Why Are Eyeglasses So Costly In the USA?

I chose these eyeglasses not for color or shape, but for lightness. They are flexible frames; fortunately, they suit my face.

At 22 years old, I discovered I was nearsighted! You don’t know until someone tries to show you something far away you can’t see, and an eye exam confirms it. I’ve been buying single vision eyeglasses ever since ... to drive!

About 4 years ago, my eye doctor gave me the choice of getting single distance or progressive lenses to improve my nearsighted vision too. I asked him if our eyes stay stronger if we don’t wear glasses. He said, “No, you just get used to not seeing.” :) 

At the time, I chose single vision because to this day, I can read a book and a computer screen without glasses, so I thought I’d rarely reach for them. Humans are inherently lazy! Now in 2026, I decided to get progressive lenses because my vision will only decline, and I don’t buy new glasses every year. My friend, Rhonda, told me that after a period of learning, she is so used to her progressive lenses that she doesn’t notice the adjustments her eyes make to change from near to long-distance vision. Rhonda loves her progressive lenses! Therefore, I'm sold! 

Who knows what all I’m not seeing of our world?

This brings me to the subject of today’s blog: Why are eyeglasses so damn expensive? 

The answer is: Eyeglasses are costly in the USA mainly because a single dominant conglomerate controls most of the eyewear design, manufacturing, retail chains, and vision insurance market. That company’s name is EssilorLuxottica. They own brands such as Ray-Ban, Oakley, Prada, and Chanel + massive retail chains like LensCrafters and Pearle Vision + vision insurance providers like EyeMed. 

Decades ago, I bought decent frames in optical shops with names I didn’t recognize. Today I see nothing but famous designer names at eyeglass retailers. Designers outsource frame manufacturing while charging licensing fees for their logos. Consumers have the illusion of more choice and pay up to 20 times more than the cost of manufacturing their frames. Add to this the legitimate expense of brick-and-mortar overhead. It all adds up to ticket shock! You rarely spend less than $800 for new frames + lenses + lens treatment add-ons.

Since my like-new titanium semi-frameless rims are lighter and more attractive than anything I wish to pay for in the 5 eyeglass shops I visited including what was on display at my eye clinic, all I really want to buy is new lenses. That’s when I began to feel like I was dealing with racketeers! 

Here are the practices and prices I encountered:

1) Cohen Optical - For single vision lenses with scratch and anti-glare protection: After subtracting a so-called $200 discount -- Cost: $499. I don’t believe that price is discounted!

Olin Frameless at Warby Parker

2) Warby Parker - This merchant requires customers to buy both frames and lenses. They won’t replace lenses on frames you bring in for the stated reason: they lack the tools. I’m skeptical of this explanation, but I also think Warby Parker has a transparent pricing system with an itemized estimate, so customers know exactly what they’ll spend for new eyeglasses. I like W.P.’s $200 Olin Frameless rims I saw on display better than my own frames; however, since I don’t wear my eyeglasses 24/7, I can live with my old frames and pass on the $199 Olin frames. Cost: Warby Parker’s progressive lenses start at $295 to $325, and this price includes both the frames and the multifocal lenses. If you need new frames, not bad.

3) LensCrafters - For single vision lenses with scratch and anti-glare protection: LensCrafters will replace lenses on frames you bring in. Consumers choose 1 of 2 types of glare protection. For my estimate, I opted for the cheaper one and didn’t completely understand what the better glare protection offered. Frankly, I was annoyed by the two tiers. Overcomplicated: Give us the better anti-glare at the better price! Nonetheless, I also think the sales associates at LensCrafters are patient, nice, and straightforward, giving consumers a breakdown of costs. Cost: $309. I was in the store with another customer, and frankly I thought she (at the last minute) was sold a treatment she’ll later regret: photochromic lenses, driving up the price for lenses on her old frames that she dropped off. Her cost: $450 for lenses only.

