Keep Liberty & Freedom ON the Road

I am trying to keep my award winning art cars on the road. People everywhere LOVE them.

Their website is www.libertyvan.com.

Since 2005, I have driven these vans through every state except Alaska & Hawaii. I drive so much because

I have kids & grandkids in 3 of the 4 corners of the US, relatives all over, and I raise Afghan Hounds. I have

used the vans for dog shows, delivering puppies across the USA, and occasionally transporting rescue Afghan Hounds.

For the past few years, I was delivering them for free. This past summer, Freedom Van brought dogs to Montana &

Washington state in June, puppies to Buffalo, NY and S. Florida in July, and a puppy to Ogden, UT in August.

I put 35,000 miles on her between June and September. If you want to see my dogs, their website is www.hosanna1.com/Hounds/

I also make trips to see family, and for the past few years many of my excuses for a road trip has been COURT <G>.

You may have seen this

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/woman-drives-from-kentucky-to-new-jersey-to-fight-ticket--wins-144214490.html

It was also on Good Morning America, Fox News, and who knows where else, in Dec. 2013

But legal expenses plus massive repair bills have used up all the spare resources I had. I have been getting harassed in just a few

places. Free Speech is not quite welcome anymore in some places. And, I put a LOT of miles on both the vans,

so have frequent (and occasionally massive) repair bills. Liberty Van is 10 years old, she now has 410,000+ miles (when I started

decorating her in 2005 she had 57,000), Freedom Van was 5 yrs old in March, has 169,000, and I pasted signs all over her before

I drove her off the new car lot <VBG>. Just the gas alone for more than a half million miles (you can do the math! : ) over past

9+ years if average gas price was only $3/gallon/average mpg, comes to well over $100,000"

Also, I am constantly buying stuff to keep NEEDS TO GO ABOVE, right before 'keep them PRETTY. Everyone and their grandmother is constantly taking pictures (and no, I've NEVER charged for that!). I occasionally

have Hobby Lobby bills that could be someone's mortgage payment. Since my vans are on the road so

much, it is quite a bit of work to keep them looking beautiful, and some stuff just has to be replaced periodically.

And, I love to give stuff away when I'm on the road. When I'm able, I buy t-shirts, and print iron on transfers to decorate them on

my computer, and give them away. I also hand out flags for Memorial Day, Independence Day, Flag Day, or any time I have them.

I've also handed out candy canes at Christmas, and silk roses at Valentine's, and Mother's Day. I used to spend a couple hundred

dollars a month getting flyers printed - but can't afford to do that anymore, either.

Till now, I have been financing about 99.999 % of that myself. I have used up my entire retirement nest egg, plus a pretty decent

inheritance from my dad. But MILLIONS of people have SMILED seeing these vans. People LOVE them just about everywhere.

I say '99.999%' self financed, as from time to time, someone does put a little something in my hand for gas. In January 1014,

someone at a convenience store in Delaware (or Connecticut?) stuck $20 in my hand while I was fixing my ice chest, and he told

me 'Keep the lights on' - which I HAVE been doing <G>. When on the road with these vans, I sleep in them - they are mini-motor

homes, and I bring most of my food, Until now, I've never asked anyone for anything while on the road. But, when someone was

moved to offer something, I have not refused, either. If not for those folks, I would have run out of budget sooner than I did.

My dogs and I are being supported by my husband's pension. But that just isn't big enough for the upkeep of these vans,

and to do much traveling with them. I hate not to take them out just because I can't afford the gas, or repairs, or to have to

go fight another Christmas lights ticket. I would also still like to have things to hand out when I'm on the road, but can no

longer afford to buy them myself.

This is the website for Liberty Van & Freedom Van www.libertyvan.com (http://www.libertyvan.com/) . There are loads of pictures of both vans, plus links

to many pages of photos of our trips, and the stories of many of my adventures. Freedom Van won the First Place Free Speech

Trophy at the Houston Art Car Parade April 11. In 2011, took both vans, and they tied for the 3rd place.

If you would like to help with this little project, YOU might get a SMILE seeing her on the road NEAR YOU sometime. : )

These gifts will be used ONLY for these vans repairs, maintenance & upkeep, and gas & tolls to take them down the road.

I will KEEP ON TRUCKIN' with these vans so long as I can find the resources to do so.

Thanks for your help, and God Bless You : )