Tag: #Hollisfamilystories

My Current Situation XIII

November 2025 was the last blog post I entered in this Current Situation series.  What’s been happening since then?  Here’s the update – it’s April of 2026 and gas prices have spiked through the roof, home heating oil prices are extremely high, my 401K is up and down and up and down and the job market in general is sketchy.

 

 

On the flip side I am still gainfully employed as a Media Sales Professional by News Channel 8 (ABC) in New Haven, CT and I’m nearing retirement.  By the way, the Media Industry as a whole looks starkly different then what it looked like almost 40 years ago when I started my career so I consider myself blessed to be in the position I am in.

 

These boots were made for walking…

 

As I mentioned before it’s mid-April in the state of Connecticut and this New England changeable weather has recently taken a turn for the worse.  Last week I was wearing sundresses and sunglasses, this coming week I’m pulling out long sleeves and heavy stockings.  Winter is back – Waaaah!

 

 

On the bright side health wise I am doing extraordinarily well.  My pap smear was normal, my vision was normal and I was recently told at my annual physical  exam by a new Primary Care Doctor (a young woman in her 30s) that I should continue doing whatever it is I am doing because all of my labs were great.  Not to be funny but I was not that surprised because I gave up alcohol 6 years ago, totally cleaned up my diet, and as for drugs, I don’t indulge (smile).   For exercise I work out 5 mornings a week at Orangetheory Fitness Center in Hamden, hydrate a lot and strive to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.

 

Working out is my form of physical therapy

 

Family wise my almost 93 year old father,  Jonie B. Hollis, was recently (through the collective efforts of my sister Casandra who lives in Nashville, TN, myself in Connecticut and my brother Michael also in Connecticut) presented with a Quilt of Honor (citation and actual quilt) for his 30 years of service in the U.S. Navy.  It was a total surprise to Jonie B. — the ceremony as well as my brother Michael’s  heartfelt tribute left him teary eyed and proud.  The Old Saybrook Nursing home where he resides showed up and out – it was a beautiful affair and one for the record books.

 

Jonie B., his son Michael, daughter Lajeune and the 2 lovely women who hosted the program

 

Other Blessings:  Two babies were born into the Hollis family tree this year – my nephew Jacob who lives in Florida had a baby boy in January of 2026 and my nephew Jasper who lives in Arizona had a baby boy in February of 2026.

 

Happy Great Aunt

 

One of my New Year’s goals for 2026 was to take up something I left behind years ago.  Reading.  And reading is my jam!  I am currently reading the trilogy of Paradise stories by Elin Hilderbrand that I am loving so much I cannot put the books down.  She’s an awesome writer and puts the reader right into the thick of her stories –  I’m on the last book in her trilogy series now – it’s called “Troubles in Paradise” and it inspired me today to book a return trip to St. Thomas for our upcoming June vacation (smile).

 

 

Reading is not foreign to me.  As a matter of fact back in the early 1990s I was hosting an African American Book Review radio show with my co-host LaMonda Williams called ‘The L & L Book Review’ on AM1340 WNHC Radio while simultaneously hosting an African American monthly book club in person at Barnes and Noble bookstore in North Haven, CT.    As luck would have it, I made connections with publishing houses in New York City that started sending me hardcovers in the mail for free in the hopes that I would include their books in my reviews!  I also interviewed African American authors at the radio station as well as in person at Barnes and Noble  bookstore.   It was most definitely a labor of love for I was not getting paid to do either of these gigs (smile).

 

Feeling real good about reading at night because it exercises my brain (smile)

 

And that’s all I have to share for now – until next time.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to me!  On August 5, 2016 I will celebrate 5 years (Colon) Cancer free.  Yay!

 

You see on Friday, August 5, 2011 I had surgery to remove the colon cancer so I count that day in August as my anniversary date as opposed to counting when I actually completed my 12 chemo treatments which, by the way, was in February of 2012.  I’m not going to get into it here as I have already blogged about the actual experience which can be found under Blogs on my site, lajeunehollis.com – Check out my blog post:   A Place of Desert…(almost) 4 years cancer free

 

Although I tried unsuccessfully to put on a Colon Cancer Cruise in 2015 Check out my blog post:  Colon Cancer Survivors Cruise Info it was still a learning experience that left me much richer for it…

 

The month of March will forever hold a special place in my  heart as it is Colon Cancer Awareness Month and without the colonoscopy I received back in June of 2011, I would not be sharing any of these stories with you today – Check out my blog post:  True Blue

 

Eating healthy and nutritious foods is a way of life for me now, not just a passing fad  Check out any one of my blog post series:  My Clean Living Life – Part V

 

Working out at The Edge in Hamden is a great stress reliever for sure but it also serves the dual purpose of keeping me physically fit – Check out my blog post:  Pit Bull or Poodle?

 

And participating in seasonal sports and/or activities on a regular basis brings me right back to my childhood as my parents were always good about keeping all 7 of us Hollis kids busy in a good way – Check out my blog post:  Ski Date

 

Having good friends to lean on during a major illness (remember that old saying about the fact that you don’t know who your real friends are until you encounter a major illness) rang so true for me.  Also, making new friends as a direct result of my Cancer experience was humbling to say the least Check out my blog post: Friends are like jewels…

 

Family is crucial and I honestly don’t know what I would have done without the love and support of my father and my siblings during this trial – Check out my blog post: Anniversary

 

And finally,  growing up in a religious household made all of the difference in the world in terms of how I viewed my illness and how I responded to it – Again, check out my blog post:  A Place of Desert…(almost) 4 years cancer free  Having faith and a church home (for me, Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church in Hamden, CT) was completely necessary for my sanity and my survival.  I was then and continue now to be truly blessed.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

Hot Mess!

What is it about hair stylists, hairdressers, salon owners, etc. that make you want to spill your guts?!?   I’ve been going to one or another hair salon in Connecticut now for years (at least 30 years) and I must say, some of my deepest and most meaningful conversations have been with my stylist.  It’s almost like something happens to me when I sit in her (their) chair, it’s almost like all of my inhibitions go out the door and what’s left is talk, raw talk.  I can’t explain it, I just know that I feel the need to share and share BIG…

I came of age in the early 70s  (pre-Afro days in our house) so natural hair and afro picks were not in yet for the Hollis girls – press and curls were –  and we were truly a product of our environment…I’m the one with the yellow blouse and matching yellow headband…my oldest sister Dana was missing in this picture.

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L to R – 4 of 5 Hollis girls (Dana is missing in this picture):  Lajeune, Joandra, Elena and Casandra in the rear

 

Again, I am one of 7 children (5 girls; 2 boys) in a family of 9 and the baby girl at that, so my earliest memory of getting my ‘hair did’ was not going to a salon (we didn’t have that luxury) but waiting most of a Satur(day) in anticipation…You see, on Saturdays the Hollis kitchen became a makeshift hair salon.  One sister after another (the oldest to the youngest) sat in the kitchen chair closest to the oven so my mother could easily place the hot comb back and forth (from hair to electric eye).   My two brothers didn’t know how good they had it!  They had no clue…I can still recall smelling Blue Magic hair dressing and fried hair all day long…Being the baby girl, I was always the last to go which meant that by the time my mother got to me she was not only tired, but cranky.  And God forbid someone called on the telephone during my time in the chair!  I was in for some neck burnings then!   Consequently, I do not have fond memories of this thing:

 

 

So, fast forward to today, one of my favorite ways to pamper myself  is to get my hair done once a week.  Elite Hair Salon in Westville, CT is my salon of choice now and they come highly recommended (smile).

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

Put your slippers on…

As I’ve gotten older,  I’ve truly started to take note of the things that make me happy and relaxed and conversely, stay away from the things that make me sad and/or stressed out.  It sounds simple in theory but in practice, not so much…

At any rate today it’s the little things that make me happy and/or relaxed.   And they don’t necessarily involve a lot of money.  Here are a list of them:

  • Sleeping in on Saturdays – Growing up Hollis, my father,  Jonie B., would not allow his kids to sleep in on the weekends – he was a “military man” and sleeping in was a sign of laziness…conseqently, this is a big deal to me today…you notice I only mentioned one weekend  day…

 

 

  • Taking long bubble baths on the weekends –  Growing up Hollis and being one of 7 children, I used to have to share my bubble baths with my sister Elena to not only save water, but time…today I consider a bubble bath strictly “me time” and a luxury not enjoyed enough…

 

 

  • Burning incense and candles – I love to burn things in a safe way (smile) so burning candles and incense has a unique way of relaxing me when I’m feeling stressed – watching a fire burn in an indoor fireplace or an outdoor fire pit also does the trick

 

 

  • Eating comfort “snacky” foods – Growing up Hollis and being a “daddy’s girl” I used to pop “corn” for my father and watch Football with him so this snack has always held a special meaning to me

 

 

  • Reading a good book on a rainy day – There’s something about curling up on the comfy chair with a good book and cup of hot tea on a rainy day…

 

 

  • Spending quality time at the beach -Water has always had a way of relaxing me and making me feel at peace with the world – I grew up in the small Shoreline town of Groton, CT where we had 5 beaches so I spent a lot of time with my siblings at the beach or the public pools

 

 

  • Getting pampered – feet, hair, nails, etc. – love to have someone else that I’m paying do these things for me – did not know that luxury growing up so it feels extra special now…

 

 

  • Watching a good movie at the movie theater complete with snacks – my late mother Jean used to drop her 7 children off at the movie theater on Saturdays armed with snacks so going to the movies will always hold a special place in my heart

 

  • Spending time outdoors during the warmer months – Living in New England and dealing with such changeable weather, I love being outdoors when the weather is nice and I fully take advantage of it.  Whether it is playing sports or just lounging around, the sun becomes my friend

 

 

  • And finally, putting on my “jammies” and slippers as soon as I get home from a long stressful day at work – I work in a super stressful, highly competitive industry so as soon as I get home I take a nice hot shower and put on my “jammies” and slippers – – I can still hear my late mother Jean’s voice telling me,  ‘put your slippers on’ after an insanely busy day and miraculously, it worked!

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL