We’ve Got Your Back…

February 22, 2016February 22, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

All the hullabaloo about Technology will only impress me, when I can download those delicious platters served up online 😉

After turning the house upside down over the weekend, I found a ton of stuff. You will never know what you have, until you spring clean your house. Then you will find all sorts of things that you can’t even recall. Sometimes, in pairs 😉

It’s always lovely to start the week and each day as much as we can with a smile and positive outlook. I find Leannenz Monday memes interesting.

Do have a fruitful and blessed week awesome people.

Blog · Mundane Monday · Photographs · Uncategorized

Nothing Mundane About This Monday…

February 22, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha51 Comments

This caught my eye as I meandered about as usual. I have tried to research it and find the name but can’t quite get it’s botanical name.

Maybe the botanists/gardeners in our midst can offer up something.

No matter, I offer for your eyes, a pleasantly pretty purple flower.

Blessed Love and Welcome to Monday.

Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Lifestyle · Self Help

Midnight Motivations and Musings #14…

February 21, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha17 Comments

A lot of times, people spend far too much time dwelling on those places where they took a tumble and failed, that sometimes, they even fail to see the silver lining streaking past their very nose in the dark cloud.

Then there are those who are far too concerned with how others will view and judge them for a short-coming that they deny themselves the opportunity to grow from a lesson that life presented.

It’s for others to spend their energy judging, if they so choose to, that’s not your business what they think.

Your business is to pick up your life, dust your scraped knees and make something beautiful out of a situation that wanted to get the better of you.

Life · My YouTube Channel · Poetry/Poems · VLogs

Be Mine Part II…VLog

February 21, 2016February 21, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

My YouTube Channel Link

It became a lighthearted dalliance
Of shared cups of coffee
And fleeting holding of hands
Of browsing books in used book stores
You loved those books
And I loved your delight
As your eyes twinkled in merriment
When you read aloud.
Your lips pursed in a slight crinkle of a smile
When you pronounced the naughty words
And my eyes glazed over, as I listened to the words of your mouth.

It moved to dinners and movies
As well as stolen kisses
With a hair brush forgotten, a tooth brush and a T shirt.
You wove your magic
And I became your enchanted, willing slave
To the altar we went.
Our hearts duly entwined
Our love consumed us like fiery flames
The good life was ours.

The days of twirling to your ritzy jazz
Your soft hum, bare-feet as you made your special pies
The curtain of each day closed
As we listened to the rhythm of the others thumping heart.
Of ordinary day’s nonsense
And day dreams that made sense
Of paying the bills and gentle laughter
Bicycle rides and grocery shopping
Of catching the train and hopping buses.

You decorated my life
With your flowery essence
The powdery smells and soft snuffles
Of babies followed
In one fell swoop, two gorgeous girls to behold
Two pairs of eyes that twinkle like yours
Like shiny pennies full of mischief
The train trundles along
They chuckle with each bounce
As they implore ‘Tell us again, Papa.’

They love the train journey’s and the story of our love
Of how we met and how we fell in love
Phoebe and Chloe are turning out
To look a lot like you, my darling
I always stare at these beautiful
Energetic blessings that you gave me
Seeing your stamp as their mother written all over them
My eyes mist over with the thoughts
It’s been four years since you’ve been gone
I still miss you with deep pangs that hurts within me
The laughter of these young ones
Console me as they drag me along
I forget you not
Forever, my darling.

Family · Life · Love · Personal story

The Road That I Am Glad I Took…personal story

February 21, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha44 Comments

It’s a no-brainer that I should follow my heart when I toppled over in love with my husband, right?

Or, should I say, when he didn’t let me get away?

I was so focused on building a career. I had a fantastic job with The Delegation Of The European Union. A young lady with a bright future and a job that opened up so many doors and windows.

Then love came calling and stole my heart away and before I could even say Jack Robinson, he whisked me off to the altar, after a whirlwind courtship of six months.

That was a bold step and today, here we are, sixteen years after and counting.

It was a tough decision for me to leave my job and join my husband back in Lagos and we tried the long-distance thing for a while which was maddening for both of us.

At a point, I knew that I couldn’t take it much longer and decided to resign from my mouth-watering job.

I committed my steps into the hands of The Lord and joined my husband with my rounded belly in tow.

It took no time at all for me to gain a solid employment with British American Tobacco and the rest is history.

Sometimes, I do ponder on the thought: what if I had refused to get entangled with my husband and had stuck to the vision of working my way up as an aspiring diplomat?

I would have probably met some of those diplomatic career goals, who knows.

I will never know the answer to what my life might have turned out to be, but I can’t visualize a life without my family and I have no regrets to have taken this path.

All I know is that ‘all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord.’ Rom 8:28

The Daily Post The Road Less Traveled.

Pinpoint a moment in your past where you had to make a big decision. Write about that other alternate life that could have unfolded.

Creative Writing · Family · Featured Blogs · Life · Poetry/Poems

A Thousand Deaths…

February 21, 2016February 21, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha28 Comments

A Thousand Deaths

I died a thousand times

When you said to me

‘It’s over now’

I carved out my heart

And handed it to you

Wrapped in bows and kisses

Expecting you to know

That to drop my heart

Would cause it to shatter

Fragmented in a million places

But drop it you did.

I died a thousand times

When you died in my arms.

The poem above came to me when I read Lily’s heart rending post I don’t know her in real time. I only read her blog now and again.

The broken pain of her heart reverberated in her words.

How do you condole a woman just bereaved of her loving husband?

Indeed, how do you condole any grieving heart that’s lost a loved one?

You cannot! You are simply there to listen, to offer a leaning support and to help as they find their way.

Every one grieves differently.

There’s no specific order or way to deal with this painful reality that life hands out.

Sometimes all we need is a quiet friend.

For this week, here are a few of the posts that I would like to share with you:

Lily’s Better Half

Hold On from Ronovan Writes.

To television or to tell a vision from Tunisia Jolyn.

Flaws can be adjusted from Joe Cosme.

Personally recommended author services and promotion sites from Smorgasbord.

ABC List from talking to my weight loss Counselor I must chip in here that you should watch out for her inspirations for victory over the scales.

Thank you good people.

My regards.

Blogging · Writing

Accentuated Blogging …

February 21, 2016February 21, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha50 Comments

This post should be treated as a suggestion that you are free to take or leave.

There is no point in getting your dander’s up or getting your pants twisted in a bunch.

I have observed several blogs written in languages other than English and it’s a beautiful thing.

However, the problem lies in the fact that a whole lot of people may not understand what you are expressing and therefore find it difficult to relate, to engage in a conversation and to comment.

I also use smattering’s of my native language in my post occasionally, but bearing at the back of my mind that since most readers may not understand it, I translate it for them.

In no way am I suggesting that someone should let go of their language and heritage, that would be misconstruing my thoughts, because I am extremely proud of my heritage and will frown at any aspersions cast at my use of my language.

I lay no claims to being an expert, but from the side of your reader, I am just expressing a consideration.

For the intents and purpose of growth in your blogging efforts maybe a one or two liners ‘in English sub-titles’ to aid understanding will go a long way.

I have seen some bloggers who are doing a great job in balancing this act and I admire them.

Except your blog is meant just for you and a specific group of people, then that’s fine.

I am just saying this for those who aspire to expand their reach beyond a certain circle, because like it or not, if truth be told, English still remains the World’s Lingua Franca.

Regards.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Health · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Lifestyle · Memes · Midnight motivation and musings

Midnight Motivations and Musings #13…

February 20, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

I have been talking to people about ‘thoughts’ for days and I keep reiterating this thought process because a whole lot that we are and become lies within our thoughts.

Our thinking mind is our power house and like a fine machine that when it is properly oiled, serviced and tuned, it brings out the best that it has to give and will even yield outstanding results beyond what you thought was possible.

Keep servicing your mind in the right manner and you will find yourself not only pushing the boundaries of your goals, but exceeding your own expectations.

It’s all in the mind.

A link to my neighbours/Community · Blog Awards · Blogging

The Things Hanging Around My Neck….

February 20, 2016February 21, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha31 Comments

The heaviness of these blings from the awards received by a good number of you is making my neck bow down with it’s weight, that it’s high-time I respond to all of you who have chosen to decorate my heart with your kind thoughts.

I would first like to explain the delay in appreciating these awards.

Primarily, I was considering going award free, but I choose to mull over it for a while.

I like the awards because it fosters a sense of community. Secondly, I think it is good especially for those who are just starting out, because it really boosts morale.

I remember the positive vibes and zing that mine gave me the very first time that I received one, so I decided to stall on my decision to go award free.

However, due to the fact that they take a whole lot of time to put together and from the nominations that keeps coming to me, I wouldn’t want to inundate my readers with award posts every other day. That would become tedious and boring.

I will respond to awards once every quarter to keep it to the barest minimum and by so doing, I still recognize those who gave it to me.

So to get to it, I would like to thank these awesome bloggers below:

The bikini bookworm for the nomination of Spirit Animal blog award.

Perfect The Days, In cahoots with muddy boots, Deborah Crocker, for the nomination of the Sunshine blog award.

The Shiva’s ponder for the Dragon loyalty award.

Chape, Element healing, Thoughts of a train wrecked pineapple, for the nomination of the One lovely blog award

Its good to be crazy sometimes for the nomination of the Epic Awesome blog award.

Memee’s musings, Life Experiment, Annette’s place, The Daily Atholian, The Lonely Tribalist for Versatile blog award

Life Experiment for Blogger recognition award.

Brew N Spew for the Creative blogger award.

There were some questions to go with these awards, but answering them would take quite a while since it’s tantamount to writing an autobiography which usually takes years, so, I will just share some random stuff about myself that I can think of.