Big Time Problems ($$$$)

A couple of months ago, let's say the first of May, I kept hearing a noise like the outside hose was left on. I asked Joe if he left the hose on and he said no, it was off. Then I noticed one day that when I leaned over the bathtub the tub itself was very warm. Then I noticed that the floor in the bathroom was also very warm. I brought Joe into the bathroom and said, this is not normal. Tiles are usually very cold, the bathtub too. Then I noticed that the front entry hall had certain spots (it is tiled) that were very warm. This is where the dog wants to lay when she's hot. So I know that wasn't right. The whole time, I kept hearing water SOMEWHERE. And every morning when I went in the bathroom to put my makeup on and fix my hair, I felt like I was in a sauna. Well, Joe finally "heard" it the other night. So he started investigating. The side of our front hall coat closet butts up against the wall in the large hall bath. This is what he found.....

One of the girls had mentioned last week that the closet sure smelled musty... Fortunately, or unfortunately, however you want to look at it, my wedding dress was up against the wall inside a dry cleaner bag. It's not a big loss - I only paid $50 (on sale) for it (a Jessica McClintock dress) about 5 years before I ever even got married. It's too small for either one of the girls to wear (I was TINY). It has some mold spots on it and I was saving it for the "dress-up" box for my granddaughters some day.

Today, Joe had a plumber come out and start assessing the damage and what can be done to fix it. He opened up the wall and peered in. He thinks we have a leak in our old pipes in the slab foundation and there could be more than one. Our house is old (50 years old next year). We're waiting on an insurance person to come by and see if it could possibly be covered under our homeowner's insurance. I'm afraid to hear, very afraid......