25 Random Things

ByJean Claire Monroe

Happy Monday, friends! I have a BUSY week ahead of me because it’s concert time again. I love singing in the two community choirs (and church choir), but the abundance of rehearsals is a little too much. I haven’t quite learned the word “NO” yet…

Today’s post is just a little randomness. I was scrolling through old Facebook posts and stumbled upon a “25 Things about Me” tell all. It was one of those where if you’re tagged you have to complete it and then tag 25 others. It’s funny how some of the stuff I originally wrote is no longer “me”. I thought I’d post it today for a fun little recap.

*Today’s thoughts will be in italics.

1. I love my dog. If you know me, you probably know Chandler Grace just as well. She has been with me through everything: high school, college, getting married, etc. She is my best friend. 




Insert me sobbing here. Chandler was and will always be my best friend. She passed away last year out of the blue. Ruptured spleen. I loved that dog so much! She also saw me through my divorce and mom moving into a nursing home since this post was originally written. It’s funny how your pet just knows what you need when you need it. 


2. I love birds: bluebirds, cardinals, finches, Kestrels, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, all birds! I had North American bird flash cards when I was a little girl. While other kids were learning addition and subtraction, I was learning migratory bird patterns and nesting box preferences. Go ahead. Quiz me. I still know it.

Yep, still do.



I painted this when I was 4. Can you see my little mistake and why Dad framed this and kept it in his office over 20 years?…

3. I wish I could play the bagpipes. I took lessons in high school and never got the hang of it. I am soooo jealous of bagpipe players. It takes lots of talent.

It will also cost you your teeth! I had to have a crown put in place of the tooth that bit the pipe chanter on the upper left side of my mouth. Apparently I bit and ground my tooth so much on the chanter that the tooth eventually started cracking. Not fun.

4. My life-long dream is to be an astronaut. It’s all I talked about growing up. I still wish I could. I attended Space Camp four times and even sat in Mission Control – I cried. It was so emotional for me. I have shaken hands with Al Shepherd and John Glenn. I have every lapel pin from the Gemini missions and every mission patch from the Apollo missions. One of my heroes is Jim Lovell (And not just because of Apollo 13! Hello! Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8…Amazing man. He has more space flight hours than any other.)


Can someone just pay to go to space? I would save, sell and borrow everything to be able to go into space and see the moon up close. I recently purchased The Astronaut Wives Club about the Mercury 7 astronauts and can’t wait to read it!

5. I have been run over by a car. Literally. 

Scars are still visible. This year is the 10th anniversary.

6. My favorite movie is The Little Mermaid. I always wanted to be like Ariel. I cried every time she had to leave her daddy in the end. I knew it was going to be the same way for me when I got married. (And boy did I cry…)

I obviously cried for good reason since that marriage is long over. And my Daddy is still my rock!



7. I would give anything, and I mean anything, to have my grandparents back. Losing the four of them was probably the toughest thing I have ever been through.



Enough said.

8. Have I mentioned Chandler Grace?


And now I have my Peanut James!



9. When I was younger, I always participated in a program called “Hymns in My Heart”. I had to memorize and sing every word to every verse of a list of hymns. Then I had to perform the ones the judges selected from the list. To this day, I can still sing every word to every verse to just about any hymn you can name. The hymns really are in my heart.

I also won a personalized engraved hymnal when I finished this program that I use to this day.


10. I adore music. I play the piano and French horn as well as sing. I may not be the best in the world by any means, but I love it. I started taking piano lessons when I was seven all the way through three years of college. I majored in music education for three and a half years before changing my major. It finally sunk in that I really didn’t want to teach. I just wanted to perform. Anyway, I adore music.


Still do. Still performing!



11. If I could be a flower, I would be a Sunflower. They stand so tall and so strong. They are always bright and open. My dad and I always joked that my Indian name was “Sunflower”. Yes, I would be a Sunflower.

I guess…?

12. I love to read. My favorite authors are Catherine Marshall, Nicholas Sparks, Beth Moore, and James Patterson. I have books scattered everywhere in my house. I love to read.

See my post on books here

13. If I could change one thing about myself it would be my negativity. I am always so certain that nothing good will come out of anything I try. It seems like nothing will ever go the way I want it so why get your hopes up? 


Still working on this one…

14. I used to want to be a Power Ranger. I thought they were so cool. 

I actually admitted to this on Facebook? Yeah, I still think the ORIGINAL series was cool.



15. Karen Carpenter is the best female vocalist ever. Her voice pierces straight through you. If you don’t know the Carpenters, check them out. 


Yep! See my post on music here.

16. My best childhood memories were coming up with new and crazy ideas to torture my little brother. That boy has been through some times let me tell you. He would kill me if I wrote some of the stuff on here, but trust me. He got it bad. 

I still jump out and scare him if he doesn’t know I’m in his house. And it still makes him mad.

17. I miss high school show choir. It was so much fun. Dancing, singing, singing while dancing. All in the most sequin-covered, rhinestone-embossed, frilly dresses and high heels. I can still remember the smell of all the hairspray as we girls tried to accomplish “the poof”. 

Memories…

18. I think living in a cottage under a lighthouse would be awesome. To see the waves and sand every day, to guide boats in a storm – too neat.

Ironic that I work at The Lighthouse now. Even though it’s not an actual Lighthouse.


19. I own the entire Nancy Drew book series. I even have some of the original editions. They look like they will fall apart any moment. The picture on the front of one is almost gone. I love a good mystery book.

Yep! Nancy Drew got her own mention in that post on books.



20. One of my goals is to prevent aging at all costs. I’m not talking plastic surgery. I started using anti-wrinkle, anti-aging, skin tightening you name it right out of high school. I figure if I start early enough, maybe I can hold it off as long as possible. Getting older scares me. My husband gets aggravated with all the facial products I have scattered over the bathroom counter. Maybe he’ll appreciate it one day…!

Said husband is gone, but still no wrinkles!
See post on skincare here.


21. My dream home would be on a Plantation. Lots of land, animals to care for, a garden to tend and flowers everywhere. Maybe somewhere near the mountains, too. (Preferably with four seasons. Good ole south Mississippi humidity.)

Not anymore. I would now choose a rustic, but modern home overlooking the mountains. 

22. I want to go on an African safari.

Still on the ole’ bucket list.


23. I love (what I can remember) the 80s. Neon was hot, big hair was awesome, and the makeup-yeah, I wouldn’t go that far. But the music is timeless!

Oh, yeah!

24. I like crafts. I really enjoy scrapbooking and lately I’ve gotten into pottery. I just wish I could draw/sketch/paint. Those aren’t my forte.

*See picture of 4 legged birds above… 🙂
Still no Martha Stewart no matter how much I try. I’ve since taken art classes and that turned out to be a waste. The most creative I’ve gotten is how to organize apply winged eyeliner!

25. I am OBSESSED with Christmas. I start listening to Christmas music in September to get into the spirit. I love decorating the tree, the house, you name it. I adore twinkle lights and garlands. I can play Christmas carols on the piano by memory. I know every word to every carol and can quote “Twas the Night Before Christmas” word for word. I love cooking for the holidays and can wrap presents all day long. I adore Christmas!

It’s an obsession for life apparently!


Have you ever looked back on journal entries or Facebook and seen how much you’ve grown or changed? I’d love to hear some of your stories!


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