Thursday, July 21, 2011

Farm Girl to Car Girl

Yippee! I now know how to put on front brakes. It takes a whole ten minutes and the hardest part is getting the tire off!!! I am so excited no more $45 fees for me!
Once again my wonderful brother came to the rescue. My Hubby can build a house from the ground up but forget the car. I think it's just a personal choice not to touch the car. Anyway. I called my brother. My brakes are grinding I tell him. He says front brakes are no problem. Hmmm... I want to learn how to do this myself. then I won't have to pay someone or beg brotherdear to help. I bought the brakes which was no easy thing. I had to know if my back brakes were drums or disks and if I had ABS and what size my tires were. Once that was figured out the brakes were $26. Brother came over and talked me through the first wheel.
Loosen the lug nuts
Put the jack under the frame and pump it up
remove lug nuts, put them in a pocket or the brake box
take off the tire
Hunk of metal attached to the rotor(big circle disk)is called a brake caliber
remove upper and lower bolts on the back of the caliber
put them in a safe place too
pull caliber off and slide out brake pads
using one of the pads, you have to push the piston back into place. It looks like nesting cups. place the old brake against the piston and using a c- clamp, press the piston back in. Remove the C- clamp and the old brake.
slide the new brake pads into place, put the caliber back in place, replace the bolts, make sure they are tight.
put the tire back on and tighten the lug nuts, lower the jack and tighten the lug nuts more.
Repeat process on other side of the car.
Make sure you start the car and pump the brakes until you feel resistence. That is pushing the brake fliud back into the piston. Check the brake fliud under the hood to make sure you have enough and didn't loose too much during the process.
I think I have the process down.
So I know how to fix a flat, change my oil and replace front brakes. I don't want to learn how to fix anything else right now because I can't afford to have anything else break!

But I am WOMAN

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Canning and sewing and butchering Oh My!!!!

Phew I'm tired. I've been busy this week with my little projects and of course the bigger projects(children).
I made a, what I call, table runner. It's just a center peice for the table but I made it with my very own hands and I even hand quilted a section. I'm thinking of quilting the entire piece but I don't see me doing it any time soon! lol...



The clothes have been hung on the line saving the electric bill. Which I have to say has been obscene this year.I love the smell of fresh air on the sheets when I go to bed.
I mopped the floors but you can't tell because I have four kids who tramped all over them...sigh... thank goodness for the FlyLady!
My son cleaned out the kitchen closet and I am going to have to do something about this cat we have because she has been peeing all over the place. Apparently the kitchen closet has become a favorite spot. As soon as I can get her spayed she is going to become a barn cat!
I am so proud of myself because on Friday, without help from my big strong Hubby, I hauled out the chicken crates and had the boys help me load the chickens in the crates, put a tarp on the truck bed(Hubby has a rug liner) and load the crates on the truck, actually we put the crates on the truck and then put the chickens in them! Robert and I drove out to the butcher and unloaded the crates.
Since we were out there, I stopped off at the produce stand and got close to a half bushel of beets. And Robert got a whoopie pie, yuck!
Hubby did go out to the butcher that after noon to pick up the birds he brought them home and put them in the kitchen, Beth and I bagged weighed and put them away.
So my freezer is full of chicken. We were quoted a price for the steer. $130 to kill and process the beef and additional $30 if we want them to packages it with their commercial vacuum sealer which I think is a really good idea. No fuss or mess at my house.
Yesterday I cooked and peeled the beets and jarred them up with a pickeling brine then last night I canned them. Now they are all tucked away for later. I like to do several small batches of canned goods then to spend hours and hours canning. With the one exception being that I enjoy when I have help doing hours of canning. Hubby's adopted grandmother will come over and help and what would take me 8-10 hours takes me half the time. I love the fact that I can handle the canners, wipe the jars, put on the lids and while one or two batches are canning I can also work on filling more jars.
Today I am going to hang out more laundry and do something fun with the kiddos. Tonight I am going to work on embroidering tea towels.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Summer Time Blues...

I am unraveling.... I need to have a bit of a pity party for myself. I know it's a complete waste of time and I should be thankful...Blah blah blah... It's a really bad attitude! I am super tired because I can't seem to sleep well without my Hubby next to me. Our schedules are all messed up because his schedule is not consistant. My garden...has 6 tomato plants! nothing else just the tomatos. I am in so much trouble. Someone dropped off a beautiful Rhode Island Red rooster. I guess people think we have chickens we must need a rooster. I don't appreciate the gift, my neighbors don't appreciate the gift. We don't have a rooster because my neighbors don't appreciate the sweet cockadoodle at 5am. Hmmmm.... I'd like to make soup with him but I don't have the heart to kill him and Hubby hasn't had the time to deal with it either.
Then my car broke and I am carless because you need extra money and time to get the car fixed! It's summer time, the kids are eating me out of house and home, everytime I turn around something else is gone and now I can't go to the store.
My cat for some reason has decided to use the entire house as a litter box My son's bed, the kitchen closet... What on Earth????
I think the cat has to go with the rooster...
The good things in life are, Hubby has a job with a good income and benefits. Everyone is healthy. I have laying hens so we at least have eggs and the goats give me milk everyday. Hubby released the rabbits in the field and they are multiplying faster and better than they did in the cage. Small game hunting will be good.
By being at home I am getting some projects done. If I had batteries for the camera I'd take pics and post them. Hmmm...batteries ... I can't find any and they have disappeared from remotes, clocks, razors, trimmers, toys and games. All to power Daughters MP3 player which she insists she has had the same batteries for months and has no idea what we are talking about...
I planted my herbs on the front porch in baskets and when the wind blows I get a whiff of mint or lemon or basil.
My girlfriend brought me rhubarb roots so I can plant it in my yard. It's sitting in buckets next to the chives and rose bushes I need to plant. The best intentions don't mean anything without actions. I need to get my action to meet my intension before it's too late.
I think that might apply to other areas in my life too. I think I could pass that on to Mama for sermon material!
Thanks for listening... Now I can get busy doing what I can do.