Meeting with the Delegates

Wednesday I met with two Maryland House delegates: Del. Nic Kipke and Del. Steve Schuh. They met me at the Mountain Rd library in Pasadena and presented me with a certificate recognizing my work in the ER and my accomplishment in writing and publishing my first book. I donated some books to the county libraries. It was great to meet with them and discuss a few current health issues facing our citizens. And I got a great looking certificate to hang in my office!

A Day in Pottsville

Doug and I had a great time in Pottsville at the Yuengling brewery yesterday. We met lots of interested locals and sold lots of books. The staff at Yuengling was gracious. The big boss, Dick Yuengling, came by to meet us and extend his well wishes. He was nice enough to have his picture taken with us and gave us a poster with his gratitude for including his family business in the book. Doug got to sample some Lord Chesterfield and we stopped at Maroon's, the local sports bar, for some ethnic specialties: bleenies, kielbasa, pierogies, cabbage rolls, latkas and lots of steamed cabbage. The waitress there, Alysia, was particularly friendly and filled us in on the history of Pottsville and the fierce pride among its residents. I left her a signed copy along with her tip. I got a big smile and warm hug in return. I hope she likes the book. Doug and I drove home with smiles on our faces. Doug got to meet his hero, Dick Yuengling. Yuengling was his favorite brew in college. I think Mr. Yuengling is my hero too, for keeping a family tradition going, for keeping his company and hundreds of jobs in America, for staying in his hometown with the people he loves and for hard work, self-reliance and perseverance (not to mention making some pretty tasty brew.) He has been a faithful captain at the wheel for several decades. Hats off to you, Mr. Yuengling. Thank you for a great day Mr. Yuengling and thank you to the people of Pottsville.

Yuengling Fans Meet A Pottsville Hero

Hello Yuengling Fans,

In just two days, there will be a book signing of Heaven Below at the Yuengling Brewery gift shop in Pottsville. Sean O'Connell is a Pottsville coal miner whose only desire in life is to see the water. This notion is planted in his head by his Irish grandfather who dreamed of returning to the sea but never got the chance. Because of the Great Depression, family tragedy and a twisting turn of events that includes, murder, money, love and the fight of his life, Sean's journey to the Atlantic takes him seven years. The book is full of characters everyone can identify with: Molly, Sean's true love, wife and mother of his child, owner of a pair of alluring brown eyes. Hannah, his little girl with Molly's fair face but her father's green eyes. And Abby, the silver haired, spectacled matriarch who is the glue that holds the family together. Her most charming scene is when she dresses a "fat little birdie" for the oven and sings and hums to "I've Got Rhythm" on her radio in a warm kitchen on Sunday afternoon. Her most famous line is, "Now those are tits you can be proud of!"

If you are from Pottsville, this is a book you'll want to read and share and read again. You will laugh and cry with Sean on his journey to the sea. I hope I will meet you at the book signing. I want to meet the people of Pottsville as I feel I already know you. If you can't make it on Saturday, you can get a copy of Heaven Below on Amazon.com. Look for my article in Thursday's (today's) edition of the Republican-Herald. I hope to see you all there!

My best,

Joan Lehmann, MD

It's Christmas in the Dena

This weekend was All Things Country's Christmas Open House. Anne and her elves had the halls decked and many came out to join in the festivities. There was lots of early Christmas shopping and many reveled in the gorgeous window displays and decorations offered by the girls dressed in red. The puppies had the day off (Anne's golden retrievers) because the back of the store was loaded with scrumptious holiday goodies: crackers and cheese, homebaked cookies, a veggie tray, Eleaner's famous meatballs and a large bowl of red punch. After three days of open house with lots of sales at the register, by three o'clock, the ladies were a little punch drunk. Oh, and I almost forgot, I sold lots of books! Forty books went into the hands of excited readers. Some were Christmas presents but most were for their own enjoyment. The recent newspaper articles helped to get the word out and pique interest. Some buyers strolled directly to my table for my story. I happily signed each copy and even gift wrapped a few. I met a nice lady, Patty, who is a retired music teacher who plans to write a book about the bear she used in her class, "Bearthoven." She taught school at West Annapolis for 39 years. How many kids is that? I wish her well in her endeavor.

A joyous time was had by all, except Pam Bowman, who had to buy her goodies and hurry on to work at the hospital. Sorry Pam.

God bless us everyone!

Delightful Day in Deale

Who cares about the rain? The good people of Deale (Dealites, as some like to call themselves) made their way through the ducky weather to do some early Christmas shopping and to meet the author and to purchase freshly signed copies of Heaven Below. Most shoppers bought two copies, one for a gift and one to snuggle up with for a good read of their own. The shop was packed with Christmas, nautical and vintage goodies. There is a surprise at every turn, a sparkle, a little of the bay, a bit of whimsy. Linda had a large crock of hot mulled cider and dozens of fresh baked cookies. The smell (and taste) were divine. What a lovely way to warm up a wet and chilly afternoon?

Despite the weather, one woman drove from Annapolis to meet the author and brought her newspaper clipping with her. Some of my family came to show their support, my aunts, my cousin and her friend. Some were faithful supporters from the local church (God bless them.) And I had one very interesting attendee as well. She attended school at Pottsville High and in class, sat in front of a local celebrity of the town--you guessed it--Master Richard Yuengling. She recounted fondly about what a good looking young man he was, with dark hair and strong build. He played for the football team and was very popular--and not just because his father owned the brewery. But the best thing about him, she remembered, was that he was down to earth. "You never knew he came from money. He was a regular guy--one of us." She still has the tiny school photo the seniors exchanged at graduation, signed by Dick Yuengling. As she spoke of her school days and of Yuengling, she glowed.

I hope to return to Cottage Chicks for another signing before year's end, closer to Christmas. Perhaps I'll even gift wrap my books to help out the busy and stressed holiday shoppers. Linda and Carmen were gracious hosts and the Dealites truly were "delights" sharing memories and stories and pausing for a moment to live a little and enjoy the Sunday afternoon.

Thank you Cottage Chicks, Linda and Carmen