My Wings Have Been Clipped

"Into each life some rain must fall...

(followed by large hail and damaging winds.)"

That last part is not really me, 

but it is raining pretty good!

I have severe osteoarthritis in my right knee, to the

 extent that I need a total replacement.

It was rather difficult, to put it mildly, for me to be

convinced that this was really the case.

Since the first of the year I have been to 

Las Vegas 3 times.

The first time I bussed to the west rim 

of the Grand Canyon.

And I walked 13,000 steps one day to ride the big ferris

wheel, The High Roller.

The second time I took a much longer trip in a van to

the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

This nearly killed me.

The third time I went with two girlfriends--one 

who had never been before, and one who had not been 

in about 28 years--and walked 10,000 steps one day.

(By this time what I was doing was not really walking

but rather limping or "cripping" as I called it!)

Actually, I was riding in a wheelchair through the

Las Vegas airport on my 3rd return home!

Between the second and third trips I spent a week

 on the largest cruise ship in the world,

 the Harmony of the Seas.

Trips #1, 2, 3, and 4 were completely nuts!

I call myself the eternal optimist. "Oh, I can make it!"

"I don't want to be a hypochondriac!"

Now I have to carefully plan my parking when I go

to Waco!

And...I am not getting to go to Ogunquit, Maine, to

see my Madeline in From Here to Eternity.

On second thought, THIS is the large hail and

damaging wind.

I am completely crushed.

Also heart breaking to me is the fact that I can't

handle singing in the choir any more. 

Even if I can crip in to the loft,

the range of motion in my bad knee is so limited that

I can't straighten that leg, so after minutes I

begin to feel unsteady and can't continue standing.

I mustn't go any longer without acknowledging

that I fully realize my problem is fixable.

Some of you have situations which are not.

I am blessed way beyond what I deserve, and I

do not know why.

Since I irresponsibly tortured myself through these 

trips, I wish to "share" (probably "bore") you

with some photographic proof!

 Foolhardy Trip #1

This is the location of the glass floor over the

Grand Canyon, which was on my bucket list.

This eagle formation in the canyon was beautiful.

And the man made attraction-The High Roller

and me riding

(I'm hiding my pain!)

Double Foolhardy Trip #2

South Rim--added to my bucket list after the West Rim

At Mather Point

Really Questionable Trip #3

Jay and Terri took this picture from the live web cam

 of me actually departing from Ft. Lauderdale

In Labadee, Haiti

How big was the ship?

16 decks of mile long corridors!

I got to tour the bridge, limping all the way!

(There was absolutely no one driving the ship!)

Fun Through The Pain Trip #4

Las Vegas Girls' Getaway

With Adelene Howell

and Joyce Brockenbush 

We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower!

We saw white tigers at:

We had a wonderful dinner at Bellagio before

seeing "O" 

(Someone seems to have taken a bite of my fish 

before I took this pic!)

And here I am in my room icing my poor tortured knee

between events!

Only consolation?

Adelene was in about as bad shape as I was.

This is how we looked the majority of the trip.

I've had some angels appear along the way during

this summer of painful travel.

I'm saving those stories for another day.

(I know--you're glad!)

Are You Ready to Guess?

I'm finally ready to present my bargains from

this years brown bag sale at the wonderful 

Gene Allen Gifts!

The sale was actually September 7th, so I got

excited all over again when I spread out my loot today!

I was able to make two of the Gene Allen stores

this year--Little Road and Randol Mill.

The brown bags were $20--

that's for all the final sale items you can "place" in one.

("pack," "cram," or "stuff" might be better words!)
I purchased 4 bags full!


**REMEMBER**
Click on the pictures to enlarge!


Except as noted, these items will go to the
Mission Arlington Christmas store.
The grown up things are for moms when the 
children get to shop for them.

So, here we go! All my loot in two pictures.

I'll start by giving you a few details about this chairfull!

