Luckily, this is the last time. We’re DONE buying vehicles.

It’s not so bad when you only have to worry about a kid or two, but when I married my darling husband, he came complete with six kids.

That meant:

• 13 years of assorted school functions, including plays, art shows, band/choir concerts, and bad dinners
• Too many parent/teacher conferences to count
• 2-3 kids in braces at any given time…sometimes with multiple appointments in the same week.
• At least one doctor’s appointment EVERY month.
• Always someone who needed new shoes.
• More dirty towels than ANYONE should wash in a lifetime
• The stress of teaching 6 kids to drive (which D promptly delegated to ME)
• And 6 beginning cars

We lucked into a few cars (with family members or friends selling them), but this time, Farmer D and son have been driving me crazy. The talk for hours about engines and mechanics and all sorts of things I couldn’t care less about…all in the search for the perfect used truck.

The boys even made me go to a rather sketchy part of one city last week to look at a truck described as “clean” and “rust free.” Turned out that the vehicle in question was priced  a good thousand dollars over what it should have been, had a bent frame, cigarette burns on the driver’s seat, and a bed topped with a paint-covered rust ring.

Yeah, like we were going to bring THAT home.

The guy on the lot wants HOW much?

It’s definitely a farm thing. Though there are used cars in someone’s front yard on almost every street, boy HAS to have a truck.

I think it’s unnecessary and sexist. Of course, I had secretly hoped that by this time I could get a new car and give 16 the one I’m driving.

I guess it’s not going to happen.

As I’m typing, the guys are headed out to pick up a pickup they described as “rough-looking, but it runs good.”

I can’t wait to see what they bring home.

Luckily, it’s cheap.

And it’s the last time we’ll ever have to do this.

Reblogged from Fence Post Diaries:

Not every cat is your enemy and not every human is your friend. Nothing should stay buried. Chasing chickens is all fun and games….until the rooster gets mad. Always act happy to see someone (you never know who has treats in their pockets). There is nothing better than an evening run down a quiet gravel road. That cat you chased up the tree yesterday? He will be waiting outside the garage door when you go out in the morning. There is always time for a nap on a sunny spot in the grass. If you spend all …

Rodeo the Wonder Dog recommended that I reblog this. He says dogs are very wise.

This 15 ft.-long Holstein on display in Middlefield, Ohio, was created by artist Chris McConnell out of recycled car hoods.

Reblogged from Off the Cobb:

Today, less than 2% of the population are farmers and the average person is said to be 3 generations removed from the farm.  However, even though less and less people are involved in farming these days, it is becoming easier for consumers to stay in touch with those who produce the food products they depend on every day. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, and the popular Pinterest.com, seem to be the online places to be these days.  It seems almost everyone has a social media account on at least one …

The best way to find out where your food comes from is to ask.

I’ve made and used all of the following cleaner recipes, except for the wood floor cleaner.

I’ll try it as soon as I get up the energy to bend over that far.

The quartet of products I couldn't clean without.

All-Purpose Cleaner

•  1 tsp.       Borax
• ½ tsp.      Washing Soda
• 2 Tbs.     Lemon Juice
• 1 c.         Hot Water

or

•  ½ tsp.      Baking Soda or Washing Soda
• 2 tsp.       Borax
• ½ tsp.      Liquid Soap or Detergent
• 2 c.         Hot Water

In a spray bottle, combine all ingredients; shake to mix.

Multi-Purpose Deep Cleaner

• 1 c.         Ammonia
• ½ c.         White Vinegar
• ¼ c.         Baking Soda
• 1 gal.       Warm Water

or

• 1 Tbs.     Ammonia
• 1 Tbs.     Liquid Laundry Detergent
• 2 c.         Warm Water

Mix well. Pour into a spray bottle to use.

Paste Scouring Cleanser

• ½ c.         Baking Soda
• Liquid Dish Detergent

Pour baking soda into a small bowl. Add dish detergent until the consistency is similar to Soft Scrub.

Vinegar Glass Cleaner

• 1 gal.       Warm Water
• ½ c.         White Vinegar
• ½ tsp.      Liquid Dish Detergent

or

• 2 c.         Water
• ½            White Vinegar
• ½ tsp.      Liquid Dish Soap

or

• 1 c.         Water
• 1 c.         Rubbing Alcohol
• 1 Tbs.     White Vinegar

Combine all ingredients; shake or stir to blend.

Ammonia Glass Cleaner

• ½ c.         Ammonia
• ½ c.         Isopropyl Alcohol
• ½ c.         Water

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle; shake to blend.

Dishwasher Detergent

• 2 c.         Borax
• 1 c.         Washing Soda
• 1 c.         Baking Soda
• 4 pkgs.    Lemonade Flavor Kool-Aid (unsweetened) or 4 Tbs. Citric Acid

Mix all ingredients together. Use 1 teaspoon each in the prewash and wash compartments.

Dishwasher Rinse Aid

Fill the rinse aid compartment with white vinegar.

