Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 10-31-19

Dear Reader,

My feelings cycle. I realize I've been here before, so apparently I haven't learned the lesson yet. Here I go again... What would happen if I decided to be happy with who I was and where I am in life, this very minute? Perhaps if I just concentrated on being the best that I can be right now, in whatever place or situation I find myself, that in the end, I'd get to where I wanted to be all along...happy.

Every once in a while, especially if I'm tired or feeling kicked around by the world, I have a bad habit of comparing myself to other people. And you know what? I can't think of one single time that it's done me any good. I think those evil little "how-do-I-measure-up" thoughts tend to hit me when I'm tired, or I've just received some unpleasant news.

Those comparisons are little dirty secrets in my mind. I don't speak of them out loud--after all, what would people think? If I confessed that sometimes I feel like a loser, compared to so-and-so, that wouldn't be a flattering impression for me to leave with someone. Or if I openly admitted that now and then, I find joy in shamelessly trying to convince myself that I'm further along in life than someone else--well, it's almost too embarrassing to admit here today. It's a cheap thrill, a waste of my time and it belittles me in the process.

But then again, since I'm human, I guess it's a given that I'm going to wrestle with thoughts like these. So maybe I should ease up a little. Because the true test of my character, is what I do with them.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

Dear Reader Column 10-30-19

Dear Reader,

The original clay pipe from my 1925 home has served me well, but today it has to be replaced. If it weren't for the huge roots of a nearby tree, strangling one side of the pipe, it might have went merrily along its way for another 10 years.

But when the water is draining out of your washing machine and you hear magnified gurgling sounds underneath the tub, and then the water in your toilet starts spinning around and around like a scene from The Exorcist--it's time to call a plumber.

So today we're having a "Sewer Pipe" party. No more worries, wondering if things are really going to go down when you flush the toilet, and no more visiting the laundromat. Yes, it's going to be wonderful to get back to normal, but I have to say getting my sewer pipe replaced is not the most exciting thing I've ever spent money on. And it's not really something I can brag about and invite the neighbors over to show them brand new shiny sewer pipe. But then again, maybe we can. Years ago, when my husband and I lived in a small town near Madison, Wisconsin, we had some neighbors who did invite us to a Sewer Party...

There are some jobs I'm so thankful that someone else signs up to do.

My friends needed their septic tank pumped and they invited me over for the occasion. Wasn't that thoughtful of them? I'd never been to a septic tank pumping, so I thought, what the heck. I'm always game for a new experience.

The nicest man showed up to do the job. Very polite and efficient. He got right down to business, slid the cover off the septic tank, leaned over, dragged a stick through the contents, studied it for a minute, and said to my friends, "You guys must eat well because the bacteria looks good. It hasn't got a thick sludge level." (I don't know if that's an exact quote, because I was still recovering from the initial whiff I inhaled when he threw back the cover.) "And I can see that you don't flush a lot of things down that you shouldn't," he continued.

I appreciate a man who's into his job, but the party was over for me. This was more than I wanted to know about my friends.

* Congratulations to the October's Chocolate Chip Cookie winners. I will be baking for you soon: Nancy C., Betty S., Manitowoc Public Library and Deborah P., Route 9 Library and Innovation Center

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

Dear Reader Column 10-29-19

Dear Reader,

I'm baking cookies for three lucky book club readers. Today is the last day to enter this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway. If your name is drawn, cookies will show up on your doorstep soon. To enter the drawing, and see photos of past winners, click here.

Today's guest author, James R. Hannibal is no stranger to secrets and adventure. A former stealth pilot from Houston, Texas, he has been shot at, locked up with surface-to-air missiles, and chased down a winding German road by an armed terrorist. He is a two-time Silver Falchion Award winner for his Section 13 mysteries for kids and a Thriller Award nominee for his Nick Baron covert ops series for adults. James is a rare multi-sense synesthete, meaning all of his senses intersect. He sees and feels sounds and smells and hears flashes of light. If he tells you the chocolate cake you offered smells blue and sticky, take it as a compliment.

The Gryphon Heist, James' latest thriller, plunges readers into a labyrinth of action, con men, and global espionage. James says "The Gryphon Heist is a nonstop, electrifying ride that will take readers into the most daring burglary ever conceived."

Please email and say hello to James.

Spies, Jesters, and Fidget Spinners

I have a confession. I am forty-four years old, and I love fidget spinners. There. I said it.

I know fidget spinners were a silly fad. But I love them. I love the variety of shapes and styles. I love the whir and feel of a little gyroscopic device balanced on my finger.

This addiction harkens back to my juggling days. Long before I held titles like Stealth Pilot and Intelligence Liaison, I was a professional juggler. I had a talent agent and everything. She was also the snake lady. Her husband was the strong man. I worked gigs all over town with this pair, juggling, riding a unicycle, and balancing oddly-shaped objects on my face. Sometimes all three. I had only one major stipulation in my contract. I would not work as a clown--never a clown.

We ran into a gray area just once.

My agent called me with a gig working as a jester for an Irish Catholic wedding reception. One hitch: I'd have to wear the costume. The shoes weren't floppy and red, but they did have bells on the toes. And there were checkered tights.

The priest brokering the deal promised I could pilfer whatever I wanted from the caterer's leftovers. The snake-lady-agent pressed me. Ten percent of my fee belonged to her. I'd like to say her husband strong-armed me, but he didn't have to. The money was too good. I put on the tights and danced around like...well...a fool. Please don't tell my military buddies.

The jester-but-totally-not-a-clown job was my last. A few weeks later, at seventeen, I was at the US Air Force Academy, running through the Rockies with an M-16.

I still juggle sometimes, usually when nobody but my kids are looking. I play with hacky sacks and fidget spinners too. When I found a kindred spirit in Eddie Gupta, the geeky best friend of rookie CIA operative Talia Inger in The Gryphon Heist, I took full advantage. I gave him a fidget spinner and told my wife I had to buy a pile of them for "research." The other characters make fun of us both, but Eddie and I don't mind.

That's the full confession. Clearly, I've said too much. If you bring it up near my military buddies, I'll deny everything. And if you catch me balancing a sword on my head and a fidget spinner on my finger, I'll swear it's all part of the writing process.

-- James R. Hannibal

To see a photo of James balancing a sword on his head, click here.

Contact James.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

Dear Reader Column 10-28-19

Dear Reader,

Some things just can't be explained, you have to experience them yourself.

When Bailey, my granddaughter, was visiting a few weeks ago we went to her favorite clothing store. It's become a tradition. We've always been treated to great service, but on our last visit, we experienced amazing, over-the-top attention. The clerk helped us put together outfits we never could have envisioned on our own. As we were saying "Thank you" on our way out the door I added, "Bailey and I are going to be baking, don't be surprised if we drop off some cookies."

So a few days later Bailey and I were putting homemade chocolate chip cookies in a gift bag and she wrote a note to the clerk. Bailey said I should come in with her when she delivered the cookies, but I insisted she go alone. "I want you to experience the feeling of handing someone a bag of cookies. Something special happens. I can't explain, but you'll understand the magic soon."

When Bailey returned, "Grandma, you won't believe it!" she was so excited. "When I gave the woman who helped us the cookies she was practically crying. Her birthday is tomorrow."

And that's some of the magic of gratitude. Some things can't be explained, you have to experience them yourself.

It feels a little strange sometimes, even to me, when I decide to give cookies to someone I don't know. But then I think back to the last time, and the magic of gratitude makes me feel so excited and away I go.

"Hi there, I baked today and I thought about you. Thank you for..."

Be sure to enter today's Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway. I'll be baking for three book club readers. You can eat the cookies yourself or feel free to give some away. If your name is drawn, cookies will show up on your doorstep soon. To enter the drawing, and see photos of past winners, click here.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

Dear Reader Column 10-25-19

Dear Reader,

It's an inexpensive, unusual and memorable gift--especially if you give it to someone "just because." Homemade chocolate chip cookies.

There's always a gallon bag of chocolate chip cookies in my freezer, just waiting for someone to stop by my house. Yesterday I gave cookies and a bottle of water to Thomas, the man who came to do maintenance on our air conditioner. An hour later, the new postal person brought a package to my front door, and when I offered her cookies, she announced, "This is absolutely the best route in Sarasota!"