4) Eyes & Optics NY (inside Metropolitan Hospital) -  For single vision lenses with scratch and anti-glare guard: I would have to pay a $25 lab fee if not buying new frames. Speaking to the sales department by phone, I was given a lower price than in person. Cost: $425 -- the higher quote because I can’t hand my eyeglasses to the unidentified salesperson I talked to on the phone.

5) Mt Sinai NYEE at E 102nd Street -  For single vision lenses with scratch and anti-glare protection; This one I only called and was quoted: Cost: $279 + an extra $25 lab fee for not buying frames.

After checking with these 5 retailers, I returned to my eye clinic at Ryan Health to get the best value available: Using my frames (which I bought about 4 years ago at the clinic), I decided on progressive lenses with scratch and anti-glare protection. Cost: $260. The flexible frames added to the expense and come with a catch: Without buying new frames (remember I bought my old frames at this clinic), nobody is responsible if the lab loses my frames. What!?! Why??? BTW: Single vision lenses would have cost me $90 + add-ons. Absolutely a bargain in this industry!

If you know the frame measurements you need + have a prescription, there are super low-cost eyeglasses for purchase online. Years ago I bought from and reviewed one of them: Eyeglasses.com, as well as, bought eyeglasses from another: Coastal.com -- both of which were good experiences. But you really have to know what to order without the benefit of trying the frames on, or having someone make frame adjustments.

Hey, maybe we’ll resort to the old magnifying glass of bygone eras to read! Starting to have its appeal, no? 

Reading glasses only cost about $10 - $15 at pharmacies for folks who are farsighted.

So what did we learn today, readers? Eyewear seems to be a cash-cow, semi-scam industry😁, and consumers need to keep their guard up! 

Did this blog make your head spin the way the comparisons did mine? I lost 2 days of my life that I’ll never get back; speaking of which, my fingers are crossed that my clinic's lab returns my old eyeglasses.👀🙏 If I’m not wearing them when driving, don't get into the car!

You may also enjoy:

Eau de Cologne 4711

Live As An Under Buyer

The Celine Inspirited Cat Eye Sunglasses

How To Pick Sunglasses: Form To Function

Temu's Storage Temptations

I bought this and had to put it on one side under my kitchen sink, away from the pipe, because my pipe was installed too far to the left. Also, one of the 4 metal poles didn’t go into one of the holes, and I had to force the pole into the hole as best it would go. Not for super heavy items, but strong enough for many cleaning agents like washing detergent. Using vertical space for $10 rocks, yet I won’t pay more for a plastic shelf.

In February 2023, I featured Temu, the bargain Chinese website of practical household and garden tools, beauty and personal care items, bedding, apparal and odds and ends for cheap. You can read that blog here. Temu isn’t a scam, but a legitimate Chinese e-commerce company with an office and warehouse in Boston, Massachusetts. I’ve ordered some inexpensive merchandise that, once upon a time, US customers might have found at Woolworths, Odd-Job Trading, Big Lots, or large five-and-dime stores.

Although Temu lets customers return things, personally I’d only order low-priced articles that you can afford to eat the cost of if they didn’t work out. Returns are a hassle. I selected low-risk items I'm happy with, like a silicone baking mat, a silicone adult bib for my senior mom, mini jewelry boxes, a long steel shoehorn, cable ties with snaps, and flexible rubber spiral wrap cord protectors.

Frequently, I ogle the organizing and storage commodities for tight spaces since I like everything in my home organized and to have a place of its own. I’ve come to believe that my superpower is misplacing things in my own home. Frankly, I could lose anything at any time after I touch it! If I don’t create a spot for my things and train myself to put them back, I spend endless time circling my apartment to find where I left objects like my house keys, a cell phone, a remote control, or a pen and paper. It's ridiculous! To spare myself endless frustrations and wasted time, I’m forced to be organized!

Moreover, lead me not into Temu’s storage temptations! The e-retailer has tons of organizers and storage choices for every room and purpose. I’ve picked out 5 to feature today. 

It costs less to manufacture goods in China because of lower wages. Trade between nations is good for both countries. Customers can expect low prices and reasonable shipping times. Still, always order mindfully!

Click this link to see this slim storage cabinet (here in 2 sizes) slide.

You may also enjoy:

Extra Storage Solutions

Shelf Helpers To Organize

My 5 Key Organizing Tips

EDX Metal Utility Cart Storage

New York City At Night

Manhattan is especially beautiful at night. My friend Carolyn C. attended a Knicks’ NBA Championship watch party and sent me these photographs. She gave me permission to post them.

The hostess of the watch party lives in a high-rise in Chelsea with a grand balcony that has a great view of Midtown. You’re looking up 7th Avenue in the direction of Times Square. Did you know the tricolors representing New York City are blue, white, and orange? The colors of the city’s flag.

You can see the Manhattan skyline in this video. Thank you for sharing these splendid views with us, Carolyn! They make me love New York City all the more. Come for a visit, readers, whenever you can. Congratulations, Champion New York Knicks! If you want to read more about New York, enter “New York" into the search box, upper right.↖

You may also enjoy:

Anonymity Is Priceless

A View of Lower Manhattan

Best Shopping In Manhattan Awards

Macy’s Herald Square We Love You As You Are

Hooked On Artichokes

As a child, I never saw artichokes at the supermarket nor on our dinner table. Now I buy frozen artichoke quarters all the time. They are readily available year-round, cheap, and easy to cook and eat.

Artichokes have many health benefits, which I intended to write up, but this comprehensive handout has done the work for me, so I’ll simply link and upload it for you! What’s the point of rewriting it? Somebody else already did a great job!

Unlike asparagus, artichokes have a mild flavor, so they can go into many dishes. Click here to get the healthy artichoke recipes I’ll also post below👇, courtesy of Oregon State University. It may be easier to read online, but I’m posting it here in case it disappears from the internet. Click to enlarge the recipes.

Although I've eaten fresh artichokes in restaurants, I always buy them frozen when making them at home. It’s a vegetable that survives freezing without losing taste, texture, or nutrients. Frozen eliminates the work of washing and cutting them up! Frozen is usually a better value than buying them fresh. You can cook and grill them without defrosting them first, a great convenience! Add this vegetable to your regular diet. I’m sure you’ll like it!

The part of the artichoke we eat is not technically a vegetable but a flower bud, a variety of the thistle family. By its strange looks, you have to wonder who first thought of eating them. Did they try roses and daisies and dandelions also?🌳

You may also enjoy:

Real Italian Cooking

Jambalaya Made Easy

Spicy Shrimp With Artichoke

#Shorts: A Red Wine Boldness Chart

Oreck Elevate Command Vacuum

To borrow a term from financial journalism, a vacuum cleaner isn’t a sexy topic, but I bet all households need one!

I use an Oreck Elevate Command Vacuum. It is recommended for hard floors and low to high-pile carpet, both of which I vacuum. I’ll start by stating I prefer upright vacuums that contain bags. 

Uprights are more compact than canisters, and I’d rather push a handle than pull a canister to vacuum. I also wish to change and toss out dirt inside a bag over the less sanitary and greater mess of emptying and cleaning a bagless vacuum. So in selecting a vacuum, I start with these two preminators.

The Oreck Elevate Command Vacuum is super compact and lightweight to move around furniture or to carry up stairs. It has strong suction, nearly too strong on carpet on the carpet setting, as it ripped a corner lining of my 8.6 x 10-inch area rug! Nowadays, I only vacuum using the lower (hard floor) setting. However, I do like the ease of use and the excellent suction in achieving a good cleaning. Moverover it’s quieter compared to a commercial vacuum cleaner. Check the noise level when you are tempted to save a few bucks by ordering commercial instead of residential vacuums. Turned on, the Orack lights up, and it flattens to roll under a bed. I choose not to pay $100 more to buy the Oreck model with a swivel head. Would I have liked it? Sure. Is it worth another $100 bucks? You must decide for yourself.

