Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column - June 2, 2022

Dear Reader,

I'm on vacation this week, but I'm featuring some recipes that are guaranteed winners for summer.

When I was a kid, once a week fish was on the dinner menu. My dad loved to fish, his father and mother loved to fish, too. They owned a trailer by the Mississippi (they spent every weekend there), and everyone who lived in the little community were also very serious fisherpeople.

Crappie, walleye, bluegill, catfish, and carp (that nobody ate unless it was smoked), were plentiful in the Mississippi. So I learned to like fish at a young age, but I can't stand to cook them. So my husband does all the cooking when it comes to fish, and today I'm sharing one of his favorite fish recipes, fish tacos. 

It’s a great tasting dish for a light summer meal.

Fish Tacos

(Serves 4)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 pound skinless fish filets

1 tablespoon canola oil

8 corn tortillas

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups thinly shredded green cabbage or lettuce

1 cup fresh tomatoes, mixed with cilantro/ or your favorite light salsa

Mix olive oil, lime and orange juices, garlic, oregano and onion slices together. Put fish filets in a baking dish, pour the marinade mixture over top, turning the fish so that both sides are coated. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Heat the canola oil in a skillet (cast-iron if you have it). Medium-high heat. Remove the fish from the marinade. Reserve the marinade, including the onions. Arrange the fish in the skillet in a single layer. Don't crowd the fish or it will steam. Cook for 3 minutes. Carefully flip the fish over and cook on the other side until it is done, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer fish to a platter to keep warm.

Add the marinade, with the onions, to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently until the onions are caramelized and tender (about 7 minutes). Set aside. Warm the tortillas and fill with the fish and

cheese, cabbage and tomato fixins. Enjoy!

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

Dear Reader Column - May 31, 2022

Dear Reader,

Today’s guest author, Sheila Roberts, who’s written more than 50 books is best known for her holiday stories, women's fiction and romance novels in small-town settings. Sheila’s On Strike for Christmas was a Lifetime Network movie, and her The Nine Lives of Christmas is a perennial Hallmark channel movie favorite. 

A long-time Washington resident, Sheila and her husband recently moved to a beach cottage with a picturesque view not unlike that of Moonlight Harbor, the fictional setting for her current series.

Sheila is giving away 5 copies of the latest book in her series, Sand Dollar Lane.

To enter the random drawing, send an email with your mailing address (in case you win) to: [email protected], with "DearReader Sheila Roberts Giveaway" in the subject line.

(All messages will be sent along to Sheila.) If you'd like to be added to her reader list, be sure to include a note to that effect.

When I Grow Up

Once upon a dream I wanted to be a songwriter. Music was a huge part of my family's life. My mother taught me how to harmonize when I was a little girl. We'd practice while she curled my hair with this vintage curling iron she'd gotten from who knows where. She'd set it on a stove burner to heat up and then proceed to burn my straight hair into curls. Looking back, I think the whole singing thing was to distract me from the torture of getting my hair singed!

Whatever the reason, it took. I sang in choirs, at church, in school talent shows and entered vocal competitions. In college I majored in music and dreamed of becoming a famous songwriter, all while working my way through as a singing waitress.

Falling in love and getting married didn't end my love affair with music. Somewhere along the way I discovered country music. And Nashville! Songwriter Mecca. I began to get serious about this songwriting thing, taking trips to Nashville, spending money on song demos. I look back on the money I spent trying to make that dream come true and realize I could have remodeled my house several times for what I spent.

But raising children and constantly running off to Nashville to try to peddle songs didn't go together like words and music. What to do? Keep dreaming, of course, but be open to other possibilities. Like writing, something I'd been doing since I was a child. One day I got an idea for a book and thought, why not write it?

Who'd have thought that would have turned the direction of my creative life? It did, and I've been happily making up stories ever since.

Of course, music is still in my bones. Over the years I've played in bands, served as a church musician, owned a singing telegram company and, yes, written more songs. I was finally able to enjoy seeing one I co-wrote with a friend make it onto an artist's CD. And I've even been able to make a music video--one of the most fun things ever! (Want to see me getting hauled off by Santa? Check out my song (written as Sheila Rabe), "Merry Christmas Mama," on YouTube.)

My career path didn't go exactly where I thought it would take me, but I think I'm living proof that if you walk through the doors that open in life you'll end up where you're supposed to be. And I like where I am.

-- Sheila Roberts

Enter to win a copy of Sand Dollar Lane. Send an email with your mailing address (in case you win) to: [email protected], with "DearReader Sheila Roberts Giveaway" in the subject line.

