Groundhog's Day, 1954

In honor of this momentous day, I have decided to dedicate this, my second ever blog post to someone very special to me - no, not the groundhog with initials P.P. My mom. Today is her birthday, and while this is straying from what will eventually become a set way of doing things, I feel it necessary to pay homage to the best mom in the world, and the best friend anyone could ask for. Also, it's completely feasible she will be the only one reading this after tomorrow.

So pay attention, Shelley...this is your life!

On this day in 1954, the song Oh My Papa by Eddie Fisher topped the Billboard Charts. If you, like me, can't recall ever hearing this song, and are curious as to just what those fly cats were listening to way back when (sorry ma), follow this link to hear it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y04seHfYLAA

Here are a few other noteworthy tidbits circa 1954:

A gallon of gas cost my grandparents a whopping 22 cents.

A shiny, brand new set of wheels would have run them about $1,700.

The average cost of a new house was $10,250...and based on what we paid for ours last year, this makes me more than a little nauseous.

The president of the United States was Dwight D. Eisenhower...they liked Ike!

Popular films out in 1954 included: White Christmas, On the Waterfront, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

And finally, to add at least a tad of domesticity to today's post...

The February 1954 issue of The Journal of Home Economics studied the costs of home and pre-kitchen prepared foods for several menus. Here, a typical dinner menu is given:

Fried Chicken, whole
Spanish Rice
Leaf Spinach
Fruit Salad with dressing
Biscuits
Sherbet
Angel Cake

Ever have a meal like that, mom? All I can say is, if this is how they ate in the 50's, I think I'm gonna like it here!!