Sweet cottages and a Story about Hubs

Welcome to the world, Mason. We're so glad you're finally here with us. Born on 5/30/12. Gramma and Grandpa are Mike and Sherilynn, my sweetest friend. He's a cutie for sure and much loved by all of us. Weight 7 lbs. 9 oz. First child so far for them
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Now, for the rest of the story on the toilets.

Hubs took the old toilet out to the driveway and emptied the water from the tank in the gutter—this is clean water, remember—then he carried the new one in and installed it and it leaked. For 2 days he couldn't get it to stop leaking and was hesitant to tighten it any more for fear of breaking it. I finally called a plumber. Men are always so hesitant to call outside help. "I can do this, no problem." Sigh.

The plumber took the tank off and saw the problem. A common problem. The huge "nut" around the hole wasn't lined up as it should have been. It's marked with a magic marker slash across it but hadn't lined up. Hubs later told me he didn't turn it upside down to see that mark. But it worked perfectly after that even though I was afraid to sit on it for fear of doing something to make it leak again!

This isn't the end of the story.

A few days later, I was sitting here in my office and hubs came it sweating violently and said, "Get me to ER." After asking what was wrong while jumping up out of this chair, he said, "I don't know." I'm suspecting heart attack or stroke or something equally horrific. He just kept saying, "Get me to ER."

Helping him into the car and exiting my garage, I turned on my flashers and headed out of the neighborhood onto the main streets hoping for a cop to help us break the speed limit to get to the hospital, which is about a 7 minute drive. No cops! But people did see we were in stress mode and pulled over for us.

I entered the reception area of ER and said, "I need a gurney." Blank looks! I repeated more forcefully, "I need a gurney!!!!" (I'm a very assertive person, very.) That got them moving.

While driving there, hubs finally told me what the problem was. While standing at the bathroom vanity, he felt like he'd been kicked in the lower back. It almost took him to his knees. He lay down on the bed, got dizzy and started perspiring profusely. That's when he came in here. He was pale and drenching by the time he got in here to tell me.

Bottom line: They did urine tests, CT scan and blood work. No kidney stone, which they suspected at first. After 4 1/2 hours they let him go home. The doctor, who looked like he just graduated middle school and had hair curling at the nape of his neck and wore a braided necklace (sigh, so 1960s Berkeley) finally said he thought it might be shingles. Shingles?!?! Nope, he never got shingles and it's been several days now.

I think he pulled that lateral after lifting 2 toilets, one still with water in the tank!, and carrying them in and out of the house. HE says he's never felt anything so intense and such pain and it couldn't be that. I'm convinced that's what did it. Sometimes, wives/mothers know best. Right? Yeah.

An aside: Once I got to the hospital, I called my young friend, Stacy, told her to get two elders from our church over to ER to administer to him. I can always count on this woman! I simply said I needed help and that was all; she took it from there. While they had him in the CT scan room, Stacy and I went out to lunch at McDonalds, just in the next block and enjoyed ourselves immensely. We knew he'd be safe after that blessing. We have a lot of faith in the power of God. And I never miss the opportunity to eat out, never!

He's been fine since. ;-) And for that I'm most grateful to our Lord.
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A sweet container for holding your lovelies.

Just look at how individual flowers decorate a table. Just cut them from your gardens when available. Stunning!

Beautiful vintage armoire and chandelier in a room with beadboard ceiling.

Love those shutters. Can you just imagine closing them in the evening for privacy and then opening them up in the morning to beautiful sunshine? Oooh, yeah!

Abundance in blooms.

A wonderful old kitchen made to look new or is it a new kitchen made to look old? Hmmmmmm.

Sweet pillows and roses for a vignette in a bedroom. Beautiful.

Here we go with the ivy going to rot the shutters again. ;-)

Easily made hanging craft you could make for your child or a gift for a wedding or baby shower.

I think this is a "Cleaver" house. Doesn't it look similar?

A lovely vintage chippy table and an ice cream parlor chair.

How does this family see out the windows? It's also covering the chimneys so they obviously can't have a fire in the fireplace. Personally, I'd love to have light come into a home.

Cute little shed or kids playhouse.

Beautiful in whites. Notice the faux fireplace mantel? And hubs thought I was crazy for doing this in our family room. Hah!

Quaint cottage probably in England considering the stonework and the windows.

Cute little french blue shutters on a cottage.

Rustic, yet gorgeous kitchen.

While my actual coverings and colors are different, this room has the same symmetry as mine.

I love what this homeowner has done to this room. Very sweet and feminine.

Isn't this adorable?

A very small cottage in the woods.

White and luxurious.

Cute little gingerbread house with pink frills.

Could be a cottage in Monterey from the looks of it.

Sweet!

Pretty pastoral scene somewhere in merry ole England.

Some of the prettiest cupcakes I've ever seen.

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Now go have a cupcake or something so rich it'll hurt the glands in your mouth.

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Photos courtesy of pinterest and tumblr.