WE HAVE A TOILET!!!

WE WORKED UNTIL 10:45 pm at the COTTAGE making some headway on getting the TOILET in place!  Drove HOME with wild lightning across the sky arriving HOME shortly before the storm blew in.  For a short time as we sat inside, it sounded like hail falling from the heavens.  The storm quickly passed and I was relieved.  Seeing the sky light up by the lightning revealed a HUGE STORM with massive force.  In KANSAS you can see for miles as the sky lights up illuminating God's glorious heavenly skies.  It's a beautiful sight when the storm is not directly above you.  Seeing it at a distance is beautiful.      

Tired from a long day of being so busy.  

Earlier, I carried things from upstairs to the living room making a pile by the French doors to go over to the COTTAGE.  Loaded the car up and off to the COTTAGE we went with the hopes of getting the toilet installed, but our plans slightly changed as one of the parts of the plumbing cracked meaning a trip to Manhattan was needed to replace the damaged part.

I was in the middle of cleaning out the pink bedroom when my assistance was needed.  Putting the room on hold, we went to MENARDS and I looked at shades for the Dining room while Hubby shopped for the part he needed.  I purchased two shades for the COTTAGE Dining room. We checked out and traveled back to the COTTAGE where we returned to what we were doing.  I nearly have the little bedroom cleared out and will vacuum it soon.  

I was summons to help center the toilet just so-so on the correct place.  Down she went as I was lying on the floor eyeballing the centering.  Tadaah...she was in place and fastened down.  WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL TALL ELONGATED TOILET to use!  All these years I have used a toilet and this one has extra meaning to it as it is OUR COTTAGE TOILET.  haha.  No outhouse needed.  We have running water, a flushing toilet, central air conditioning and heat.  There are ceiling fans in the living room, dining room and two lil bedrooms.  Electricity and natural gas! 

I stood back looking at the masterpiece in the bathroom.  So pretty and white, clean and ready to be used.  Whalaah, she is bea-u-ti-ful !!!  A gorgeous porcelain throne ready for take off.  

In someways as we remodel this little COTTAGE, it reminds me of when we were younger.  It feels kind of like we are starting a new.  Like a couple of newly weds in our old bodies that have aches and pains.  Our packaging is old and wrinkled, but our spirits are strong.  Living differently has required doing things differently.  Being more independent at 67/68 years of age has required that we be PRO-ACTIVE with change.

I have plans to be very economical and thrifty with the utilities.  In fact I have plans to be very frugal period.  In the mail today came a letter from the credit card company I use informing me that in July their interest rate is going to increase to 18.74%.  18.74% !!!  This made my eyes bug out.  I gasped.  What?  That's almost 19%.  I believe when a card has a interest rate higher than 10% it's a crime.  Well here you go, girl friend.  This is what you get for being a loyal card member to their company that has been bought out by some other giant.    

This interest rate is sickening. With God's help, we will pay off our balance this Summer and I make a vow to completely divorce the credit card companies.  Never again.  N E V E R  AGAIN.   THE GIG IS UP.  

I will buy thrift and use what I have being THANKFUL I can do this.    

ON THE HOME FRONT:  The chest of drawer's drawers to the Vintage Bedroom suite are sitting in the living room ready to be moved.  After I have my shower and dress for the day, I will carry these to the car and load them to drive them over placing them in the pink bedroom.  I'll do some laundry while I am there then return to the main house to load the body of the chest of drawers to take over.  I'll need HELP with this part.  Hubby is working on the car and planting grass seed for our lawn.  When he finishes, we'll tackle the next piece of furniture.  

Bringing the big piece down the stairs, carrying it to the car, loading it, unloading and carrying it into the COTTAGE will require HELP.  Hubby said he wanted to get the bathroom mirror lights hooked up so perhaps this will get done as well with me doing more laundry.

By night fall, I hope to have this piece of furniture put back together sitting in her new location with some laundry completed.  Then when I return to the main house, I will carry the vintage vanity drawers downstairs making plans to move the vanity on Tuesday.  The mirror will have to come off of it to relocate.  Another piece soon will make her way to the COTTAGE.  Praise the LORD.  Out of our Vintage Bedroom we'll have to break down the bed and remove the cedar chest as well.  My closet in this room will be emptied then the room will be bare.  One down and two more to go.  

After the Vintage Bedroom is put back together then we will move forward to the Victorian Bedroom Suite.  I can't help but get excited that the bedrooms will be actual bedrooms to use while we remodel and prepare the main house to market.

Like a three ring circus, we have much activity going on.  Throw an auction into it all and we are really busy. 

THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE A FLUSHING TOILET!!!  Praise the LORD.  

~d 

HEAVE HO and AWAY WE GO

ON GOOD FRIDAY, we went toilet hunting for the COTTAGE BATHROOM.  Wanting a tall toilet with elongated seat, we found a nice KOHLER TOILET at HOME DEPOT.  Hubby and I are both close to 6 feet tall with long legs and sitting on a short toilet close to the floor isn't convenient or comfortable.  Better than nothing, but uncomfortable.

