Category: I know I’m not the only one who feels this way…

My top 10 fave blog posts!

Over the past 2 years I have published almost 50 blog posts on The View from Lajeune so I think this is a good time to highlight my top 10 faves.  So here they are:

 

The View (from Lajeune)  Check out this blog post: The View (from Lajeune)    I chose this blog post because the  entire day was truly magical from beginning to end!

 

 

A Place of Desert  Check out this blog postL  A Place of Desert…(almost) 4 years cancer free  This blog post will always hold a special place in my heart as I truly learned what it is like to survive colon cancer…

 

 

My Very First Bug  Check out this blog post:   My Very First Bug…  This post took me back to a time when I was asserting my independence but too hard-headed to see that the route I chose actually costs me in more ways than one (smile).

 

 

Clams on the half shell… Check out this blog post:   Clams on the half shell…and roller-skates!   This blog post speaks to me as it happens during the 70’s, one of my most favorite decades!

 

 

Like Moths to the Flame  Check out this blog post:   Like moths to the flame…   This blog post is special to me because it brought me back 31 years to when I first started my career in broadcast media…

 

 

CT “Summatime” Eats  Check out this blog post:   Connecticut “Summatime” Eats!    This blog posts was real popular with TVFL readers who, like me, love Connecticut in the Summertime and the delicious variety of food choices!

 

Divas in the Desert  Check out this blog post:  Divas in the desert!  My good friend and former co-worker Tony Marinaro, who is a faithful TVFL reader, chose the title to this blog post and I will forever be grateful to him for it 🙂

 

 

My Clean Living Life (Parts I, II and III)  Check out all 3 of these blog posts:   My clean living life…   My Clean Living Life – Part II;   My Clean Living Life, Part III    I imagine that these blog posts are popular with my TVFL readers because they know the struggle to live “clean” is real…

 

 

Cave Girl:   Check out this blog post:Cave Girl    I thoroughly enjoyed doing the research on this blog post and tremendously benefited from my ‘R & R’ day.  I was not allowed to take pictures of us inside the actual cave so what I showed will have to suffice.

 

 

Taking Fun Seriously  Check out my blog post:  Taking fun seriously…my very first golf lesson   I had fun writing and doing the research for this blog post and still hope to one day have that golf date with my Dad…

 

 

Thank you for reading my blog posts from The View from Lajeune.  I have plenty more stories to share…

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

Movie Buff

From as far back as I can remember, I have always loved going to the cinema to see a movie.  Coming from a large family of 9 (two parents and 7 kids) my mother Jean, who was the original Hollis movie buff,  would, on a rainy day, load all 7 of us Hollis kids in our two-toned station wagon and drop us off to the movie house to see the Saturday matinée.  And we were never without our snacks.   My mother was the ultimate planner so on one of her many trips to the supermarket, she would buy large bags of candy and miniature chocolate bars and then proceed to put them in smaller Glad bags with twists so she could save $$ at the movie concession stand.  To this day I cannot watch a movie at the theater  or at home without having something to snack on (smile).

 

I saw 3 really good movies last week while during my Staycation in Connecticut. All 3 of these movies had just opened at the theaters in 2016.   However, these movies were all from Red Box so we watched them right from the comfort of our living room.  Things are real different today then they were back in the day…Brand new movies don’t stay in the theaters long so you don’t have to wait before plunking down a mere $1.59 to rent them from Red Box.   Or another option is to pay $4.99 or more and watch them On Demand from your local Cable TV service.   Unless it is truly something that has to be viewed on a super large screen for the visual and audio effects, I am okay with watching it on our own big HD TV screen at home with the volume turned up real high (smile).

 

Incidentally  the 3 movies we rented from Red Box couldn’t have been more different from each other in genre and/or story line.

 

The first one  was a comedy called  Central Intelligence starring The Rock and Kevin Hart.  I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who has not seen it, but I was really surprised at the serious undertone it took with the whole Bullying aspect that is so prevalent in today’s society.

 

The second was a drama called Legend of Tarzan starring Alexander Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson.  I have to admit that the idea of seeing another Tarzan movie made me queasy (my childhood memories of Tarzan movies were not pleasant to say the least)  but my S.O. James assured me that this one was done well…he was right and I was pleasantly surprised…Enough said (smile).

 

And the third was a foreign flick and drama (my personal fave) called The Lobster which my S.O. James handpicked for me.  It stars Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz.  Can’t say enough about this movie except you should absolutely see it as it will open your eyes WIDE to a whole ‘nother world…and make you feel grateful for your own (smile).

 

 

Those are my movie picks ~  Apprecier le films!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

 

My Clean Living Life, Part III

This has got to be one, if not the, hardest times of the year for a striving-to-be-clean girl like me (smile).

 

It doesn’t help that I live in New England where its bitter cold outside  at 5am in the morning when I wake up to go to the gym.

 

 

And, to add insult to injury, good and un-healthy food greets me everywhere I turn, making it harder and harder for me to make  the right food choices…Between office day and night parties, get-togethers with friends, family gatherings, pre-holiday dinners, after-work happy hours and the like, I almost feel like throwing in the towel and biting into that lovely red velvet cupcake!

 

 

And eating clean?!?   What a joke?!?   Not with all of these yummy, unhealthy but delicious snacks surrounding me…

 

 

But then this tiny little nagging voice of reason shakes me, wakes me up and tells me to maintain control because if I keep giving in to food temptation, it’s going to be that much harder come January 2nd…

 

So…I take a deep breath and remind myself of the little things that I have done in the past to counteract the decadence.   Here are just a few tips that I have used successfully:

 

  • Drink lots of water (not only is it filling but it also cleans out toxins)
  • Eat slowly and take small bites
  • At parties, eat out of tiny dinner plates 
  • Try not do two things at once (like eat and talk on the phone) as you will lose track of your portions
  • And finally, drink one large (10 ounces or more) glass of ice water for every alcoholic drink consumed

 

The holidays are truly a whirlwind of fun, good food, good drinks and activity but if you try to keep track of what you eat and drink daily and not give in to every temptation out there you can get through them with minimal damage and celebrate the post New Year in style!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL