Chances are, regardless of what generation you are from, you had a piggy bank in your youth. Maybe you still do. I can still hear the noise when the coins dropped through the slot. For many of us, that was the sound of money.
The piggy bank of my youth was small, plastic and pink, and it had a local bank’s logo imprinted on it. I took great pride in filling that thing up. I doubt it held 50 pennies, but I sure thought I was rich. My piggy bank had a plastic plug in the bottom of it that would allow for the coins to be removed.
My brother had a ceramic piggy bank that didn’t have a plug in it. He would have to carefully fish out the coins through the slot with a knife. It was a tedious task. Of course, a hammer would have been the faster method, but that would have been the end of the piggy bank. Some say the expression “breaking the bank” comes from this action. Others disagree. Regardless, Mom would not have allowed us kids to purposefully break things in our home.
But what about the pig? Do you ever what it has to do with banking or saving? Why not a horse? Or a cow? Or a rooster?
Piggy banks apparently date back 600 years. This was a time before banks as we know today existed. In those days, people stored their money at home, often in jars made of a clay called pygg. When people would save their coins, they would do so by dropping them into one of these clay jars that were referred to as a “pygg pot.” Makes sense now, huh?
According to The Financial Brand, the first true piggy banks — terracotta banks in the shape of a pig with a slot in the top for depositing coins — were made in Java in the 14th century. Not many of these Indonesian piggy banks survive today, since, like my brother’s bank, they needed to be busted apart to get the coins. As such, unbroken Javanese piggy banks are rare. In Great Britain, a 650-year old Majapahit terracotta piggy bank was offered for sale at $10,000. That’s a lot of coin.
Today, in many German-speaking countries, giving piggy banks as gifts is a cherished custom, as pigs are associated with good fortune. Based on today’s market prices, Iowa’s hog farmers today may disagree.
Did you have a piggy bank? Do you still? Send me a note and let me know.
Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com
See Shane Goodman's previous columns here. |
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Your Clear Mortgage forecast
A milder Tuesday is ahead. Mixed precipitation is possible Thursday and again this weekend.
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
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| CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | The results have been tallied and published in the February issue of CITYVIEW and online!
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| Featured home for sale | | |
$234,900 2127 Capitol Ave., Des Moines, IA 50317
It's all yours! Home is being sold with all contents, fully furnished! This completely charming Craftsman home sits on a brick paved road that leads to the Fairgrounds. An adorable enclosed porch with rocking chairs greets you when you walk up the front steps. Inside, the craftsman touches are everywhere with the wood floors, finished beams, doorways and oversized windows.
See the listing here.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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| From the March issue of CITYVIEW | | | JOE'S NEIGHBORHOOD
Best loser — a new CITYVIEW Best of Des Moines category?
By Joe Weeg
CITYVIEW Best Beaverdale Area Store
Once again taking home Best Beaverdale Area Store … Beaverdale Books.
Runner-up: Back Country
We do love to compete, don’t we? Probably due to some Darwinian gamble about Bob and Jack outracing the T-Rex to the safety of a cave. The loser’s gene pool ended up as sushi, and the winner’s gene pool? Well, that’s us. Bob lost, we won, and now, as a result, we have professional hot-dog eating contests. Competition is in our blood.
So, you may THINK you are a great worker, mother, father, son, daughter, friend or Best Beaverdale Area Store, but … how do you stack up against the competition? Now there’s the real test of your value as a person, or your value as a business, or really, whether you have any value at all. | | | READ MORE |
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Hamburg, New York is painting its water tower to look like a hamburger, 130 high and by a highway, to attract tourists. Stanton, Iowa, painted its water towers, 125 feet high, to look like a Swedish coffee pot and cup. It attracted tourists such as I. Sadly, Susie's Kok ("kitchen" in Swedish) in Stanton is closed. It was a great Swedish diner highly rated by Des Loines, the ultimate guide to tenderloins in Iowa.
Responding to a huge development in Kansas City Chiefs football, Heinz dipped into action. A tweet mentioned that "Taylor Swift is eating chicken with ketchup and seemingly ranch." Within days, the self proclaimed world leader in sauces rebranded its Kranch sauce as "Ketchup and seemingly Ranch." (WSJ)
Tenderloins with fries are only $12 Tuesday at Bianchi’s Hilltop (2829 Hubbell Ave., Des Moines)... Taco Tuesday brings special deals to La Familia (1610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines), Malo (900 Mulberry St., Des Moines) and all Taco Johns... B-Bops has an ad in Relish, in this month's CITYVIEW, for "buy one get one free" bacon cheeseburgers.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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| Keep Iowa Beautiful photo contest winners |
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ABOVE: Iowa Wildlife, Honorable Mention: “Shy Raccoon,” by Adam Orgler of Johnston
Keep Iowa Beautiful has announced the winners of the 14th Annual Keep Iowa Beautiful Photography Contest, aimed at raising awareness of Iowa's natural and environmental beauty. To see all the winning photos, visit Keep Iowa Beautiful.
Send your photos of beautiful sights in Iowa to tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com. |
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FROM KCCI: 4 charged with kidnapping, willful injury for abuse of family member
ZEARING, Iowa — Four people, including one teenager, have been arrested following an extensive investigation into the abuse of a family member.....READ MORE FROM KCCI
FROM WHO-TV: Senate Republicans push forward AEA changes
DES MOINES, Iowa — House Republicans passed its caucuses' version of how to rework the state’s area education agencies. Around 5:30 p.m. on Monday evening, Iowa Senate Republicans passed it’s version by a vote of 28-22. Six Republicans voted against the bill... READ MORE FROM WHO-TV
FROM WOI-DT Local 5: Meet the 10 finalists for 2024 Iowa's Best Burger
The Iowa Beef Industry Council and Iowa Cattlmen's Association received a record amount of nominations for this year's contest.....READ MORE FROM WOI-DT Local 5 |
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| Birthdays and notables | | | Happy Birthday Wendy Goodale!
These celebrities were born on this date: Bruce Willis, Garrett Clayton, Theo Von, Andy Reid, Glenn Close, Jake Weber, Hakim Ziyech, Madhulika Krishnan, Hector Bellerin, Bun B, Clayton Kershaw, Mary Scheer, Caylee Cowan
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to yesterday's riddle:
What do you get when you combine Blue Agave and literature? TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD! - Mike Chiston. Or, A marga-read-a! - Carolyn Rogers, Rex Post. Also answers from Gail Tomlinson.
Today's riddle
Which famous magician always wore a multi-color suit on stage?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Grimes/Dallas Center, North Polk and Adel Living magazines, contact:
Dan Juffer
Senior Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 303
Mobile: 515-371-2290
dan.juffer@dmcityview.com
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