We have sold our home and are heading towards Bradenton, Florida in about a week or so... Bradenton is where my mom and Dad live. This is still hard to believe. We have concentrated our efforts so far mostly on selling/giving away anything we don't want to move. I have been working on packing up my studio, which is probably the largest area to pack up in the entire house. Today I can proclaim that the job is done and my studio is looking rather sad . . .

I added the sewing machine to my traveling art supplies (my portable studio) along with a small box of CDs. I’ll be stashing these items in the car before the moving van arrives!

In the meantime, Steven has been perfecting his “Dale Andrews Boat Trailer” by adding cross supports, padding and tying down the boats my dad made. He also somehow managed to squeeze 2 of his own kayaks in between the wooden boats. He’ll test the rig out Sunday, when he trailers the boats down to his brother's house in Mystic. They'll use a professional boat shrink wrap system to help cut down on the wind drag while we drive 1,300 miles.

Yes, my dad made ALL of these wooden boats! Steven wants to get them safely to him in Florida. When we get settled in Bradenton, Steven plans to ask my dad to show him some of the tricks of his boat craftsmanship. Tomorrow I'll start boxing up the contents of our home, which I know will be easier than my studio!

I will be back again before we leave on this adventure… lenna young andrews, November 19, 2009.