Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column - September 30, 2022

Dear Reader,

If you come to my house for dinner you just might be eating my famous Pasta Verde off of a state plate from Delaware, Iowa, Indiana, Texas, or my personal favorite--a plate from Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

I love to roam through second-hand and antique stores looking for unusual dishes. When I saw the state plates in a stack on the floor--only $1.50 each--(they're the kind that tourists buy to put on their walls for souvenirs), after making sure they are actually food-safe, I just had to have them. My table settings have never matched for a long time now. I go for the eclectic mix--a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Kind of like my taste in books.

I used to save my favorite dishes, like my state plates, or my antique turkey plates for special occasions but not anymore. I've opened the cupboard doors and set my dishes free!

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

* Monday, the 26th, at midnight was the deadline for entering this year's Write a DearReader Contest. But the tropical storm and the hurricane have made it impossible for many readers to finish their entries. (I know my husband and I are exhausted from boarding up our 100 year old house.) So I'm extending the contest deadline to October 11th. Stay safe. You'll find all the contest info, including last year's winning entries at: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2022/index.html

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

This month's Penguin Classics book is Mr. President by Miguel Angel Asturias. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win

Dear Reader Column - September 29, 2022

Dear Reader,   

It's a sad day. I have a troubled mind because I have to let go of something. I know it's the right thing to do and frankly I'm surprised and a little ashamed at the way I feel, because it's not about a relationship with a person. I have to let go of a "thing," an object. Notice I can't even bring myself to tell you what it is, because it seems like such a trite and silly way to feel. But I guess that people can develop close relationships and feel strong emotions toward places and things, just like they do with each other. 

I comfort myself by thinking about what I know to be true: that usually in order for change to happen I have to let go of something. So I'll grieve today and remind myself that this is part of a process; that I'm making room for something new and wonderful to come my way.

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

* Monday, the 26th, at midnight was the deadline for entering this year's Write a DearReader Contest. But the tropical storm and the hurricane have made it impossible for many readers to finish their entries. (I know my husband and I are exhausted from boarding up our 100 year old house.) So I'm extending the contest deadline to October 11th. Stay safe. You'll find all the contest info, including last year's winning entries at: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2022/index.html

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

This month's Penguin Classics book is Mr. President by Miguel Angel Asturias. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win

Dear Reader Column - September 28, 2022

Dear Reader,

Monday, the 26th, at midnight was the deadline for entering this year's Write a DearReader Contest. But the tropical storm and the hurricane have made it impossible for many readers to finish their entries. (I know my husband and I are exhausted from boarding up our 100 year old house.) So I'm extending the contest deadline to October 11th. Stay safe.

You'll find all the contest info, including last year's winning entries at: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2022/index.html 

It's another form of meditation--making scalloped potatoes. Not only does my recipe make a tasty casserole, that keeps for days, but cooking the white sauce from scratch, standing at the stove and continually stirring so the sauce doesn't burn--it relaxes me. There's no rushing the sauce; there's nothing I can do but wait for the sauce to do its thing. If I turn up the heat, the sauce burns. So I must be patient, slow down, and enjoy the moment.

You'll love this casserole and you can double it, too--no problem.

Scalloped Potatoes with (or without) Ham

2 lbs potatoes (translated 5 or 6 medium potatoes)

4 T butter

3 T all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 1/2 cups milk

1 medium onion, 

chopped Leftover ham, or 3 or 4 slices, or ham from a ham steak

Peel potatoes and cut into thin slices enough to measure 4 cups. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in saucepan over low heat until melted. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. (This is the therapy part of the recipe.) Then remove from heat. Stir in the milk and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute.

Grease a two-quart casserole. Arrange three layers in the casserole: potatoes, onion, ham and some of the white sauce. Repeat this two more times. Dot the top with the remaining one tablespoon of butter. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake 60 to 70 minutes longer until the potatoes are tender. You'll get six very healthy servings. Enjoy!

Remember, the mantra, 'Slow down or burn the sauce.'

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.

KIDSBUZZ: Two highly praised books for middle-grade readers! Check out ENEMIES, the latest graphic novel in Svetlana Chmakova’s bestselling Berrybrook Middle Schools series which touches on the intense emotions of middle-graders (self-esteem and expectations among others). And LITTLE GARLIC: ENCHANTED TALES FOR ALL AGES, a collection of timeless stories about friendship, resilience and kindness by Avideh Shashaani. For a chance to win free copies, talk with the authors, and more, see www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.