Here’s the YouTube link to Sheila’ song, click here.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

Dear Reader Column - May 27, 2022

Dear Reader,

While I'm on vacation, I’m sharing some of my own and readers’ favorite recipes. Jane R. sent in four recipes, and I can’t wait to try them all. I’m a fan of peaches, so today I am sharing her Peachy Keen Cobbler recipe.

“Hi Suzanne, here are a couple of recipes you might enjoy making with your grandson.  I apologize for sending more than one. Too many to choose from! I remember how much fun it was to cook with my two kiddos way back when. Now, our daughter has developed into quite a good cook and a few years ago we started getting together to try new recipes and techniques, including hollandaise sauce and handmade pasta. Our Octoberfest was epic, including made-from-scratch Bavarian pretzels and chicken schnitzel. It’s still fun to cook with my (now grown) children! I hope you enjoy these recipes.” – Jane R.

PEACHY KEEN COBBLER

 Serves 8

(Texas Hill Country peaches are a springtime treat but this is a recipe that can be made anytime. It can easily be cut in half, which is what I often do)

½ cup butter or margarine

1 cup flour 

1 ½ cup sugar  

1 ½ tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

2/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1-29 oz can of peaches

 Preheat oven to 350

Melt cube of butter in 9x12 dish in oven

In medium bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, and vanilla

Remove dish with melted butter from oven and pour peaches with juice over top - DO NOT STIR

Pour batter over peaches and sprinkle ½ cup sugar on top - DO NOT STIR

Bake 40 minutes – serve warm.  Tastes great with vanilla ice cream! 

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is People from Bloomington by Budi Darma. 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 - May 26, 2022

Dear Reader,

It’s my birthday today! And every year I give myself the gift of rereading the story about my one-of-a-kind, romantic, loving husband...

He looked handsome in his black suit, white shirt and dark tie. His shoes were polished, there was a black chauffeur's hat on his head and dark shades covered his eyes. Every woman in the hair salon was staring at the mysterious man that walked through the door, and so was I.

"Is Suzanne Beecher just about finished?" the handsome man, who sounded like my husband, asked the receptionist.

And when the receptionist told him it would be 10 minutes before I was ready to go, the handsome man, who resembled my husband, thanked her and said, "Would you please let Suzanne know that her driver is waiting outside?" And out the door he went.

I was shocked, and within minutes every woman in the beauty shop, including me, was pressed up against the front window staring at my husband, dressed in chauffeur attire, standing beside a stunning old-fashioned MG Roadster sports car.

It was my birthday and as a gift, my husband was in "character," playing the part of my personal chauffeur, and he had rented the MG Roadster for the weekend. It was a birthday I'll never forget.

After we left the hair salon, for the rest of the day my "driver" chauffeured me around town to all of my favorite boutiques and galleries. Every time we made a stop, my husband jumped out of the car, hurried around to open my door, then he took my hand and ushered me inside the store.

My personal chauffeur never went inside the store with me, that would have been a driver's indiscretion. Instead, my "guy" would go back to his "post," with his chauffeur's hat tipped ever so slightly, legs stretched out, and he'd lean up against the side of the MG Roadster and publicly wait for me. It felt like a Cinderella birthday--everyone inside the store and outside in the parking lot was dying to know, 'Who was this woman with the fancy car and driver?'

Today's my birthday, I'm not sure what my husband has planned, but wouldn't it be fun if my driver magically reappeared? To see a photo of me and the Roadster click here. 

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is People from Bloomington by Budi Darma. 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 - May 25, 2022

Dear Reader,

I'm on vacation this week, but I'm featuring some recipes that are guaranteed winners for a summer potluck.

Today’s recipe is easy to make, a guaranteed winner and it keeps in the refrigerator for one week--not that there's usually any leftovers.

If you've never read the story behind my Skunk Bean recipe, get out a deck of playing cards and get ready for a treat.

For forty years Skunk Beans has been one of my go-to recipes, but I never knew the story behind the beans until I was looking through some old recipes, I'd found in my mother's kitchen cupboard after she passed away. The recipe was written on an old folded piece of paper and read the heading, "Beans for Skunk Party" instantly I started smiling because at that moment, I realized how the Skunk Beans got their name.

Almost every other Sunday evening the Tindell clan (including my dad, his four sisters, and grandma and grandpa Tindell), got together to play some serious Euchre. The kitchen in  Grandma's house was so small when the table was pulled open to seat everyone, you could barely walk around it. But that didn't matter. Get out the blue and red chips, which represented pennies--but it wasn't about the money--it was all about winning the game and trying to "skunk" your opponents in the process.

