Answered Bathtub Prayer

I prayed a prayer at the beginning of this week asking that we would find a used 5 1/2 ft. bathtub here in town. The shower in our master bath (unbeknownst to us) has been leaking ever since we moved in. Now we're looking at having to tear out drywall (possibly replacing some studs), and definitely replacing subflooring. We decided we may as well tear out the 25 year old jacuzzi tub and replace it with a longer cast iron soaking tub as long as we were at it. Problem--cast iron tubs are expensive.

Ever since taking a vacation with Matt's parents a few years ago, I've wanted a claw foot tub. The room we stayed in had a claw foot tub and I took full advantage of it while we were there. It held the heat of the water really well, unlike the cast iron tub I had at home that rested directly on the concrete slab, thereby bringing the water to a tepid temperature within minutes (especially in the winter).

This past Wednesday evening, I warned the kids that we might have to make the long drive North to the "land of tubs and toilets" (the salvage yard) on Saturday. Paul and Lydia were delighted with the prospect of such an adventure. Elizabeth dissolved into tears when she heard my announcement (she hates car rides).
Well, it turns out we won't have to travel to the land of tubs and toilets because Matt found a 5 1/2 foot claw foot tub here in town. I told him I wouldn't be making the trip North to bring home a tub only to find that the refinishing would bring the price to a new plain old cast iron tub (new claw foot tubs are outrageously priced--so that wasn't even a consideration). Matt called around town and found a woman who refinishes tubs. She asked what our tub looked like. Matt said he didn't know because he hadn't bought it yet. She said she knew someone here in town who was trying to sell an old claw foot tub and she could refinish it for us. The whole deal would be less than the cost of a new tub.

So Matt went and fetched the tub--proving for the umpteenth time that, yes, one can indeed haul just about anything in the back of a Subaru station wagon. He delivered it to the tub lady and she'll have it for us in a few weeks. Hooray! God even answers bathtub prayers!