 

 

This month's Penguin Classics book is Mr. President by Miguel Angel Asturias. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win

Dear Reader Column - September 27, 2022

Dear Reader,

Monday, the 26th, at midnight was the deadline for entering this year's Write a DearReader Contest. But the tropical storm and the hurricane have made it impossible for many readers to finish their entries. (I know my husband and I are exhausted from boarding up our 100 year old house.) So I'm extending the contest deadline to October 11th. Stay safe. 

You'll find all the contest info, including last year's winning entries at: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2022/index.html

Please welcome today’s guest author, Laurie R. King. She’s a NYT bestseller and MWA Grand Master, lives in a part of the world where the '60s linger on. It's also a part of the world that had a bizarre cluster of serial murders during the '70s. The two opposites form the basis for Back to the Garden, a cold-case investigation by Inspector Raquel Laing, who suspects that a back-to-the-earth 1970s commune may have been visited by a serial killer. 

Say “Hello” to Laurie at: [email protected]

Quilting a Story

Like many young women in the Seventies, I went Back to the Earth in all kinds of ways. I planted a garden, competing for zucchini with the deer and gophers. I meditated, went to lectures by Anaïs Nin and Alan Watts, learned to bake bread and bottle applesauce.

And I quilted.

Most women I knew sewed their own clothes--I didn't buy pre-made until I had kids, and even then, my store-bought things were in the minority. Any seamstress has a lot of scraps, which traditionally get turned into patchwork quilts. Not that my scrap-basket looked much like that of a pioneer woman--my wardrobe was bright--but quilting fit in with the hippie vibe, so quilt I did.

A quilt has two stages. First is sewing the pieces together, either by hand (I have a red-and-white quilt my mother pieced during WWII) or by machine. When the top is finished, it is fastened to a plain bottom layer, with warm filling in between. The easy way is to tie it--a heavy stitch here and there through all three layers. More ambitious is to quilt it, with all-over running stitches that follow the seams or make a pattern on their own. Because I needed to finish by the end of summer, I took a short-cut, alternating intricate pieced squares with plain and adding a generous frame around the sides. Each square was different, marked and cut around precise cardboard templates. The fabric was me over the years--this dress, that blouse--with solid colors for contrast. The sewing machine got a workout that summer, and must have been relieved when time came to put the squares together with longer seams.

Then came the quilting. I built a wooden frame, pinned the quilt into it, and got out my needle.

Unlike the old-days, when quilt frames were lifted out up to the ceiling with pulleys and ropes, mine needed propping in the corner whenever the room was in use. But I did finish my quilt by September. And I loved the story it told--still does tell, for those who can read it--about the clothing I wore, and the person I used to be. I've made and given other quilts since then, pieced from the scraps of baby rompers, tiny dresses, and the shirts worn by parents and grandparents: stories of who they used to be.

I will admit, however, that I no longer keep a quilt frame propped in the corner.

-- Laurie R. King

Say “Hello” to Laurie at: [email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

This month's Penguin Classics book is Mr. President by Miguel Angel Asturias. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win

Dear Reader Column - September 26, 2022

Dear Reader,

Today is the day--at midnight this year's Write a DearReader Contest ends. I've been enjoying reading entries and I can still read yours, but you must email it today. You'll find all the contest info, including last year's winning entries at: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2022/index.html

Winning entries will be posted the last week of October.

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

Warmest regards,

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

This month's Penguin Classics book is Mr. President by Miguel Angel Asturias. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win

Dear Reader Column - September 23, 2022

Dear Reader,

The desire is there, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed when I think about starting a new project, so I break it up into manageable pieces. If you haven't entered this year's Write a DearReader Contest, because just thinking about it gives you the jitters, I have calming news for you.  

If you write 216 words today (Friday), then 216 more words Saturday, and another 216 words Sunday, you'll have written enough to make a column, with two words to spare. (Entries can be no more than 650 words, but of course your entry can be a lot less than that.) 

If you have trouble starting, just start typing and say anything. The key is to 'not' stop typing, because if you keep going, eventually the words you really want to say will appear on the screen...

'Suzanne said I should just start to type, but I don't know what to say, but I'm going to keep going, I feel stupid just typing gibberish on the screen, but I'll keep going what is on my mind well I'm not sure but I do know the guy behind me in the line at the supermarket was really rude to people he was commenting on what people had in their carts and what he was saying wasn't a compliment and it reminded me of the time...'

And there you have it. The topic for your column. Now simply write your story.

The absolute deadline for an entry is Monday, September 26th at midnight. So if you type 216 words Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you'll have Monday to reread your entry and put the finishing touches on it. I'm waiting to read your entry, so start typing today.

To find out all you need to know about this year's Write a DearReader contest, deadlines, cash prizes and how to enter, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2022/index.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

This month's Penguin Classics book is Mr. President by Miguel Angel Asturias. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win

Dear Reader Column - September 22, 2022

Dear Reader,

First time party invite, first time opportunity to make an impression on new friends. I wore a great looking white summer skirt with a halter top and my husband--he got hopelessly locked in our new friends’ upstairs bathroom. The vintage door handle fell off in my husband’s hands as he was trying to open the door to leave...

Another memorable party…

My husband and I had just moved to Florida, and some new friends invited us to their New Year's Eve party. We didn't know anyone else at the party, but I made, without a doubt, a big first impression. I was wearing a brand new, black velvet dress--purchased just for the occasion (and it wasn't cheap)--but it started shedding. Everywhere I walked, I left a trail of huge, black fuzz clumps behind. The dress was literally falling apart from the inside out.

But I wasn't aware of what was happening until I visited the bathroom. The tile floor had two huge, white rugs spread over it, so instantly it became apparent that I was leaving a trail with every step I took. I was horrified. The only thing I could do was quickly pick up my "droppings" and head back to the party, and stay put in one place….

The story behind one of your memorable party experiences could be the inspiration you’re looking for when you sit down to write your entry for the 18th Annual Write a DearReader Contest.  Everyone has a favorite story. I’m anxiously waiting to read yours. The deadline for entering is this coming Monday, September 26th. All the information you need, guidelines, cash prizes (for you and your library) and past winners are at:  http://www.dearreader.com/contest2022/index.html

While you’re thinking about story ideas, look through some photos from the family birthday party I hosted last week. With birthdays just one day apart, my granddaughter and daughter-in-law always celebrate together, but they each get their own cake. My daughter-in-law loves caramel cheesecake and my grandson, Paul, made a special cat cake for my granddaughter, his sister. To see the party photos, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/Hadley-B-Party.html

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

Get busy and start writing,

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

This month's Penguin Classics book is Mr. President by Miguel Angel Asturias. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win

Dear Reader Column - September 21, 2022

Dear Reader,

You have six days to finish your entry for this year's Write a DearReader Contest. Don't miss the deadline. All the information you need, including cash prizes (for you and your library), guidelines and past winning entries are at: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2022/index.html

I can't wait to read what you've written. Here's one of my favorite columns to inspire you...

"When it gets tough, I get going. I can make it through anything. Whatever the challenge, I'm up for it." That's the little speech that I've given myself through the years, to get me over the rough spots. And it's true, I am pretty darn resourceful. I can take a punch, regroup, and bounce back quickly.

But I admit, there have been times in my life when even though I was up for the challenge, the rough spots got way too rocky--even for me. And I became so weary, that I just didn't have it in me to go it alone, and I had to ask someone for help.

"I need your help."

I don't know why those words are always so difficult for me to say. It feels like defeat when I utter them. But in reality, I've learned that when I do, they're a gift--to me and to the person I say them to.

Years ago, when a doctor handed me a red and white cane--because I couldn't see where I was going--I gave myself my "little speech" and I thought things would be fine. But a friend of mine saw my situation differently, and wanted to know why I didn't ask the people around me for help.

"I don't want to bother anyone," I told her. To which she replied, "Suzanne, you're one selfish woman." Well, she caught me off guard. Here I was walking around bumping into walls, and she was telling me I was selfish. Just where was she coming from? 

But then she explained: "Suzanne, when someone asks you for your help, you're happy to lend a hand and it makes you feel good, doesn't it? You're selfish, because when you're not willing to ask someone for help, you're robbing them of an opportunity--the chance to feel good about helping someone else."

Fortunately, I was able to retire my red and white cane long ago, but wouldn't you know it, that tough stuff still knows my address. I'm always up for the challenge, but it sure feels better when I stop and ask a friend for help along the way.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

This month's Penguin Classics book is Mr. President by Miguel Angel Asturias. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win

Dear Reader Column - September 20, 2022

Dear Reader,

Counting down the days to the deadline. It’s time to send in your entry for this year’s Write a DearReader Contest. If you're one of the winners, or your entry is an honorable mention in this year's writing contest, it will be featured as a guest column. Cash prizes, for you and your library, guidelines, deadlines, and last year's winning entries are at: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2022/index.html

Please welcome today’s exciting guest author, Hayley Arceneaux. 

Haley is a St. Jude Children's Research Hospital physician assistant, a career she committed to at age ten, after surviving pediatric bone cancer. At age twenty-nine, she joined SpaceX's first private spaceflight, Inspiration4, which launched on September 15, 2021, and successfully water-landed three days later, making her the youngest American to orbit the earth, the first pediatric cancer survivor in space, and the first astronaut with a prosthetic body part.

Not only is Hayley the youngest American to ever orbit the earth, she is also the author of the newly released, "Wild Ride: A Memoir of I.V. Drips and Rocket Ships." Arceneaux's uplifting story is the inspiration we all need today. She offers wisdom and lessons in courage to anyone fighting against the odds. And through it all, she reveals how resilience and faith can help us grab hold of the life we've always wanted and live it to the fullest.

Please say “Hello” by connecting with Haley via instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hayleyarc/

Spicy Margs

"I am a wannabe mixologist. I love making fun (and beautiful) cocktails for my friends when I'm entertaining. I mean, I want these cocktails to be so pretty they make their instagram stories. But like I said, I'm a wannabe mixologist, not a professional. I'm not yet at the point where I can just take bottles and mixers and add a little bit of this and a little bit of that and create something

delicious, so I still stick to following recipes. In my opinion, spicy margaritas are the greatest cocktails. There's something about the combination of spicy and sour, with a little bit of sweetness, that is the ultimate crowd pleaser. And I think what's even more fun is to add something unexpected to the cocktail. For this reason, my favorite cocktail to make for guests is a rosemary jalapeno margarita. And while this recipe is from scratch (because the taste is noticeably fresher from scratch), it's easier to make than it sounds.

First, you're going to make your own flavored simple syrup. Again, easier than it sounds. Boil 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water. Once it reaches boiling point, turn off the heat and add 1-2 jalapenos (I like to slice them horizontally), and 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary. Of note, the more jalapeno seeds that steep in the simple syrup, the spicier it will be. Let it steep for about an hour, then strain out the jalapenos and rosemary. Take that simple syrup and combine to make the margarita as follows:

1 ounce simple syrup

1 ounce lime juice (freshly squeezed)

1 ounce orange juice

1-2 ounces tequila (I'll leave the amount of tequila up to my fellow amateur mixologists).

Put the margarita in a fun glass and add some fresh rosemary and jalapeno slices for garnish. To add even more heat, you can rim the glass with chili salt or tajin.

Your friends will be asking for seconds, so make sure you have enough! This spicy margarita recipe is great for those who are starting out in mixology. Mastering it will give you confidence to attempt even more complicated recipes in the future. Have fun with the process and enjoy!"

-- Hayley Arceneaux

Connect with Haley via instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hayleyarc/

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

VALLEY OF SHADOWS (Fiction) by Rudy Ruiz

My new book is here! Be transported to a distant time and a remote place where the immortal forces of good and evil dance amidst the shadows of magic and  mountains. A visionary neo-Western blend of magical realism, mystery, and horror, my new novel sheds light on the dark past of injustice, isolation, and suffering along the US-Mexico border.

I'm giving away five copies of Valley of Shadows, to enter the drawing, click on the link to Authorbuzz and the book jacket to enter.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on VALLEY OF SHADOWS to read more and to email author Rudy Ruiz, you'll get a reply.

