New Wall, New Tools, New Car! What?

We got another wall done today - even with some seriously not straight boards...
You would like to go and get straight ones, but it is an hour away and we don't have a truck and....
But we do have big clamps that can pull some board back into straight and Rick, the helper bee!

I finally got to use the hammer drill!  It's pretty heavy, but nothing like the "pogo" drill that I remember from my childhood. 

While my little husband was using the hammer drill (yes, the thrill wore off pretty quickly for me...teehee), I was taking pretty pictures of what was coming out. 

Some of the holes had been partially drilled a couple of days ago and had some moisture in them, so they produced this lovely clay like twirl. 

 Maybe I should have snagged some to try and create something...hmmm.



I also got to use the rachet today.  This is not a totally new tool for me.  It is actually one of my favorites, but it comes with a funny story.  I was graciously trying to help my very first boyfriend work on his VW Beetle, named Shubert, and he was graciously trying to let me.  He gave me the rachet, explained how it worked and asked me to tighten a bolt he had just put in.  Always the overacheiver, I tightened and tightened and tightened the head right off of the bolt!  We were done with car repairs for that night.  We took my car and got an ice cream cone instead!   Today, there was nothing destroyed in the racheting.  My little husband, however, thought the purpose of the picture was to show his cute wife, so you cannot see the rachet...

I knew the purpose of the picture was to show the tool...cute little husband is just a bonus.

So, as you may know, we are building a house and it is a rather time and money intensive proposition.  Who has time or money for new car shopping, right?  Not us!  But, 2 days ago one of our friends came to pound some nails and happened to mention a car on a lot here in town.  I told him I loved Subarus and he should get it.  He wasn't really interested....but, now I sort of was after the story he told us.   This Subaru had only had one owner, a prominent little old lady, named Gwendolyn,  from our town who had died about 10 years ago.  It has lived in a garage its entire life and been driven very gently.  They don't think anyone ever even sat in the back seats.  Here's the BEST part....it is a 1997 Outback Limited with only....are you ready?  ONLY 12,764 miles!  What????  I know, right?  I told my little husband to run down there and offer the old Subaru and $5000.  The salesman (owner of the dealership, friend of my husband, all around good guy) says, well, I was thinking old Subaru and $6000, so we split the difference and I got Gwendolyn for $5500!  She has her original tires!  Just look, and you will fall in love, too....

Hey, there's me in the Subaru symbol...

Leather seats with seat warmers!  And they are so slippery that I have to drive more slowly...

It still has a new car smell.  Really.

Limited...could never afford that before!

I mean, look at this engine!  On a 14 year old car...this is what less than 1000 miles per year looks like.  My poor old green Subaru got that many miles each year!

And these 2 cuties, Lambie and Pie, sit on my dashboard to remind me that I am a lamb of God.

So, how could we pass this up?  Couldn't.  As we were going to pick it up, I asked my little husband if we were coocoo?  We had neither one even opened the door of this car!  I LOVE living in a town where you know you are going to be treated honestly and fairly.  We did find out that he sent our mutual friend to tell us about the car....good business!

OH, but then...

I was showing off my Gwendolyn after Zumba (ok, and a little before, too) and giving the full tour inside and out.  Karyn, who also drives a Subaru (only a 1999) was very impressed, as was Samantha who had just recently bought her first Subaru (didn't get quite as good a deal).  Finally, show and tell was over and Karyn and I were ready to go home. 

No keys.

We searched everywhere...three or four times.  I even looked under the hood.  No keys...anywhere.  How frustrating is to know they had to be there...but where?!?!?!

See if you can tell where we finally found them...after 15 or 45 minutes of searching. 

Who put them there?????

I love my new car.  I love building my house.  I love learning new things and spending time with my little husband.  I love the workout at Zumba.  I love the raspberries and blueberries from the farmer's market.  I love that the weather was a perfect 77, sunny and breezy today.

I am SO blessed!  Thank you, Lord.