#Connecticut – Page 3 – The View from Lajeune

Winter in CT

It’s officially Winter in CT which for the most part makes me feel low-key SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) as it means the weather is extremely cold, the days short and the nights, super dark on my drive home from work…

To compensate, I try my darndest to look for fun, free, enlightening and/or educational things to do just to keep me from participating in my favorite pastime, i.e., sitting in my La-Z-Boy to watch TV and eat snacks (smile).

So here (in no particular order) are some of the ways (in the past) I have kept myself occupied (and far, far away from the snacks) during the dark, dreary days of Winter in CT:

Ice skating – Since I enjoyed this activity so much as a child growing up in Groton, CT I figured I would try it out again as a full-grown adult – I must admit it was easier said than done (smile).

This is a fun and easy activity, especially in the Winter: taking a hot bubble bath after a long day of work: Put your slippers on…

Visiting a local museum – this free activity is not only educational but truly enlightening.

Relaxing in a salt cave. This was such a unique activity I had to write a blog post about it: Cave Girl

Going to a live taping of The View in NYC – a truly magical day from beginning ’till end: The View (from Lajeune)

Spending the day enjoying a special exhibit – educational for sure: Harlem for Day s!

Yale’s Beinecke Museum – the Harlem Renaissance exhibit

Going to see a free lecture at the local university. I recall this event quickly becoming “standing room-only.” To me this proved the staying power of the written word…

Quinnipiac University featuring Margot Lee Shetterly, the author of “Hidden Figures”

Spending a relaxing Day at the Spa – this never gets old…

Norwich Inn and Spa – Spa Day with my “Sisters in Christ”

Skiing in the month of February – Super fun and exhilarating! Ski Date

Spending time (and money) at the casino…

So whatever activity you choose to participate in this Winter in CT, do try to make it memorable 🙂

Doxie Love!

Anyone who knows me knows I love me some Doxies! “Doxies,” short for dachshunds, are those “short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dogs.” Dachs meaning badger, hund meaning dog.

Dachshunds originated in Germany and were developed to “scent, chase and flush out badger and other burrow-dwelling animals.” Some people refer to them as the Hot Dog, or the Weiner Dog or even the Sausage Dog. I just call them adorable (smile).

So whether I’m on a staycation in Connecticut or on a real vacation in the U.S. or Abroad, I am often on the look-out for what my girlfriends have come to know as a “Cute Doxie Surprise.” These are the moments when I spot a Doxie in an unexpected place and go nuts – running after it, taking pictures of it, rolling down my car window to ask questions of the pet parent, etc.

Fun fact: While Growing up Hollis in Groton, CT, a neighbor named Mrs. Brown had a beautiful long-haired golden Doxie aptly named Goldie Von Bruen. Goldie gave birth to a litter of full-bred Dachshund puppies. I’m not sure when but at some point my late mother Jean did something kind for Mrs. Brown that caused her to offer my mother one of her prized and valued Doxies at no charge. My mother happily picked out a male puppy. We were so excited because this was our family’s very first canine pet. My older brother Michael came up with the name. He called him Rapper and it stuck (smile). Rapper was a standard (or loooooooooong) red, smooth-haired dachshund with a good disposition. Dogs were not pampered back in the day so Rapper was not “walked,” rather he ran from the house, sometimes disappearing for days at a time (smile).

This is the closest image I could find of what Rapper looked like back in the day as I could not find any of the Polaroid pictures we took of him!

The closest thing to what Rapper looked like

Rapper mostly ate from our plates (often times eating what we didn’t want) despite the fresh, dry dog food sitting in his bowl on a daily basis…

And it was apparently clear who Rapper loved the most – my mother Jean. So much so that when she and my father Jonie B went out on a date, we Hollis girls would take turns putting on my mother’s coat, hat and shoes to trick Rapper into believing she was still home. It worked like a charm (smile).

5 years ago I had two Doxies of my own…I was living in New Haven, CT at the time in a 90-year-old Colonial style house that I owned in the Edgewood neighborhood.

I named my 2 Doxies Coby and Crimson Hollis. Coby was a black and tan smooth-haired, male miniature Doxie and Crimson, a red, smooth-haired female miniature Doxie …They were equally energetic, loveable and fun so lots of good memories were made in that house.

I adopted them both from the same breeder in Canterbury, CT. Coby was just 3 months old when I adopted him and I had him until the ripe old age of 17 (in people years). Unfortunately he died of kidney failure in May of 2012. Coby was 8 when I adopted Crimson, a “breeder dog” who wasn’t producing many pups so the owner “fixed” her to sell her off. On top of this Crimson had social interaction issues since in her world adults coming to visit were coming for the sole purpose of taking away her puppies so I was able to get her at a much lower price than I did Coby. She was 4 1/2 when I adopted her and lived a happy and “normal” pet life to the age of 9 before she was struck (1 month after Coby passed!) by a hit and run driver on a busy residential street.😥 Life was rough without my 2 Doxies but the passing of time eventually healed my broken heart…

Today I am an Insta girl who loves her Instagram pix and I’m happy to admit that the majority of my own collection of saved pix are of the Dachshunds of Instagram. Here are just a few of my personal faves with my very own captions:

If I have to do the laundry every week, at least I can look cute!

