Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 07-17-2020

Dear Reader,

I enjoyed the week and readers did, too. Thanks for writing. I do indeed love to hear from readers. You're an inspiration to me.

(Readers respond to this Tuesday's white sock thank you column.)

"Suzanne, my doctor's son had his bar mitzvah and was active in collecting clothing for indigent children as his community project. He had installed a big barrel at the doctor's office, and I kept it filled with things I gathered to donate. I received a beautiful linen thank you letter. At first, I thought it was bare. Then I saw at the very, very top of the last page, a tiny, handwritten note that said, 'Thank you for the gift.' I can only imagine how much it pained a 13-year-old boy to have to write a thank you note. Along with the almost-blank thank you note, was a note from his father that said: 'Sorry, my son is a boy of few words.' It was funny." -- Dorie F.

"I sure do love the way you write!...and about those white socks! Hilarious!! Thank You for brightening my day!" -- Nicole

(Suzanne responds: Nicole, guess what I'm sending to you? Email me your address and bright, white socks will be on the way!)

"Suzanne your vintage hats are GORGEOUS! I love them! We have dress up days at my library and this week will be Vintage Day. I shop at my local vintage shop often and I have many dresses from many eras. Sometimes when I visit the shop I try on hats, but I never buy them. I was just telling my coworkers I thought I would wear a dress and pumps from the 50's, and now I sure wish I had a hat to go with it! Thank you for sharing so much with your readers! Take care." -- Jennifer G.

"I loved the photos of your vintage hats. I tell my friend that I do not look good in a hat. She always says you need to wear it with an attitude." -- Joan A.

In Monday's column I shared some photos of some of my vintage hats. If you missed the photos, click here.

Heads up...the launch date for this year's Write a DearReader Contest is coming up soon, Monday, August 24th. What to write about? The birds in your backyard, something you found in the junk drawer, or maybe write what you wish you could write about--but the topic makes you nervous. (I find when I'm nervous about what I've written, I get the biggest response from readers.)

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.

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

"Hilarious" says Brightly about Primo Gallanoosa's debut picture book HEY, WHO MADE THIS MESS?, just right for kids ages 3-5. Check it out. For a chance to win free copies, to talk with the authors, and more, see KIDSBUZZ.

PENGUIN CLASSICS this month features the book The Posthumous Memoirs Of Bras Cubas, by Machado de Assis. I have a copy of the book to share, so start reading and enter for your chance to win.

Dear Reader Column 07-16-2020

Dear Reader,

Congratulations to book club reader, Lisa H., winner of the cookie scoop in a random drawing in my "dirty" recipe contest.

Some readers not only shared their favorite "dirty" recipes, they sent photos, too. To view some readers' "dirty" recipes, click here.

My husband's favorite "dirty" recipe is Hot and Sour Soup. You'll either really love it--or hate it.

(I always make a double batch of the recipe below.)

Hot and Sour Soup

3 dried wood ears or 4 dried mushrooms
20 dried lily buds, optional
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half
1 T dry cooking sherry
4 c chicken broth
1/2 c sliced bamboo shoots (1/2 of an 8-oz can), drained and cut into matchstick pieces
4 oz bean curd, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 T distilled white vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
2 T cornstarch
3 T water
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp sesame oil
2 green onions, cut into 1 1/2-inch slivers

1. Place wood ears and lily buds in separate bowls; cover with hot water. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Pinch out hard knobs from center of wood ears and discard. Cut wood ears into thin strips. (If using mushrooms, cut off and discard stems; cut caps into thin slices.) Cut off and discard hard tips from lily buds.

2. Cut chicken crosswise into thin slices; sprinkle with sherry. Let stand 15 minutes.

3. Bring chicken broth to a boil in 3-quart saucepan. Add wood ears, lily buds, chicken and bamboo shoots. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes. Add bean curd, vinegar, soy sauce and white pepper; cook 3 minutes more.

4. Blend cornstarch and water in a small cup; stir into soup. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened. Turn off heat. Stirring constantly, slowly pour egg into soup. Stir in sesame oil and onions. Makes 6 servings.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: With so many new books out every week, we promise these titles deserve your attention:

(Fiction) PROVOKE by Rachel Van Dyken

(Fiction) THEN LIKE THE BLIND MAN: Orbie's Story by Freddie Owens

(Fiction) THE ABOLITIONIST'S DAUGHTER by Diane C McPhail

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

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

PENGUIN CLASSICS this month features the book The Posthumous Memoirs Of Bras Cubas, by Machado de Assis. I have a copy of the book to share, so start reading and enter for your chance to win.

