The Serenity Chronicles

Living in Anchorage and working in the valley meant that I didn’t have a lot of friends where I actually lived. I’d see a few people in the stores, but Anchorage is a pretty big place and most of my friends there are on the other side of town where I went to church. Not to mention the fact that I was always working out in the valley and basically only slept in Anchorage. So, cut to my first day out here in Palmer – I ran into at least four people that I knew from school just at the post office, and ended up chatting for the longest time. It was nice! However, I think my days of being able to run to the store looking like a slob are officially over! 

Mack and I went on our first ‘official’ date in October of 1980. We had known each other since August, when we met at Pu’u Kahea Church Camp, and had hung out in groups, but this was the first ‘real ‘ date. He took me to see Neil Diamond in The Jazz Singer, and we both fell in love with the music. Almost a year later, he was stationed there in Nebraska, and I had moved to Georgia to work for his stepfather, who was a chiropractor. Sort of ‘promised ‘ but not officially ‘engaged’, we spent h hours writing long letters and talking on the phone. I remember one night he called and said I’ve just been listening to this music from the jazz singer  and the hello again song came on and all I could think about was you. And then he started to sing part of it to me..seriously romantic. I knew I loved him, but that moment just cemented it! So…this was our first song…

So, the story of Serenity – if you don’t believe in prayers being answered you might want to just scroll down. So about five years ago I decided to look into RVs as a home after I retire. I really didn’t want to stay in Alaska full-time after I retired and the house is just way too big for me. So I started looking online at different RVs especially ones that would fit my needs i.e. had someplace for a craft room. I found this model and it was perfect but it was way too expensive so I just kind of put that aside and kept looking. About a week ago I noticed that great Alaskan holidays was having a sale on the RV’s that they rent out, so I went down to look at them. They had some good ones but they really weren’t big enough for what I needed. So as I was about to leave the salesman goes, “oh wait a minute we just had one come in that you might like”. Turns out it was the exact model I had looked at originally. So we went and looked at it, and I expected to see thousands of miles on it because it was a 2008 model. But the person who had owned it before, a doctor, had only used it to run down to the Kenai during the summer so it only had 7000 miles on it. Well it was still a little too expensive for me but I thought what the heck let’s try. Meanwhile, the dealership kept dropping the price lower and lower. They even gave me a down payment as a military discount. So I went ahead and applied for the loan and got it. This has been a total answer to prayer. Throughout this entire process I just prayed that God would show me what he wanted me to do – if this was supposed to be mine to let it happen; if not to give me the strength and patience to wait for what he had planned. So very thankful for God’s provision!!!

SHINY!!

A whole new world! After a solid month of packing, cleaning, selling, and crying, I spent my first night in Serenity last night! Lots to learn…how to plug in to power and water, how to squeeze every last inch of storage out of 35 ft. of RV, and how to figure out my new ‘normal’.

Got in last night around 8 after an insane day, which started with totaling my poor little Honda. My first all-by-myself car gone😢. So, going forward, need to find a temporary vehicle for the rest of the year. I really don’t want another car loan – maybe leasing a Mustang ragtop IS the way to go!😜😱😁

Spent the day exploring, unpacking, trying to figure out my new life. REALLY sore from all the lifting and moving, as well as the accident. Lots of tears – saying goodbye to 23 years at 6141 Winding Way – all the memories, good and bad…all the ‘stuff’…frustration when I can’t or don’t know how to do what I need to…worrying about money, a car, and life…missing Mack…missing the kids.

Tears of joy – God has worked a miracle or two to get me here, and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!