 

 

This month's Penguin Classics book is Mr. President by Miguel Angel Asturias. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win

Dear Reader Column - September 19, 2022

Dear Reader,

You have eight days to finish your entry for this year’s Write a DearReader Contest. Don’t miss the deadline. So many of the entries I’ve read over the past 18 years included a note at the end of the submission: “Thank you for offering this contest to your readers. I had a lot of fun writing, and I’m so glad I entered, even if my entry isn’t chosen as one of the winners.”  

Deadlines, guidelines, cash prizes (for you and your library) and past winners are at: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2022/index.html

Cherished memories make great stories and book club reader, Judi King, an Honorable Mention winner in last year's Write a DearReader Contest, shares a wonderful story. It's my pleasure to reprint her column today.

I’m waiting to read your story.

 

A horse.

Well, specifically, a horse and a carriage, at Blenheim Palace.

Of all the experiences that we had, all the places that we visited, a simple carriage ride was the one memory my mom relished from our trip to the British Isles.

We hadn't planned on stopping at Blenheim--it was just a spur of the moment "Oh, let's stop and look around." kind of thing. We were on our way back to London, when we saw the signs for Blenheim Palace. "Oh, should we stop?" "Yes--let's!" Giggling like schoolgirls, we pulled in the grand entrance and found a place to park. (Unlike our stop at Princess Di's home, Althorp, where we were rudely bounced from the grounds. But, I digress.)

We weren't sure where to begin exploring Blenheim, when, suddenly from around the corner, a lively and handsome driver and his majestic horse clip-clopped their way towards us. "Would you ladies like a drive around the palace grounds?" The driver, Ian, asked. He  barely had the words out of his mouth when my mother swiftly claimed her spot in his carriage. I had no choice but to follow suit, although, I hate to admit, I wasn't as spry as my 51-year-old mom was!

Off we went--two American ladies pretending to be aristocratic duchesses on an afternoon drive to visit the Duke and his court. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, a rarity for English weather--the sun was out, the temperature mild, just the ideal day for a splendid carriage ride around the estate. My mother sat totally rapt as Ian pointed out the perfectly landscaped gardens, the Grand Bridge, and the Column of Victory. I would have paid Ian my whole paycheck just to have Mom spend more time perched up high on her carriage seat behind that white and black dappled horse--her face radiated pure happiness.

My mom was a child of the Depression, one of the youngest of ten, so life was a bit hard-scrabbled in those days, always making do with whatever they could find. My grandpa went town to town looking for any work they could get. I think those times they spent moving around the different farms was where my mom developed her love for horses. And for travel. When she married my dad, they traveled when they could, but with my dad helping to raise his younger siblings, plus a daughter from a previous marriage, they never did get to travel to England. Although we didn't share our feelings with words, my mom had passed on her love for all things British to me. Music and books were the things that connected us. My mom and I both plotted, planned and saved like mad to go to England. To see her getting to go to her oft-dreamed of places like William Shakespeare's home town, James Herriot's veterinary practice, Sherwood Forest, not to mention all the palaces and castles, it was touching and heartwarming. It was a fantastic trip, and while we had our ups and downs (did I mention Althorp?), we never forgot a minute of it.

I didn't realize how much our adventure had meant to her, until years later after her death, one of my aunts happened to chat with me about that trip. She said, "You know, your mom really loved going to England. That carriage ride was all she could rave about for months and months. I am so thankful you all were able to go."

My mom never told me so with words, but whenever I see a mention of Blenheim Palace, my heart bursts with those memories, knowing what that one happenchance stop-off meant to her. So if you ever get a chance to take a carriage ride with a white and black dappled horse at Blenheim Palace, give it a fond pat for my mom. She'd be beaming with joy.

-- Judi King

Honorable Mention, 2021 Write a DearReader Contest

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

TAKING THE LEAP: A River Rain Novel (Fiction) by Kristen Ashley

River Rain is back! 

Sweeping from the mountains of Arizona, to parties in New York City, the next in the River Rain series, brings on one of my favorite tropes. A bashful woman who's willing to take what she can get and a good man lying to himself about his future, that future being with her. Can Alex and Rix see the possibility and take  the leap? I hope you dive in and see!

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on TAKING THE LEAP to read more and to email author Kristen Ashley, you'll get a reply.

 

This month's Penguin Classics book is Mr. President by Miguel Angel Asturias. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win