Oreck upright vacuums lack attachments for anything beyond floor cleaning. So there is no hose on the side to clean couch crevices or blinds, and this lack of a hose gave me pause about whether or not to buy it. What sold me was Oreck's soft belly with a zipper over a hard plastic belly upright vacuum. A soft belly that you unzip to change the bag is lighter and more compact than a plastic belly when storing in a closet. No potential for plastic breaking off after years of opening and closing to change a vacuum bag, either.

Oreck has the reputation of being a durable vacuum cleaner with decent customer support, should anything go wrong. The Oreck Elevate Command Vacuum is a no-nonsense model. It does its single job of vacuuming the floor well, and I love how little space it takes to hide it away in a closet; therefore, I decided to pay the piper, expecting it to last for years to come.

I managed to buy it in 2025 during a promotion offering a $50 discount with 6 free hepa bags.

Still, I understand that vacuum cleaners have gotten expensive! So for consumers who have a small budget and really need to spend less, Housebrush offers a Cordless Vacuum Cleaner on a self-standing stick that many customers say cleans well and has a good battery life that is also rechargeable. There’s a small bagless compartment that collects the debris. It comes with convertible nozzles to clean 8 surfaces, not just floors. Customers also like the similar SVHT vacuum on a stick, costing even less. Perfect for dorms or tiny spaces. For a house, you’d likely need a more substantial vacuum cleaner, but I cannot speak from experience. Read all the customer reviews to know what type and size of vacuum cleaner is right for you!

Years ago, a co-worker bought a hot pink Oreck vacuum! A blast from the past. The black Oreck Elevate Command Vacuum is meeting all my needs, though I looked for the pink, a fun color to push around.:)

You may also enjoy:

Buying Light Bulbs

My Little Man Broke!

Plastic Spray Bottles, Yeah!

The Best Time To Buy A Mattress Is?

5 Homemade Bug Killers That Work

Photo: Etsy

My New York City apartment spoils me! I don’t have a bug problem. But when I visit the suburbs -- a house with side-and-back-yards and a garage -- I notice all kinds of critters try to move into the house! Recently I learned how to kill some of them:

1) Ants - Mix 1/2 teaspoon borax with 8 teaspoons of powdered sugar and enough water to dissolve, turning it into a paste. Repurpose empty yogurt cups or any empty container about the size of a cup, leaving the solution in the rooms where ants are spotted (usually in a kitchen or bathroom). The worker ants will take the bait back to the Queen of the colony. Pow, dead!💥🔫💨 I had no idea ants came into a house!

2) Wasps and hornets - They try to build nests on porch ceilings and structures. Vinegar and water chases them away, only to return. Wasps are very persistent. Spray those unwelcome pests with a mix of dish soap and water. The soap disrupts a wasp’s exoskeleton. Pow, gone!💥🔫💨

3) Lizards, spiders, and mice - While a family member’s garage door was up, I saw a lazard run inside and hide! We left the garage door partially open for a couple of hours hoping Mr. Lizard would try to escape back outside, but we didn’t see it. Next we sprayed clean rags with undiluted peppermint essential oil to leave inside the garage. What’s more, according to Home Depot and Reader’s Digest, you can mix 20 drops of peppermint essential oil into a 32-ounce spray bottle filled with water to deter spiders by spraying around your house in corners, near entrances, and along floorboards. Mice I hope never to see but the remedy to deter them from entering a garage is the same as lizards and spiders. Pow, no trespassing!💥🔫💨

4) Weevils - I read that sometimes weevils are already in the flour, rice and pasta we bring home from the supermarket. I aways put these foods in my freezer for several days to kill their eggs or lava before putting them in airtight containers in my cupboard. I toss in bay leaves for good measure. Pow, no worries!💥🔫💨

5) In Manhattan, our building has an exterminator come in every week to spray areas or apartments where roaches are seen. If a tenant sees a roach, we let the super know and the exterminator sets traps and monitors the area.

According to Lowe’s, baking soda mixed with sugar or baking soda sprinkled over an onion left out overnight for roaches to ingest produces carbon dioxide gas that builds up in their digestive tract to kill them. In an emergency, it’s good to know, however a roach infestation calls for a professional treatment. Pow, slain!💥🔫💨

In Manhattan I’m mostly spared from encounters with critters who have spindly legs and an attitude! The city sprays parks. Our building is proactive with pest control visits. Also, there is more concrete than grass, trees and plants. A trip to the suburbs reminds me how I like being spoiled! Out in the burbs residents must become highly effective killing machines to survive! Stay out of the house vermin🕷🐜🐁 or pow!!!💥🔫💨 

You may also enjoy:

Let’s Have A Pillow Talk

Step Into The World Of Ideas

The Best Mosquito Repellents

Eco-Friendly Garden And Pest Control Tips

Rita Fox Makes Pineapple Soup

All Photos: Rita Fox

I publish more recipes over the summer than the rest of the year likely because of the fresh produce available and social events that happen during the long extended daylight hours. It makes many of us want to try new recipes! When my friend, Rita, sent me her mouthwatering photos of a batch of her Pineapple Soup, I asked if I could share them on THE SAVVY SHOPPER, and she said yes!
             

The recipe comes from a cookbook, “Taste of Home Best Church Supper Recipes" Rita picked up from a church yard sale.

Ms. Rita Fox has made other appearances on THE SAVVY SHOPPER because she’s a great cook, baker and is multi-talented!

Looking for an entertaining summer read? Rita is a romance writer with fans all over the world. Connect with author, Kally Masters, on FB. What’s more, she has published a winning cookbook of family recipes. I highly recommend checking it out too.

 

For the record, I've never heard of a fruit soup. What a healthy and versatile recipe! An ideal way to use ripe fruit, turn it into a refreshing drink (virgin or alcoholic ... you don’t have to tell), or a delicious summer dessert!

Rita made a big batch of her pineapple soup as easy nutrition for her 94-year-old mother. With her mother’s large family of adult children, in-laws and grandchildren ... and a 93 degree F summer day, I bet real money, it will not last long!🍍

You may also enjoy:

Czechoslovakian Cookies

Rita Fox’s Bourbon Fruitcake

State Fair Blue Ribbon Desserts

Swedish Cardamon Cake With Caramelized Topping

Meet Your New Friends: Legumes

photo: all over

Lately I've become quite the lazy cook. After years of preparing dinner, I just don't want to wash a sink full of pots and pans on a daily basis. Most of the people I know prewash greasy pans by hand before loading them into a dishwasher. I do the same when I have access to a dishwasher. In Manhattan I don't wish to lose a cupboard to install a dishwasher. Also I have a big sink so if I start a prewash, I might as well finish the job with an extra wash and multiple raises.

 

Lately Legumes have become my easy-peasy dinner staples. Into the CrockPot they go. I've started to toss in brown rice and mixed vegetables for a complete dinner. A stock pot on a stovetop works equally as well. You just can't forget about the latter!

Although rice combined with legumes (beans, split peas or lentils) form a complete protein, meat eaters can top the chunky-stew-like-soups with diced smoked ham or smoked turkey. A side of whole grain crackers or crusty bread can complete the meal. Texture is as important as spices in dishes to make food more satisfying. A few sides or condiments of choice are the way to go!

According to Healthline, here are 9 Healthy Legumes to Eat - Be sure to click on the link to read the full nutritional value of each legume. You'll learn that legumes are good sources, not only of protein, but fiber and minerals too. What's more, I'll link you to recipes in how I often eat each legume.

1) Chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans - 269 calories per cup with 14.5 grams of protein. I don't make this one homemade but buy it: hummus. When I can't make a dish better or cheaper than readymade, I buy it.

2) Lentils - 230 calories per cup and 17.9 grams of protein. 

Lentil soup recipe here. An alternate recipe is: 16 oz dried lentils, 1o cups water, 4 large chicken bouillon cubes, 1 cup brown rice, 12 oz mixed vegetables, chopped celery, and chopped onion. Spice to taste - garlic, smoked paprika, bay leaf, soy sauce, etc. 