The TCU bag is actually Vera Bradley!
(Know someone who would love to have this?)

The hanging item is a darling pair of houseshoes.

The little yellow bag says "Itty Bittys."

Now moving to items in the top picture.

There are 12 of these fabulous books.

They pop up and light up!
Honestly, to me these books were easily worth 
the total amount I spent.

These are some baby items which will go to the

Metroplex Pregnancy Center.

Here is the jewelry I got.

There are 29 "lokai" bracelets, (which "help you find

your balance," so you may find me wearing a couple,)

8 necklaces, and the other things you can see.

Here are some miscellaneous items.

Those are leather coasters wrapped in cellophane

sitting inside one of the three candle holders.

 There are 4 leather coasters wrapped in cellophane

sitting on top of one of the three candle holders.

I only got 3 shirts this year.

My menagerie.

You will also see in the very first picture 4 stacks
 of personalized styrofoam cups which are going to be
 very popular with a member of my family!


Okay!!!
Are you getting your guessing britches on?
How much in total value did I get for my $80?
The one who guesses closest to the original retail
prices of all these items, including tax,
will win a $50 gift certificate to
Gene Allen Gifts!


I will announce the winner on Monday evening,
October 2nd, so that everyone will have 
time to enter.
Just give me your best guess on Facebook!

Lest I Forget My Best Birthday Ever

My 80th birthday was an event I want to remember

and relive forever.

It was by far the best of my Exclamation Point Life!!!

So...I am memorializing it here mostly for me.

On July 13th, my actual birthday, I got up to find this

in my front yard!!!
It was soooo exciting!

A first for me for sure!
I was also delivered a big Starbucks and a
selection of my fav donuts by Susan.

I then picked cousin Sarah up at the airport
(who also brought me donuts!) 

 and had a fabulous lunch at the Sanford House
attired like this:

Please look closely 

(or click on the picture to make it bigger!)

so you can see my glittery crown,

compliments of my glittery actress daughter!
It actually has an "80" dangling in the center!

Really my celebration began the day before

when I wore my tiara to the nail shop!

You really gotta zoom in on this one!

I'll bet I was the only 80 year old in this world of 

millions and billions of people getting a pedi 

in a rhinestone tiara.

The next event in my celebration was seeing

Always, Patsy Cline

with the whole extended family (or most of us.)

In the program Susan had beautifully dedicated

her performance to me and my 80th birthday.

A first for me and touching beyond words.

But then...she introduced me from the stage after

the show and presented me with a dozen pink roses!

This event was taking place on Rob's mother's,

Shirley Metzger Branham's, actual birthday,

so she was presented with a dozen roses also!

It was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of evening!

Here I am, still in my special attire, with my girl.

"Oh, what a night!!!"

And then...The Main Event!

A birthday party extraordinaire!!!

The location: Metzger Party Central

The hosts and hostesses: Susan and Rob

Terri and Jay

For some reason, they chose a travel theme for my
celebration! 

My fabulous cake!

My precious family.

How do I tell you about

 THE MOST SPECIAL OF ALL SPECIAL THINGS?

Playing in a loop on two televisions was a video

of my life compiled by my beyond amazing

daughter-in-love, Terri!

Set to the most amazing music ever!

(She was also responsible for those darling

water bottles and the personalized! M & M's!)

You can see my video by clicking here:

Linda's Exclamation Point Life!!!
(be sure to have your speakers on!)

We had a sing-a-long 
(with lovely word booklets thanks to John Deaso)
and then were entertained by the Von Metzgers.
At my request Susan sang 
Before the Parade Passes By.
Terri also included that favorite on the music
for my video!
Then Madeline and Susannah sang a very appropriate
rendition of Sisters.
And Susan and Rob, also appropriately, sang
Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better!
However, I think this may be the last time Rob does
 this one with Susan if the verses
"any note you can sing I can sing higher" and
"any note you can hold I can hold longer"
are included!
We were blessed to have Debbie Jasper playing
the piano for all of this.
Then Susan did a little Patsy Cline a capella.


When one overuses superlatives daily and
openly owns up to the overuse of !!!!!s,
one has a difficult time describing the best
celebration of one's life.
But this was it.
Plain and simple.


****************

Credit for the phabulous photos:
Tammy Ferguson
(Who doesn't usually work on Sunday
but did so for me)

A Heart of Gratitude for Charleigh-Girl

I'm having to face life without my C-G.

My questioning about why she was taken too soon

has changed to gratitude for the 12 years

she was with us, then just me.

You see, I know the timing of losing her could likely 

never have been "just right."

But the timing of her coming into our lives

definitely was.

One day when Susannah  was 9 years old she talked

Susan into stopping at Petland to look at the dogs.

She found a little long legged Sheltie and

immediately decided she was perfect for 

Mimi and Gaga.

(Nevermind that Mimi and Gaga had been

married 48 years and had NEVER

allowed a dog to set foot in their home!)

That was in 2005. Jack was at the halfway point

in his battle with Alzheimer's.

I waited a week before I succumbed to going

to look at the puppy I was not going to get.

She rode home in Jack's lap.

As surprised as we all were, she was his dog

from that moment on.

Here we are surprising Madeline and Susannah

with the new member of our family.

From the beginning Jack carried Charleigh-Girl
everywhere.
He took her to the office--in his arms.
He carried her into the vet's office--in his arms.
The receptionist there finally asked us if there
was a problem with her legs.

Charleigh was also his only hobby.
He took her outside constantly.
While he could still drive he drove her to his office
and let her to bark up the place!
(Which he would NOT have allowed anyone else to do.)
She was with him the day he got lost.
Our whole family was surprised (to put it mildly)
at his love for this little dog.

Through the years I have posted so many pictures
of Charleigh-Girl.
But not this one that I found!
Here is the family massage therapist, Susannah,
apparently being assisted by Charleigh-Girl!
Just couldn't resist including it.
 What a sweet memory.

The hardest thing I've ever had to do was to
take Jack to Silverado and drive away without him.
Having this little dog at home helped me so much.
I know my family was so thankful we had decided 
to get her when we did.
With all my heart I feel God sent her to us/me.


The second hardest thing I've ever had to do was to
rescue Charleigh from her desperate situation.
One can say, as I did, that having her peacefully
go to sleep is the "last good thing I can do for her,"
and it is; but it is AWFUL.
I kept saying I "would never get over it."
Terri told me that I wouldn't, but that
I would get through it.


Tomorrow will be three weeks.
I know that's not very long.
My cousin Sarah was here for 6 nights of that,
so I had some distraction.
Now I have tears again, missing her terribly.


What an example Charleigh was of 
unconditional love.
So happy to see me every time I walked in.
I never got a picture, cause she was so short,
but she smiled at us--a lot!
And she was SO BEAUTIFUL, wasn't she?

She is, very appropriately I think,
buried in her back yard.
I will certainly never forget this first animal I
ever loved.

*********************

An Epilogue:

Susan Stovall Metzger A couple of special clarifications, I actually found C-G at pet land one afternoon by myself, and took susie back to see her, why? Because her name was originally Bonnie and that was the name of mother's dog growing up! I knew from the instant I laid eyes on her that she needed to be a part of Mom and dad's life...I just used susie baby to seal the deal! I'm not bragging on myself, it's just another sign that C-G was sent from God as a comfort and a joy for Mom and Dad. She lived her life as a faithful, loyal friend, and she had a pretty posh life too!!

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 · July 22 at 9:06am

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Linda Lynn Stovall Oh my! I really did not know this and have told the story exactly as I wrote it for all these years. But you were very smart, Susan. Susie Baby was a certain seal for this match made in heaven.

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 · Reply · July 22 at 9:13a