2024 updates

 It's been 5 years since my last blog post! I may try to resurrect my original intentions here. But, update, I must. Since my last post my marriage of 22 years ended in divorce. I have a new BF and a rental home that is too small for all of my stuff. However, I lost SO much craft stuff in the move/divorce. I lost dogs, horses and craft stuff. That's what I'm most salty about. Not the husband, but the life I built. Sad. Ah well, things will shake out and I'll replace what was most important. 

I've been scrapbooking a lot lately. I finished 4 books. One was a Marine Corps book for my Dad, the others were for my kids-their baby books (since they are 22 1/2 it's high time they had one, don't you think?! Haha). Now, the books are not long, maybe 10 pages in a big 12x12 book, but I'm proud nonetheless. 

I'll be starting paramedic class this fall. September 23 is the orientation. I still second guess myself for doing it, but full steam ahead.

One thing I'm trying to find on Pinterest is student planner ideas. Not downloads. Not printable. But, the same kind of decorating ideas that they have for other kinds of planners. Specifically, I have the Passionate Penny Pincher Student Planner for 24-25 and would love some Circuit cut files to do inserts. Hmmmm. Maybe I need to photograph some of my layouts and make a couple of pins. I don't know, though, mine are pretty simple seeing as I've lost so many craft supplies. Ah, well. Maybe I will. Maybe I won't,

So, I'm not sure where this blog will take us, yet, but full steam ahead we go!

This is a picture of my heart horse that I had to rehome during the divorce. The owner was gracious enough to let me see him before he got rehomed again. I hope to keep in touch every time he moves.

It’s been 7 years since my last posts! A lot has happened since then. Let’s see, we’ve moved to Michigan, purchaser 11.5 acres, had 5 horses. We had to euthanize my husband’s gelding because of DSLD, and sent my SIL’s back to her home, so now we are back down to 3 nags.
On the job front, my husband is in propane and I’m currently in retail. Retail is a challenging place to be. The hours are difficult to manage with an active family. My girls are teenagers, seniors in high school in the fall. I don’t want to miss any sports games!
We’ve done little crafting for years due to lack of time and setup. I’m working at a craft store, and my creative juices are stirring! I’ve purchased some 🧶 to knit a school color scarf for football season. My daughter is drawing amazing pictures we’ve framed. I’ve collected some wood for projects, some paint and canvas, and more! I plan to blog more, shoot more, and craft more! Stay tuned!

Bow season opener

So, the time has flown by.  The girls started school in early August. I've been coaching their Rec League volleyball team and have practice twice weekly and games each Saturday. So, even though I can feel the coolness in the breezes and I know that fall is quickly approaching, I feel like hunting season snuck up on me.
Yesterday was the opening of our bow season.  I have been excited and anticipating this day, but found myself unprepared.  My plans were to put the girls on the bus in the morning, then get out to the woods.  Well, that didn't happen.  I have felt way behind in my home chores, lately.  For 2 days I traveled with my Dad and grandparents to look for potential homes for my grandparents in this area.  Exciting to think they may move here.  Then, I had volleyball games and then church and a Bible drill kickoff.  Phew. So, Monday came along and I spent the day nurturing my soul and making 4 batches of granola to put up for cereal, granola bars and homemade laundry detergent.  Ah. I felt better.  DH went out into the deer woods after work and didn't see anything.
Along comes today, the second day of season. Hmph. Not in the woods yet.  I am trying to catch up on stuff, house stuff, so I don't feel guilty about being in the woods.  Sometimes, you just need to regroup before you hit the next season of your life, right?  Well, that's where we are, regrouping.  I think DH isn't in total agreement with me, he's thrilled, but I'm regrouping.  I have a few items that are bringing me down and I'm kind of waiting for them to settle before I can reorganize my schedule and time and feel like I can focus on the hunt.
I'm planning on hunting this week, yet, so stay tuned for updates! :)

3D Archery Shoot results are in!

This is a sad, sorry tale, so if you don't like those, you may want to read a different post!

