Oh how I love a good power tool...

Look closely reader...

Do you see it?

There...perched on the corner of my fridge..

What is that you ask?

Let's look a little bit closer...

Why...it's my honey do list. I am a firm believer that the non list makers in the world, still need a list. Now, call me a bit controlling, but after almost 19 years of marriage I have found this system to work nicely...sometimes...with a whole lot of patience...but eventually it works.

See item #1 on the list? (I know they're not numbered, but in my mind they are) #1 on the honey do list is to puleeeeeeeez prune the trees with the sawzall. You see it?

Yep, me too :)

About a year ago, perhaps longer, I began to really believe our trees needed to be pruning. Typically this is a job that I have taken care of over the years, but at this point, our trees are too big and they now require the aid of a power tool to prune them. Mrs. Ruchus does not like power tools and let me tell you why.

Growing up with a dad that grew up on a Nebraska farm meant that no task was too big for a child to complete. One day I was assigned to trim the hedge. I guess my dad believed that no training was required for this task. So...I set off with the power hedge trimmer....

I was able to conger up this image courtesy of google...this is somewhat similar to the trimmer I used...but here's the thing...this trimmer is cordless...

so there is no need for one of these....

However...in the 70's cords were in! And...so were extension cords...

Back to the story...I set out to conquer the hedge, trimmer and extension cord in hand...I believe I may have even had some good 70's disco playing while attempting this feat...and in typical adolescent fashion, didn't pay attention to what I was doing and inadvertently ZAP!!! cut the extension cord with the trimmer...(pause to imagine the shock)

In all my days...and there have been many trust me, to date, I do not recall an event so shocking..pardon the pun...the trimmer handle broke right off and I was knocked to my butt...

Sooooooo...you get my dislike for power tools now right? Particularly power tools that trim trees/shrubbery/etc., and require an extension cord. Right? Great...so...about 8 months ago...the hubby in his ever ready to please his wife fashion, brought home the blessed power tool required to complete the job...

The SAWZALL.

Saws. all. as in everything.

Get it? OK, now this little darling happens to be one of my favorites...when someone else is using it, because just as the name implies it can saw about everything... Here is the one problem with this little gem. If no one is using it, it saws nothing...

back to the honey do list and fast forward to today...

After more than a year of patiently waiting...the honey did bring home the saw and the other day even pointed out that there were now two sawsalls in the garage and they both were in fact "ready to go". Hmmm...what does that mean exactly to you? Does that mean that honey will be getting around to item #1 on the honey do list? One would think so right?

So, I waited...and waited...and patiently waited...until I could wait no more! I cracked open that sawsall today to find it was in fact NOT "ready to go" and in fact, had no blade in it. I graciously asked my husband could he possibly put a blade in the sawsall that was "ready to go" so that some other honey, that shall remain nameless, could complete item #1 on the honey do list. Miraculously he obliged and put in the blade...

I got to chopping...and pruning...and chopping, and pruning...

and tying and chopping until all the trees were pruned...and with the help of some reluctant teenagers...the branches are all tied up and ready for pick up...

Cross item #1 off the list...