But folks don't always have to show up at my house to dunk and munch. The other day when I baked chocolate chip cookies and banana bread with walnuts, chocolate chips and fresh blueberries, I delivered the delights (still warm from the oven), to a local attorney as a thank you for working on a project for our neighborhood. I didn't get to meet the attorney, I left the baked good with his secretary, but I did receive this note in the mail:

"Ms. Beecher,

It's not often, rare actually, that we get such a thoughtful gift from a client. We all considered the banana bread and cookies as a holiday treat! Thanks so much for thinking of us."

Homemade chocolate chip cookies leave a big impression and today I'd like to bake for three lucky book club readers. Be sure to enter this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway. If your name is drawn, cookies will show up on your doorstep soon.

To enter the drawing, and see photos of past winners, click here.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Books for kids and teens: If you're looking for an alphabet book that's full of life and wordplay, C JUMPED OVER THREE POTS AND A PAN--AND LANDED SMACK IN THE GARBAGE CAN by Pamela Jane is sure to get them learning and laughing; and for middle-graders interested in history and mystery and adventure, two books: THE SHOCKOE SLIP GANG: A MYSTERY by Patricia Hass and CASPER AND JASPER AND THE TERRIBLE TYRANT by Tilia Klebenov Jacobs are terrific go-to-reads. For a chance to win free copies and learn more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.

Dear Reader Column 10-24-19

Dear Reader,

They used to be my own personal, Swiss army knife sort of contraption. If I couldn't tug on a string and break it, or if a potato chip bag wouldn't give it up with a quick tug of my hand, hey, what were my 32 pearly whites for? Yes, even though dentists across the country preach not to, I confess I used my teeth for more than crunching, munching and devouring dinner--until I chipped a tooth.

Pistachios are usually fairly easy to pull apart but a couple of months ago when I bought a bag, a lot of them only had a faint crack in the shell. My husband suggested to just toss those, because I'd have to get a knife to open them and it wasn't worth the hassle. But that meant I' d have to toss out 25 nuts, and they're expensive, and it's really not fair, and I'd sound stupid calling the company and asking them to replace the 25 "damaged" pistachios.

So instead, handy is as handy does, (and even though I knew better), I opened those 25 nuts with my teeth. But I soon discovered that 'handy' costs a lot these days, when it comes to fixing a chipped tooth. Actually two front teeth--that pistachio just wouldn't open and I was determined. My determination cost me over $1,000. "Ca-ching!"

So the minute I got out of the dentist chair, I vowed to myself that in the future, instead of using my teeth, it would be a lot cheaper to get off my hiney and go get a hammer, or the scissors or a knife.

When I bought my next bag of pistachios, I was an adult about how to eat them. Because I questioned whether or not I had the willpower to face any "damaged" pistachios, I asked my husband to remove the offenders ahead of time. Yes, I was a changed woman, vowing not to use my teeth as a tool. But I almost relapsed when I was decorating for my granddaughter's birthday party. It was a cat themed party and each one of the little cat decorations (25 of them), came in their own thin plastic bag. I was in a hurry and returning to old habits, I picked up a bag, had it between my teeth, ready to rip, but quickly I had second thoughts.

'Ca-ching!'

I got up off of my hiney and went and got the scissors.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader Column 10-23-19

Dear Reader,

It makes my day to read your emails. Thanks so much for writing. I sure do appreciate it.

Reader Emails...

I could not resist Googling your Grandma Hale's Our Favorite Recipes cookbook (My dad calls me the Google Queen.) Sure enough, it can be found on Amazon for $54.97! I had a good chuckle! Just wanted to let you know I appreciate your accuracy and, even more so, your delightful sense of humor and way with a story. Thank you for sharing--I look forward to reading your 'friend'-ly emails. A fellow apron collector," -- Linda

"Dear Suzanne, Aren't you a wonderful mother, doing laundry for your son and daughter-in-law [Monday's column] is such a gift. It reminded me of a time when my dryer was out of service. I brought my wet laundry to my mother's house to use her dryer. I put the load in and told my mother I would be back later in the day to pick up the dried clothes. When I got back to her house, my clothes were all folded and in neat piles. Since I was in need of a new dryer, I asked her what brand she had, I wanted the model that folded and sorted the clothes like hers did. She was always such a help to my siblings and me. Love reading your emails." -- Brenda G.

"What a great idea. Laundry for your kids. I wish mine lived closer so I could do that. You are one of a kind! So happy I get to read your notes every day." -- Pat H.

"I just read today's column. I'm so sorry about your pain. This is the first time you've mentioned it--or at least the first time I've read about it. And yet you offer to do laundry. I shake my head thinking about how many husbands, including my own, in perfect health, who never offer to help with the laundry--or much else, for that matter. I'm a lefty and I'm having surgery on my left middle finger tomorrow. It will be in a splint and I'm scheduled for six weeks of therapy. How much therapy can you do on one medium-sized finger? The only good thing is that I get to clandestinely tell certain people what I really think of them. I hope they find a way to ease your pain, and that doing the kids' laundry doesn't make it worse. You're a good soul." -- Regards, Nancy B.

"Dear Suzanne, I don't often comment, but I do often read you column, and just wanted to let you know that I've found your musings of the past couple of days to be especially moving and inspirational. Thank you for sharing from your heart about some of the things that are most important to you and for touching and encouraging me (and I would imagine, many others, as well) through what you share to be our best versions of ourselves." -- Sincerely, Laura H.

* Write a DearReader Contest winners will be announced the week of November 4th. If you're a winner I'll be calling you soon.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Books for kids and teens: If you're looking for an alphabet book that's full of life and wordplay, C JUMPED OVER THREE POTS AND A PAN--AND LANDED SMACK IN THE GARBAGE CAN by Pamela Jane is sure to get them learning and laughing; and for middle-graders interested in history and mystery and adventure, two books: THE SHOCKOE SLIP GANG: A MYSTERY by Patricia Hass and CASPER AND JASPER AND THE TERRIBLE TYRANT by Tilia Klebenov Jacobs are terrific go-to-reads. For a chance to win free copies and learn more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.

Dear Reader Column 10-22-19

Dear Reader,

Today's guest author, Diana Biller says...

I think the best way to you about myself is to tell you about the things I love. So here's a completely inexhaustive list: I love my husband, my dog, my family, and my friends. I love ballet--both watching it and taking adult beginner classes. I love hiking alone, writing in gardens, and jumping in waves. I love Disneyland. I love Los Angeles, where I live. I love reading--it's my oldest passion and my favorite.

My debut novel, The Widow of Rose House, is a historical rom-com set in 1875 New York. It features a scandalous and grumpy widow, an eccentric and devastatingly handsome inventor, and a house which may or may not be haunted.

I'd love to hear from you, email [email protected]

Please welcome author Diana Biller...

This summer my critique partner and I drove to Joshua Tree National Park for a three-day writing retreat. (We called it a writing retreat. It was the two of us and an insufficiently air-conditioned AirBnb.) Joshua Tree is the kind of ugly that borders on beautiful: nothing but rocks, bleached dirt, posters of missing hikers, and those eerie-looking trees dotting the landscape as far as you can see. The gift shop sells stickers telling visitors "Don't Die Today."

It was too hot to go out during the day, so we actually did what we came there for and wrote. In the evening, when it cooled down, we went whole hog on the creative retreat concept. We drove many miles into the pitch black desert to attend a "sound bath" with total strangers. We climbed a mountain to "watch the sunset," and forgot that the sun setting meant our descent would happen mostly in the dark. And we sat in our AirBnb, music playing, and channeled our inner thirteenth-century monk with a little creative hand-lettering practice.

This was unexpectedly soothing. She'd brought a workbook with some projects in it, and we both picked one with the words "Practice Makes Progress" surrounded by laurel wreaths. I won't lie, hers was better than mine. It also read "Practice Makes Perfect."

I laughed at her and accused her of making a Freudian slip. She's a known perfectionist, I thought this was a pretty perfect illustration of that. She took my teasing in good grace, and I tucked my 'correctly' written paper inside a book to take home, where I eventually set it on my desk.

And proceeded to make the same mistake. Every. Single. Time.

Now, I wanted to absorb this message. Practice makes progress is exactly right. It's true in writing and knitting and even my adult ballet classes. So why couldn't I say it? I'd look at the little page, read it, and hear "Practice Makes Perfect" in my head. I'd say it wrong while beating myself up for cooking too infrequently, for writing too slowly, for having bad balance in ballet that evening. And eventually, I read it and realized how incredibly brutal I was being to myself.

Practice Makes Progress. What would I do differently if progress, not perfection, was the goal? I don't have an answer yet--I'm still working on reading the words correctly. But what I do know is this: never make fun of your critique partner. It'll only bite you in the end.