Dear Reader Column 07-15-2020

Dear Reader,

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, today's guest author, Jessica Winters Mireles holds a degree in piano performance from USC. After graduating, she began her career as a piano teacher and performer. Four children and a studio of over forty piano students later, Jessica's life changed drastically when her youngest daughter was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of two; she soon decided that life was too short to give up on her dreams of becoming a writer, and after five years of carving out some time each day from her busy schedule, she finished Lost in Oaxaca.

She also knows quite a bit about Oaxaca, as her husband is an indigenous Zapotec man from the highlands of Oaxaca and is a great source of inspiration. She lives with her husband and family in Santa Barbara, California.

About the Book: Piano teacher Camille Childs is a lost soul who is seeking recognition through her star student--so when her student unexpectedly leaves California to return to her village in Oaxaca, Mexico, Camille follows her. There, Camille meets Alejandro, a Zapotec man who helps her navigate the unfamiliar culture of Oaxaca, view the world in a different light, and perhaps find love along the way.

Jessica is giving away two copies of Lost In Oaxaca. Drop her an email and you'll be entered. Email: [email protected]

Endless Possibility

My fifteen year-old daughter recently gave up her bedroom to her older sister, who had to move home because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Isa decided she would move into the spare room--a tiny office located at the back of the house. I was surprised by her generous offer, as it was out of character for my often self-absorbed teenager.

Isabella is the youngest of our four daughters. My husband and I refer to her as our surprise child, as she was born when I was forty-two--a full ten years after we thought we were done having children. And if that wasn't life-changing enough, when Isa was two, she was diagnosed with leukemia. After three years of chemotherapy, multiple blood transfusions and surgeries, she was cured. Her survival as nothing short of a miracle, which is why we are guilty of indulging her a little. All right--'a lot'.

At first, I said no to the move. If she couldn't keep her current room clean and organized, how would she manage with a space half its size? Normally, I'd have fought her harder, but this pandemic has been especially hard on my little girl. When the natural process of disentangling from her parents has suddenly been put on hold, depression sets in. It's no wonder Isa was looking for some change.

I relented. The next morning, Isa rose at dawn and packed up her books, knickknacks, photos, and clothes. With an excited look in her eyes, she left behind her spacious room with the view of the garden, and headed to the junk room with no closet.

Up on the walls went dozens of framed photos of her friends. New floral bedding was purchased, along with many houseplants--succulents, ferns, and trailing ivies, all of which were artfully placed around the room. She put up an array of shiny vinyl records she found at the thrift store. 'Very hip.' She added an essential oil diffuser and a strand of lavender LED lights around the window, and, 'viola'--her room became a soothing spa. I wanted to lie down on her soft, billowy bed and never get up again.

It's been two weeks, and Isa's room is still clean and organized. Her attitude is different, too. She's present with our family in ways that she wasn't before the pandemic. This gives me hope for her generation. They have gained a newfound resilience, one that will allow them to view the world with the endless possibility of beautiful transformation.

-- Jessica Winters Mireles

Enter the drawing for a copy of Lost In Oaxaca. Email: [email protected]

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.

THE ABOLITIONIST'S DAUGHTER (Fiction) by Diane C McPhail

Is there a story from childhood that haunted you? Mine was the horrific tale of the Old Greensboro "feud." Imagine discovering this was the story of your own family! The story begged to be told: a Southern Abolitionist Judge, his murder, mob violence and a lynching; three extraordinary women left to negotiate trauma, loss, and a bloody Civil War on the horizon; and the difficult journey to truth, forgiveness, and redemption.

Go to: AUTHORBUZZ click on THE ABOLITIONIST'S DAUGHTER to read more and to email author Diane C McPhail, you'll get a reply.

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

"Hilarious" says Brightly about Primo Gallanoosa's debut picture book HEY, WHO MADE THIS MESS?, just right for kids ages 3-5. Check it out. For a chance to win free copies, to talk with the authors, and more, see KIDSBUZZ.

PENGUIN CLASSICS this month features the book The Posthumous Memoirs Of Bras Cubas, by Machado de Assis. I have a copy of the book to share, so start reading and enter for your chance to win.

Dear Reader Column 07-14-2020

Dear Reader,

Be sure to sample this month's Penguin Classics, The Posthumous Memoirs Of Bras Cubas, by Machado de Assis. I have a copy of the book to share, so start reading and enter for your chance to win.

(Suzanne is off today, but she's sharing one of her favorites.)

Joe, a book club reader, sent me a thank you note the other day, with a Starbucks Card tucked inside. (He knows what this girl likes.) I was touched by the kind gesture, but I was even more moved by his note.

"I'm afraid that my grandmother would be more than a little disappointed in me right now. I was taught at a very early age to always send a thank you note when someone did something nice for me." It was Joe's way of apologizing, because he felt his thank you was too tardy.

Guilt and my mother taught me, at a very early age, to always send a thank you. As soon as I finished opening the handmade cross-stitch gift that Donna, a book club reader, sent to me I could hear my mother, "Suzanne, sit down and write a thank you note and do it right now, or you'll forget."

A thank you was an assignment in my house when I was growing up. It was supposed to be at least 28 words and had to include adjectives and sincerity. Not that I had to fake being genuinely grateful when someone gave me a gift, but when you're a kid, writing a thank you note interferes with actually playing with the gift you're so thankful for. So it always seemed to me like a simple thank you would suffice. "Thank you for the new doll. As soon as I finish this thank you note I'm going to play with it, so...gotta go...thank you. Suzanne Beecher." There it was--28 words including my name.

It was an even tougher assignment writing a thank you note for the white socks that my aunt sent to me every year for Christmas. I realize it was the thought that counted; my mother had drilled that into me, but what could you say about a pair of white socks, year after year? At least "white" counted as one of my required adjectives.

"Thank you for the great white socks. I've never seen such bright, white socks. Those white socks will go with anything and the handy thing about white socks is that you don't have to worry about matches. One white sock is pretty much like the next white sock. And if I forget to put my shoes on and run outside with my white socks on, Mom has a new bleach that will get the dirt out and the socks will be white again. Thank you for the white socks." There it was, 89 words, more than I needed and apparently the extra words were too encouraging and heartfelt because my aunt kept sending those darn white socks.

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

(That's only a 12 word thank you, but I really mean it from the bottom of my heart.)

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

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

THEN LIKE THE BLIND MAN: Orbie's Story (Fiction) by Freddie Owens

Few novels capture the 1950s Civil Rights Era from the perspective of a white child. At nine, Orbie seems to live his life along a precipice. He is burdened with an overabundance of difficult choices which would be beyond the capacities of most boys his age--but Orbie is about to discover that he's no ordinary boy; that nothing is ever precisely what it seems. Prejudice is not innate. The dead aren't really dead. And those in power cannot be trusted.

Go to: AUTHORBUZZ click on THEN LIKE THE BLIND MAN to read more and to email author Freddie Owens, you'll get a reply.

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

Dear Reader Column 07-13-2020

Dear Reader,

I spent a lot of time with my grandparents when I was a kid, and on every single one of my visits we always went to the resale/antique store. It was two towns over from Lancaster, Wisconsin where my grandparents lived, but even the drive to the store was a treat for me. I sat in the backseat of the olive green Studebaker, and it sounds bizarre, but the more right and left turns Grandpa made on the way to the store, the more I enjoyed the trip. The turn signal on Grandpa's car made a distinctive, resonating clicking sound, and for some reason I found it very comforting. Over the years, instead of counting sheep when I couldn't sleep, if I listened real hard I could hear the click, click, click, of Grandpa's turn signal and soon I'd fall asleep.

My grandparents introduced me to the fun of visiting second-hand stores and I've been hooked ever since. Now when I walk through a store, it feels so familiar because I see my grandparents on every shelf. There's Grandma's cookie jar, those poinsettia water glasses in the display case were always on the Christmas dinner table, that chest of drawers looks familiar too, and when I see old woodworking tools, I picture them hanging on the board my grandfather had in his basement shop. Grandpa was very organized, every tool hanging on the board had a designated place.

You didn't have to dress up to go shopping at the second-hand store, but whenever Grandma was going shopping anywhere, before she left the house, she put on a fancy going-to-town hat, touched up her lipstick in the mirror, then gently ran her hands down the front of her dress to smooth out any wrinkles, and finally, when she gently rested her handbag on her wrist, Grandpa and I knew that was the signal--we were ready to go.

