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by Hope

I can’t remember if I mentioned, but Princess ran off the road with two of her friends in the car last weekend (I guess two weekends ago when this posts.) Everyone was fine, but we have realized that the car is not. She was driving a 2003 Volkswagen Golf. And while the engine is fine, the body in minimally damaged, we have been told two different stories from two different mechanics:

• One said one tire has a bad bearing….$380 to repair. And the spindle might be bent which would negate the bearing fix.
• The next one said, no, not a bearing, it’s a bent tie rod. And he doesn’t fix that. My cousin, who took the car to be looked at, took it to another shop. And still no luck.

So it’s now parked here while I figure out what or if we do anything.

Then a few days later, one of the twins backed into my car while pulling out of our driveway. Ugh! Both passenger doors have to be replaced. Thankfully, he has insurance which is covering the repair. It’s still driveable so the shop is going to order all the parts and then let me know when they are ready to fix it.

This has only been complicated by my having to fly to Texas in a couple of weeks to bring my mom back. Princess must have my car to drive during that time. While the insurance company is providing a rental while the car is in the shop, she can’t drive the rental. We will have to work around that.

The twin’s truck didn’t suffer any damage. I suppose that’s one good thing about driving a big truck. It’s formidable.

Just another crazy adventure in our roller coaster of a life.

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.