Last week I wrote about the most important uses of a smart phone, but there are many other joys I get out of the little miracle device.

If my toilet paper is about to run out, or my toothpaste is down to its last squeeze, or, horrors! I am about to run out of Diet Coke, I can order it using my telephone. Places like Stop and Shop and Walmart have delivery, and will generally be able to plop a package of much needed items on my doorstep in a few hours. I order what I need, grab a quick nap, and by the time I wake up, Ta Da!  There they are!  If it is something more elaborate that I need, such as a room dehumidifier or a special snorkel and face mask, I can order it on Amazon and get it the next day.  The NEXT day!  FREE!  I remember years ago my son, Francis, in California needed AA batteries for his alarm clock. Unable to drive because of his vision, he ordered them, and ONLY them, from Amazon and by 10:00 the next morning they arrived in a tiny box, (albeit too late to actually benefit the alarm for that day.) The amazing keyword is FREE!  Previously for my grandchildren’s birthday I would purchase gifts I knew they would like, wrap them up, include a card and mail it to California for an exorbitant price the equals a down payment on a new car. Now, I order them from Amazon, have them placed in a gift bag, with a note saying “Happy Birthday” for FREE.

Speaking of birthday’s, my handy dandy phone has a calendar that keeps track of birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions.  Amazingly, it will send me reminders of the events the day before, ensuring I make the proper phone calls and texts when the time comes. Sending cards through my phone are also a big help and money saver. After paying $5.99 for a birthday card the other day at CVS, I realized just how much is really saved by sending virtual cards.

My genius phone is also a great entertainer.  I have Hulu and Netflix on it, but admit that it is impossible to watch shows with teeny tiny people in them, so they are saved for my large television. However, with glasses, I can easily play one of the games whose icons grace my screen; Solitaire, Candy Crush, and the ever popular Words With Friends which serves the dual purpose of having fun while also communicating with my friends. I used to dread waiting at a doctor’s office for my appointment, but now it feels intrusive if I am called into the exam room before my game is finished.

One of the biggest benefits of my clever phone is the ability to do virtual meetings. Although this became popular during the pandemic, it continues to be useful for work.  Like many other people, I make myself professionally presentable from the waist up, while being barefoot and wearing pajama bottoms to be comfy.  Recently I attended such a meeting for a grant application, and there were 3,476 other people on the call!

My phone praises would not be complete without extolling the benefits of on-line banking. I just love checking the accounts every day, and switching money from the savings account to the checking account at the last minute in order to get the most interest possible.

The camera on my phone is another sight to behold. When I take a picture, there is the option to edit the photo so we all look our best. Instead of keeping old fashioned photo albums, my precious pictures are stored in “the cloud”, and easily shared with all of my “contacts”.

Smart phones are incredible devices, and I can only imagine the amazing things they will be able to do in the future!!