Tag: #Connecticut Blogger

Just Around The Bend…

I am feeling just a little melancholy today and it could be because I am unwell.  When I am unwell my heads veers off in many directions and it’s hard for me to stay focused on any one thing.  I’m normally happy, bubbly, and full of positive energy so this is quite a departure from my personality.  And to add insult to injury,  it is the end of the year which means both Christmas and New Year’s are a stone’s throw away.  The holidays tend to bring out the melancholy in me because they remind me of loved ones who are no longer with me.   Namely my sweet mother Jean, my baby brother Shawn, my ahead-of-his-time nephew Ahmad Sr., my endearing brother-in-law Alfredo, my beloved older sister Dana plus countless aunts and uncles way too many to name.

 

 

All that to say I like to play holiday Soul music interspersed with Rhythm and Blues around this time of the year.  It alternately acts as both a mood lifter and memory generator.   I put one song in particular “Happiness is Just Around The Bend” by The Main Ingredient on re-play.  Why?  Because this song is feeling much more relevant to me now than when I first heard it as a 12 year old girl growing up in the small town of Groton, CT.   It is not surprising that it was a chart topper for The Main Ingredient back in 1974.  If you have  listened to this song and especially the  lyrics you too will find it reminiscent of the world we are living in today.

 

 

To summarize:  it is about finding clarity in chaos, about  life feeling upside down and confusing and out of whack but despite that, not giving up, but hanging on because happiness is truly just around the corner – Love will win.

This song is so deep and I truly needed to hear it today –  Fact:  When this song was recorded by The Main Ingredient back in 1974 the world was struggling with the Watergate Scandal (erosion of faith in the U.S. Government) and the continued impact of the 1973 Oil Crisis which caused widespread inflation, gas shortages and “stagflation.”

Today in 2025 we too struggle with erosion of faith in our government, economic instability and as an added burden: inexplicable developments.  Despite what is happening around us, I encourage my fellow TVFL readers to continue fighting the good fight, remain focused and positive and stay the course because I for one am choosing to believe that Happiness is truly just around the bend…

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

 

 

My Current Situation Part XII

 

It is now November of 2025 and my current situation is a mixed bag.  There are lots of highlights though and that is what I will focus on here:

 

 

My 92-year old infirmed father,  Jonie B. Hollis,  just got a new and wayyyy better roommate at the Old Saybrook, CT nursing home where he resides…

 

 

My projected sales outlook for the remainder of this year at WTNH TV News 8 is ending on a high note…

 

 

The cool and brisk temperatures in the state of Connecticut this Fall are bringing out a desire in me to cook again (smile)…

 

 

I’m feeling healthy and strong and able to continue with my early bird 5am high-intensity workouts at Orangetheory Fitness in Hamden, CT…

 

 

I constantly try and remind myself  to count my blessings as I look around me and notice that the world we once knew is falling apart week by week…

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

 

Divas in the desert!

There are soooooo many reasons why I love love love Las Vegas and as what usually happens with me, I discover something good later on in life. Why …

Divas in the desert!

 

My Current Situation Part VIII

There was a small window in time at some point in July of 2021 where life was beginning to feel a little normal, albeit, the “new normal,” as masks were flung off, dressy outfits were put back on and baseball caps were sent back to the ball field.

 

 

 

Then along came Delta, it sounds like a movie title but instead it’s the name of the new variant that is quickly turning our everyday lives into a mini nightmare.  The medical doctor on the last WTNH News 8 segment I watched explained that even if you are fully vaccinated, you can still catch and/or transmit the COVID virus –  Yikes!  It’s no wonder that it’s spreading like wildfire.

 

 

 

And now the Connecticut Department of Public Health recommends that all state residents go back to wearing masks inside public buildings.

 

 

 

Yes.  Again…Wait, Really?!?

 

 

So as of today, me and my fellow News 8 Account Executives continue to work (masked up outside our cubicles) in the same hybrid fashion we started about 14 months ago.  Call me crazy but I happen to like working 50 percent from home and 50 percent from the office.  I have even created a cozy home office in one corner of my dining room that easily fits my desk, office supplies, desktop computer, office chair, printer and work files.  I can’t lie: I’m not looking forward to going back to work in the office 100 percent of the time.  Especially since I’ll have to face those crazy, unhinged drivers every day as opposed to just half the week.

 

 

Being the Optimist that I am though, I take a deep breath and remember what I am truly grateful for: I am truly grateful that me, my family and my loved ones are all healthy, fully vaccinated and presently living Covid- free lives.

 

 

 

And I certainly hope and pray the same for all of my TVFL readers.

 

 

 

My Clean Living Life Part VI

As anyone who regularly reads TVFL knows, this girl has been blogging about taking care of her health and well being for the past several years.  It was precipitated 8 years ago when I was diagnosed with colon cancer:  Check out my blog post: A Place of Desert…(almost) 4 years cancer free   So it should come as no surprise to anyone that my most shared blog post,   My clean living life…  is up to Part Six.  Namely because health and wellness is something that I (and apparently others in or not in my age group) struggle with.  And I’m not ashamed to write about it.   However, don’t get me wrong, if I could wave a magic wand and become the healthiest girl alive overnight, I would’ve been there done that soooo many years ago (smile).

 

 

As is stands, working out at the Edge Fitness Center 5 mornings a week, eating clean and healthy, getting the proper ZZZs at night and imbibing only on the weekends can get old (smile).

 

 

Especially when you work on 100 percent commission in a pressure-cooker environment each and every weekday…

 

 

But I’m not one to throw a pity party for too long…I like to look on the bright side of life.  For instance, my quest for good health and wellness affords me the following rewards:  a brighter, sunnier disposition, faster metabolism, increased energy and overall improved health.

 

 

 

Not too shabby huh?!? (smile).

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL