My adventurous self – Page 3 – The View from Lajeune

Ready Fore Golf

So glad I finally got off my duff last summer and signed up for golf lessons for women (smile).

Here’s what happened: I was leafing through the Hamden/North Haven Adult Ed catalog when I happened upon a course listing in the Enrichment Class section called Golf Fore Women 101. It felt serendipitious as I have been talking about taking golf lessons for what felt like ages so I promptly called to register for the Saturday morning 5-week session.

Then I called my girlfriend and broadcast industry colleague Ginger, who, like me, owned her own set of golf clubs but still did not know how to play. Ginger was grateful that I thought of her and I felt lucky to know her (smile).

The reason why I felt so lucky was because I actually bought my own set of golf clubs 11 years ago but for some reason or another, nothing ever seemed to come together for me in terms of taking golf lessons or being consistent about actually wanting to play. Here’s the rundown:

2007

I purchased my own set of “lady” golf clubs (down to the shoes, hat, gloves, pink golf balls, etc.) and although I initially had good intentions, this set mostly sat in my garage collecting dust…

2011/2012/2013/2014

Since by now I still had not learned how to play, I spent multiple years volunteering as a “driver” at our News 8 company golf event at Yale delivering beverages and snacks to the “players.”

Driving the golf cart stocked with beverages and snacks on Yale’s golf course

2015

I finally took two private lessons (a gift from my bf) at Lyman Golf Center in Middlefield, CT with John Wilson, who came highly recommended from a former News 8 co-worker and female golfer.

Lyman Golf Center – this is 3 years ago…

After my two lessons with John, I wrote a blog post about my experience in The View from Lajeune: Taking fun seriously…my very first golf lesson

2016/2017

At the annual Travelers Tournament in Cromwell, CT (one of my fave live golfing events and spectator sports)

Always a good time for spectators at the Travelers Tourney

2018

By now I was so desperate I even fake caddied for my boyfriend last Summer while he enjoyed ‘the game’ (smile).

And it was right after this fake caddy moment when I happened upon the Enrichment course listing in the Hamden/North Haven Adult Ed catalog…

Golf Fore Women 101

The Saturday morning Fall classes I registered for ran from September 15 – October 13 (10am -11am) and consisted of about 10 women. Our first session was mostly in the classroom where we talked about ourselves and what brought us there and then learned about Golf from a theoretical perspective.

My Saturday morning classmates – I’m gonna miss these ladies

Let me tell you, there is a lot to learn here. Golf is truly a game of and for life… Throughout our introductory 5-week course Marissa Kulig Crow, our LPGA Coach and Club Professional, patiently taught us the following:

Essentials – equipment selection and approprate golf attire
Golf Clubs
Golf Course Layout
Golf Terms
Golf Scores
Forms of Golf Games
Golf Shots
Networking
Stretching and Yoga
Golf Etiquette 101

Lesson 1 – The Driving Range

My first time on the Driving range in a long while and I’m a little rusty…

Lesson 2 – The Full Swing

The full swing – one of my personal favorites

Lesson 3 – Chipping/Pitching/Sand

Tubing – catching golf balls on the Green with a long tube. By the way, Chipping/Pitching/Sand Wedge was probably one of the most difficult lessons

Lesson 4 – On the Putting Green

This is where I need the most practice – it’s called ‘the short game’

Lesson 5 – The Apple 9 Hole course

It felt funny golfing on this 9 hole course after spending time practicing on the driving range and putting green. We played 3 holes during our last lesson. I’m soooo looking forward to next Summer and Fall where I can start perfecting my game (smile).

Marissa Kulig Crow, our LPGA Coach and Club Professional and yours truly on the Apple 9 Golf course

10 things I cannot live without today

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

I tend to feel better inside and out when I’m eating clean and healthy 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 good physical shape

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

Love me some sushi (and sashimi) at least once or twice a month!