Euchre isn't a complicated game, but until you've played awhile, the table talk can sound like a foreign language. "Fishing out, dead-set legend, the ribbit, farm hand or no ace/no face, follow suit, trump, and skunked--which means that you and your partner lost the game without scoring one single point. Rumor has it that in some Euchre circles a team that gets skunked, also gets a "bum run." (If you and your partner get skunked you must run around a predetermined route--naked!)

I was an only child who sat by herself in the living room watching "The Wonderful World of Disney" (because none of my dad's sisters brought their children along), and there was a wall between the kitchen and me, so as far as I know none of my relatives ever did a bum run. Instead, whoever got skunked had to bring the Skunk Beans to the next Sunday evening Euchre party and I remember my mother bringing them almost every week!.

SKUNK BEANS

8 bacon strips - very crisp

1 onion, chopped & sauteed

1/2 cup vinegar

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp dry mustard

dash garlic salt

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 tsp salt

1 can kidney beans (drained)

1 can lima beans (drained)

1 #2 can pork and beans (drained) (#2 can = 20 oz can or 2 1/2 cups)

Combine all ingredients. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Uncover and bake for another 1/2 hour.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is People from Bloomington by Budi Darma. 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 - May 23, 2022

Dear Reader,

I'm on vacation. Hopefully I'm cooking, sewing, gardening and doing a bit of nothing in between. While I'm away, I'll be featuring some of the summer recipes sent in by readers, and recipes of mine that are guaranteed winners for a summer potluck. 

Today’s recipes were sent in by book club reader, Joanne. I love that the first recipe can be made three ways.

“Hello Suzanne, this recipe can be used in a variety of ways–as an appetizer when rolled into 1" balls, as a side dish ready to be spooned out a baking dish, or put into a pie plate (with or without a crust) and served as a quiche with a salad. I've added a 2nd recipe that is also based on a vegetable that my daughter has loved since she was 8 years old (this year she'll be 50!) and there are never any leftovers.” – Joanne 

SPINACH BALLS 

4 - 10 oz packages CHOPPED spinach (works okay with 9 oz pks)

4 cups HERB stuffing mix - Pepperidge Farm is good

2 or 3 diced onions

8 eggs - beaten well

1 cup Locatelli cheese (or other Parmesan cheese)

1-1/2 cup melted butter

1 tablespoon thyme

2 cloves of garlic crushed

Salt & Pepper to taste - I use white pepper 

Defrost and drain spinach–squeeze dry and mix well with all other ingredients

Chill at least 3 hours–I usually chill overnight 

Roll into 1" balls and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees until golden brown 

These are great to make ahead and freeze–after making the balls but before cooking, lay on a cookie sheet and place in freezer–once they are frozen you can put them in zip-lock bags and they can be cooked frozen–just lower the oven temp to 300 degrees. 

This also makes a great crust-less quiche–just press into a greased pie plate and cook at 350 degrees for 35 - 45 minutes. Of course if you like crust and don't have to watch your carbs this is a wonderful quiche filling.

ZUCCHINI PIE 

1 cup Bisquick mix

4 large eggs

1/2 oil

3 cups peeled and diced zucchini (2 to 3 zucchini depending on size)

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup diced or shredded mozzarella (optional) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease or spray a 8 x 8 square pan or oven proof glass dish. 

Place zucchini, onion, grated cheese, parsley flakes, salt & pepper and mozzarella in prepared pan. 

In blender blend Bisquick, eggs and oil thoroughly and pour over the other ingredients in the pan. 

Bake for 25 - 35 minutes until golden. 

Can be made the day before and reheated before serving. 

Note:   Last time I made this I placed the zucchini, onion, cheeses, parsley, and salt & pepper in a bowl first, then added the blended items and stirred until all was moistened and then poured into the prepared baking pan or pie plate.  

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.

THE MURDERS AT FLEAT HOUSE (Mystery) by Lucinda Riley

The sudden death of a pupil in Fleat House at St Stephen's--a small English private boarding school in deepest Norfolk--is a shocking event that the headmaster is very keen to call a tragic accident. 

A fresh and compelling crime novel written by Lucinda Riley who sadly died in 2021. She and her son, Harry Witaker, created the Guardian Angels series for children. He says, "I'm sure it will interest you to know that at the time of writing, my family lived in the vast, mysterious landscape in which the story is set. As you might expect, hidden secrets from the past strongly influence present day events, and we are treated to some typically superb
characterisation in the form of DI Jazz Hunter."

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE MURDERS AT FLEAT HOUSE to read more and to email author Lucinda Riley, you'll get a reply.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is People from Bloomington by Budi Darma. 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 - May 18, 2022

Dear Reader,

 

Congratulations to the winners of the May Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway: Maryann C., Jefferson Parish Public Library, Bonnie M. Indian River County Main Library, Sally S., Contra Costa County Library.

 

And the winner of the Angled Measuring Cup Giveaway is Jennifer G. Thanks to everyone who sent in recipes. I’m going to have fun trying them out this summer.

 

Last week I shared a photo of baby birds in their nest and asked you to name the bird and share some of your bird stories with me. The baby birds were blue birds.

 

Emails from readers:

 

“I work at the beach at Spring Lake, New Jersey. It's $10.00 for a badge. Children are free. We have a strict no food policy on the beach. Our beach remains in pristine condition. A woman came with a dozen children. I told her no food on the beach. She told me ‘I spent $10.00 on a badge, I'm bringing my food down.’ After working at the beach for numerous years I have learned to not argue with people. She took her food down and the kids opened a bag of chips. A huge Sea Gull swooped down and grabbed the entire bag and flew away. The kids chased the Sea Gull but obviously couldn't catch it. Karma.” – All the best, Mary Ann C.

 

“Suzanne, One morning, a number of years ago, I looked out the window and found a tiny bird sitting on our front porch. Immediately I thought something was wrong with it but left it alone. All morning long I would check on the bird who had not moved. As the morning progressed it had left little deposits on the porch, but not moved. By lunchtime I began to really be concerned about it not being fed or watered. But not long after, it was gone. Mom must have come by to check and her baby followed her and was released from solitary. Nature knows its own and we concerned humans need to trust them.” – Barbara N.

 

“Suzanne, I think that there’s nothing like nature to lift our spirits. On one of the hot days I found two baby deer sheltering in the shade of our trees. They looked so content! And yesterday we spotted a bunny who hopped right up to one of our stone bunnies and sniffed it. So cute! Hope that you continue to enjoy the great outdoors!” –Linda F.

 

“We have a Holly tree up against our dining room window and because of it being so dense, birds usually make a nest every spring in its branches. We have a front row seat and no binoculars needed.

 

One spring we noticed that a nest was being made and when we checked the nest the next day, the mama bird had found colorful balloon ribbons (we assumed they were from helium balloons)  and wove them into the nest. What a colorful nest that was!  Bright blue, green and pink ribbons decorated her ‘baby's room’ that year!” – Julia T.

 

“Hi Suzanne, we had a bird build a nest in one of our window boxes. It was great, because we could sit inside at the window and see the babies up close. I did take some great photos, but they are the old-fashioned kind so I can't send any to you! Thanks for your daily words of wisdom and insight!” – Diane R.

 

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is People from Bloomington by Budi Darma. 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 - May 11, 2022

Dear Reader,

If you're a chocolate chip cookie lover, be sure to enter this month's Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway. I bake once a month for readers (except in the summer months, it's too hot to ship chocolate.) To enter my Classic Cookie giveaway and see happy past winners, click here. 

My dear friend John Clement, author of the popular Dixie Hemingway Mystery Series, created by his mother--the late and greatly-missed Blaize Clement, is today’s guest author. John’s latest mystery, The Cat Sitter & the Canary, is now available, and you’ll find the new audiobook version of Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues, read by the incomparable Cassandra Campbell, at your favorite audiobook store, too. The television series based on Dixie's exploits (from the creators of Queens of Mystery) is in development now, and coming soon, watch for the audiobook of Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof. 

You’ll find all things Dixie at DixieHemingwayMysteries.com, or email: [email protected]

John is giving away 10 free audio downloads of Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues, via the Authors Direct free app. To enter, email John at: [email protected]

Please say “Hello” and welcome today’s guest author John Clement…

I love telling the story of how my mom became a mystery writer, because I think it's pretty inspiring. Not only because of the way it happened, but also because it came at a time in her life when she'd already had a very successful career as a psychologist. She helped mend many a broken heart (or soul). In fact, her early books were all nonfiction. They covered everything from human sexuality to tips on raising children or dealing with the ups and downs of life's slings and arrows.

She had always been a writer, but more importantly, she had always been a lover of books. My childhood was filled with books, with shelves in every room. There was a constantly rotating stack of books on her bedside table, at least a foot high. And reading glasses! She must have had a pair in every corner of the house. I still have a lot of those books. I love them so much. When she was little, her mother would walk her once a week to the public library in the little Texas town she grew up in, and she was allowed to take out as many books as she could carry home by herself. Every day, she'd climb up into the peach tree in her backyard and read and eat peaches until her mom called her in for dinner. The day she realized she'd never be able to read all the books in the world she burst into tears and was inconsolable for days.