I do like vintage dishes and knickknacks, but I've fallen in love with vintage hats. I assembled such a collection that five years ago, I had a Vintage Hat Party in my friend's vintage clothing store. Obviously I'm not the only one in love with the hats, because I sold every single one I displayed.

But I have kept some of my favorite hats, because I love the way they make me feel when I'm wearing them.The first time I ever wore a vintage hat, a warm wonderful feeling came over me; I smiled and giggled as I looked in the mirror because I think I discovered a bit of the magic Grandma must have felt as she was getting ready to go-to-town.

If you'd like to see some of my favorite vintage hats, click here.

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.

PROVOKE (Fiction) by Rachel Van Dyken

I'm so excited we're finally back in Seaside, Oregon! One of the new Hollywood hotspots that promises to give you the rest and relaxation you need! I love revisiting this small town and it's broken rock stars, and I know you will love this touching story of facing your fears even when each step hurts. This is a story of hope and redemption!

Go to: AUTHORBUZZ click on PROVOKE to read more and to email author Rachel Van Dyken, you'll get a reply.

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

Dear Reader Column 07-10-2020

Dear Reader,

Grease, gravy and pink buttercream frosting stains, these are all signs of a great cookbook. Yes indeed, it's the "dirtiest" cookbook I own and several of my favorite recipes are inside.

Email me one of your favorite "dirty" recipes (no story about it required), and your name will automatically be entered in a drawing for a cookie scoop, like the one I use. The winner won't be drawn until Monday, so you can still enter over the weekend. Email [email protected].

Book club reader Leslie R., sent in one of her favorite "dirty" recipes, along with a story...

"Suzanne, yesterday I had two very ripe bananas so I made a batch of my favorite banana rolls, from a very dirty Chiquita Banana Recipe Book. You know, one of those little paperback cookbooks, probably free when you mailed in so many Chiquita banana stickers.

Anyway, I had three rolls that had to go into an extra baking pan. Hot out of the oven, I frosted the rolls and decided I would run the extra three over to a friend, who had knee replacement surgery last week. My husband volunteered to take them since he was running an errand. I texted my friend, she said she would put the garage door up, and he could come in and put them on her kitchen counter. A half hour later she texted that since it was going to storm, she wanted to put the garage door down, did I know when my husband was coming?

Total panic, I told her he should have dropped them off 30 minutes ago at least. Did he put them on someone else's kitchen counter? My husband doesn't have a cell phone, so I had to wait for him to come home and solve the mystery. Come to find out, he had put them on a counter in her garage, on top of a box, just out of my friends reach. She had to wait for her husband to come home to retrieve them. So much for hot-out-of-the-oven! Below is the recipe, although I 'cheat' and use a bread machine to make the dough. The ingredients are listed in the order I put them in the bread machine.

2 mashed, very ripe bananas
1 slightly beaten egg
1/4 cup melted butter
1/8 cup warm water
1 tsp ground cardamom (my secret ingredient)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp yeast

I let the bread machine do its job, but if you do it by hand, let the dough rise until doubled. Rollout into a flat rectangle, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped pecans, and roll up. Cut up and place the slices in a buttered pan. Let rise an hour and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Frost with your favorite buttercream frosting." -- Leslie R., Centerville Washington Township Library

*I've promised to feature photos of some of my vintage hats, but I've been receiving such delightful emails from readers, that I've put off that column until this coming Monday. Have a safe, enjoyable weekend.

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.

Dear Reader Column 07-09-2020

Dear Reader,

My column posted July 2nd brought readers to share some memories of their own.

If you missed the original column you can read it here, plus see photos of the quilt I wrote about, and the one I'm currently working on.

"Hello Suzanne, thank you for another from the heart Suzanne story! I am so glad you had the foresight to save the quilt you made for your mother. It sounds like there were many mixed feelings but you chose love in keeping the quilt. Think of the happy memories when admiring your quilt!" -- Carol

"Still on my first cup of coffee when I read your piece about the 'Wizard of Oz' plates, the unused but jealously guarded crock, and the quilt you made, thoughtlessly bunched up on the garage floor. My first thought was a memory of packing for Goodwill my mom's t-shirts after she died; I swear she must have had over 100. My second was a nasty fantasy of taking that [your mom's] crock and throwing it from the top of the highest hill in Florida (I believe it's all of 500 feet high). But there you are, taking that symbol of your love and effort to reach your mother, and turning it into a quilt of acceptance of what was. If I were there, and we were close enough to do so, I'd give you a hug. You are pretty amazing." -- Sue M.