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

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

A good glass (or two) of wine after a long, hard week of work

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

Family and Friends are two of the most valuable pieces of my small world

Where I would be today without a good church home?!? Faith is most definitely “the conviction of things not seen”

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 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 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 can’t 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.

This mini-van was equipped with all of the amenities…

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, SC. 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 Midnight in 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 complex where we stayed, and, as it turned out, one of many condominium complexes in Hilton Head

We spent our first morning in town doing some heavy duty grocery shopping at the Piggly Wiggly. Incidentally, I never worked so hard in my life while on vacation – I was the hostess, the cook, the waitress, the bottle washer, the driver and the dirty clothes washer (smile).

Let the ***fave-TV-show fights*** begin…this happened each and every night around 7pm-ish – the fights over the remote control – and this was also when, because of my illness, I would start losing energy and retire 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…

Beautiful outdoor pool at our condo complex

The kiddies all enjoying themselves in the outdoor pool

My rambunctious great nephew Rasoul being thrown into the pool by one of the residents

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!

We all loved Coligny Beach so much we came back almost every day!

My great nephews Kenyon, Ahmad, Jr. and Rasoul and my niece Keedah all “Beaching” at Coligny…

Sand play and jumping into the waves, life is good (smile).

My niece Dimitrica (who drove down from her home in North Carolina) to spend 4 days with us

My great niece Rashidah and great nephew Kenyon enjoying the endless sunshine; my great nephew Rasoul playing in the sand and me, contemplating the waves

My niece Keedah and I enjoying our new beach umbrella and chairs (we stopped renting the beach umbrella and beach chair after Day 1) my great niece Rashidah and great nephew Kenyon “Beaching”

Me and my great nephew Rasoul enjoying our time in the sun – by the way, I discovered that all of that Vitamin D every day was good for my illness…

Savannah, GA

We decided to spend Day 5 of our 10 vacation days 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.

Once we arrived, the first thing we did was head to the free ferry to quickly explore the 4 corners of the city…but not before feeding the meter…

My great nephews Kenyon and Ahmad and my niece Keedah wait while my niece Dimitrica feeds the meter

Free ferry ride with a scenic view of the Savannah river

My niece Keedah and great niece Rashidah inside the ferry boat

My great nephews Rasoul and Ahmad, Jr. and I enjoying ice cream we had picked up at one of the 4 corner stops on the ferry boat ride. Despite my appetite, which I must say was pretty decent, I was still losing at least a half a pound a day…

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 definately 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.’

Vacay in CT

Have you ever heard the saying, It’s hotter than July? Well, that’s how most of us feel right now in Connecticut.

It’s Hot, Hot, Hot! And we no longer have the the luxury of complaining about the slow start to Summer because the 3 H’s – Hazy, Hot and Humid – have officially arrived!

Another thing: it’s About That Time Of The Year to think about where to vacate – so here’s the good news – you don’t have to hop on a train, a bus or a plane – you can simply gas up your ride and go! With these super high temps, your vacation destination can be found right here in Connecticut!

The following are suggested “StayCations” for you and your family in some (not all) of Connecticut’s counties:

New London County

Beat the heat at Ocean Beach Park in New London, CT

New Haven County

Lighthouse Park in New Haven, CT is always an affordable option for good, family fun.

Middlesex County:

Go to Lyman Orchards in Middlefield , CT and Pick Your Own Fruit – great family fun.

Hartford County:

Why not catch a minor league baseball game at Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford, CT. The Hartford Yard Goats season runs from June through September and tickets start at just $10.00.

Fairfield County:

Have the time of your life on a day trip to Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, CT

So remember it’s Summertime so there’s no need to go away on vacation. Your Summer Staycation Vacation starts here in Sunny CT!

Virginia is for Bloggers!

We were looking to for a quick getaway from Connecticut this upcoming Memorial day weekend (2018) and Williamsburg, Virginia fit the bill.

I lied (smile) here’s what really happened: just under 2 years ago we attended the Travelers GHO Tournament in Cromwell, CT where my S.O. James purchased an unlimited golf resort vacation package.

and we looked up and discovered time was running out…

so we finally just got around to using it (double smile).

We flew out of Bradley Airport on a Sunday morning with a couple we invited – James’s golfing buddy Bill and his gf Kathy.

Since we flew (and it was not a direct flight) we departed from Hartford, CT to Charlotte, NC then caught our connecting flight an hour later from Charlotte, NC to Newport News, VA. From there we rented an SUV and drove the 40 or so miles to Williamsburg, VA.

As I mentioned, we departed on our 4 day mini-vacation on the last Sunday in May so that it would include the Memorial Day Monday holiday and we would use up less of our “vacation” days.

By the way, our golf resort vacation package included 4 days/3 nights of unlimited golf, a large town home with 2 full bedrooms, 2 full baths (the master bedroom had an ensuite bathroom with a shower and jacuzzi tub), wall to wall carpeting, a sunroom, open-design kitchen, dining area, living room, wet bar and a BBQ grill outside in the grilling area. The Kings Creek Plantation resort vacation package had all of the amenities you would expect: outdoor Adult swimming pools, outdoor Children’s swimming pool, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, sauna, indoor heated swimming pool for the family, tennis court, basketball court, take-out restaurant, fitness center, WiFi, golf package, Business Center, Aquatic Center and Trading Company.

The Townes

The Townes, where we were stayed, were described as such: “…luxury town home living, your home away from home.” They did not disappoint… http://www.kingscreekplantation.com/resort/townes.aspx

The Welcome Center and Concierge at the resort as well as our lovely town home

Unlimited Golf

As luck would have it, Memorial Day Monday turned out (weather wise) to be a perfect golf day for James and Bill.

You have to squint but there they are on the Greens at the Colonial Heritage Golf Club in Williamsburg, VA

Dining Out (in and around) Williamsburg, VA

As it turned out, it was mostly rainy and/or unbearably humid all 4 days we were there (I’m thinking even Connecticut had better weather (smile). So our dining choices were utmost on our mind…

Delicious Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap with golden fries at Oceans & Ale Seafood Restaurant

Delicious Salmon over fresh watermelon and blueberry salad with ahi tuna at Second Street, An American Bistro

Good wine at Second Street, An American Bistro

Delicious salmon and green beans and tossed salad at Fat Tuna Grill and Oyster House

Cocktails and Apps in the bar area at Opus 9 Steakhouse

Historic Colonial Williamsburg

The hardest part about going to historic Colonial Williamsburg downtown is finding a place to park. However, once you are situated, everything is within walking distance, including the stunning and beautiful campus of William & Mary, the second oldest institution of higher education in the country.

Hampton Roads Vineyard & Winery

I was curious to see what the Williamsburg, VA’s wine trail was all about so we chose this particular vineyard and winery partially based on the fact that we had to catch the James River Ferry to get there!

Hampton Roads Vineyard and Winery – a picturesque winery – to get there we had to catch the James River Ferry

Wine tasting – 6 wine samples for just $8 dollars – 3 white and 3 red including a refreshing wine slushy (and the souvenir Hampton Roads glass) at the end!

Wine tasting – 6 wine samples – 3 white and 3 red including a refreshing wine slushy (with the souvenir Hampton Roads glass) at the end!

Shopping for Souvenirs

While the men golfed on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, Kathy and I went shopping for souvenirs.

R.P. Wallace & Sons General Store (our first stop) just so happens to be Williamsburg’s oldest gift shop.

R.P. Wallace & Sons – Williamsburg oldest gift shop – now in its 99th year of business!

So we blinked and it was Wednesday!

The 4 days flew by as much of our time was spent on travel. However, what I discovered, was that Williamsburg, VA is still the perfect place to decompress and unwind. That’s because of it’s historical character, beautiful topography and back-in-time feel. In my mind, it is most definitely a must see!

Category: My adventurous self

Ready Fore Golf

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10 things I cannot live without today

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Lucky 7

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Vacay in CT

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Virginia is for Bloggers!

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