3) Peas - 134 calories per cup with 8.58 grams of protein. Split pea soup. You can also make split peas using the hearty lentil soup recipe in #2. It's as delicious yet creamier.

4)  Kidney beans - 225 calories per cup with 15.3 grams of protein. I like to use kidney beans in chili. 

5) Black beans - 227 calories per cup with 15.2 grams of protein. Here is a no name salad I make. Feel free to name it.:)

6) Soybeans - 298 calories per cup with 31.3 grams of protein. For soybeans, I buy tofu to add to miso soup or another meatless dish. Tofu has no flavor of it's own which makes it versatile.

7) Pinto beans - 245 calories per cup with 15.4 grams of protein. I like pinto beans, but frankly use beans interchangeably: kidney, pink, pinto, roman, or navy. My Mother's bean soup was always navy bean soup, but I'm not faithful to one bean.:) Whatever's in my cupboard goes into the pot. Bean soup. Pasta e Fagioli.

8) Navy beans - 255 calories per cup with 15 grams of protein.

9) Peanuts - 414 calories per cup with 18.9 grams of protein. Sometimes we do eat peanuts as a snack, but more often in the form of peanut butter. Here's how I make peanut sesame noodles, a popular quick dinner in my home.

Additionally, I toss lima beans into beef stew, and I like butter beans. My mom didn't make butter beans for dinner. Country people did. Good with potatoes or cornbread! Cornbread and butter beans are a complete protein. 

Take it from me -- a lazy cook need not turn into an unhealthy cook. Legumes are packed with nutrients and are relatively inexpensive. Add some to your diet with the guaranteed approval of both your doctor and your wallet.

 If you, too, are sometimes a lazy cook, save the meat as a topper for your soup: The payoffs: 1) You won't have to wash a greasy pot; 2) you can serve vegetarians and carnivores from the same batch; 3) leftover meatless dishes have a longer refrigerator life. Of course you can also freeze your leftovers. 4) I like to buy smoked deli ham or turkey to top soups and you save the flavors which don't disperse into your batch of soup.

In the USA our recent tariffs --  extra taxes on all consumer goods -- are driving up the cost of food and everything else not made in the USA. Retailers must now pay an extra tax (or tariff) when goods enter the country then they pass the tax onto customers in the form of higher prices. What? You think merchants are going to absorb extra taxes? Often small businesses can't afford to and will close if customers won't pay more either. Small businesses don't have the capital (or time it takes) to build factories to make the cheaper goods we get from China or Southeast Asia. Moreover the USA doesn't have the climate to grow certain food like bananas or coffee, or cocoa beans (chocolate) -- the reason we import them. Trade is what makes the USA prosperous, and consumers are great at setting prices. It's the cost we are willing to pay at the supermarket or elsewhere.

So my dear peeps, hang in there, and bon appetite on the cheap!😉😋😂

You may also enjoy:

Jambalaya Made Easy

Diet: Safe, Simple And Sustainable

7 Surprising Benefits of Chewing Gum

Building A Cheese Platter On A Budget

This Is Bob, Our New Pope Leo XIV

Newly elected Leo XIV on St. Peter's Basilica balcony (May 8, 2025) and as a university student

I'm a little late in getting this post up. Although I rushed to the tv when the sight of white smoke was announced, I'm still a little stunned that a fellow North American was elected Pope. Nobody not even hardcore Vatican Watches expected it. Just imagining being in St. Peter's Square when Pope Leo XIV stepped out onto the balcony to speak to the crowd gives me chills. Our new Pope is such a pleasing mixture of humility and confidence, I was very moved watching the 2,000 year old tradition unfold on television.

Brothers Robert, John, and Louis Prevost 1958

What an honor it is to have a U.S. born Pope elected by the most diverse College of Cardinals in history to provide much needed moral leadership and compassion to the world. Imagine the weight carried on the shoulders of one human in taking on such an exalted role.

