Spending Money

Out of choice and necessity, it’s been an expensive couple of months. These choices I am mostly calling out as inheritance spending. I’ve done essentially none of this until now, never being one to exercise cash frivolities because the bank account is padded. Well, I did replace my truck 10-years ago when I inherited from my grandfather, but it was due… and the replacement was not a new vehicle, just less old 😏, and came with A/C.

Expenses have been:

• An apple press and crusher. When you have 4-apple trees, and want to make use of your harvest, there is only so much apple butter you can make and then hope your loved one’s won’t run in the other direction when you come bearing gifts. The press should be here at the beginning of December. Thank goodness apples stay in stasis in the fridge, and the cider freezes well.
• I just replaced my serger. The old one’s (23-years old) motor brushes (I know motors have brushes, but that’s where my mechanical prowess falls apart) were unable to ‘brush’ any longer (in the middle of a project, of course). I figured out how to finagle it along, but this was amazingly dangerous as the serger would take off at full speed. One does not want to lose a finger under the blade of an out-of-control serger… There is a knife involved that will not make a clean cut… The new machine is second hand after its first owner decided she wanted to upgrade a week after purchasing it. It’s had 19 feet and a zillion accessories. I’m in sewing heaven!
• Car hydraulics… This was a complicated, multi-step fix that started in May. I asked the shop if we should replace all the bits that made the top go up and down, being a 17-year old car and all. They assured me not. They were wrong. My sweet little coup (my late first-husband’s car) now has 6 new ‘rams, a new sensor for the top, and a new trunk sensor. Trust me, I did not undertake the final thrust of this repair without discussing it with my regular mechanic, who does not deal with such matters. After a conversation, review on value, and mechanical soundness (125K miles), he said, “Do it!”
• I allowed myself to buy fabric on my trip to SF and back. Gas prices were kinda exciting as well.
• We, for the first time ever, replaced out bathroom towels. Being raised by WWII and depression era parents, this isn’t surprising. In that same order we replaced three of our exterior door mats (that were here when we bought the house, 22-years ago).
• Our Christmas gift to each other is a backup camera for the truck. This was installed today. Safety aside, it will make it ever so much easier to hook up our little trailer when doing so solo.