We, the Campbell family, got our bows out to prepare for the upcoming bow season (in 2 weeks!!!!!!).  Well, there's good news and bad news to that.
Our girls got a Bear Youth Bow for Christmas.  I can't remember if it is the Brave III or the Warrior III, but no matter right now.  After 2 years (or was it a very long 1 year?) of trying, they can finally pull that bow back!  Yippee!  We were excited to pull our bows back together, as a family, in the back yard.
Now, my DH picks up his bow each year during season, but I, on the other hand do not.  Last year I didn't take it out at all for some reason.  I think I was working, too much, and any time available in the woods needed to go to DH because he was more skilled and more ready than I. I sacrificed last year's seasons to him. I know, I know, I'm an awesome sportsman's wife!  LOL.  The girls somehow break one of the 4 arrows that come with the set.  Ok, we figure we'll still be fine.
So, we figured we needed to get over to the 3D archery shoot put on by the Davey Mtn Archery Club behind Hogsed's Sportswear for some practice.  Very excited we were.  We got up at a respectable time, got to the shoot an hour after it started and began the course.  Well, first thing I noticed was a group before us.  Very serious group.  The lady had on a nice wicking Easton shirt and they all had top of the line competition style bows.  Definitely not hunters.  They were using range finders and fancy sights.  Hmm.  Ok. To each his own, right?
We let 2 groups of 2 go ahead of us because we take so long.  Another lady and her beau shoot.  Her rig isn't as impressive as the first group, but still very nice competition style bow.  Hmm.  I'm surprised there are so many competitors, and ladies at that!  I would think we'd see more hunters in a rural area shoot.  Interesting.
So, we begin the course.  We get up to the blue stake on 2 hog targets and I miss one.  UGH.  The girls miss both, but no lost arrows.  Next target, a wolf.  I do ok, but the girls miss.  They can't find the arrow.  Next target, a bear.  The girls can't find their arrow.  They are down to one arrow remaining now.  Next target, a deer.  Last arrow down and out. Gone. Vanished. URRRR.
DH did okay, but I sucked (to put it mildly).  I missed over half the targets.  I didn't lose any arrows, though. 

Here is my 3D shoot summed up neatly:

Davey Mtn Archery Club 3D Shoot

You can imagine my displeasure.  Well, I better get to practicing!  But, first, I need to finish this canner load of corn and pick up the girls off of the bus, and get ready for volleyball practice.  I hope I have time to shoot today!  A bow or a gun.  Whatever.  Shooting rocks!  

You can keep track of the club's shoots by clicking on the link below:

Click on Archery Corner when you get there

Now get out there and practice!  Season is a comin'!

My CCW solution search for Glock 27 on a female

Glock 27 in 40 S&W

Good old paddle holster

I don't remember if I was blogging at the time I purchased my uncle's Glock from him.  I was excited.  Totally stoked.  My uncle is a retired police officer.  He carried a Glock 27 as one of his side arms for a little while.  He had a full size Glock, got an opportunity to try the smaller Glock 27, then decided to just use it as a backup piece.  Since retirement, he has worked as a security guard, but carries a different gun.  I purchased his old side arm from him.  I am liking it.  It is the Glock 27 in 40 S&W.  I was going to get a magazine extender to have a better grip, but get this: my uncle heard that and went and bought it for me and gave it to me with the gun!  How sweet is that?!?!?  Well, with the gun came all of the paperwork, the original plastic case and a leather paddle holster.  Well, I thought, great, no need for buying a holster.  BUT.

Now that I've had it for several months and become well acquainted with it, I'm looking for concealment solutions.  Here's the story.

I wanted a purse.  I thought it would be handy and easier to carry, especially in the summer.  So, I got the Gun Tote'n Mamas Bag in camo.  I don't remember the name of it and can't seem to find it anywhere online to reference.  I got it from Cabelas, Inc., however, so maybe they have it exclusively.  But, here's a picture of mine:

Gun Tote'n Mamas concealed carry bag

The holster is part of the deal

I loved this bag when I got it.  I used it exclusively whether I carried or not.  It came with a simple holster that stays in place with hook and loop tape.  It can be repositioned to however you need your gun to be held inside the bag.

When I carried my Glock, however, I realized just how heavy it became.  And when I didn't, I wanted more room.  The handle is stiff and hard to adjust.  Whatever material they made it out of, it certainly does its job.  I like this bag, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't quite excite me anymore.



So, then I found this bag:  The Ful Peabody in Camo.

Ful Peabody in Camo

I was excited and geeked about it.  It happens that my Glock can fit in the uppermost zippered compartment. 

The 3 zippered compartments offer options.

But, I like to have a holster to protect it, not just let it hang in there free.  So, I used the simple holster that came with my previous bag and felt better. But, there again, the weight became an issue.

I really like this bag, though.  I wear it cross body style.  It keeps my hands free while I can then swing the bag towards the front of my body to access any of the compartments.

I started thinking about carrying on my person.  But, then, IWB or OWB?
(Confused?  IWB = In the waistband and OWB = Outside of the waistband.)
OK. Well, I was given a leather paddle holster with my gun, remember?  So, we were going to my parents' house one day and I decided to wear it.  I donned my camo belt and placed my paddle holster.  The inside of my elbow was resting on the gun. In fact, the gun was almost touching my, well, girls.  While I drove, a manual trans, the holster was digging into my hip.  I'm not very tall, mind you, about 5' 5".  As I shot and walked around at the 'rents' place, I realized this holster would not do.  Quite uncomfortable when worn with normally fitting pants.  When worn with pants a little big to accommodate said holster, the weight wants to pull your britches off!

Paddle holster from the top

UGH.  So, I keep looking online, seeking direction from some unknown place, some knowledgeable female who has gone before me.  I came upon a few different ideas that I may try.  Or I may try to create.

The thought has crossed my mind that I need to carry a smaller caliber, smaller framed gun, but then... I don't wanna.  The smaller framed guns don't fit my right hand well.  I feel like my fingers are gargantuan when I hold them because my trigger finger wraps all the way around back to my thumb and can even overlap my thumb almost entirely.  I don't like pulling the trigger with my knuckles.

Comments and suggestions are welcome.  Just leave a comment below or find a way to contact me in the sidebar to the right.  Whatever suits your fancy!


Here are a few great resources I found along the way:
30 Cal Gal
Girl's Guide to Guns
GunGoddess Etsy Shop
Packing Pretty

Pinterest Gun Leather and More

F.I.E. Texas Ranger Mod Tex 22 LR Single Action Revolver

FIE Mod Tex 22 LR or FIE Texas Ranger

My friend, a pastor, asked me to 'tinker' with this gun of his dad's.  He bought his dad a 22 revolver, real cheap. His dad loves it.  BUT, the action stuck or wouldn't work somehow, so his dad took it apart.  He couldn't get it back together.  My friend asked several other friends to take a look at it for him.  All of these men were gun nuts, one had learned about guns in the military. The gun was passed around for 4-5 months. No one could get it to work properly.

Well, my friend is a pretty good friend of my parents' actually.  My dad tells him that maybe my husband or I can help.  Why not?  No one else could. I'm a mechanical engineer that likes to tinker and figure things out.  Both my husband and I like guns (I may like them a little more than he does at this point).  My dad tells me he volunteered me.  A few months go by (or was it a long few weeks? IDK).  I don't hear any more and put it on the back burner.

Yesterday I got a phone call from this mutual friend.  I agree to give it a shot.  You can find almost anything on the internet these days, right, so I should be able to find a video of some sort! WRONG. I was excited to see this puzzle with all of its pieces, but I couldn't look anything up until I had it in my hand.

That evening, after a lengthy visit with my folks and grandparents, we got home to find the mystery firearm in a box on our porch.   There were tiny parts in a plastic container, marked Ham Salad.  There was the barrel with the frame in one piece and the stock in the other.  We put the kids to bed and I got online to try to look up some information on this mystery that lay in my lap in pieces.  My husband tells me that I'm going to lose those tiny parts on that couch!  I tell him I'm just researching, not going to try put it together tonight.  He goes to bed.

So, I begin searching the internet.  The engraving on the side says:  Mod Tfx 22 cal LR FIE Miami, FL.  Well, now that I know, it actually says Mod Tex 22 cal LR FIE Miami, FL.  AFter many different attempts, I realize that there aren't any videos of the gun, aren't any real schematics that I can find.  I also find out that the gun is no longer made, the manufacturer stamp is actually only the importer and it may have been made in Germany or Italy originally.  The importer, from Miami, stopped importing the guns in 1968 due to the Federal Firearms Act.  Great.

Well, I figure that 22 revolvers can't be too far apart, so I find a schematic for the same brand but different model, the E15.  I print it out in two sizes and start looking up part names.  On the Numrich website, there are pictures of most parts available for the handguns, so I'm trying to compare the parts in the plastic container to the pictures on the website.  I label some of the part names on my schematic.  Print out a disassembly/reassembly description from a manual written by United States Fire Arms Manufacturing Co., Inc.  I figure if I can match the part descriptions to the written instructions, and the schematic I can maybe figure it out.


After church today, I'm chomping at the bit to try to put this gun together.  I spent a few hours sitting with it, cleaning parts and trying to see how they fit and work together.  I'm getting so close, I can taste it (or was that gun solvent?).  I can fit the pieces together, but need to figure out the right order and what is wrong with the action to make it stick?  I look up some videos online. Hmm.  Mainspring. Where's that?  In the grip. OK. Let's take the wood grips off.  Hmm.  OK. Now what?

Mod Tex 22 Mainspring

So, I clean up the mainspring and the area hidden by the grips and start fiddling some more.  Wait, if I put the gate on, the cylinder, the base pin, install the gate detent and gate screw.  I installed the hand and spring onto the hammer, put the hammer into the assembly in almost the right position.  I put the grip section on to hold the gate detent and gate screw in place.  Things are looking like a firearm around here.  But, the hammer isn't sitting right yet.  So, I have to hold the stock tight to compress the gate screw, push down on the hammer to seat it properly, while flexing the mainspring in the grip.  I don't have a third hand to screw the hammer into place!  Um, honey, I need your help.  He makes smart remark.  I tell him, no, I just need a third hand because I don't have any left to use the screwdriver.  He complies.  It doesn't cycle.  He remembers jamming up a rifle in his younger years. He backs out the hammer screw ever so slightly.  Voila!  Perfect working order. No joke.  I dry fire it several times. Over and over. I place a wooden skewer in through the barrel to see if the cylinder lines up with the barrel properly.  Don't want it to be out of timing.  Ugh.

Mod Tex 22 Base Pin & Hammer Screw

When we are convinced that it is ready to fire, we go outside.  Eyes and ears on everybody (just me and DH).  Fire in the hole!  (Yes, our whole family watches American Guns!)  I duck for cover and fire into the mud.  It works.  All 6 times.  Sweet!  Really?!?  I reload.  Now I'm confident enough to pull it up and try to fire looking down the sight.  It is only about 1.5 inches left on 4 rounds and pretty close to dead on with the other 2.  NICE.  I win!

I'm known not to let puzzles and mysteries win over me.  I want to be a gunsmith.  Maybe.  I am looking for a new career choice when we decide that the kids don't need me to stay home from work anymore.  I'm seriously considering it.  This would be my first gunsmith job and I won.  In less than 24 hours.  I probably only spent about 5 hours total on this gun and loved every second.  Especially when it fired!!

Hopefully this will help someone else who is looking for info. on this little gun.  Here's some helpful links:


E15 Schematic:
http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Products.aspx?catid=9088

Mod Tex 22 parts pictures:
http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Products.aspx?catid=9091

Ruger Single Action Revolver Disassembly video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfOXBa8K8Ow

Ruger Single Action Revolver Reassembly video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zEKDqwkgEs&feature=player_embedded

A helpful forum talks about the ejector:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5172111

And the grand finale!  The Owner's Manual!  I finally found it.  Thanks, Steve.  Whoever and wherever you are.  This link may start the download immediately.
http://stevespages.com/pdf/fie_tr22.pdf

Enjoy!  Feel free to comment with any help, advice or questions!
Michelle

Paypal Here is Here!

I'm very excited about being able to accept credit cards securely from anywhere.  I upgraded to a Droid phone in order to be able to do it.  Now, I have the Paypal little blue triangle to make it work! Paypal keeps customers' information secure, so I don't have to worry about writing it down or entering it, just swiping their card like a store does!
I am excited about this new technology and can't wait to give it a try!