Photos: CNA

To friends on Facebook I said, the former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost (age 69), now Pope Leo XIV ''is having a promising first day, and seems like the right man for the job. Worldly, intelligent; knows the Vatican, South America and the USA. Close with Pope Francis, and I like that he is from Chicago," in other words, a fantastic combination to be a world spiritual leader of so many adherents and non-adherents alike!

Photo: The Chicago Tribute

I've read that our new Pope has French and Italian ancestry (so the Italians weren't completely left out) on his father's side and Spanish (Louisiana Creole and Haitian) on his mother's side. Her maiden name was Martinez, so I presume there were some amazingly delicious meals in the Prevost home. What did Mrs. Prevost ("Ms." wasn't used in the 1950s or 60s) cook for her 3 precious little boys? Ahhh!

Photo: People

The new Holy Father was a math major, graduating from Villanova University in 1977 and reportedly was accepted into Harvard Law School, but instead decided to administer to the poor by becoming an Augustinian missionary for many years starting in 1985 in Peru. The Peruvians consider him their Pope, calling him Papa Leon. Translates into Lion. He also earned a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 1982 and received a doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, where he also lived for 12 years.

Photo: NYT

It's admirable that Pope Leo XIV knew what he wanted to do from an early age, namely to be of service to people, to lift them up and improve their lives. He prepared himself to serve God through education and by doing!

Leo I (the Great) served from 440 - 461 AD during a crucial period of theological debates when the Church was defining its doctrines. At the time a heresy claimed that Christ had only a Devine nature. Leo I played a key role in defining the dual nature of Christ as fully Devine and fully human.

Leo XIII, whose name, the newest Pope is honoring, wrote an encyclical Rerum Novarum in 1891 which addresses the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers to offer workers fair wages, safety and dignity. Certainly the College of Cardinals knew that in our present day, another pastoral Pope is exactly what is needed, but also a globally exposed one who knows doctrine.🎯

People who expect Leo XIV to be overly liberal will surely be disappointed. The Catholic Church is slow to change but change it does do, methodically and orderly in response to changing times. So with this Pope, conservatives should also be alarmed. I am progressive, and from all accounts, Christ was progressive too, but I understand how the Church must be measured. Wise diplomacy is usually cautious. When you guide over 1 billion Catholics and have global influence, speed or sudden changes may not be your friends. Without a doubt, what His Holiness says reaches far and wide. I do think changes on controversial issues will inch their way to the surface out of necessity.

Photo: CBC

I'm happy our new Pontiff has 2 living older brothers because I think being a Pope is a lonely job without family, close friends, and perhaps a dog as a loyal companion. No matter which way he turns, he'll encounter criticism once the Honeymoon is over.

Too darn cute. Photos from CBS This Morning. 

I like what a longtime friend of Pope Leo XIV, Rev Robert Hagan, said on the PBS News Hour about the new Pope's character: "He's not someone who 'looks for a fight,' but also 'won't walk away' from one. This ... suggests a man who is not combative, but also firm and resolute when faced with injustice or challenges." I see a new Pope who will take difficult issues on but I also don't envy him!

Youngest Robert with brothers Louis and John and their mother, Mildred Prevost

I'll bring the blog back home to the USA with what commentators Brooks and Capehart had to say about Pope Leo XIV's potential impact on US culture and politics.

As the famous saying goes, if you enter the Conclave as a Pope you'll leave as a cardinal. So how did Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost become the first US Pope in history? IMHO like everything else hard, high profile or elusive in life, preparation meets opportunity. The stars just have to align in the right way at the right time. We follow our intellect and passions and go where they lead us. The boy wanted to be a priest. There is no way he could have known where exactly it would lead. But he was doing what he knew he should be doing. He was willing to study, work, leave the country and serve. He put in the time. He was recognized by his bosses and peers. He was open ...  and when those stars aligned and he was ready, he became the Pope. How inspiring.

✝☧ Viva il Papa! 🕊️🇻🇦

You may also enjoy:

Making Pizza Dough

Pope Francis In the USA

The Story Of Stuff: A Review

Marie R. Turner (1900 - 1984) Superintendent of Schools