wonderful group of women from a wide range of backgrounds and careers. I also work with one of these women and I told her about your on-line book club. We both enjoy discussing the daily book club segment. Many of your choices have made it onto our must-read list and have been recommended to our club as upcoming selections. Thanks for giving us a glimpse into books that might otherwise have gone undiscovered."
--Mary F.

"Hi Suzanne, well, you are in BIG trouble! I finally got around to making your Chocolate Crackles. Not only is it easy, and delicious, but extremely addicting! As they were cooling, I couldn't keep away from them. Good thing they're small. I bet I ate a dozen yesterday. Thanks for all the books you send my way, I've discovered so many new authors. Aside from making my hips wider, you are an angel for bringing the gift of different books my way each week."
--Sheila Beitler

If you missed the recipe, click on Chocolate Crackle Cookies on the right-hand side of this page.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 1-14-05

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,

Women get labeled as serious shoppers, but it's a bum rap. I know firsthand, because my husband has been "buying" a camera for three weeks now. And from past experience, I think it'll be at least two more weeks before he wraps up this purchase. He's a big-time comparison shopper--thank heavens he didn't get out Consumer Reports when he was dating me.

When I need to buy a new coffee machine, I want to go to the store, look at what's on the shelf, compare the items I see, and if I like something--buy it. Deciding to buy and ringing up the purchase is all wrapped up in little over an hour.

My husband, on the other hand, first consults Consumer Reports, then looks online, reads the Sunday advertisement inserts, and then gets in his car and drives to every store that offers the product he's looking for. I happily let him go alone. I don't shop with him anymore--unless I'm shopping for clothes. Then, I wouldn't leave home without him.

He's unbelievable! He knows what I like, what looks good on me, and he can whip through hanger after hanger and spot that "to-die-for" outfit much quicker than I can. And the best part of shopping with him is that when I can't decide on the pink one or the yellow one, he tells me to buy them both.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.DearReader.com

P.S. I feel like cooking this week. I can't invite you all over for dinner, but I can giveaway 10 cookbooks. Titles such as: Wing It, Marcella says...(Italian cooking), The Low-Carb Gourmet, and Emeril's Potluck, are waiting to find good homes. Send a friend an email and tell them about the book club, let me know, and your name goes in the hat! It's good to share dinner with friends and it's good to read with friends, too.

Dear Reader Column 1-13-05

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,

Cough, cough, sniffle, sniffle. First I'm hot, then I'm reaching for my sweater because I'm cold--and I fear that soon, every inch of my body is going to be aching. I keep saying it "ain't so," telling myself that I really don't have a bug. But I think I'm losing this mind-over-bug battle. I think I've been "bitten" and I fear I'm goin' down.

So, I figure if I'm goin' down, I should go down in style, and that's why I'm eating a Dove Bar this morning at 5:30. Oh my, this tastes so good. The best medicine this girl could get.

I don't enjoy being sick, but I do appreciate the part when I finally let down. When I get so worn out, that I give up and accept the idea that I need to slow down--and I do. You know, it's amazing. On other days when I feel fine and dandy, I wouldn't dream of working in slow motion. How would everything get done, and on time? But it's a funny thing, the world keeps going when I take a break. My necessary work finds a way to get done and the things that can wait, well, I take care of them when I'm feeling better.

Yes, I think it's time to kick back and eat another Dove Bar. I'm sure it would be just what the doctor ordered.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.DearReader.com

P.S. I feel like cooking this week. I can't invite you all over for dinner, but I can giveaway 10 cookbooks. Titles such as: Wing It! Marcella says...(Italian cooking), The Low-Carb Gourmet and Emeril's Potluck, are waiting to find good homes. Send a friend an email and tell them about the book club, let me know, and your name goes in the hat! It's good to share dinner with friends and it's good to read with friends, too.

Dear Reader Column 1-12-05

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 love to hear from readers, so email any time.

From my Email Bag:

"Suzanne, in some of your pearls of wisdom, please pass along some of what you've learned about being a better storyteller! Thank you for the great things you share every day. Reading your daily message is making me a better, more well-rounded person. I look forward to your daily Dear Reader column." --Mary K.

