THE SAVVY SHOPPER Is 16 Years Old

Photos: Abobe

THE SAVVY SHOPPER is 16 years old today. It's unbelievable how time flies. 

Sixteen years ago in 2009 Barak Obama served as the first African American president. Lady Gaga and The Black Eyed Peas were new artists, and eggs cost $1.34. Times change! Life is like a pendulum that swings back and forth. Do we ever learn the lessons of history? Hopefully we can, do, or will sooner than later.

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Thinking of time gone by, I remember my 16th birthday. That day made my 46-year-old Father feel old. It's all relative! After he came home from the office, he took me out for a drive because he knew I was eager to get my driver's permit, which I did a week after my 16th birthday. I missed one question on the written exam and later scored 100% on the road test after taking 3 lessons at a driver's school. To show me the basics, Dad had me drive around 2 telephone poles in an empty parking lot for a couple of hours. He said since he had no breaks on the passenger side of his car, it was best to attend a driving school. I agreed! If I ever wanted to leave the parking lot and learn to drive under real road conditions, I needed to learn from a professional. Sweet 16 began, fortunately without a bang with no car crashes!

Still after passing the tests and getting your driver's license, it takes time to become a confident driver. Out in traffic I remember thinking, "WOW, this is incredible. They let ANYBODY get behind the wheel!"😳

Over time I became an excellent driver. Practice does it.

And now my blog is Sweet 16 also! Where does the time go?

Since the beginning of humankind, poets have thought about it. We all know the Ecclesiastes verses. Let's end with a lesser known poem addressing the idea of ...

Time

By Tony Avila Sampson

TIME born with all the sky?
Can TIME suffer and also die? 
Is TIME flat? Or is TIME round?
Where is TIME? Can TIME be found?
Is TIME there with each beat of the heart?
Was TIME there from the very start?
Must TIME go to that being made?
Does TIME show by that being fade?
Can TIME give and also take?
Must TIME be for that to make?
Is TIME real? How is TIME there? 

Can TIME be found in a breath of air? 
Does the portal of TIME drape the eye as it blinks? 
Can TIME be more stranger than a brain that thinks? 

Does TIME provide a way dimensions are spaced?
Are all creatures of TIME somehow inwardly paced?
Is all manner of TIME with all matter that be?
Does TIME flow endlessly?
How does the future with TIME flow past? 
Does TIME move slow? Can TIME move fast? 
Does TIME have a speed limit we call 'now'?
Is something 'like' gravity pulling TIME? How?
Is TIME bound? Or is TIME free?
Is TIME that what is meant to be?

Happy 16th Birthday, THE SAVVY SHOPPER!🎈🎂🎊

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What A Difference 100 Years Make

This week I'm celebrating a birthday.  Well actually, I celebrate birthdays in small ways with treats all month long. Already my Mom sent me a lovely card, a thoughtful gift and a fascinating clip from a neighborhood newspaper about what it was like living many years ago. The caption is, “What a difference a century makes.”  I have to admit it's a fun read, but what exactly is my Mother trying to say by sending it to me on my birthday, hmm?  You can read it for yourself below.

Here are some statistics for the Year 1909:

The average life expectancy was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

There were only 8,000 cars and

only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.

The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.

The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 per year.

A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year and

a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME.

Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!

Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and the government as 'substandard. '

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

{People also used lye soap to wash their hair and skin. Homemade lye soap killed poison ivy, poison oak and took tough stains out of laundry!}

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death were:

1. Pneumonia and influenza

2. Tuberculosis

3. Diarrhea

4. Heart disease

5. Stroke

The American flag had 46 stars. {New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii had yet to come into the union.}

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was only 30!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.

Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available over the counter at the corner drugstore. Back then pharmacists said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health."

Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the Entire U.S.A. {I wonder how many murders were unreported! Or undetected!}

After considering the world 100 years ago, aren't you happy to be celebrating birthdays in the 21st century? So much has improved. People are living to be ripe old ages, and with the touch of a button information, music and video can be sent around the globe in seconds.

The article suggests we, "try to imagine what it will be like living 100 years from now."

Just think: What new technologies and inventions will there be? Which diseases will be cured? How will life be better? What will homes look like? How will people work and play? What will transportation be like? And how will the map of the world change?

And while we're at it, why not imagine how we'd like for the world to be in 100 years and contribute to making it happen for all humanity.

Celebrating Father's Day

Photo by Natalie Kimball

My Father … perhaps like yours … had many attributes. He was smart, funny, creative, patient, a gentleman; the list goes on and on. But the quality I remember most was his reliability. He was there for you. You could count on him ... and his good judgment. Even during spats as a teenager, I was secure in the knowledge that he was totally on my side.

I was lucky to have a caretaker dad. The summer I turned seven my two front teeth were missing. All summer my Dad cut watermelon into cubes so I could eat it. When I was 25, my Dad came to visit me in New York. Before leaving to return home he told me that of all the things he accomplished in his life, being a dad was the role he enjoyed the most.* And perhaps that's why he was so good at it and explains why I always knew he approved of me and would go to any lengths for me. Whatever the circumstances, good, bad or ugly, he was there for you.

My Father died a few years ago, so I'll spend this Father's Day Sunday remembering him and all the years we had together. And I'll feel lucky to have had him as my Dad.

Happy Father's Day to all fathers. May you receive the gift of having your children nearby and knowing how much they love and cherish you.

Ideas for Father's Day:

1. Spend the day with Dad. Engage in activities he likes. [a meal, theater, music, a movie, sports]

2. Call him and have a leisurely conversation. Be open and accepting. Take your cues from him and listen twice as much as you talk.

3. Make or buy him his favorite music. [records, CDs, or program an ipod]

4. Give him a favorite book.

5. Order him a magazine subscription he'll enjoy.

6. Put together a basket of favorite treats.

7. Fill a need, or bring him something that will make his life easier.

8. Spring for season tickets [for two] to an activity of his choice. Go with him if possible. [If you can afford it, make it for 3 or 4 and include your mother and/or spouse.]

*At the time of Dad's remark we were out sampling New York pizza, and I wondered what made him say such a thing. I was surprised, but pleasantly surprised.