A pair of a bluebirds flitted around the nesting box, that hangs on the old oak, awaiting their arrival. They know if they don't claim their temporary home first, a tree sallow might.

A ground squirrel, it's tail curled high behind it,  scampers across the lawn. Songbirds break winter's silence with joyful choruses.  Crocus  burst though the soil,  reaching for the sun. 

 Later blooming plants,  in various stages of awakening,  yawn at the sudden bursts of activity--but return to their slumber. The acreage around the Old Radio Museum seems to indicate, spring is here.

Regards- and Happy Spring!

Till next time,

Sue

phlog's blog

So here we are. We worked hard to get to this point, We realize we've been fortunate; we want to give something back. Here's what Russ' Old Radio Repair offers.

Exciting, educational, enriching, enthralling, extemporaneous and extraordinary, Eek!  What could we do to ensure the items on our "It Would Be Nice" list got checked off?
What did we want do following our early retirement? I wasn't sure, but I knew I wanted us to do it together.

I began contemplating the possibilities three years ago, when USA Today  requested people send in their "second acts."  Since people are living longer today-- thirty, forty or more years after retiring-- an opportunity exists to re-invent yourself. Your freedom is returned; it's a  once-in-a-lifetime-chance  to realize your dream. I submitted ours; much to my surprise, it was one of those selected. One of these days, I thought.
"For our next act."   (see #11)    http://mediagallery.usatoday.com/S141444

One of these days--is now. Russ retired from Verizon; his last day will  be April 4th--four days before my (unspecified th) birthday.  We have embarked upon our dream; we have began our exuberant (didn't think I had another e? ;)  journey. Russ' Old Radio Repair LLC has now come to fruition; I can't remember when I had so much fun...except when I got chosen for a Wheel of Fortune tryout last spring. 

The epiphany struck like a old Philco with a shorted cord. It hit suddenly, as I was sharing the Mail Tribune's story about Russ' Old Radio Museum.

When Russ decided to start his small business, I knew I needed to figure out a way to be involved--if I ever wanted to see him.

  Humm, I thought. I can't fix old radios ; I could try but the results would probably be shocking. I can't refinish wood or manufacture parts, I can't--well, maybe I could--rewind those little coil dealies, but I don't want to. What am I good at?

After racking my brain for several hours, okay days, I decided my strength lie in my creativity. I would create a website and do the marketing. Thus, self-appointed--Sue Webb, became the Webmaster & Marketer of Russ' Old Radio Repair LLC.

Monday morning rolled around. I stood at the kitchen counter, mug of hot coffee in hand, half-listening to Good Morning America's weather forecast. "Most of the nation will be covered in a thick sheet of ice." A glance out the kitchen window nullified the forecast--rain. Perfect day to begin my new job, I thought. I'm going to get right to it.  Woolley (whenever I mention her, I'm going to do so in BOLD because she's fluffy) rubbed up against my leg, as I sat down at the computer. Okay. Whoops. One small problem. I knew nothing about creating a website or marketing. But, this has never stopped me from taking action before. I asked a Facebook friend--who happened to be the social media guy for the Medford's Mail Tribune--if he knew of a free website.

"Weebly." So to Weebly, went I. I fussed and fumed. played and prayed--spent many late nights trying to design something that resembled a site. I stumbled through the features, adding and deleting. I kept tweaking and freaking.  Eventually, http://www.russoldradiorepair.com/came to life. 

One down, one to go. Now, next problem. What is marketing? 

I created Facebook, Twitter, Pinerest, and Google + pages. I posted content on them. I still wasn't sure.
Then--just today--when sharing the lovely article about RORR written by Peggy Dover, I had an epiphany. Marketing is about making connections and connecting the dots. That's it. I knew,
I am now a marketer.


Till next time,

Regards, ;)

Sue
phlog's blog

Today, I would like to re-visit the topic, what we like about old radios. Big news first though-- we now have a  Pinterest page. Take a look!  http://www.pinterest.com/russoldradios/pins/

Okay, back on topic. What we like about old radios. Bob, you inspired me today--and gave me a chuckle too. I thank you.

Bob said:  I know what my wife would say! ...... Old Radios,  my favorite thing about them is .....they keep my husband busy and in his shop :)  

I can certainly appreciate that!  Here are other great comments we received:

Rick Zolla                                ...the great memories they bring back.
Jim Hamann                          They work.
Mark Floyd                              They glow in the dark and sound terrific. (6V6's in push-pull)
Dooley's Treasure Chest     Don't forget the smell. True.
John Williams                        the audio is better on some old tubers without breaking the bank.
                                                     And might still be working when the sdr are DOA. Have  ts520 and 
                                                     sr46 that's many many yrs old, and use everyday,
                                                      I have many radios, many sill use the old glass stuff...its cool using 
                                                      a radio that's 20 to 50 yrs old.

Thanks for the input everyone!  Enjoyed your thoughts. As matter-of-fact, I think I'll make this an ongoing feature. If you  think of anymore, please send them to: Blog Comments. I'll save them up, and when I have enough--I'll share another batch. (Almost) better than chocolate chip cookies! Just as sweet.

Till next time,

Regards, 

Sue
phlog's blog