#News8 – Page 2 – The View from Lajeune

Getting my game on: Golf Fore Women 201 & 301

Yikes, it is hard to believe that it’s November already and 2019 is coming to a close. I feel like this year flew by and the top 3 goals I set for myself in the month of January were stabbed at but not completely realized…check out my blog post: .My Top 3 Goals in the New Year

I do, however, have something I’m particularly proud of this year: namely improving on my game of Golf.

Thanks to the Lyman Orchards Golf Center I spent the majority of my Summer and more than half of my Fall golfing. And Summer started late this year in Connecticut – remember the month of May?!? I had to count it out for starting play as it was rainy and miserable. Consequently I did not pick up my clubs until mid-June but then I made up for it by playing until the last weekend of October.

I learned a lot this year both on the course and off. I had previously taken Golf Fore Women 101 (last September 2018) so some of what I learned this year felt like a refresher course but in a good way – check out my blog post: Ready Fore Golf

However, the majority of what I learned I took and turned into real application on the course. And I had the added benefit of being taught and supervised by the award-winning LPGA Class A Teaching Professional Marissa Kulig Crow as well as her 2 trusty teammates Dan Hannibal and Andra Frappier…

LPGA Class A Teaching Professional Marissa Kulig Crow and her trusty teammates Dan and Andra

June

Ladies bonding over the game of golf (smile)

The Fab 4 – Jill, Lajeune, Mary Ann and Tina plus one- Amy (smile)

July

Golf 4 Women 201 with LPGA Teaching Pro Marissa Kulig Crow in black

Club selection with LPGA Teaching Pro Marissa Kulig Crow

I’ll never forget this day – the hottest day that Summer (Saturday July 20th) and we were playing 9 holes on Apple 9 and dying!

Another successful day on the Apple 9 course!

Ending the day with my old starter set of golf clubs – they served me well

August

Golf Fore Women 301 – the Apple 9 golf course is our classroom now (smile)

Coincidentally my workplace (News 8 Television) had a client golf tournament in August which I had the distinct pleasure of playing in with my own clients as opposed to driving the beverage cart (smile).

Me and Elisabeth

Evie, Elisabeth and me

Our golf cart at the News 8 golf tournament

Me and my bf at Sleeping Giant – I did not play the Apple 9 on this particular day as Sleeping Giant golf course in Hamden is mere minutes away from my house and therefore now considered my “home course”

September

Loved Practice with a Pro with our trainer Dan Hannibal because we had the opportunity to work on our golf weaknesses

In the game of golf, it is not uncommon for the club to pair you and your golf mate with another 2 some so that you become a 4 some and keep up with the pace of play. Especially 9 hole courses like Apple 9 where you get a volume of players in a short span of time. We made fast friends with this 2 some and found we had a lot in common – you never know who you are going to be paired with and they could concievably become lifelong friends (smile)

October

My golf partner today is Mary Ann (a fav of mine) and one of the Fab 4 (smile)

The Fab 4 (Lajeune, Mary Ann, Jill and Tina) finally together again and ready to play for real on The Players course at Lyman

It was a very light day on The Players course so Fab 4 had a chance to cut up (smile)

Me and my neighbor Margot and Jill (of the aforementioned Fab 4) on the very last day of golf for the season (October 31st). In New England its still sunny in the Fall but there are so many leaves on the ground it makes it difficult to find your ball – not counting the chilly weather!

Sooooo…I finally broke down at the end of October and invested in some new clubs. And I actually played with them the last 2 weekends of the month. I must admit that my game has improved with my new set of clubs (smile). Not trying to rush time but I sure can’t wait ’till next Summer (double smile).

My new set of Ping golf clubs custom made for me

Sincerely,

TVFL

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

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.