Who's That Girl?

The author of this blog is Brandi Tanner Chambless.

  I suppose if I could have picked a favorite song that I identified with while living away from Louisiana, well, gosh there would have been so many. But, like all Lady A music, I just LOVE American Honey. I really DID have a quiet and slow upbringing on the prairie lands of home with tons of family in my life. And, while I wouldn't trade ONE SINGLE experience of all my travels, there wasn't ever a sunset that I didn't wonder of I'd ever come back home to Bayou Rouge.

When my Dad died in 2011, I finally did. I was able to honor him by coming home to handle what he left behind; one of the most cherished blessings being the fruit trees that he had planted with his own hands.

  So, in a nutshell, that's my story. I hope to get to know you. Please feel free to connect with me on Twitter @BrandiChambless. Shoot me a line from time to time just to say howdy!

  A native of Bunkie, LA. It was University of Louisiana Monroe that drew Brandi to North Louisiana in 1989, where she was an integral part of the ULM School of Music and Monroe Little Theatre.

  She is a former Miss ULM and still loves to participate in the arts, including anything from rock-n-roll to Rigoletto, but she felt it important to warn you that her guitar playing is adequate for campfire crowds only. She loves nature-based sports like kayaking and hiking, but will only consider open water swimming if she can see twenty feet below and there is absolutely no chance of gators or the water has been totally de-snaked.

  Brandi is a not only a Realtor with REMAX Premier Realty, but she is the author of a pop culture column called The Soapbox that will either make you laugh or make you cry depending on how you look at things. Though she was never voted Miss Congeniality, Brandi was selected as a candidate for the FBI's secret agent program in Memphis, TN.

  Not on purpose, Brandi has lived in every major city in the Southeastern United States, but still loves to steal a visit to her large Cajun family anytime she can.

  She met her husband Bob Chambless of West Monroe backstage during the musical Guys and Dolls. He's been her guy and she's been his doll ever since 1995. They have one son Eli who is an artist in his own right and will hopefully produce and direct enough films to provide for his parents in their old age.

 A former Miss Avoyelles Parish, Brandi often writes both touching and humorous stories about growing up in the Cajun Crossroads. She says her experiences there have provided enough writing material for a lifetime, including her Cajun heritage and the influence of the women in her life.

Note from the author: I hope you enjoy my writings. They just happened. Thanks for reading. BC

A Poem

‎"The mind that was your beauty Now is dark And the soul, the elevating spirit, Too, is gone. My mind returns to think upon a line; 'Will we meet again?' Neglected for so long. The question hurts. My mind pursing it. Approaches God in silence and alone. Looks up; and then it knows It must not ask; 'The answer, child, will come When you have grown.'" - James H. Ware, Jr., 1922-2012. God rest your soul, Mr. Jim! Submitted by Jason Stern

A Stride In Rhythm To The Beat of Home Sweet Home

Dear Reader, in order to understand this story, let me introduce you to the characters. Mind you, I have studied them all of my life and I still do not fully understand them. Along with their real life identities, I’ve listed a description of their personalities along with their Native American names.


Mom – The Queen of Precaution, “Clan Mother Just In Case”
Granny – A Little Blue-Haired Spitfire, “Mema Real Boss”
Nannie Tanner – My fairy godmother, equally handy with a needle, a hacksaw, or paintbrush, “Shoots Like A Girl”
Ms. Geraldine – Spiritual woman of the The Owls Nest Ranch, “Works Like A Man”
Bernardo – The Cowboy, “Rides Like The Wind”
Andrea – The Cowboy’s Wife, “Stands With An Enchilada”
Pedro – The Cowboy’s Son, “Duh, I Speak English”
Mrs. Shirley – Hairdresser #1, “Coffin-Hairdo Guarantee”
Mrs. Lily – Hairdresser #2, “What, You Think I Work For The Gossip Alone?”

Still brave enough to read this story?? If so, CLICK HERE.

Follow Me On Pinterest

Look for The Soapbox on Pinterest to read my world changing observations on motherhood, the workplace, or, perhaps updates on the entertainment industry or wild animals.

The Secret Freckle Society

So...what do Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Angelina Jolie's Right Leg have in common....If you think this column answers that or anything else of importance you may be seriously misguided.

Intrigued? Click HERE.

Still Hooked on Ramin Karimloo

Let's just go ahead and bookmark this one. Ramin plays Phantom in the Lloyd Weber musical Phantom of the Opera, but also, reprised his role in Love Never Dies, the sequel. C'est parfait.

Love Never Dies

Sierra Boggess performs Love Never Dies from the ALW musical sequel to Phantom. My message of the day for Valentine's enthusiasts everywhere.

Prologue:

Ten years after the events at the Paris Opera, The Phantom, the creator and owner of Phantasma (Coney Island) is tortured by the absence of Christine and longs to hear her again ("Til I Hear You Sing"). He sends her an invite to Coney Island to make her American Debut. She accepts without knowing the sender and comes with her husband Raoul (Vicount de Chagny) and her son (Gustave).

If I could be anywhere in the world tonight....it would be somewhere like this. Hearing music like this.

Nothing says Valentine's day like red wine and roses, dark chocolates, the smell of garlic cooking in butter, and fine music. A moonlit lake is lagniappe.

After receiving his text, I called Dad last Valentine's Day. He said, "I love you Baby Doll," as I drove in Dallas traffic on 35 W. We hung up the phone and I never heard his voice again. I still have his final text to me and Ava Tanner Hebert- "Happy Valentine's Day!"

I am blessed in my life to have been so loved and to so love.