Vanilla in the cellar…

April 10, 2016April 24, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

Oh my dearest Annabella
She thought she was Cinderella
She read that Mills & Boons novella
And fell in love with a fella

She misplaced her shoes
After some pints of booze
It gave her the blues
And sent her to snooze

Her sights were set on Andrew
Who simply didn’t have a clue
He was always confused
And she wasn’t amused

She cornered him in the cellar
After a dab of vanilla
A lot of history went under
And they honeymoon in Venezuela

Misplaced, The Daily Post Prompt

Image credit: Pixabay

So I earned 34 cents and more than a 1,000 posts!

April 10, 2016April 10, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha57 Comments

Should I rant? Shouldn’t I?

I had no idea that I had hit 1,000 posts on this blog which I started precisely eleven months ago. Actually, this will be my 1,022 (one thousand and twenty-second post).

For some reason, I kept plugging away without taking note of the numbers. I have been weaning myself from stats bingeing. Stats are important quite alright, but I don’t want it to rule my mind.

WordPress what gives with the lack of notification these days?

My thought is that 1,000 posts is a milestone in blog-land and would have loved to know for knowing sake.

Gosh, that alone tells me how much I have written in this space in such a space of time especially given the fact that 99.9% of my posts, aren’t reblog and are written fresh off the printing mill in my head, except for photos which are also taken by me.

This girl’s got a lot to say. Oh well, let me say a belated YAY to me and NAY to WordPress!

Now, on to the matter that made me laugh out real loud.

I know some may wonder why I talk about money, so just in case you need to know, ‘money is the oil that runs the machinery of most of our basic needs in life and I, Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha, would like to earn some income from the hard work of my fingers.’

In February, I applied to have WordAds included on my site given that my site is a premium site and after their background check or whatever it is they do, it was approved and I promised to speak out on how it goes.

Interesting to know that for that month with 16,000 views, I had 3,449 impressions (whatever that means) and thus earned 34 CENTS. What a hoot!

Now, in all fairness to the man who told that he sucks some time ago, I understand better now why you were fixated with your stats.

I have no plans to get stuck in the bog of stats and peanuts, so there’s got to be better ways and it’s a nut that I must crack.

Everyday People · Family · Life · Parenting

Daddy Love…Everyday Beautiful People 13

April 10, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha17 Comments

‘A father’s loving and guiding hands will remain on the daughters shoulders forever, even when he is long gone.’ Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Uncategorized

FEMINIST FRIDAY – Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

April 10, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

Have you had a chance to peek at the scoop? 😊

Please check out Bernadette’s inner look at Jacqueline.

Source: FEMINIST FRIDAY – Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Midnight motivation and musings

Midnight Motivations and Musings #55

April 9, 2016April 9, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha22 Comments

It’s a natural tendency for us to seek the approval and support of those who we consider our friends and loved ones because no one exists in a vacuum or isolation.

It’s also normal to find that some of those around us may not buy into our dreams or be our cheerleaders. Some will outrightly express their dissension while some may not voice it, but their attitude towards you will show their contrary opinion.

The truth is that the natural inclination of most people is to seek for the difficulties and all the reasons why an aspiration won’t work, before seeking for the possibilities.

One needs to be attuned spiritually to determine whether the criticism or voice of dissension is truly born out of honest conviction and concern for your well-being or whether the naysaying is borne out of envy, automated pessimism.

There is always need to weed out the chaff and keep the wheat. It’s not every opinion that you should pay mind to.

Writing

Ah Ha! Now we are talking my language…Streams of consciousness Saturday.

April 9, 2016April 9, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

Ha! When I saw Linda’s prompt for today’s streams of consciousness, I burst into laughter. I wondered how she picked such a random exclamation.

Most of you who have read my blog would have seen this exclamation littering the horizon of my words from time to time like in these posts:I must have been born exclaiming, Nothing to be tricked about, Fruits of a hustle, Mama Put. I can assure you that there are several more 😉

I actually try to tame my usage of the ha’s and o’s on the tip of my tongue even though it does get the better of me sometimes.

It’s the Nigerianness in me. Even if I live to be 120 years and maybe a resident in Nunavut, I am sure that ha, o and hey, will feature in my writing as well as speech.

Back home, we exclaim a lot especially when we speak in pidgin language. Our sentences are emphasized with o, a, ha and hey! It’s literally impossible for us to do without our high-pitched punctuated exclamations. Haba! That simply takes away the flavour in the expression.

How can I tell you the depth of my askance or surprise if I don’t say ha? 😉

For instance, we use ha to express things such as:

Ha! Indeed, Really?

Ha! You don’t say.

Ha! Wonderful

Ha ba! What is it?

Now I am speaking pidgin in my head as I write and in conclusion, ‘make I finish quick, quick waka comot for hia. E get place wey I won go buy market – let me finish quickly and go out. I need to go shopping somewhere.’

Personal

My Relaxing Indulgence…The great book of lists.

April 9, 2016April 9, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha24 Comments

For this week’s Great book of lists, we get to outline our hobbies. Through the years, my hobbies have changed a bit. A lot have been dropped by the wayside due to push and pull factor of life. Some exigencies and recent moves found some things falling into the crack of lifes pavement.

However, there are some hobbies that have grown to become an intrinsic part of me:

I love to read and I read to live. As far back as my conscious mind can recall, I have been in love with the lettered word. Even as a child, I would spend my pocket change on a book instead of something else. I read voraciously. As an adult, I indulge in a book, two or more in any given month. Reading is my sleeping pill. After the day’s hustle, I settle my nerves down with a book and if the book is a compulsive read, I might read far into the night or toddle off to sleep as I read.
Writing. This is my way of thinking. I think through my fingers. Even before I ever started blogging which is just 11 months ago, I journalled every day.
Doodling. I sketch. I really don’t know how it works but sketching relaxes me. I just doodle whatever comes to my mind. Sometimes, they turn out very nicely.
The Running Man
Can people watching be classified as a hobby?
Taking photographs. I have thousands of random photos taken over time. I hope to find time to take professional lessons. It’s a hobby with a lot of potentials.
Dancing. It makes me very happy. I dance just for the sake of it. No celebration required. I get a shake of a leg in virtually every day. Somewhere, some how, I find my ten minutes of wiggle the waist 🙂
My daily me time gives me a little room to flex my mind, to tone down and just exhale. I could spend my me time just being quiet, or taking a walk and soaking in the things around me.

There are some hobbies that I miss doing, like crocheting, playing the piano, pottery making and sewing. I don’t know if it’s that the zeal has waned or due to time squeeze. I guess I can use the excuse of not having a piano here in Dubai to console myself.

The Daily Post

The Future In The Young….

April 9, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha9 Comments

The hope of mankind’s future

Lies in the step of the young one’s

We are simply custodians

Meant to help them find their footing

How and what we teach them

Will mould the way they choose to walk

Let’s be wise in our teachings.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Future, The Daily Post Photo Prompt

Everyday People · Humans · Life · Photographs

Every day beautiful people # 12 ….

April 9, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha6 Comments

‘Human beings are born with the instinct to express themselves through movement. Even before he could communicate with words, primitive man was dancing to the beat of his own heart.’ Ben Fosse

As ordinary as it seems, I enjoy watching people go about their days affairs. It’s always an enriching experience.

Midnight motivation and musings

Midnight Motivations and Musings # 54…

April 8, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha8 Comments

Life lived dancing to the tunes of misery wears out the soul living it.

Yes indeed, our days are not always smiles and sunshine, but the truth is that misery and negativity are barely a head’s turn away and once you give it room, it becomes a permanent tenant and a difficult one to evict.

A lot of times when I am feeling down, I might brood for a while, but with training my mind to shut off the negative raps, I endeavour not to stew in it by getting engaged in little things that will uplift my mind and take the focus off me.

Not the easiest thing to do at times, but the alternative is worse.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha