I haven’t actually read a Reader’s Digest for quite some time now, probably in years, but when I had a subscription,  it was a good day each month when it arrived. One of the first articles I would immediately search for and read was “Most Unforgettable Person I’ve Known”.   Over the years I have met many people that I felt should have an article in Reader’s Digest written about them and I am still meeting more, especially being here in The Villages.  I’m not sure that Reader’s Digest still writes those articles, but if they do I have an unforgettable person I would like to tell them about.  Betty Eich.  Betty and I are fellow members of the Bookworm Book Club and being a relatively new member I remember my first impression of Betty.  It was the month we read Molokai and to celebrate the book we had a luncheon meeting with all the Hawaiian trimmings.  We even had Hawaiian dancers to entertain us.   After the meeting and before lunch,  it was announced to come to the front of the room for a group picture.  I looked around the room and groaned to myself as there were about 60 of us, and in the past having  to organize group pictures of sales associates it was always a tedious job to get everyone in;  whose tall, whose short, who doesn’t want to be seen, who wants to be seen, who wants to sit, who wants to stand, and  who are the unlucky ones that are asked to get down on the floor in front.  Betty stepped forward as the photographer and she placed us in a matter of seconds.  She would check the camera, move us around a bit, and after just a few checks she set the camera to take the picture,  she stepped into the picture,  sat on the floor with the other unlucky ones,  and the picture was taken.   I was surprised how effortlessly Betty placed us and how quickly,  this normally tedious task,  was accomplished.  As I attended more meetings I got to enjoy Betty’s input regarding our current book selection, that when it was announced that she was going to be facilitating a poetry workshop,  I immediately wrote the date in my calendar.    I enjoy poetry, but I am not a student of poetry, and by that I mean I know very little other than the poems I like rhyme  every other line.  But I figured it would be good if Betty had anything to do with.  And it was more than good, it was excellent and by the end of the workshop, everyone was excited about poetry.  Her enthusiasm for the poems were contagious and she had you really thinking about what the poet might have been trying to convey.  She had a second workshop which was even better, and she is having two in the Fall, which I plan on attending.  There are many art shows in The Villages, and I always try to stop by them as it just bowls me over as to the talent  of some of the residents.  I happened to see a Photography show advertised in the paper, and decided to run through it, as there are some fantastic photographer’s.  I came around the corner and there was Betty with a display of photographa  she had taken, many of scenes around the Villages.    They were beautiful, and one thing that Betty has done is she will mount any picture on canvas, so it almost looks like an oil painting.  She now has her pictures on the fine art america site which you can take a look at.   betty-eich.fineartamerica.com is her web address.  I know these attributes make Betty special, but why unforgettable?  Well she also, along with her siblings have written a book..”Growing Up In Mom’s Kitchen”.   It is a delightful book of family memories, many of which we all have and can identify with.   Being young in the 40’s and 50’s gives us a different perspective on life, and Betty stirs  memories with her own family reminescents.  There are many good recipes,  and while reading her book I turned the page and there was the recipe for my all time favorite dessert…prune whip.  That was a special dessert that I had forgotten  all about.  Thanks Betty for sharing so many good things with us:  your knowledge of poetry,  showing us our world through your camera lense,  arousing not only our taste buds but  stirring fond memories in all of us.   You are unforgettable.