Thrifty Thursday-Toot Your Own Horn!

We try to make do with what we have around here.
We believe in the adage,
"Use it up, Wear it out, 
Make it do, or Do without."

Big K is mighty handy.
He can fix so many things
and I marvel at the way his brain 
so easily figures out all things mechanical.
The horn in his truck didn't always work, 
creating a dangerous situation 
should the need arise to use it.
He decided to replace it.

On his 2000 Nissan truck, 

the horn is located 

just in front of the radiator.

Here is the new horn 

and the socket wrench used to change it.

A pair of wire strippers is also needed.

The old horn is removed.

The original wire connector is cut off 

using the wire strippers

because it won't fit the new horn.

The black plastic cover is cut back 

and the wire is stripped about 1/2 inch.

The new connector consists of 

the insulator (clear plastic) 

and the connector (metal).

It comes in the kit.

The clear plastic insulator is inserted 

into the trimmed black plastic cover over the wires.

The freshly stripped wires are fed into the metal connector.

The wire strippers are used to crimp

 the connector over the wires.

The wires should fit in the connector snugly.

The connector is then inserted into the horn.

The other connector (on the left) is the ground 

and comes already assembled.

It needs to be attached to the mounting bracket of the horn.

The whole process took less than 15 minutes.
Now we'll all be a lot safer out on the road.
It feels good to be able to maintain our older vehicles.

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Tidings-A Bit O' Color

We've had a few brisk days,

but nothing like a couple of years ago and

certainly not the bone-chilling temps to the north of us.

Today we share a bit of color from the winter garden.

 

volunteer periwinkle 

with orange cosmos

native bulbine

 gerbera daisy

 

snapdragon

 

native grass

 

cosmos seed head

 

succulants

 

native butterfly vine

 

pansies

 

pansy seedlings

 

lantana

 

rattlebox

 

crape myrtle seed pods

 

native salvia

 

pineapple sprout

 

Ready for tastin'!

Sending Florida sunshine your way!

Stay toasty out there!

Book Box

I've talked about it before.
We love books around here.
And no disrespect to those of you who use tablets,
but in my mind, no electronic device
can match the magic of real books 
fashioned of paper and ink.

Books take you places, 
both metaphorically and literally.
We visit our public library at least every other week
and also take advantage of the Books-by-Mail program
to have library books delivered to our home free of charge.
Then there's BookSwap,
where we can trade books with other avid readers.




But this, this is a great idea.

http://www.openbookexchange.org/
How much do I love that a 20-something gal
is as enamored with the printed page as we are?
It started here, but she's a local gal
who is continuing this wonderful concept.
It's heartwarming to see someone taking their passion
and really making a difference.
I'd like to get involved somehow.
At least we could donate some books to the cause.
It seems that a visit to the used bookstore is in order.

 
There are so many ways to 
change this world into a better place.
We just need to think outside the box.

Easy Eggplant

Eggplant has been enjoyed every week since we've started 

buying our produce from Faye & Lynn.

A favorite family recipe is ratatouille, 

but usually this delectable veggie is pan-fried.

Many times, I end up eating most of it

while I'm standing at the stove.

It doesn't even make it into the fridge.

Fixed in any manner, it's a favorite of this cook.

Here's a quick and easy way to enjoy this savory dish

and have something to show for it.

 

Just slice, add olive oil, salt, Italian herbs 

and a bit of red pepper flakes.

 

Place in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes, 

then turn over and cook an additional 15-20 minutes.

Ready for munchin'!

Enjoy something quick and easy this weekend!

 

Thrifty Thursday

We do most of our shopping at thrift stores.
There's just something about the thrill of the hunt.
You never know what you'll find,
but you are sure to find something.
I've been using this to rinse the lettuce for my daily salads.
It's worked fine for a while now.

But when this was spotted at a thrift store for $1.00,

I knew it would find its way home with me.

Not only is it low-tech, indestructible, and easily stored,

it's just like the one Mimi used to have.

 

Washing home-grown lettuce is now a daily reminder

of how my mom provided delicious food for us every day.

I'm on the hunt for a few more of these bread pans.
This one was picked up for twenty-five cents.
It's the metallic kind with the non-stick coating.
I wouldn't use it for baking, but... 

it's the perfect thing to corral my hair products

in the bathroom drawer.

I prefer not to use plastic when I can,

so I'll be on the lookout.

This container is plastic, but at least it's made in the USA.

It's meant to be used as a cutlery tray,

but I can imagine many uses for it.

It now holds some of the stray items

housed in one of our kitchen drawers.

Junk drawers are not allowed in our house.

Big K says he won't be able to find anything

if I keep organizing.

These lamps weren't found at the thrift store.

They were in a neighbor's recycle bin.

They both work and there's not a mark on them.

The shades have already been donated to our favorite charity,

and a visit to Jane's should help us find

just the right replacements.

Don't cha just love finding discarded treasures?

The blessings are all around us,

if we just care to notice.

"The hardest arithmetic to master

is that which enables us to count our blessings."

-Eric Hoffer

Shared on:
down home blog hop
the farmgirl friday blog hop
repurposed ideas weekly
eat make grow blog hop 

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Tidings-Fabulous Flywheelers

 With Big K off for a few days,

we had time to visit the Florida Flywheelers.

It's an antique tractor club 

that hosts public events only a few times a year.

Our first stop is usually the fire display.

Lil' Guy is fascinated with all of the old pull stations

and other equipment stored here.

One of the volunteers told us of an upcoming swap

where folks buy, sell and trade fire relics.

We may just have to make the trek to Jacksonville 

to experience it.

 These old fire hoses were one of the treasures 

found in this barn.

Mr. Batcher's barn never fails 

to capture our attention.

No matter how many times we've visited,

we always discover something new.

This talented man has hundreds of toys, 

tools, and moving contraptions 

constructed by his own two hands.

 The attention to detail is nothing short of amazing.

 He also displayed his collection of these engines.

 Seed and feed sacks line his rafters.

The last time we visited, 

Mr. Batcher's barn was closed.

We were sad to learn that he had

had a stroke a few months back,

so it was good to see him back at work,

tinkering with his many gizmos. 

 On the other side of the park 

is a large flea market area.

There are all kinds of treasures to be found.

 Something for every type of collector can be had here.

I managed to pry myself away from this table, 

difficult as it was.

Lil' Guy found himself some electronics

and most vendors we talked to 

were so encouraging to him

regarding his current obsession passion.

The Flywheeler's events are always a good time.

They fit right in with our simple lifestyle.

It's a wonderful way to spend time together.

You can read more about past Flywheeler's visits here:

Florida Flywheeler's Club 

Flywheeler's Visit