Laundry Stain Remover

• 1 c.         Hot Water
• ½ c.         Baking Soda
• ½ c.         Hydrogen Peroxide

or

• 2 qts.       Water
• ½ c.         Ammonia*
• 2 Tbs.     Laundry Detergent

Mix ingredients; store in spray bottle.  Spot treat stains and soak overnight.

*Do not use ammonia mix with bleach.

Cheap and Easy Fabric Softener

Use diluted hair conditioner in the rinse cycle.

or

Add white vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Furniture Polish

• 1 c.         Vegetable or Olive Oil
• ½ c.         Lemon Juice

Shake well to mix. Apply a small amount to furniture with a clean, soft cloth.

Wood Floor Cleaner

• ½ c.         White Vinegar
• ½ c.         Vegetable Oil

Mix well. Wipe on floors with a clean, soft cloth.

—–

Do you have a favorite homemade cleaner?

Ice formation on a tree branch along the Mahoning River. I've been cleaning too often...this reminded me of a mop.

Reblogged from The Adventures of Dairy Carrie… I think I Need a Drink!:

So awhile back I told you guys that I would soon be adding some new things to the blog in 2012. Well here is one of the things I promised… The very first #DairyCandidCarrie post. So what is #DairyCandidCarrie? My friend Carrie, you met her here, is a Sheboygan mom and business owner. She has questions about food and farming and I hope to try to answer those for her. I hope you enjoy these conversations. Today we chatted about cows….. but the conversation started when I asked her how her crazy busy life …

You’ve gotta love a lady who loves cows. Check out Dairy Carrie’s unique take on cow FAQs.

So today, this is as good as it gets.

—–

When I stopped to visit my folks on Sunday, Mom had a small bag on the table for me. Her cousin found some canning lids while cleaning and determined I was the most likely person to actually get some use out of them.

Mary certainly didn’t do much canning…when I opened the bag I saw these lovely boxes:

Where can I find this stuff for $.79?

Though I only learned to can seven or eight years ago (shortly after Farmer D and I began dating and he started bringing me laundry baskets full of hot peppers and tomatoes), I had never seen any of these boxes…and I have to admit, the Anchor Hocking Mason jar caps box fascinated me.

So, being a bona fide geek (and research junkie), I decided to see what I could find out about the lids in the lovely brown box.

(Hooray for the Internet!)

It turns out that these old-fashioned one-piece Anchor Hocking canning lids were new fashion in 1976.

Did you know there was a canning lid shortage in the late 70s? (Not me. I was more concerned with playing softball and going roller skating with my friends.)

I found an article in the July 28, 1976 edition of The Milwaukee Journal about Anchor Hocking’s new one-piece canning lids, created to meet consumer demand. Of course, the funny part is that the article goes on to talk about the so-so results of testing.

“In a Pennsylvania State University study of nine types of canning lids, Anchor Hocking one piece cap-lids did well. ‘Three lids buckled during heat processing, but formed seals during cooling; four lids were extremely difficult to remove.’”

Just what you want after all that hard work in the garden.

(That must be why there aren’t more one-piece canning lids around.)

However, if  you’re into vintage kitchenware and canning supplies, there are 2 boxes of these  Anchor Hocking one-piece lids listed on Etsy for $12.50. That’s a far cry from their original price of $.59, but they are kind of cool (and would be fine for canned foods that are refrigerated).

—–

Do you can, freeze, or preserve?

Would you like to learn?

The OSU Extension has all sorts of helpful info.

—–

02/09/12 ADDITIONAL NOTE:  Since I wrote this, I’ve contacted Canning Across America and questioned the safety of one-piece canning lids. Read what they have to say.

Gorgeous sky and lots and lots of snow

I’m not a total idiot when it comes to minor repairs, but my darling husband seems to know how to do just about EVERYTHING.

Do you wonder how he got that way?

"Did you try fixing it with 'duck' tape?"

He does have more than a bit of mechanical aptitude, but the main reason that Farmer D has learned to fix so many things is because, as any farmer will tell you, things tend to BREAK on a regular basis, generally at the MOST INOPPORTUNE TIMES.

I have no idea what this is, but I do know that it's broken.

Even if you’re in the house, making your own repairs is sometimes a great idea because:

1. You’ll save money.

2. You might learn something new.

3. You might invent something new.

(If you’re wondering, #3 is for our 16-year-old. The kid is always modifying or designing something that’s supposed to make life better.)

4. You sometimes get the chance for lots of scenic drives while running for parts and rented equipment on a Saturday afternoon.

(Okay, so maybe that one isn’t exactly something for which to look forward. )

5. You get a real sense of satisfaction from knowing you tackled (and managed) it yourself.

Don’t get me wrong – there ARE times when the smartest thing you can do is call a repairman, but it doesn’t pay to call them for every little thing.

Today’s Bonus: Want to see some of the ingenious inventions rural and farm folk have made? Check out Farm Show Magazine.