Maybe if I just ramble....

I do it a lot on the forum but usually here I try to have meaningful posts that teach you things that will be helpful with your own self sufficiency but sometimes I just feel like I need to catch you all up on what is going on .
After putting the fuel pump in Phil's car it decided to start fine but then decided to stall a lot. Obviously, we still have a problem, which meant we were left with just one running car. So all last week I had to be dropped off to work super early (at 6:00 a.m.) so that Phil could take the car on to his work. I don't actually have to be to work until noon.....it was a really long week and I was NOT happy. I got absolutely nothing done at home and the damn chicken eating dog was allowed to come back and dine on almost all of the bantam chickens. I know I needed to cut down on some of the chickens and had been planning to butcher one of these weekends but looks like I won't need to do that now. It's just irritating and sad is all.
I didn't make it down to my garden all week and I never made it today. It has rained most of the day. I am sure some of the broccoli has flowered on me.
My seedlings after only being sprouted for a day decided to get leggy right off from lack of sunlight. I bought a fluorescent light to set on top of the plastic top which will hopefully help them out some. If not, well they are tomatoes so when I transplant them I will just plant them deeper and it won't matter anyway.
The seeds were out in the stores. We get a very poor selection these days but they did have some herbs and after the cats, I need to replant mine. I have found some containers with clear tops that I had saved (for seed starting) that will keep the cats out when I replant the herbs (which I haven't done yet either).
I got to use my slicer again today on smoked hog jowls (just as good as bacon but cheaper and with meat prices the way they are these days, cheaper is the only way to go) and I have a ham too that I need to slice up for sandwiches. I also have some turkey breasts from last week that I may slice up so they will get used up for sandwich meat as well.
Unfortunately I still have not gotten to use the meat grinder. We look every week for pork or beef on sale but there just isn't anything. I am really going to push the idea of getting a few pigs this year. I think it might be important to have some larger meat growing here this next year. I could clear out two of the chain link pens and that way when one pen got too messy I could move them to the other. I have found some piglets in the next town over so we'll see what happens in the next week or so here.
Cranberries were finally marked down in the store! I can't believe how long they can keep them on the shelf! Anyway, I got 5 for a dollar each and I'll be making some juice and cranberry sauce tomorrow. I made some last year as well but never did leave directions on how to do it so I will be doing that this year.
Ok, I guess my ramblings are done. See you tomorrow.