"My mom wasn't good about keeping things I made for her, or gave her. Always hurts a little bit even though she's been gone for 26 years." -- Sandy L.

"Suzanne, we all have drawers we need to open, be they literal or symbolic. Your column this morning is a most moving lesson on forgiveness and how it floods our own hearts with love. Letting go....Thank you." -- Merle H.

"Your note was the first message I read this morning. The book club messages bring pleasure and I always look for them, especially on days when I wake up with nothing to look forward to, or so I think. Your story, few words but a vivid picture, made me look at some of the things that surround me in our home, drawers that I too have been opening at this lonely time. My experience with my mother was different, those things I come across in those drawers and boxes bring good memories. I am sorry that yours didn't. I thank you for reminding me how lucky I have been. I love [your words], 'filled the space with love.' I can remember the love and release the objects, and now pass on the stories. My granddaughters love 'When Grandma was little' stories at bedtime. I need to write some down now that I don't get to see them." -- Nancy H.

"Everyday I am inspired to write back to you, when I read your daily note to all of us I feel like I'm chatting with my best friend. Today is no different, however your keepsakes from your mom really hit home. I quilt too, and it all started with my mom. We took a quilting course together back in the 70's and I took it up again when I retired. Not to get side tracked, but in my closet I have my mother's old house coat. It used to be white with bright pink flowers splashed on it! To top it off I also keep a bottle of Elizabeth Arden's Blue Grass perfume in my underwear drawer. It seems that keeping these two things close by help me keep the memories alive, especially the perfume. Thank you Suzanne for being there for so many of us every morning when we drink our coffee. Thanks for the laughs, the tears and bringing back so many lovely memories." -- Suzanne D.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: With so many new books out every week, we promise this title deserves your attention:

(Fiction) AN APPALACHIAN SUMMER by Ann H. Gabhart

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 07-08-2020

Dear Reader,

Grease, gravy and pink buttercream frosting stains, these are all signals of a great cookbook. Yes indeed, it's the dirtiest cookbook I own and it's my favorite. Spiral-bound, The Loring Family Cookbook is over 30 years old. Bound with a bright blue, torn paper front cover (the back cover is missing), on the first blank page of the 416-page cookbook, I've handwritten my own Table of Contents, directing me to my favorites.

Read on and you'll discover...

A Bit of Family Loring History 1917-1980. Miss Josephine M. Siepker and Matthew Loring were united in marriage June 19, 1917 at St. Andrew's Catholic Church, Tennyson, Wisconsin by Fr. Pape. Ten children came to bless this marriage. Seven girls and three boys." And the family history continues, ending in 1980 when the cookbook was assembled. As of this writing, Mother and Dad Loring could have boasted of 45 grandchildren, 44 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

That's a huge family, which could explain why some of this family's favorite recipes include a few shortcuts, but they aren't short on flavor. I've shared a favorite recipe from this cookbook before, and this past weekend I discovered another: Peanut Butter Cookies, submitted by Bernadine Lauber, a member of the Loring clan.

The cookies are especially tasty with a cup of coffee or tea. And while you're indulging, look through your cookbooks and share some of your dirty little "secrets" with me. Are your favorite recipe pages as stained as mine?

Email me one of your favorite "dirty" recipes, and your name will automatically be entered in a drawing for a cookie scoop, like the one I use. Email [email protected].

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Submitted by: Bernadine Lauber

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used chunky style)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream together shortening, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, mixing well.

Form dough into balls. Place 1" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press crosswise with fork. (I dipped my fork in granulated sugar before crisscrossing.)

Bake for 10-12 minutes in a 375 degree oven. (My oven may run hot. I baked the cookies for 9 minutes.) Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Bernadine's household hint at the bottom of her recipe page: Use a plastic fork to flatten cookies, dough will not stick to it.

Email me one of your "dirty" recipes and you'll be entered in my drawing. You can reach me at: [email protected]

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.

