Adjusting brakes

Hey, all you old timers! I have a question and if you know the answer you are as old or older than me. ;D  I'll tell you right now, I am as old as dirt.  Now you are going to give your age away.  Do you remember adjusting the brakes on your car?  This was before the brakes were self adjusting. Well its the same way on our trailers.  Heck as a kid, I adjusted all the brakes on the car.  You couldn't fail if they weren't too good, after all they were mechanical brakes on my old Ford.  I only sailed through a few stop signs and red lights with it.  

I am now having a presenior moment.  If someone that remembers could recall for me the procedure for adjusting brakes, I will "get out and get under" my TrailManor and do the job.  My main memory fuse becomes overloaded when I  try to recall, does the adjusting spoon go up or does it go down.  (This kind of reminds me of a Clint Eastwood movie.)  I have adjusted my brakes on the trailer a couple times before but it took me all day as I adjusted the brakes the wrong way.  Then it took me the next day to put them back into adjustment.

I just know that some of you older timers can help me out.  (if i don't insult you too much)

Thanks

Hal