Goodbye, Andrea

 I'm sure many of you have heard by now of the passing of Andrea Gurdon, aka Breyer History Diva, on Feb. 17. 

Like many, many others, I first discovered Andrea through her blog. I grew up collecting Breyer models and left the hobby in 2004 when I started college. At that time, the only Breyer website I was aware of was Breyer's own, and social media didn't really exist in the way we know it now. When I returned to the hobby after finishing college in 2010 (long story), social media was now a thing, and Breyer History Diva was one of the first things Breyer-related that I found. 

I've been a devoted reader of the blog since then, and was even able to meet Andrea on a few occasions (we were volunteers at some of the same Breyerfests, and we also attended the Sweet Home Chicago and Chasing the Chesapeake collector events), though we were never more than acquaintances. Some of my memories of Andrea include: we sat at the same table at Tempel Lipizzans while the hors d'oeuvres were being served. During a group discussion of Kentucky Derby winners, I pulled up Kauai King's Wikipedia page on my phone, which she promptly grabbed to look at. This made me inwardly geek out a little bit (OMG SHE ACTUALLY TOUCHED MY PHONE!) and jokingly swear to myself never to replace the phone. Another memory of Andrea: at Chasing the Chesapeake, she dressed up as a battered NPOD-attendee, complete with bandages and walker (if I'm remembering correctly). She had a sign alluding to the NPOD, though I can't remember exactly what it said. In any case, from a distance she saw me reading the sign and flipped it over so I could read the other side. I just wish I could remember exactly what it said! Curse my faulty memory. Anyways, I laughed and gave her a thumbs up. Come to think of it, I think Andrea coined the NPOD's name (Ninja Pit of Death). 

I saw her many other times at Breyerfest every year, usually in her Clarion room or at the Horse Park, but I tend to be awkward and weird around people I don't know that well, so other than being on the periphery of some conversations, I didn't try to talk to her much. The last time I saw her (I think) was on Breyerfest Sunday last year, going through the leftover line at the end of the event. Of course, I had no idea it would be the last time I would see her. 

I still can't believe Andrea is gone. She was a fixture at every Breyerfest, and I always checked her blog to see her thoughts on whatever was happening in the world of model horses. She was my anchor to all things model horses, and I can't imagine the world of Breyer without her in it. I started this blog at least partially because of her, because she posted about wanting some kind of Breyer news hub and with my journalism degree I thought I might be able to fulfill that need. I hate the thought of her not being around at Breyerfest anymore - she had attended all but the very first one, and it's so hard to face the reality that she won't be there this year. It'll be strange to walk down the halls of the 300s at the Clarion and not see her in her usual room. If I think about it too much it makes me start to tear up.  

I've been looking through my past Breyerfest and event photos to see if I had any photos of her, and the only decent one I have is this one, from the Breyerfest 2015 costume contest:

She's the one in green - her costume was The Little Prince. 

Goodbye, Andrea. I hope you're somewhere free from pain and at peace. Hug your loved ones, people, because you never know when they'll be gone forever.