Category: Is it just me?

9 things I do not want to give up in 2019

My good, good work friend and fellow Connecticut blogger,  Jamie Taylor (jamieeverafter dot com) inspired me to write this blog today when she recently posted about the things she was not willing to give up in the year 2019.   I “liked” her Instagram post because this kind of thinking is the polar opposite of what you expect to hear from anyone in the early days of a New Year.

At any rate, it got me thinking about my own will not give up list for 2019 so here  is that list (in no particular order):

 

Coffee

 I cannot leave the house without my coffee – nothing fancy, just a dark roast, completely black with natural sugar does the trick – I tried leaving the house without coffee once and it wasn’t pretty – I seriously thought I was coming down with something (smile).

 

 

Edge Strong workouts

I cannot imagine doing what I do for a living without the benefits of a good workout each weekday morning.  It is not only a stress reliever but it also keeps me physically fit:  Check out my blog post:    LJ: Stronger than before…

 

 

Social Media

Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter, Yelp, you name it – I’m on it and loving every minute of it.  Check out my blog post:    R U Social?

 

 

Pampering (hair/feet/nails)

It’s no secret that I have a weekly standing hair appointment at the salon every Saturday morning so getting my nails and/or feet done on a monthly basis is par for the course:  Check out my blog post:   Put your slippers on…

 

 

Wine

I make my living as a TV/Digital/Social Media Account Executive in a highly competitive, pressure-cooker work environment.  I do this all on 100 percent commission so a nice glass (or two) of red wine is more than welcome on the weekends – Check out my blog post:    10 things I cannot live without today

 

 

Movies

As I’ve posted about before in TVFL, Growing up Hollis my mother Jean would take her 7 children to the movies on Saturdays armed with candy and snacks: Check out my blog post:   Movie Buff   To this day watching movies on TV, Mobile tablets or even at the theater is a regular pastime.

 

Salad (with protein)

I absolutely loooooove salad any time of the year – not just the Summertime and I pile my salad with some or all of the following ingredients: romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, fresh veggies, mixed nuts, cheddar cheese, hard boiled eggs, sesame seeds, chick peas, grilled chicken, homemade croutons and low fat dressing.   The low fat dressing is a semi-joke considering what goes into building my salads.  Check out my blog post:   New Haven, CT Fall(ish) eats! 

 

 

Golf

I finally learned how to play Golf last Summer at Lyman Orchards Golf Center in Golf Fore Women 101 and I must say I’m truly looking forward to the Summer again so I can hit the links with my newfound lady golf friends!   Check out my blog post:  Ready Fore Golf

 

 

Beauty Sleep

Over the years I have alternatively read or heard that a good night’s sleep is overrated and you really don’t need that much rest for your body to function at its best.  I disagree.  When I get at least 7 hours of sleep at night I tend to be more mentally alert and better able to handle multiple tasks at hand the following day.   Check out my blog post:   What it means to be a woman of a certain age…  

 

 

So that’s my list for 2019, how does your list compare?

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

10 things I cannot live without today

Here are 10 things that I, as a middle-aged female adult, cannot imagine living without today…and these are not in any particular order…

 

First, I tend to feel better inside and out when I am eating clean and getting my proper rest.

 

Could not imagine not working out at the gym Monday through Friday – for my sanity, stress relief and for staying in tip top physical shape.

 

 

Going out to the movie theater or to a live theater performance or play while enjoying my favorite snack(s).

 

 

Love me some sushi (and sashimi) a minimum of one or two times a month!

 

 

 

Going away on vacation is a way to decompress as well as broaden my horizons.

 

 

Pampering myself – face, hair, nails, feet and body massage is a must!

 

 

A nice glass or two of wine after a long, hard day at work is more than welcome.

 

My life is infinitely much better when it is shared with that special someone…

 

 

Family and friends are two of the most treasured components to my small but meaningful world…

 

 

And lastly, where would I be today without a good Church home?  Faith is most certainly “the conviction of things not seen.”

 

 

Sincerely,

 

TVFL

 

Lucky 7

There’s something about the number 7 that is lucky for me.  Here are a few reasons why:

  • I am one of 7 children
  • My birthdate 2-14, with the single digits added together, equals 7
  • My actual birthday 14, divided by my birth month, 2 equals 7
  • My first name Lajeune has exactly 7 letters in it
  • The first letter of my first name L and all of the letters in my last name Hollis equal 7
  • And finally, the city I was born in Newport (RI) has 7 letters in it

Speaking of the number 7:  7 years ago, after experiencing excruciating stomach pains, I finally got a colonoscopy and was subseqently informed by my Gastrointestinal doctor that I had colon cancer – Check out my blog post:  A Place of Desert…(almost) 4 years cancer free.

