Four Days in Texas

I.had.a.blast.in.Texas!!!
And since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'm going to share my story with you through photos. *grin*
This is Edie Moore and I. We have been blog friends for years. Edie picked me up at the airport in Dallas on Saturday (Poor woman, had no idea what she was in for!) and we were on our way to fun.

Saturday evening we went to Fort Worth. I knew I must be in Texas when I saw a cow on the roof.
Or was that a longhorn?
We Michigan girls have a hard time telling the difference, you know!

Seeing a cowboy riding his horse down the street made me feel even more sure I wasn't at home anymore.

And the flag on the buggy confirmed it for me. Longhorns, cowboys, buggies, and the flag. Yep. We're in Texas, kids!

Walking around Fort Worth, we found a goat pen full of, well, goats!
Edie bought a cup of feed, and we made fast friends. Especially with this guy.
He was kinda pushy!

Yes. This is the same goat.
Like I said. Pushy!

We wandered around a bit more and ran into this guy. And since we felt sorry for running into him, we thought it would be nice to kiss him and make up. *wink*

After saying goodbye to Ben the Longhorn, I saw this sign.
And I KNEW I was not in Michigan anymore!?
Have you ever heard of fried pickles before???

One more stop for a photo opp. (Edie was such a good sport!)
It had been so long since I'd been on one of those little horses. I just couldn't resist.

And then there was no question about it. You don't find a room full of cowboy-hat-wearing-men in Michigan!
This was in a restaurant called "Chuy's" in Fort Worth. Got my first taste of Tex-Mex food. It was yummy!

Edie and I met my friend, Jenni, for dinner Saturday night. Jenni used to live in Michigan and was my mentor/spiritual director for several years before she and her family moved to Texas.
It was sooooooo nice to see her again!

As we drove from place to place, Edie often mentioned these things called "turn-arounds" on the highway. We don't have any in Michigan, so she said she'd take me on one.
See how excited she is about them? *wink*

And there it is. A little stretch of road that allows you to get off the highway and turn around to go the other direction. Without having to deal with traffic lights.
I told Edie that in Michigan we use the little driveways which cross the median of the highway to make such turns. And to comply with the sign posted by said driveways which states, Authorized vehicles only, the driver of the automobile places his/her hand on the dashboard and proclaims, "I authorize this vehicle!"

We stopped at World Market to look around, and I came upon this mask. Now, if only we were having a Marti Gras party at Edgewood, I think I would have bought it!

Remember the sign about the fried pickles?
This is what they look like IRL.

I ended my time with Edie and began my time with Angela by having dinner at the Grande Lux Cafe in Dallas. And we ordered some fried pickles!

See? I even ate one.
I will never let my picture be taken again when I am biting into food.

Edie feels the same way.

And then there's Angela, who somehow manages to look cute and dainty while eating her fried pickle. *sheesh!*

We had so much fun at that restaurant, laughing and talking and being goofy. It was like being with forever friends.
Though we weren't sure the men at the table next to us were as amused with our fun as we were. *wink*

Monday, Angela and I ventured out to look around town - only to find that most of the shops were closed on Monday. We did find a few open stores - including this one which had yummy ice cream and a body-less mannequin.
Seriously, this girl had only a head and one arm. We felt sorry for her and decided to pose with her, so she wouldn't feel so lonely.

And this little ray of sunshine is Angela's daughter, Emma.
She became my buddy and absolutely delighted my heart.
Note that I am sharing popcorn with her. I don't share popcorn unless I love you!

Tuesday morning, Angela and I decided to take a nice long walk. We wanted to get some good exercise and were prepared to work hard. i.e. We expected to get sweaty and out of breath. Soooooo, neither one of us showered, and obviously had not done our hair or make-up before the walk. And when Angela found out I wanted her son to take our picture, she wasn't so sure about my bright idea. *ahem* I ran my fingers through my hair to obtain a crazier appearance and looked at her with hopeful eyes.
She agreed to the photo. *wink*

Many people thought I was a bit crazy to make this trip to Texas. Why would you get on a plane and fly across the country to spend four days with people you've never even met before???
Let me just say, "Many people" would miss out on a huge blessing if they weren't willing to be a bit crazy.
I had a wonderful time with Edie and Angela. The sights we saw and silly things we did were fun. But it was the times we just talked, the life experiences we shared, the opportunities to talk about God and His faithfulness which made this trip so great. I considered them my friends before I came to Texas, but now - having spent these days together in person - I have a deeper friendship connection with Edie and Angela. And my heart is delighted.

After our walk and a quick shower, it was time to head to the airport for my trip home. Emma rode along with us (Like I said, she became my buddy.) and we gathered for this picture before we said good-bye. For now. I hope we can do this again sometime!

Thank You, Father, for blessing me in this trip to Texas. Thank You for Edie and Angela. For Mike and Austin and Connor and Grayson and Emma. Thank You for working out our details and walking with us through our days. Thank You for caring about doing things to delight our hearts. And thank You, Father, for the hard times, too. Because You're good - even then.