Dear Reader Column 07-07-2020

Dear Reader,

Randy Rush, today's guest author, has a new memoir 13 Billion to One: Winning the $50 Million Lottery Has Its Price about his experience winning the Canadian lottery. Now he is on a mission to stop white-collar crime and other social injustices by exposing them to the world. He recently founded Rantanna Media, a mission-driven publishing and production company, to give victims a voice and raise widespread awareness about the devastating impact of these crimes. Randy is also committed to transforming the lives of children in Africa, by providing them the education, love, and hope they need to succeed. He divides his time between Canada and Europe.

Please welcome Randy to the book club: http://randall-rush.com/contact-me/

It's About Time

It only takes a quick glance around my log cabin home to know I am obsessed with time. I've got clocks everywhere: on my kitchen wall, in my bedroom, on my desk, in the living room--even in my bathroom.

My fixation started in the fourth grade. My friends and I were a rowdy, out of control bunch, and when a substitute teacher showed up one Friday, we let loose on her. The following Monday my teacher delivered a blow I would never forget. "You have no idea what you've done," she said. "You've lost an entire day that you will never get back."

Those words began to haunt me when I hit my late thirties and found myself stuck in a dead-end press production job that was driven by deadlines and the constant ticking of time. A decade had slipped away from me and I knew that if I didn't switch things up and make every minute count, I would never achieve the financial success I craved. It was that acute awareness of time that drove me to sales and fueled my rise up the ranks.

Now in my early 50s, I'm even more conscious of how fleeting time really is. It's easy to jump back twenty-five years in my mind and think about how fast it flew by. Then I jump forward twenty-five years and realize that my time limit on this Earth is fast approaching. When I won the lottery, people said: "Man, you've got all the time in the world now. You can retire."

But I see it as the opposite. Retiring to me is a complete waste of time and now that I have the resources, I feel the weight of time even more. There is so much I want and need to do--from funding more schools in Africa to igniting a movement that exposes con artists and other social injustices.

When I was in my early twenties, I splurged on a classic Pepsi Rolex watch I discovered at a pawn shop. But when my apartment building burned down ten years later, I found myself in such financial straits, I was forced to sell it to a friend. He was the first person I called when I hit the jackpot.

"Listen," I said. "I'll pay you handsomely, but I need that watch back."

Along with meticulously keeping time, that watch now serves as a continuum between my past and future and is a constant reminder that now is the time to act.

-- Randy Rush

Say "Hello" to Randy and please welcome him to the book club.
http://randall-rush.com/contact-me/

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.

Dear Reader Column 07-06-2020

Dear Reader,

My husband always likes to drive the car when we're going somewhere together and I've decided I might as well let him. There's a long list of wonderful things I could tell you about my husband, (we've been married almost 43 years and it just keeps getting better and better), but he's a backseat driver.

When I'm driving and he's riding along, why you'd think I was new to the city and had no idea where the market, the vet and our favorite Mexican restaurant was, because my husband thinks he has to tell me how to get there.

"Turn here. No, don't go that way. This way is faster. Turn left. Look out, that car looks like it's coming over into our lane. I think you should drive a little slower, Suzanne."

"I think you should be quiet, Dear."

There have been times I've simply pulled the car over and surrendered the wheel.

Pulling out of a driveway--it takes two. Did you know that? Funny, I remember doing it solo in my Driver's Ed test, and I passed on the first try. When I'm pulling out of a driveway my husband leans over so far to look out the side window, that all I can see is his head when I'm trying to look for cars.

"All clear," he'll assure me.

But somehow I think I'd be the one getting the ticket. "Officer, the accident is really my husband's fault. He told me it was all clear to go."

I'm beginning to think there's a backseat driver gene that runs in our family and our son has inherited it, because whenever we go anywhere together, even if we take my car, my son wants to drive. And if I don't relinquish the wheel, it turns into a bad rerun. I might as well be driving with my husband.

"Mom, you shouldn't go this way. Turn here. It's faster."

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

* For readers who've been asking, yes, I'll be including photos of my vintage hats in a column later this week.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

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AN APPALACHIAN SUMMER (Fiction) by Ann H. Gabhart

With the country deep in depression in 1933, Piper Danson shrugs off the expectations of her debutante season and heads to the Appalachian Mountains to volunteer with the Frontier Nursing Service. Adventure and romance await as she cares for the nurse midwives' horses, experiences the miracle of birth and more. Much more. Fascinating FNS history combine with the beauty of the mountains in this story of a young woman caught between two worlds--each promising something different.

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