God Mend Thine Every Flaw

This post is dedicated to my young friend John Oliver Shearer who went home to be with the Lord in July 2005 after we worked on God and Country day together and to Katie Cook now serving in the US military who entered full-time service after losing the love of her life, Adam, to the war. A West Point graduate and "everybody's all-American" guy, he was buried with her picture in his pocket.

This won't be a long post, but I was moved to tears as I was in God's house this weekend and sang, through breathless whispers that took everything in me to make a sound - "God mend thine every flaw" in the song America The Beautiful.

Our America at war, it was then that I remembered...His truth IS marching on.

The patriotic music stirred my soul like coffee with an old friend as we reminisced about time past. I looked out over the crowd during the Salute to the Armed Forces and honored the greatest generation that ever lived.

I Love America!

God and Country Day

Bravo, Brandi...Another Bikini Story

Check out these funny pics here
Several years ago as my friend Wendy and I walked 4 miles daily around the LSU Campus, we agreed that "this was going to be the summer of Wendy and Brandi". We were going to get in the best shape of our lives, just to get into those dreaded swimsuits.

Swimsuits have always been a source of grief in spite of my "naturally athletic build and svelte figure"! But this year I figured, it's now or never for my bikini-wearing days, back yard or not. Bottom line: If I'm too cheap to pay for water in a bottle, do you honestly think I would go for a tan in a bottle; futhermore, why do I even care?

I do like one friend's philosophy on the summer grief of swimsuits..."If you think you're fat,take lots of pictures now and look at them in ten years. It will change your perspective." Also, I had a personal trainer once who told me once that "Brown fat is always more attractive than white fat, you need to tan!" Truthfully, the summer tan has never been an action item of mine. I've only been in a tanning bed once and hated it. I'm not only cheap, I'm impatient.

Anyway - this year I decided to get a bikini to take advantage of some free tanning from God. I've found a great Olympic Sized outdoor pool where I can swim for exercise. One problem: I have to get from the chair to the pool somehow.

So what do I do? I wrap a towel around me until the very last second.

First time in: I sit down at the pool's edge as I cling to my towel like Linus and his blanket, then announce to everyone not to look (people I didn't know), as I quickly jumped in while still talking. Only the depth was 6 feet, not the 4 feet I anticipated. I swallowed nearly a gallon of water, nearly drowned, and prayed before I surfaced that I would not need CPR--or if I did that someone would cover my belly button.

So just call me Grace once again. If things keep going at this rate, I'll have as many bikini stories as I do dog stories.

For more summer stories, read Sometimes It's Hard to Be a Woman and Hot Child In the City.

The New Look For Fingernails: A Must Read For Every Woman

For an enjoyable Mom's blog, check out Kecia's Journey.

In spite of my love of fashion coupled with the Southern style that is apparent to all who know me, I want the world to know that I'm generally a pretty low maintenance chick. Though I would never leave home without a little makeup here and there, I have no problem whatsoever going to a business meeting with my natural nails exposed. "HAD no problem," I should say....that is until I received an unsolicited call from Bobbie Mitchell's nail tech saying that I may need some help.

Honestly, filing and polish remain optional, so I can't declare myself completely reformed. But I'll never go into another business appointment without at least thinking of my nails. Even though I think there's alot of "can't take the country out of the girl" in me, I do have one huge pet peeve when it comes to my own fingernails - the old polish job look, cracked, peeling and fading.

That's why this morning, touching up my nails was a MUST before going off to a meeting. Only one problem...(or so I thought). I forgot all about it until the car was fully loaded with workshop supplies, summer camp supplies, sunscreen, backpacks, laptops, and my son.

There was no choice. I had to go back inside to grab the polish. I could neither leave nor unpack the fully-kid-loaded and prepared car for more than 10 seconds. So my decision was clear. Just sit down in the driveway and touch up the nails. Sure, it might look silly to any passing neighbors, but how long could it possibly take?

So with the engine running and my starched white shirt restraining my sweat from dropping to the ground, I sit on the concrete, my son patienly waiting with the same rolled eyes he gets when the words "chick flick" roll of my tongue. I'm so proud. Though I know I'm risking my life if a snake is looking for a snack like me, I finish the job promptly and near precisely.

Sunlight can be a funny thing though, because when I stood up and got my bearings again, I realized that the pink I was using was not the original pink so now I had repaired on old polish job with the wrong color. The end product: Hot Pink cuticles and light pink tips.

It's too late to go back now. Besides my nails are all wet.

I think of every explanation in the book and decided that I'm starting a new trend. It's called "The messy look for fingernails" in spite of my natural nail-loving DNA. If you think of a better name for this new look, please let me know.

To read more stories about fingernail etiquette in the South, click here for Proverbs of the Southern Woman, , also The Simple Life, and Every Dog Has It's Day.