-- Diana Biller

Welcome Diana to the book club, email [email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader Column 10-21-19

Dear Reader,

I need to do something for somebody else today. It's been a rough few days and from experience, I've learned the best medicine for me, is doing something for someone else.

The old adage, "It's better to give than receive. "I don't believe it. What I know to be true, is that it's not a choice for me, because when I give--I always receive, too. Fortunately for me, I find joy in doing for other people. It's not an intentional decision, I just seem to be on the lookout for ways to make other people feel special.

Making people feel special doesn't require doing something elaborate. Today I'm going to call the plumbing company manager and tell him about the great job Larry did last week. Not only did Larry install a new bathroom faucet, he took the time to clean off the age marks the old one left behind. Now it looks like I have a brand new faucet and sink. It's amusing sometimes when I call and ask to speak to a manager, the person on the other end of the line--I can feel their tension--so right away I alert them, "This is a good news call."

Over the years, I've volunteered at local schools, homeless shelters and even coordinated an every-Friday free meal, but now I have some chronic pain issues, so leaving my house to volunteer on a regular basis isn't an option. So I thought, 'Why not volunteer in my own family?' My son, daughter-in-law and their three children live in the same city as I do, and they're always on the go. The kids have to be dropped-off and picked-up from different schools, and then they each have their own after school activities. And of course my son and daughter-in-law have their own jobs. So I called my daughter-in-law one day and said, "This may sound strange, but since I can't leave the house and volunteer somewhere, I decided to volunteer in my own family. Can I do your laundry every week? Wash, dry and put the clothes on the hangers?"

It's the perfect match. My family loves that I do the laundry, I love the feeling of volunteering, and it's true, when I give I receive. Because they stop by to drop-off and pick-up their laundry, I get to see them more, hear stories about the kids and share in their day-to-day lives.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader Column 10-18-19

Dear Reader,

I think a change in seasons has everyone thinking about changin' up the menu. Thank you to Tess, a long time book club reader, who is sharing one of her favorite recipes later in today's column.

I'm already starting to think about my Thanksgiving menu. I know, I know, it's weeks away, but I'm a plan-in-advance type of person. Nothing is etched in stone when I preplan, but it's comforting for me to know I've sketched out the basics. This year I was debating whether to change up my standard menu. My husband and I will be married 42 years this December, and I think for all of those 42 years I've served the same dishes on Thanksgiving. And when I asked my brother-in-law, who comes to visit every Thanksgiving what he thought about my changing up the menu idea, he quickly assured me he flies once a year from Washington and all the way here he's thinking about Thanksgiving dinner. "Please don't change a thing, Suzanne."

So it will be traditional Thanksgiving family dinner at my house this year. In the meantime, I still feel like changing things up a bit, so I'm going to try Tess's Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes slow cooker recipe. If you try it, let me know what you think and I'll pass it along to her.

"Dear Suzanne,

Good afternoon! Your recipes today made me think of Crock Pot recipes. It is getting cold out up here and they sure do hit the spot in the fall and winter.

Tuesdays I work late at the library and I typically make a Crock Pot recipe for my husband so he doesn't have to cook with a two-year-old by himself. Today we are having Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes. It is a very easy recipe and a winner because [my daughter] Felicity likes cheese so much. Anyways, I just thought I would share. Have a great day! -- Tess C.

The cooking directions for Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes are very easy. Put everything in the crock pot on low for 7+ hours. I let it go between 7 and 9 hours usually. I also ALWAYS use a slow cooker liner because it makes cleanup such a breeze. Ingredients include....

28 ounce package frozen diced potatoes with peppers and onions (you can also get the frozen potatoes and then just add a fresh chopped bell pepper and onion, I did that this week)
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (I used cheddar and mozzarella)
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 andouille sausage, chopped
1 package frozen peas (optional)

When I make it, I layer the vegetables and potatoes at the bottom, then the andouille sausage and then sprinkle with cheese. I mix the sour cream and cream of celery soup and lay that on top so it seeps down into everything. This is a great recipe for a blustery day or a day when you are just too busy to spend time in the kitchen (I have a lot of those)."

* Congratulations to Katherine G. the winner of The Pumpkin Patch Cookbook.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.