They don't give toilets away, do they?  The one we bought had a lowered price to it, but still cost a pretty penny.  Less than what was available on the internet.  This way we could actually see the jewel.

104 pounds!  She weighs 104 pounds.  Managing to get the heavy box off the store shelf onto the rolling cart to check out then rolling it to the car to load into our tiny cruiser, WE MANAGED all on our own at the BIG BOX STORE.  No help required.  Just us.

THEN, we drove to the COTTAGE to unload this BATHROOM treasure without breaking our backs or the toilet.  We did it.  NO PULLED MUSCLES.  

This next week, I believe HUBBY will get the wall behind the toilet covered with bead board then the toilet will be put into place where we are ready to use the throne.  CAN'T WAIT.

I remember a day when you could get a very nice, new toilet for $35.  These days are long gone.  LONG GONE.  You might be able to get a used one from HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, but we wanted a brand new one instead.  Our's was $326 and some change.  

We sat a while after unloading this very important 104 pound object.  It was great to be able to say, "We did it."  Because we did it.  Two old people managed to purchase this much needed heavy object, load her in our little car, transport her across the prairie, unload her and carry her across the yard up some stairs without falling through the old wood porch to get into the house.  Scooting the box through the house was the easiest part.

We did it.  Excitement surged through my body.  Adrenaline rush. Why get excited about a toilet?  A toilet is a necessary part of having a FUNCTIONING BATHROOM.  Getting the new toilet means we are closer to completion when it comes to remodeling.  

CHECK LIST:  A new vanity was purchased and will get installed this month.  The bathroom was gutted.  Mark that off the list.  Muscle and know how were required.  Walls repaired.  Harde backer board bought and laid.  Porcelain tile bought, laid and grouted.  Light fixture and sconces bought.  NOW the new toilet is ready to be installed after the wall behind the toilet area is bead boarded.  Toilet will go in!  We will see about getting new nickel plated feet for the claw foot tub we have had for years.  The area behind where the tub will go will be tiled and grouted.  I'd like to have rosettes and belly band put installed around the window with hammered glass for privacy.  Ceiling painted and new light fixture hung.  

The BATHROOM will be completed to where we have running water and flushing toilets.  This move has been so different from any we have ever done.  I will feel like we have practically built this habitat when said and done.     

I stood in the bedrooms visualizing where the furniture will go and what needs shuffled to make this move forge ahead.  By the end of Sunday, I'm hoping a rose bush will have been dug up and transplanted to her new home.  I bought two petunia plants to put in the front porch urns, so I hope they get repotted.  Daffodils in a pot with four plants needs to go into the ground.  Some dining room boxes will need to be shuffled making room for the Victorian desk's new location.  Relocating the desk to the COTTAGE is a goal for the week to come.  Oh HAPPY DAY...another big piece of furniture will have been moved out of our main house into the COTTAGE making HOME a reality.   

MASTER BEDROOM:  I'll need to clear out the pink bedroom making it ready for the VINTAGE BEDROOM SET to come live there then break down the bed getting ready to be moved.  I can see itinerary my head.  The room has two doors that will be closed up and this will come later.  The main thing is getting the furniture moved over and put in place. 

WE'RE well into the month of APRIL.  Going back and forth between the two places has my head spinning.  Heave ho and away we go.

🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰

I gave the grandkids their Easter trEats that I had made them on Good Friday and "Mister C" wanted his sister's shinny, plastic eggs.  His had small books, a play toy phone and green, stuffed toy dog with no eggs.  He has a temper and let it be known he was disappointed like where's my eggs?  The terrible twos have started at 16 months old.  Whaah.   

Going to watch my littlest grandson hunt Easter eggs today!  This should be great fun.  When Lil Miss was a toddler she hunted eggs on the Court House lawn.  It's her little brother's turn.  Tradition.  I wish the restaurant where we'd eat lunch afterwards was still there.  The day looks to be beautiful except for the smoke that has settled into town from the controlled burns on the prairie.    

I know Easter bunnies do not lay eggs or hide easter baskets, but coloring eggs and Easter egg hunting is a sweet memory for me.  A special time of year.  During Holy Week, I can reflect on what Jesus did for mankind.  The reality of EASTER/resurrection Sunday is tomorrow.  Praise the LORD!  The Lord is risen.  The Lord is risen indeed.  Magnificent LORD, you have made a way for us to have a rightful relationship with our Heavenly Father and have eternal LIFE for us in a heavenly realm.  You did the work.  No one else.  Pause.  I'm saying a prayer of thanksgiving and appreciation to you in Jesus name.  CELEBRATE with a grateful heart.

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Creature comforts are part of the American way.  Now back to the toilet project.  Aren't you thankful you have a flushing toilet and don't have to visit OUT HOUSES to take care of business?  I'm more than alright to be living on the grid using real toilets.  I am very thankful ALSO for TOILET PAPER.  Porcelain toilets are beautifully crafted objects that make our LIFE more manageable.

  

I can't imagine LIFE without them,

~d