The idea for Dixie Hemingway came in a writing workshop she taught from home on Sundays. It was a casual affair, with eight or nine writers gathered around the dining table, sharing coffee and cookies and ideas. The assignment for that week was simple: "Write the first page of a book you can't put down." Everybody took turns reading their work out loud, and after my mom read hers, the group's reaction was an enthusiastic "And THEN what happened?"

She was so encouraged she just kept writing. A few months later, with three draft chapters printed out double-spaced in a three-ring binder, she attended a writing conference. One of the perks of the conference was the opportunity to submit your work to a well-known editor for a thirty-minute consultation. The idea was that the editor would read your work and then offer advice and tips on how to make it better. When my mom sat down with Marcia Markland, one of the "big five" publishing houses' top fiction editors, she expected a little constructive criticism and maybe a few encouraging words. What she got instead was a three-book deal, and the Dixie Hemingway series was born.

-- John Clement

John is giving away 10 free audio downloads of Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues, via the Authors Direct free app. To enter, email John at: [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.

KIDSBUZZ: Honk, honk! Help your kids ages 4-8 express their emotions with Moody Moody Cars by Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD, a fun ride through the roadways of feelings for car-loving kids. 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 People from Bloomington by Budi Darma. 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 - May 6, 2022

Dear Reader, 

We’re going “Bananas” today! 

Indulge in my Whoops! Banana Bread recipe (below).

My love for baking was inspired by my Grandma Hale. When I was young I spent a lot of time in her kitchen. Every once and a while I'd hear her say, "Hmm, I guess I'm in-a-pickle," which meant Grandma just realized she goofed when she was mixing up a recipe and it was too late to go back and fix her mistakes. So she'd dump the contents of the bowl and start over again. (Considering the generation Grandma came from, it was a very bold move.)

Sometimes when I'm baking I find myself in-a-pickle, too. My cell phone rings, then a FedEx delivery shows up at my door, and even though I've made the recipe a hundred times when I walk back to the bowl, iif my mistake is beyond repair, it’s time to say "Whoops!" Because sometimes there's no fixing the mistake. So I dump the bowl and begin again. I've passed on this baking secret to my grandsons and granddaughters, who have all been pretty impressed to find out they can bake worry-free in Grandma's kitchen.

The banana bread recipe, below, came from one of my "Whoops!" that I felt I could fix, and I did. In fact, it turned out to be the best banana bread I’d ever tasted. Enjoy!

Do you have a “Whoops” recipe? If you do, I’d love to hear about it.  Email: [email protected]

Be sure to enter the Crab Party Hat giveaway. Today is the last day. To enter, and see some fun party photos. Click here. 

Suzanne's Whoops! Banana Bread

1 1/4 cup mashed overripe bananas (the riper, or browner, the bananas are, the better the bread will taste)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup shortening

2 eggs

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup (overflowing) chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of either a 9x5x3 loaf pan or 4 smaller loaves. Beat all ingredients together, scraping bowl. Beat just until blended. Pour into pan(s). 

Bake until wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. About 50 to 60 minutes baking time for one loaf and about 35 minutes for smaller loaves. Immediately remove from pans after you take out of oven. Cool on a wire rack. 

Enjoy, share with friends and family and be sure to tell them about the book clubs. Thanks!

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is People from Bloomington by Budi Darma. 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 - May 5, 2022

Dear Reader,

When our family yelled, “Happy Birthday!” Paul, my grandson, was definitely surprised. Because his 15th birthday was this past December, and we were yelling “Surprise!” on Easter Sunday. 

I host our family birthday parties, and no, I didn’t forget Paul’s birthday. The Sea Party, including a purple octopus and gray and white seagulls flying through the air, had been tucked away in my closet since the beginning of November. But the month of December was a tough one for our family. There was always someone who wasn't feeling well, including Paul. Heck, we almost missed a family get together at Christmas. We did manage to get together, but it was only for a short Merry Christmas gift exchange, and then everyone went home early to take a “get-well” nap.

Over the months I kept reassuring Paul that his birthday party was on my agenda, and it would happen real soon. But every time I set a date, another family member would take to the bed. Even when we finally surprised Paul on Easter, I was recuperating from surgery, so the only time I made an appearance was when my grandson blew out his 15 candles. 

I’m happy to report that everyone in my family is finally healthy, at least for today. Now if we can just stay that way until the next big family birthday party (my birthday), only 21 days away.

The photos are cute. Don’t miss them. And be sure to enter the crab party hat giveaway. To enter, click here. 

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is People from Bloomington by Budi Darma. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win.