Collecting the odd & quirky: Thelma & Louise

     I bought this little beauty a few years ago and she reminds me of a wild and crazy day I had with my friend Erika in Orlando, Florida.

    I was in Orlando attending a Children's Pastor's Conference with a group of gals from my church whom I served with in Children's ministry. On the last day of the conference Erika and I decided to play hookie and go antiquing. We rented a car and played "beat the clock" in an attempt to hit as many antique shops as possible before our mid-afternoon flight back home.
     It was a wonderful plan and a glorious day; the weather was bright and beautiful and we were two gals on a mission. We had plenty of cash between us, a vehicle that wasn't a minivan, and a lunch that didn't include a cheap plastic toy. We were dangerous.
   We were Thelma and Louise, only we didn't break any laws - we kept to the speed limit, each and every U-turn was legal, and the car's four tires remained on the road at all times (except for that little mishap on the curb).
   Unfortunately this shopping excursion took place in the pre-GPS days and neither one of us had great map-reading skills, but who needed map skills when you're two women on an adventure without men? We just kept asking for directions every few blocks or so until we hit an antique store and then we'd ask the clerk for directions to the next one on our way out. It was like a crazy scavenger hunt all over town - and it was fun!
   We laughed our way through Orlando for about five hours until we had to call it quits and ask for directions one final time and make haste to the airport. We arrived just in time and raced to meet our friends who were waiting at the gate for us; my beloved lady lamp tucked beneath my arm.
   As we approached our friends they stood staring wide-eyed at my lady lamp. Surprisingly, their fixed gaze was not in adornment but of shock, (Remember the 1983 movie, "A Christmas Story" when Ralphie's dad put his leg lamp in the front window? Well these gals had the same look as Ralphie's mom). When I asked the question, "Isn't she a great?" and they realized that I actually meant it, their mouths dropped to the floor in perfect synchronization.
    Oh well, it didn't matter, I loved my purchase and still love her to this day. In fact, my husband and children presented me with her twin as a Mother's day gift three years ago, (and sent me on a scavenger hunt to find her). Do you know what I call my lovely twin lamp ladies? You guessed it: "Thelma & Louise!" (thanks for the memories Erika!)