Retirement Activities...eBay

Okay, so I'm retired. Friends ask, often, "So what do you do all day? What keeps you busy?"

Well, for anyone who is retired, they know the answer and don't have to ask.

Life. Life is just busy, even without a full time job.

Do I sit home and watch TV? No way! Not unless it's CNN and there's a ground-breaking news story.

Much of the day is spent during chores, taking photos for fun and to sell (I did turn photography into a part-time business), and just.....well, doing things. I always have something that "must" get done. The difference now is that I can take my time and not feel under pressure. It's a good thing.

My latest activity, especially in the cold weather, is selling my unwanted household stuff on ebay. I clean out the closets, attic, basement and the loft above the garage. You wouldn't believe what I've stored over the years!

The photo above is of a Pfaltzgraff Folk Art teapot. Slightly used and unwanted.

I'm now selling a whole group of Pfaltzgraff items with the Folk Art design. How did I acquire these items? Why am I selling?

Well here is the story:

I married my husband, a widower, in 1997. His late wife collected the Pfaltzgraff Folk Art collection of dishware and she apparently loved it! She bought everything, and every piece she could find. She got the newsletters, catalogues, and ordered lots of stuff.

Well, in 1998 my new husband and I bought a house together. We packed up the dishes and stored them in a loft above our garage. I didn't want to use his late wife's dishes, although I did like the small bowls and certain items. Everything else stayed boxed and was covered.

This year, ten years later, I decided it was time to clean up the loft. I unpacked the dishes that I had forgotten. There was a treasure of great stuff.

So, I'm now selling this Pflatzgraff collection. I will not sell the little bowls and cute items that I've used...only the items that I know a collector will enjoy.

It's fun and yes, it keeps me actively involved. It gives me a reason to clean out our storage spaces and allows me to recycle useful items to people who want them.

I'm busy and I'm never bored! 

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Happy Easter!!

daffodils in April, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

This photo is not from this year, but Easter is so early that the daffodils are not yet blooming.

 I wanted a photo that says, "Happy Easter" and went into my archives.

Happy Easter!

Free Tibet Now

Read about the protest, below.

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United Nations, NYC

It was a beautiful day for walking around Manhattan. Colder than I thought it would be, but it was still sunny and pleasant.

We walked down to the East River and passed the United Nations Building. There was a group of protestors, protesting against the treatment of Tibet by China. 

I was surprised to see a very quiet protest, with people all gathered within barricades. 

There was no yelling or screaming, just signs and flags. It made me sad. 

It was like they were rounded up, like cattle or prisoners.

There is injustice in the world and people can only protest by holding signs and standing quietly. It just didn't seem right. 

Where was the anger? The yelling and chanting?

It just didn't seem fair.

The group was surrounded by at least 100 police officers. I thought that was good, to keep the peace and prevent things from getting out of hand. I would not have wanted anyone to get hurt. But just the same, I didn't think this group was going to cause any trouble. 

They already look defeated.

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Sunset before Spring

The sunsets have been spectacular. 

Not today's, since it was raining all day, but the last few days were wonderful.

Tomorrow, Thursday, is the first day of spring. 

The long awaited day when sunlight takes over the night-time. The hours of sunlight keep increasing until the first day of summer.

It feels good to know that warmer weather and additional sunlight will warm our spirits.

Let's welcome spring!

Go for a walk, take a bike ride, do some yard work, check on the daffodils and crocus.

They are starting to sprout.

Yes, spring is here.

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For Sky Watch Friday

St. Patrick's Day Parade, Bayport

St. Patrick's Day Parade, Bayport

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Happy St. Patrick's Day

Bayport, Long Island had their St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday, March 16. 

There were overcast skies but the crowd was celebrating another reason to party!

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An Angel in Sayville

Some cemeteries, the older ones, have beautiful statues as monuments to the deceased.

It's not done that way any longer, probably due to the cost of headstones.

One frequent photo opportunity for many photographers is to visit historical cemeteries, looking for those classic monuments....angels, saints and crosses. 

This is just one very pretty, though weathered, angel for the "Winter" family in Sayville.

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Another Photo Friday "Noteworthy" Award

Hi guys!

I just want all my family and friends to know I was chosen for the second time, for the noteworthy photo on the Photo Friday site. 

You can see it here.

The word for the week was Fuzzy!

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Walking the Boardwalk, Sunken Meadow

We went for a walk today on the Sunken Meadow boardwalk. 

It was really pleasant and not too cool. 

I thought it was too cold today for a beach walk but I think the North Shore was protected from the wind. 

It was a wonderful walk and a wonderful sunny day.

 Can spring be close behind?

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Wishing for Spring to Arrive

We took a ride to the farm-stand today. We saw that the pansies have arrived and couldn't wait to buy some for the front porch!

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Our friendly Sayville farm-stand lady was waiting for some customers. Not much like spring with warm gloves and few things to sell, she was still as pleasant as always.

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Ahh, tulips, not yet opened, but having some color and the promise of spring!

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Bayport, Long Island, NY

Bayport Beach

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Bayport Aerodrome

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The town of Bayport, in Islip Township, is located on the south shore of Long Island, along the Great South Bay, between Sayville and Blue Point. A sleepy little hamlet with a rich past, it is filled with grand historical Victorian homes and updated bungalows as well as the contemporary homes from the 1950s through present time.

The school district is unique in that it is in partnership with Blue Point of Brookhaven Township. For information, visit http://www.b-bp.k12.ny.us/

The original inhabitants of Bayport were the Secatoque Indians. They fished, dug clams and sailed the bay and small streams and rivers. The land was fertile and the sea gave them the food they needed to survive. The European settlers also found that the bay would provide a good economy with fishing and oyster/clam digging. Wealthy New Yorkers came for the summer breezes.

On the western border, Bayport begins at Brown’s River where you can see Meadow Croft, the summer estate of John E. Roosevelt. Although it is technically located in Sayville, The Bayport Heritage Association gives tours of the main house on Sundays at 1:00 pm and 3:00. It has been recently restored with furniture of the period, about 1910. Some of the household items and furniture are original from the Roosevelt Family. You can find out more about it by calling (631) 472-4625. As you travel east along Middle Road you can see other historical homes which are kept to the décor of the day.

Montauk Highway is the business section with stores and small shopping centers. It has a post office and very popular fish store just east of Bayport Ave. The Bayport Flower House is well known for its floral arrangements, home decor and springtime nursery and garden center.

Unique to Bayport is the aerodrome with vintage airplanes. It is a gravel and grass runway modeled after the aerodromes of the early 1900's. For a fee, you can be a passenger and see Long Island from the air. For more information visit: http://www.bayportaerodrome.org/

Plan on taking a trip to visit Bayport. It no longer has a train stop on the Long Island Railroad, but it is exit 50 off Sunrise Highway. Just drive south to the Great South Bay.
See you there!
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Baby Oliver, 11 weeks old

Just 11 weeks old and he already has the family wrapped around his finger.

Such a cutie!

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