"I am a new member [and] I absolutely love it, since I am a mom of two boys also with a full time job. So I never have time to pick out a book. With this book club I can read part of a book and then know right away if I want to check it out. It also helps me maintain all the weight I lost because I treat myself to time reading a book instead of snacking in the evening." --Theresa

"Dear Suzanne, I have discovered so many books I would never have read, and I'm so glad you don't just email out the latest bestsellers, but older books that I've missed and that I can easily find on the library shelf (since they're not in such high demand). I always enjoy your Dear Reader column, it's something I always read even if I'm not interested in the book! So, thank you, thank you, thank you for your email book club, from a dedicated Connecticut reader." --Melanie C.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.DearReader.com

P.S. I feel like cooking this week. I can't invite you all over for dinner, but I can giveaway 10 cookbooks. Titles such as: Wing It, Marcella says...(Italian cooking), The Low-Carb Gourmet, and Emeril's Potluck, are waiting to find good homes. Send a friend an email and tell them about the book club, let me know, and your name goes in the hat! It's good to share dinner with friends and it's good to read with friends, too.

Dear Reader Column 1-11-05

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,

Companies are going to have to stop introducing new grooming products into the market, because I've got to ease up on my daily primping ritual. There just aren't enough hours in the day.

My manicurist tells me to oil my cuticles every night and to carry a bottle of lotion, so whenever I get my hands wet, I can reapply. My dental hygienist complimented me on my teeth, but then added, "Have you ever thought about whitening them?" Floss, brush, paint my fingernails and toenails, shave my legs, visit the hairdresser once a week for a wash and blow dry, and every third week I sit in the chair for two hours while my roots are processing. (Yes, I'm really a brunette.) My doctor's got me taking a "stand-up" pill every Saturday morning, (Well that's what I lovingly call it, because after I swallow it, I have to stand up for at least 30 minutes. I'm hoping it will help me tell better jokes.) My eyebrows need to be shaped every few weeks, a facial every couple of months, apply makeup in the morning, take it off at night, walk over two miles a day with ankle and arm weights, spend 10 minutes a day with Denise Austin's ab tape, run a business and write a daily column. I've gotta tell you, my schedule's getting pretty cramped. And now--I've got hair growing where there shouldn't be any.

There are three hairs that insist on growing on my right big toe. I'm unfamiliar with hair protocol, but for the last 50 years my big toe has been hairless and I'd just as soon keep it that way. I yanked them out. Ouch! But they showed up again three weeks later, which got me to thinking about hair in general. Why does some of my hair keep growing and other hair--like the hair on my arm stop? I mean, it must decide to call it quits at some point, or we'd all be walking around with arm hair dragging on the floor. Oh well, that's probably more than you and I want to find out about hair. In the meantime, if a company starts selling "Big Toe Shaving Cream" I guess I'll have to add it to my collection.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.DearReader.com

P.S. I feel like cooking this week. I can't invite you all over for dinner, but I can giveaway 10 cookbooks. Titles such as: Wing It!, Marcella says...(Italian cooking), The Low-Carb Gourmet, and Emeril's Potluck, are waiting to find good homes. Send a friend an email and tell them about the book club, let me know, and your name goes in the hat! It's good to share dinner with friends and it's good to read with friends, too.

Dear Reader Column 1-10-05

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 in the mood to do some cooking this week, so I've dug out some of my favorite Asian recipes. It's true the slicing and dicing that's required for most of the dishes takes some time, but they all taste so good when they're finished. And the leftovers are even better the next day.

Years ago, I used to cook for a couple of hours every week with a friend. One day we made Hot and Sour Soup, Pork Potstickers, Braised Shrimp with Vegetables, and Egg Foo Yung. Little did I know that I was cooking my own surprise birthday party dinner. My husband had planned the birthday bash for that evening and the guests showed up at 6:30 with the rest of the goodies; cake, ice cream and of course, presents. I definitely was surprised!

If you'd like to try some of my favorite recipes, and see a picture of who stopped by to help me eat the leftovers, go to:

http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/sour1.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.DearReader.com

P.S. I can't invite you all over for dinner, but I can giveaway 10 cookbooks. Titles such as: Wing It!, Marcella says...(Italian cooking), The Low-Carb Gourmet, and Emeril's Potluck, are waiting to find good homes. Send a friend an email and tell them about the book club, let me know, and your name goes in the hat! It's good to share dinner with friends and it's good to read with friends, too.

Dear Reader Column 1-07-05

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,

Every year, same time, same thing. I go through my closet and dresser drawers evaluating, sifting and sorting, deciding what to keep and what to donate or toss.

Looking it over, does it pass my test? Does it look like it belongs in another century? Did I wear it even once last year? And if I did, did I wear it the entire day? It's that last qualifier that's the biggest deal breaker.

I put a pair of pants on the other day; looked in the mirror, and wondered, "Where have these pants been all of my life? Why don't I wear them more often?" But about an hour and 15 minutes later, I vividly remembered why these pants have been sitting in my drawer for the past year.

The last time I had a conversation with these pants, I was in the middle of a two and a half hour flight to Manhattan. I'm sure my seat mate thought that I was afraid to fly--the way I was twisting and turning and bending over in my seat, gasping for air. But really, I was afraid that I was going to have to rip my pants off right there in the aisle. Because no matter how still I sat in my seat, my pants kept inching up higher, tighter and tighter. I was in the grip of a "blue jean" boa constrictor, who knew it was only a matter of time before its prey would succumb.

These pants look brand new--well they are--I've only worn them a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes. I can't bring myself to toss them, so instead I'll donate them, with a disclaimer--"These pants will make you look 'hot', but only for one hour and 15 minutes. Good luck!"

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 1-06-05

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,

Well, I'm just going to sit here today until I break through this silly thing I've got going on in my mind. I'm stuck and it's driving me nuts. I know there's a lot of great copy inside of me, but sometimes it's a real struggle to get it out.

"Gee Suzanne, the really good stuff in life usually doesn't come easily, so why do you think it should be any different with writing?"

Do I think I'm just gonna sit down and the words will come spilling out--right on the money--the first time, every time? Sure, sometimes a column comes pouring out of me--I'm so inspired that I can't spit the words out fast enough--and it feels so good when that happens.

"Oh, how I long for that place. Why can't I get there all the time?"

I was in Grand Rapids, Michigan two days before Christmas--stuck in a hotel room--because the Cleveland airport I was connecting to was shut down. It was 3 a.m. and when I switched on the PBS channel, comedian Adam Sandler was being interviewed. Sandler, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, was talking about his experiences on stage doing stand-up.

When he first started, some nights went good, and others, well, not so good. But after a not-so-good night, which he admits to still having sometimes, he said that he just reminds himself that he gets to try again tomorrow. It's not the end of the world. And then he said there are those nights when, "I'm in the 'zone' and it feels good." Everything is lined up, his delivery's right on the mark--he knows it, and the audience feels it.

And when I heard him say, "If I could only find that place every night," I jumped out of bed and yelled out loud to the television, "Yes!" Because I know the feeling, and that's exactly where I want to be all the time, too. Why, oh why, can't I get to that place each and every time I write?

Oh well, I know it's in me. I can try again tomorrow.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 1-05-05

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,

A couple of months ago my husband got a pill container in the mail from his insurance company. It's a long, thin, rectangular strip with seven flip-top containers, each labeled with a day of the week. Visibly embarrassed, he took one look and tossed it aside. I knew what he was thinking, because I was thinking it, too: "This thing is for old people."

I saw that same look on my husband's face when he opened his first letter from AARP and pulled out a card with his name printed on it. When he saw me eyeing the card, he quickly pointed out that there was one for me, too, but I countered--reminding him that he was six years my elder. I was still a youngin' in AARP's eyes. They were only sending me this senior accoutrement because I was his spouse. "I'm with you all the way honey, but this old person thing...you're on your own with that, at least for a few more years."

Okay, I admit that I carry "that" card in my wallet. It's hidden behind my credit cards, and yes, I do present it to the desk clerk at the Novotel Hotel every time I go to Manhattan, because--dare I even say it?--they offer a "senior" rate, which saves me twenty bucks a night. Money talks at any age.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 1-04-05

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 son came over to visit me the other day, and after he left I realized that it had been a long time since I'd hugged him and told him out loud that I loved him. When he was a boy, I never gave it a second thought. It was so easy to scoop him up into my arms, give him a big hug, cover him with kisses, and tell him over and over again how much he was loved.

He's still "my boy," but now he's 26 years old, all grown up and has whiskers on his face. I don't know, maybe it's those whiskers that scare me off, that lead me to believe that he's too old for hugs and kisses from his mother.

I feel awkward and it seems foolish that I would have to spend so much time thinking about it--making plans to reach out and hug "my boy". But the next time I see him, that's exactly what I'm going to do.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.DearReader.com