Doxie Love – it’s no small wonder that my fave breed, the Dachshund, according to the American Kennel Club, remains one of the top 10 breeds of dogs in the United States.

F is for Festivals!

Today is Friday, September 22nd, or as my good friend and News 8 Chief Meteorologist Gil Simmons would say, it is the “Autumnal Equinox.” Fancy! And really just another way of saying Fall (smile). Fall in Connecticut means it’s that time when folks can truly enjoy festivals, fairs, carnivals and outdoor expos.

Speaking of festivals, on Saturday, September 16th I had the distinct pleasure of attending the 10th annual Garlic Festival at Olde Mistick Village in Mystic, CT.

Free admission and free parking so I expected it was going to be crazy busy and I was so-ooooooo right…

I must admit I’ve always had a fondness for Mystic…you see I grew up in Groton, CT (right next door to Mystic) so I spent a lot of time in that town (especially while in high school) visiting friends, eating Mystic Pizza, working after school at the ABC Film Lab, hanging out at “The Village,” as we called Olde Mistick Village back in the day, walking downtown during the annual Mystic Arts and Crafts Fair, chilling out at the marina, visiting the Seaport, watching my sister Casandra conduct tours during her kick a– Summer job at the Mystic Aquarium, etc…

So I was looking forward to spending time at The Village once again, albeit now through the eyes of my middle-aged self…

On that particular Saturday, as luck would have it, the weather was sunny and delightful – – perfect for walking around and enjoying the sights and sounds.

Folks (couples, singles, families, dogs, and babies) came from all over Connecticut and beyond.

One of the first things I did was head over to the duck pond. I was not disappointed…

Love seeing the ducks!

Especially when they dive underwater!

Sampled the wide varieties of olive oil and artisanal honey at Sticky Situations, which was jam-packed with folk!

Bought a souvenir gift from Sophia’s Magical Christmas Shop.

Hung out at Franklin’s General Store for free samples of delish fudge and the experience of a trip back in time…

Spent time at Garden Store Specialties to check out the whimsical gifts for the lawn and garden.

Even made time for lunch with my client Joyce at my new fave, Pink Basil…delish!

Enjoyed a ‘cold one’ at Jealous Monk, a social hall and beer garden.

Garlic galore!

You don’t even need to like the taste of garlic to attend this annual festival as there is truly something for everyone. There’s live entertainment, farm fresh goodies, specialty food carts, vendors, crafters, artists and even authors. And it all takes place at the coolest Village in Connecticut!

Enjoy the season!

Yoga Anyone?

As I mentioned before in Cave Girl, I work Monday through Friday on 100% commission in media ad sales, a super stressful, extremely competitive industry. Consequently, on the weekends (or even some weeknights) I’m on the look-out for new ways to de-stress.

Yoga has become a new ‘old way.‘ Full Moon Yoga with Gong Meditation that is. It’s my new go-to when the gym (Edge Fitness in Hamden) although helpful in terms of working up a sweat, building lean muscle, burning calories and fat, etc. still leaves me with a busy head…

At this point I’m looking more for something that helps me to relax to the point of emptying my mind and filling it with good clear thoughts.

My solution has become Full Moon Yoga with Gong Meditation. It’s offered once a month at the Yoga Community Center in Hamden, on the Friday closest to the Full Moon. It’s held from 7pm to 9pm. It’s wise not to go on a full stomach and light refreshments are served afterwards. It costs $22 for one session or $60 for three sessions. Everything takes place on the second floor in a large yellow walled yoga studio with soft lighting and relaxing music. Mats, blankets and other yoga equipment are provided if you do not have your own. Quick tip: don’t forget your water bottle. Kundalini Yoga is practiced in the first hour and the second hour (while you are now lying on your mat, covered in a blanket with your eyes closed) focuses on deep sound healing and relaxation via Gong Meditation. This is where you hear an actual gong being struck repeatedly for a good hour. The gong vibrations (after two or more sessions) will cause you to experience deep relaxation. The goal of each of these sessions is to “elevate awareness and rebalance your physical, emotional and spiritual bodies.” I remember the first or second time I went I felt like I was walking on actual clouds for at least an hour after the session (smile).

If interested, you may register online at yourcommunityyoga.com or call them at (203) 287-2277. Drop-Ins, however, are always welcome.

Namaste!

New Haven, CT Fall(ish) eats!

I am writing this food blog post on a Fall day in New Haven, CT (that feels more like late Summer to me) so my restaurant lunch choices may reflect that (smile).

I also eat, dress and live for the weather as opposed to the season so if my good buddy and Chief Meteorologist Gil Simmons of News 8 (ABC) tells me that it’s going to be 80 degrees outside, but the calendar doesn’t agree, I go with the temps…

With all that said, here are just a few of my favorite places to eat lunch in New Haven, CT when the leaves start to turn and the temperatures finally cool down:

New Haven Salad Shop – don’t let the name fool you. This little gem on High Street in downtown New Haven also builds super hearty wraps that will easily fill you up until supper time. There’s little room to sit inside though so I suggest you find a space on the Upper or Lower New Haven Green to enjoy your lunch.

City Point Kitchen – a newer restaurant in the Oyster Point neighborhood of New Haven (beautiful water views!) with excellent, locally sourced food. I tried the crab cakes over a salad bed on the afternoon me and my gf Christine went. It’s cute and quaint inside and the small staff is friendly and very attentive.