At my pre-surgery consultation I told my soon-to-be Yale New Haven Healthcare surgeon, Dr. Schlessel, that I had already planned a trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina the following month (July) to spend some quality time with my niece, great niece and 3 great nephews from New Jersey.   I also told Dr. Schlessel I had already rented the condo, the mini -van and even bought additional car insurance…

Incidentally, while this was all happening, I was getting some serious opposition from different people in my life who collectively felt that I was crazy to take the trip.  They all pretty much said the same thing: ‘you have Cancer, what if something happens to you on that long road trip?!?’  I listened to everything these folks had to say and then asked my surgeon for his honest advice.  He said (and I’ll  never forget it)  “Go!  And when you return we head straight to surgery!”  Here is a what I remember of that fateful trip:

The mini van

You should not take a long road trip involving children without the use of a mini-van (smile).  I rented a Chrsyler Town Car Mini-Van for our 10 day vacation…I left New Haven, CT very early on a Friday morning in mid-July and approximately 2 1/2 hours later, picked up my niece, great niece and 3 great nephews from their home in New Jersey.

 

The Chrysler minivan was equipped with all of the amenities for the kiddos (smile)

 

After about 4 or 5 food/gas/bathroom-break stops along the way (each time resulting in a driving-duty swap with my niece Keedah) we made it (18 hours later!) to Hilton Head, South Carolina.  Miraculously my stomach did not bother me at all the entire time and my energy level felt pretty normal…

 

Hilton Head, South Carolina

My first thought was:  Hilton Head is lovely.  This was my first time here and I was so impressed with the look of the town as well as the good vibes I felt in the air.   The endless sunshine didn’t hurt either…But first things first, our ‘home away from home’ for the next 10 days:

 

The condo complex

We had a mini-nightmare when we arrived after 12 Midnight on Hilton Head Island. Our GPS took us to the wrong condominium complex!   Apparently there are a ton of condominium complexes in Hilton Head plus the roundabouts throw the GPS’s off.   Long story short, we almost  thought we would be sleeping in our mini van the first night as my key would not work to what we thought was our unit.  Thank God the realtor was up and returned my frantic call.  He quickly re-directed us to the right complex and we were happy, tired campers.   Whew, that was close (smile).

 

This is the condo complex which we called Home for the next 10 days – as it turns out, Hilton Head is chock full of condominium complexes hence the confusion at the very beginning of our trip

 

The grounds of our condo complex
The natural pond

 

The pool at the complex – thank God my sister Dana raised her children and grandchildren to be strong swimmers (smile)

 

We spent the first morning in town doing some heavy duty grocery shopping at at the Piggly Wiggly.  Incidentally, I never worked so hard in my life while on vacation,  I was the Driver, the Hostess, the Cook, the Waitress, the Bottle Washer and the Dirty Clothes Washer and Dryer (smile).

 

The kiddos at dinnertime – never a dull moment (smile)  Here they are fighting over who gets control of the remote tonight.
Here I am in my bedroom at the condo around 7pm where I would start losing energy and therefore get ready for bed…

 

The outdoor pool at the condo complex

It sure was nice to have a pool at the complex for those few occasions when we did not feel like packing up the car and heading to the beach…

 

Rambunctious Rasoul
Ready for the world Rashidah
Kuddle bug Kenyon

 

Coligny Beach Park

I was so impressed with the South Carolina beaches (they truly are beautiful).  However, one of the nearby beaches – Coligny Beach –  stood out!   The sun, the sand, the surf  was unbeatable!  And all of that Vitamin D was good for my illness…

 

Me contemplating life I suppose…
Me soaking up the South Carolina sun
Kenyon building a sand castle
Kenyon, Rasoul, Ahmad and Aunt Keedah
Kenyon, Rasoul and Ahmad
Rashidah, Rasoul, Kenyon and Aunt Keedah with Rasould

 

My niece Dimitrica drove down from North Carolina to spend 4 days with us – we all had a blast

 

Savannah, GA

We decided to spend Day 5  of our 10th vacation day in this beautiful, cultural city which was less than an hour away.

I had heard nothing but good things about Savannah and I liked what I had  watched on The Travel Channel.   So it was a no-brainer to take a Day-cation there, especially since we were so close to the border.

Keedah and I drove the mini-van and once we arrived, the first thing we did was head to the free ferry to explore the 4 corners of the city…but not before feeding the meter…

 

Parking is no joke! We lucked out and found a good space close to everything!

 

Our free ferry boat

 

Dimitrica checking out the shops
Rashidah, Ahmad, Kenyon and Rasoul
Ahmad playing as usual
The kiddos around the wishing well

 

Rasoul inhaling his ice cream
Ahmad playing it cool as per usual

 

After our ferry ride we did some sightseeing and explored some African American historical exhibits, ate lunch and then headed back to Hilton Head.

 

Back in Hilton Head, SC

We spent the remaining days of our vacation  ‘Beaching’ at Coligny or ‘Pooling’ at the condo complex.  We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner in most days and truly enjoyed the lovely weather.  I was starting to feel tired earlier in the day now so I was glad it was nearing time to head back.

And driving back was much easier as well because this time we left on a Saturday night (approximately 12Midnight to be exact) and drove straight through the night with only one or two stops – getting back in record time the following Sunday.

Can’t say I’ve driven so far since that time but it was most definitely an adventure to remember (smile).

And, as a bonus, I was not only tanned but refreshed.   And as my surgeon would have noted, ‘ready for surgery.’

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

LJ’s Style

LJ’s style…where did this conversation come from…oh, now I remember:  one of my gfs was talking to me about her 15 year old daughter and how she had so much style for her age.   Not just the style of her clothes but also how she wore each piece – well.  She made such an impression that she was constantly receiving praise from her teachers, family members, other girls her age, etc…It definitely got me thinking, Growing up Hollis I really didn’t have any style.  I was the baby girl of the Hollis family and one of 9.   My father Jonie B., my mother Jean, one older brother, one younger brother and 4 sisters.  And since I was the  “baby girl” of the family, my style was whatever clothes I could fit into that year that had been passed down to me (smile).

To this day, my style will forever be eclectic and sometimes even out of the ordinary.   I’m not complaining, merely stating a fact (double smile).

Here are some of the many styles that I possess today…

 

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner:

 

My Caffeinated Wake Up look

 

 

My Healthy Lunch Choices look

My fav Sushi Dinner look

 

Work:

 

My chit chat at the water cooler look

 

My Taking Care of Business look

 

My I’m Feeling Myself look

 

Church:

 

My 2 Blessed to be Stressed look

 

Gym:

 

My Daily Workout Gear look

Post Work Events:

 

My i Hope They Like This Arrangement look

My I Hope I Picked Out The Right Outfit For This Event look

 

Romantic Dates:

 

My Valentines Day Birthday look

 

My Dinner and a Movie Date look

 

Play Dates:

 

My jumping into the weekend look!
My Ski Date look

 

My pool party look

 

Vacations:

 

My On my way to vacay look

 

Bedtime:

My Hot Bubble Bath before bedtime look

 

And finally my thanks to God for blessing me with a good life, good family, good friends, good health, good work, good love in my life and a sunny, positive attitude.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

Fun Things to do in Connecticut – Part II

There are plenty of fun things to do in Connecticut, no matter what the season, hence why I’m sharing Part II…

 

Low Cost Indoor Event:

Attend the annual Northeast RV & Camping Show at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT

The RVs are sweet and much larger on the inside than they appear on the outside!  Also some of them have showers,  mood lighting, ambience – definitely a must see event!

 

 

Free Family Fun:

Go to the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New Haven, CT

In March of 2018, I had the pleasure of driving around News Anchor Jocelyn Maminta on the New Haven parade route.  I drove one of the News 8 vehicles – a Range Rover.  Jocelyn had recently sustained an injury and could not get around so i was her driver for the day.  What an incredible experience actually being in the largest parade in Connecticut!

 

What a great sight to see!
Happily driving in the parade
Jocelyn Maminta was born to be in a parade!

 

Loved hanging out in the Range Rover with Jocelyn Maminta, Mark Davis and Keith Kountz in the Greater New Haven 2018 St. Patrick’s Day Parade!

Good (One Price) Eating:

Check out a restaurant or two or three at the bi-annual (Spring and Fall) New Haven Restaurant Weeks – New Haven, CT.  There are so many good choices (all with Prix Fixe Lunch and Dinner prices.  We ate at one of my favs:  Pacifico where I had the salmon, a side dish, beet salad, a glass of Malbec and coconut ice cream for dessert- yum!

In past New Haven Restaurant Weeks in the Spring or Fall I have eaten at Harvest Wine Bar and Restaurant where I also had the salmon but this time with julienne carrots and beets, a side salad, a dessert and water with lemon.

 

Brew Baby:

Hang out at one of Connecticut’s most talked about new breweries:  Brewport – Bridgeport’s Connecticut’s Brewery and Restaurant where the only things on the menu to eat are specialty pizzas and gourmet salads…

Yummy Pizza
Me and my girls getting ready to grub!
Delish salad!

 

Connecticut’s Live Theater:

 

Here;s the Six Pack: The Bushnell, Waterbury Palace Theater, The Garde Arts Center, Shubert Theater, The Stamford Palace Theater and the Warner Theater

 

This season you can check out Cameron Mackintosh’s version of Phantom  – Waterbury Palace Theater – Waterbury, CT this season – it’s spectacular!

 

Or Beautiful  (Carole King’s story) at the legendary Shubert Theater, New Haven, CT – a must see!!

 

Or try on Crowns for size at the Long Wharf Theater, New Haven, CT.  It’s a gospel musical celebration which appeals to theater goers young and old alike.

 

Me and my girlfriend Mia at Crowns at Long Wharf Theater

 

That’s it for now.  So remember, there are plenty of fun things to do in Connecticut all year long and some are even low cost or free so enjoy!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL