Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 8-17-05

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Dear Reader,

My husband and I sealed the deal 28 years ago with simple, matching, gold wedding bands. We seem to be made for each other. He says he was put on this earth to take care of me, and who am I to argue with such logic? I think we'll last a lifetime, but our wedding bands didn't.

Because my husband spent so much time working with his hands--scraping, painting, and caulking boats--his wedding ring developed a thin worn spot, so we decided to get new ones made.

Fixing up boats used to be my husband's hobby. He had a habit of buying boats that needed "a little work". But if you've had any experience with boats, you know that a boat NEVER needs "just a little work". But that's another story--back to our wedding rings.

We're sentimental, so we told the jeweler to melt down the gold from our old rings and use it in the new ones. My ring was the first to be finished. I was so excited when I went to pick it up. At first glance, it looked good. But when I got home and took a closer look, oh my, the workmanship was terrible. I was too embarrassed to wear it.

My husband was so upset, he didn't even go back to the jeweler and confront him. We never picked up his ring, and we never heard from the jeweler again.

But now, I didn't have a wedding ring.

A few years after we were married, my father in law gave me an antique family initial ring. It belonged to my husband's great-great, grandmother. I'd been wearing it on my right hand, so I slipped it off, put it on my left hand, and it's been my "wedding ring" replacement ever since.

It's an unusual ring. There's a "B" initial (for Beecher) on the front and foxes delicately carved on the sides. And the name Ike had been hand scratched on the inside of the ring. I assumed that Ike was great-great grandma's husband's name. But when I asked my father-in-law about it, he told me that great-great grandma was married to a man named Truman.

So who's Ike?

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

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

P.S. Living Among Headstones: Life in a Country Cemetery, a memoir, by Shannon Applegate, is a fascinating read. Sample the book, enter the drawing for a free copy. Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/alt/headstone/

Dear Reader Column 8-16-05

Join my email book club. Over 300,000 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 "good enough". Those words never used to be in my vocabulary when it came to how I looked. But lately "good enough" is rolling off my tongue a little too easily, and it's worrying me.

Before I headed to the market yesterday, I told myself I should really change my clothes, because I'd been outside doing some gardening. Most of the dirt had brushed right off my shorts and T-shirt, but even after I turned the garden hose on full jet, I couldn't get the black soil out from underneath my fingernails. And my "You're a Pisa Work," pink nail polish was looking pretty ragged, too. A chip gone here and there. It makes me squirm just thinking about it (chipped nail polish has always been one of my grooming pet peeves). But instead of removing all of the polish, I just chipped a few more spots, so the missing pieces would match, decided it was "good enough," and away I went.

So is this it? Is this the beginning of the downfall?

I'm a people watcher and I admit it. Sometimes when I'm watching people walk by, I'm thinking that some of them should have changed their clothes and spiffed-up a bit before they ventured outdoors. I always used to wonder if that "desperately-in-need-of-a-makeover" look was a symptom of getting older. Maybe the older you get, the less you care? It troubles me, because I'm getting older and today I'm out in public, looking desperately disheveled.

But then, when I was in the produce aisle at the market, my mind eased a bit when I saw two teenagers shopping with their mother. Instead of shoes, one was wearing huge, pink, fluffy, bedroom slippers, and the other was trying to pick up two bags of fruit with his right hand, while his left hand was busy holding up his shorts--otherwise the oversized trunks would've fallen down to the floor.

Obviously, age has nothing to do with it.

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

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

P.S. Living Among Headstones: Life in a Country Cemetery, a memoir, by Shannon Applegate, is a fascinating read. Sample the book, enter the drawing for a free copy.  Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/alt/headstone/

Dear Reader Column 8-15-05

Join my email book club. Over 300,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

This week I have a special book for you to sample. It's a true story. I feel the need to emphasize that point right up front, because whenever I tell someone that I read a book about a woman who was bequeathed a cemetery, they automatically assume it's fiction--but it's not.

"Living Among Headstones," is a memoir about author Shannon Applegate's experiences when she became the sexton of a small cemetery in western Oregon. Suddenly, she had to learn things that no one ever taught her in school. For instance, how do you plot a grave? What if you mark a grave in the wrong place and the gravediggers start digging in an already occupied resting place?

It's a fascinating read. To sample Living Among Headstones: Life in a Country Cemetery, by Shannon Applegate, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/alt/headstone/ And be sure to enter the drawing, I have 10 copies of the book to give away to readers.

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

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

Dear Reader Column 8-12-05

Join my email book club. Over 300,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

I wanted a chicken chimichanga the other day, and when I ordered one at my favorite Mexican restaurant, I expected it to taste just like it did the last time I ordered it--but it didn't. I hate it when that happens.

I realize that the chef at the restaurant might get bored cooking the same thing, the same way, day in and day out, but I never get tired of eating his chicken chimichanga--the way it used to be. We had a discussion, the chef and I, but he swore on the Culinary Bible that he never changed a thing. However, I still have my doubts. So in the meantime, while we're haggling over the fine points of his recipe, I've switched to enchiladas.

A friend of mine gave me this recipe. She says it's a good one. I'm making it this evening for dinner. Let me know if you try it.

SMOTHERED ENCHILADAS

2 pounds of ground beef
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, divided
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

Garnishes: Homemade Salsa, sour cream, green onion curls, chopped fresh cilantro

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix and half of chopped green chiles; set aside.

Stir together remaining green chiles, soup, and sour cream. Pour half of soup mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Spoon beef mixture evenly down centers of tortillas; roll up. Place seam sides down, over soup mixture in baking dish; top evenly with remaining soup mixture and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Makes 8 servings. (Note: you can use half the amount of cream of chicken soup and sour cream, depending on how "smothered" you like them.)

HOMEMADE SALSA

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine all ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

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

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

Dear Reader Column 8-11-05

Join my email book club. Over 300,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Tuesday's cow column brought some interesting mail. Thanks for writing. I always love to hear from readers. It's the best part of my job.

If you missed the photo of my cow, go to:
http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cow.html

If you missed the column click on 8-09-05 on the right hand side of this page.

From my Email Bag:

"Hi Suzanne, your musings about cows struck a chord with me. My husband and I love cows. We didn't know we did until we moved to Florida and bought a house next to a pasture full of cows. Now we often go out in the early evening, sit on our swing, and just watch the cows. It's very peaceful listening to them crunch the grass! We especially enjoy watching the calves frolicking, butting heads and then curling up together to rest.

The people who own the land were going to develop it. Several hundred small houses were going to be put where those cows are. We were devastated--not so much because of the houses, we just couldn't bear the thought of not being able to watch 'our' cows anymore.
Fortunately, we have a happy ending. The state bought the land for water resource purposes and it will never be developed. At one point we were actually contemplating buying some land and getting our own cows--not that either one of us knows the first thing about farm animals! Thanks for starting my day off on the right foot each morning!"-- Christi

"Suzanne, good morning. As I look out the window of my office I see rain. I read your 'Dear Reader' column and it made me think that sometime today, my dad will have to go out in the rain and feed his cows. (Hope he can stay dry.) They are his 'girlfriends'. He proudly tells each of us kids when one of his 'girls' has a baby because we have a new face to learn.

See, dad and mom bought my grandparents' farm a few years back and the cows, hay, fencing, and other chores are now theirs. As a child, I loved visiting my grandparents, even though they lived right beside us, because I was expected to help with the animals and crops. I learned to love the cycle of life and nature because I had something tangible to relate to. Your cow is lovely and I understand what you mean when you say it helps you be a better person. Thanks for a great story and reminder of the good ol' days with the cows."
--Michelle C.

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

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

Dear Reader Column 8-10-05

Join my email book club. Over 300,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

One of the most rewarding things I've ever done in my life was homeschool our son. Actually, it was his idea. Every night when I'd tuck him into bed, he'd always ask me the same questions: "Why do I have to learn things in school that I'm not interested in? Why do I have to memorize dates and places? Can't I just look them up if I need to know? Can I be homeschooled?"

His questions were pretty good ones, especially for a fourth grader. And since I couldn't come up with any good answers, I told him what my parents always told me when they didn't know what to say, "Because that's the way it is. Now go to sleep."

Homeschooling? He wanted to be homeschooled? Why, I thought only earthies and weirdos homeschooled their kids--but soon I was one of them.

I didn't let on to my son or my husband, but I was a little worried about taking on this homeschooling task. It was a big responsibility. I was going to be teaching my son the things he'd need to know to get through life. What if I screwed up? But at the same time it was exciting, because my son was asking me to help him learn. Wow, what an opportunity.

The first thing we tackled was reading--he couldn't read. He did great in school, except in reading. His teacher put him in a special reading group, but it never seemed to make any difference. My approach to problem solving has always been to use common sense, and mine told me, 'If the boy can't read, let's go to the library, get some books, and I'll start reading to him.' And that's what we did.

My husband was always embarrassed to go to the library with us, because we'd check out 50 books at a time. He was sure that 50 books had to be a library violation, so he'd hide around the corner until we were ready to leave.

The book shelves in our kitchen were always filled with library books, and in our first month of homeschooling, all we did--yes, the only thing we did--was sit on the couch and read. We'd snuggle together and I'd read book after book to my son. I never asked him to read, not once. But eventually he asked if he could read a page, and then another. And one morning when I started reading a book to him, he confessed he already took that one off the shelf yesterday and read the entire book--all by himself.

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

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

P. S. To enter the "Write a Dear Reader Contest" go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/users/734/web/winbooks.html

Dear Reader Column 8-09-05

Join my email book club. Over 300,000 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 bought me a cow a few months ago. Not the mooing kind. It's a black and white, knickknack cow, and it opens up in the middle. It's cute and it's an unusual conversation piece. But more importantly it's become my new "make-me-a-better-person" tool.

I'm constantly working on myself--not surprisingly it's a full time job. You'd think after 51 years of trying to come up with a new and improved version, I'd have found it by now, wouldn't you? But just when I start feeling pretty pleased with myself, I notice something else that needs fine tuning.

Sometimes I label people before I have a chance to really get to know them. And it's a bad habit. I met a woman the other day, who from the start, didn't give off friendly vibes. So I figured I'd just write her off my "want-to-get-to-know-you" list and ignore her. But we had to spend a couple of hours together and before we said good-bye, we had exchanged phone numbers and set a date for lunch. She was really a warm and funny person once I looked inside.

And that's where my cow comes into the picture. I realize it's a bit simple-minded, but whenever I find myself thinking, 'I'm not going to bother with that person, because of their chilly first impression,' I picture my cow. My curio cow looks like a lot of other cows, on the outside. But open it up, look inside, and you can imagine a lot of possibilities.

To see my inspiration, go to:
http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cow.html

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

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

P. S. To enter the "Write a Dear Reader Contest" go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/users/734/web/winbooks.html

Dear Reader Column 8-08-05

Join my email book club. Over 300,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Learning how to be "me" is something that has actually been pretty hard work. Bizarre, huh?

I used to spend a lot of time worrying that I might not fit in, that the situation called for someone who looked like me, but who had a different personality. I'd edit the things I'd say in conversations, hoping people would think I was one of the gang, but then I'd always end up having a miserable, meaningless time. Fortunately, I've made great strides in learning how to be Suzanne, so if you met me today, what you read every day in my column is the person you'd meet.

Deep down I'm a people pleaser. I want people to like me. I don't think that will ever change, and I've decided that it's really not a bad trait to have. It's only a problem if I want people to like me so much that I try to blend into their world, instead of introducing them to a little bit of mine.

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

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

P. S. To enter the "Write a Dear Reader Contest" go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/users/734/web/winbooks.html

Dear Reader Column 8-5-05

Join my email book club. Over 300,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Let me say right up front, there are a lot of reasons to go to college, and I highly recommend it for most people--but I'm really glad I spent those four years doing something else.

Sometimes it's fun not knowing any better. There are always surprises in store for me because I'm still learning things that other people learned in college. But I'm a quick study, so it's never a problem when someone starts talking about "that famous textbook experiment." I just nod my head, smile, and listen like I'm not hearing it for the first time.

And after last night, I'm extremely thankful that I've never had any college writing classes, either--I think they might have ruined me. I was reading a book about how to write nonfiction, and it was great in the beginning. The author talked about the struggles of writing and I identified with many of his observations and woes. 'That's me. That's me,' I kept thinking. 'Thank heavens I'm not the only writing nut case out there.' But then, when I was reading Chapter Seven--Usage: The Dos and Don'ts--I started conducting a self-evaluation...'Do I do that? Should I be doing that?'

Now I can really identify with medical students who are convinced they've contracted whatever disease they're studying about that week, because today when I was working on my column, I started questioning every word I wrote. Can I say "mighty fine?" Can I use the word "bummer" or should I be "disappointed" instead? Do you feel any "discomfort" or does it "hurt?" Maybe I should find a more impressive word for "important?" Where's my thesaurus? On second thought, what's another word for "pain-in-the-butt?"

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

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

P. S. Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/alt/murder/ to sample Murder At Midnight, by Marshall Cook. And you just might win your own copy.

* To enter the "Write a Dear Reader Contest" go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/users/734/web/winbooks.html

Dear Reader Column 8-04-05

Join my email book club. Over 300,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Remember, if a book isn't a good match for you, or you go on vacation, hit that delete key. A new book is featured every Monday morning. Keep the book club fun and guilt-free.

From my Email Bag:

" Dear Suzanne, I really appreciate your daily column! I get them every morning at work. I am subscribed to several of your daily book clubs. You are exposing me to books that I would not normally read, simply because I am too busy. I'm a soldier serving overseas in Germany."--Steven M.

"Hello Suzanne! I discovered your Book Club shortly after my husband, teenage son, and I arrived in Geilenkirchen, Germany last fall. My husband is in the Air Force and we'd just moved to our 11th base and 15th home in 23 years of marriage. As you can imagine, there is an adjustment period with any move, but even more so when moving to a foreign country. I want you to know that your Book Club helped me through the rough spots after this move. Not only did I discover great books at the Book Club, but I also became addicted along the way to your 'Dear Reader' column."--Candy M.

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

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

P. S. Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/alt/murder/ to sample Murder At Midnight, by Marshall Cook. And you just might win your own copy.

* To enter the "Write a Dear Reader Contest" go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/users/734/web/winbooks.html