Midnight Motivations and Musings # 31

March 12, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

At some point in time every one fails in one thing or the other that they strive to achieve. It only becomes failure when we refuse to rise up from the debunked attend and forge ahead.

The worst disservice that you can do to yourself, is to muck about and wallow in that sense of defeat hanging like the Sword of Damocles over your head.

It will take you to the cleaners, squeeze you for all it’s worth, leave you dirty, down and out.

I tried to say the quote in a humourous way, but I am sure you get the message. If you give him an inch, he will take a whole yard.

Get up, dust off yourself and crawl along.

Featured Posts #18… Let me share your links.

March 12, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha6 Comments

Today’s featured blogs are:

Don’t take yourself too seriously Are you Lydia? It’s possible that you are? Buki’s post makes me think of all my Lydia moments.

The view from my window A beautiful blog with lovely perspectives.

Hookup cultures Quite an interesting relationship blog. I like it’s openness.

Introducing Jennies joyful jots and just as the name connotes, these are inspiring and joyful jots from Jenny.

Non-smoking lady bug I totally enjoy her humourous and thought provoking posts.

Please visit their blogs and say hello. A few minutes may gain you a friendly support.

Do you want more eyes on your words?

Well then, add your LINK into this loop.

P.S. Comments are disabled here to keep the loop tidy. Any comments or link you want to send can be added through the link in the post.

Thank you for your understanding and regards.

‘We create a cohesive community when we come together.’

Fiction · Short Stories

Divine Missteps…

March 12, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha21 Comments

Mabel is now at the Autumn of her life, watching the sun-rises and the sun-sets while filling her days with little chores, knitting and waiting for her loved ones to visit.

Christmas is just a few weeks away and she can feel it in her bones already.

Some days, her arthritic pains plagued her, but today is a good day. Her children and their spouses will be arriving soon for their fortnightly dinner.

They had taken it upon themselves to share their visits in batches and come more often since their father passed on.

She preferred to keep her house and didn’t want to move in with any of her children so as not to cramp their style.

Christmas brought special memories and was chock full of nostalgia for her.

Her life with Dan started 43 years ago during Christmas until a misstep on the ladder 3 years past, had sent him in throes of pain with a slipped disc and down the slippery slope of one medical issue or the other until he slept off peacefully.

She recalls mirthfully, how their romance started so many years back. It had all began with a misstep as well.

As she walked down the pews after communion that Sunday morning, Dan had suddenly placed his long leg in her path and an attempt to side step found her tripping and sprawling in Church to her utter dismay.

She had been beetroot red in the face as he stood, all 6 ft 4 inches of him to help her up. He apologized so nicely and that was it. They fell in love and their beautiful union produced five wonderful children.

She always said that an Angel had a hand in placing Dan’s big feet on her path, that the misstep was a benevolent high point and divine orchestration in her life.

Thoughts of Dan always filled her with bitter-sweet emotions.

The ring of voices at the door, alerted her of their arrival. She could hear little Dan’s chatter.

Her four year old grand-son is a spitting image of his grandpa.

The Daily Post prompt misstep.

Personal

A ball of sadness in me…Streams of Consciousness Saturday.

March 12, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha25 Comments

Linda mentions ‘ball’ as today’s prompt and I think of the different balls that I am playing with right now.

The fleeting thought of my young sons ball comes to my mind and I pray his fever will break so that he can play happily.

It’s my birthday tomorrow and I should be preparing to have a ball, but I am just not feeling it.

A few days ago, I was excited and gearing for an awesome day and I still hope to, but when you have a child a little bit down, the last thing on your mind is a ball.

However the big ball that forms in my stomach makes me feel so sad and almost reluctant to talk about it.

As much as I can, I avoid race talks because it only stirs up strong emotions.

Last night a friend sent a video of a black girl being pushed around and insulted and insulted by some guy’s – white.

I wanted to stop watching it, but I continued. By the end of that short video, I had tears in my eyes and just felt so heavy.

I can’t even begin to articulate all the thoughts that went through my head.

My question has always been, are we not all human? Why are some people like this? What’s the benefit of such ugliness and discrimination?

We claim to be different, to be enlightened, we claim not being racists, yet at every turn it stares us in the face.

These boys who pushed a young girl about and called her ugly names, learnt it from somewhere and most likely their homes.

Racism is learnt ‘cos no child is born that way.

I have no answers just a ball of sadness that sits in me and I obviously went to bed with that thought and it’s been more so on my mind after watching the fiasco of American campaign trails in Chicago.

I strive to teach my children to work hard and rise up and above expectations.

I try to teach them that before God all men are equal.

I try to teach them to embrace life with an open mind, but sometimes society makes playing this ball so hard.

Lifestyle

I am learning to eat to live…TGBOL

March 12, 2016March 12, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

I knew that I was forgetting something and that’s The Great Book Of Lists.

This week’s word is about food. My favourite dishes and more.

I like food, no doubts about that but the strange thing is that I am also not finicky about it.

I am adventurous as well, as long as it’s not a live squiggly creature.

The shameful truth * with my eyes covered* is that I would probably prefer to eat desserts 365 days of my life to proper food.

Cooked food bores me easily especially since I do the cooking and this hasn’t helped my weight struggle. After cooking for my household, I will reach for a piece of croissant or cookies.

It’s been a struggle to break that cycle and I am trying to find ways of eating better.

That being said, there are some dishes that are constant faves of mine and I will resist adding the sweets 😉

Jollof rice is a one-pot rice dish popular in many West African countries, eaten whenever desired.

Party Jollof rice with plantain and moin-moin

2. Nigerian porridge beans and fried plantain

3. Oha soup and pounded yam is a traditional soup made from cocoyam paste, Oha vegetable, dry fish, meat and other condiment.

4. Soft boiled yam and egg sauce

5. Pepper soup is a special peppery broth, made with a mix of spices, lots of pepper, and scraps of meat, most especially goat meat.

6. Isi ewu is another delicacy prepared with special spices and the severed head of a goat, cut into little bits.

7. Peppered Gizzard

8. Blueberry pancakes with maple syrup

9. Chilli bean soup

10. Mashed potatoes, mushroom sauce and steak.

11. Lasagna with lots of cheese and ground beef.

12. I love Pasta.. in all forms

P.S. Images borrowed from Nairaland and Pinterest.

Photographs · Uncategorized

A little bit of love…

March 12, 2016March 12, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha10 Comments

The Daily Post Photo prompt One Love.

A big street art depicting harmony that had scribbles and signatures of thousands of people. We appended ours 😊

Large mural of a wedding party. It couldn't fit on my screen. — Large mural of a wedding party. It couldn’t fit on my screen.

A candy box of goodies received from my dear Himself 😙

Uncategorized

Featured Post 17….Let me share your links.

March 12, 2016 jacquelineobyikochaLeave a comment

Have a great weekend. Take a peek at these links. Kind regards

a cooking pot and twisted tales

Today’s featured blogs are:

Encounter Element shares a post that i think we all need to read. A snippet of her words ‘Throughout our lives we will leave a little bit of ourselves with everyone we encounter on our journey. At the end of this lifetime it will not matter whether we became famous or rich. It won’t matter how much education we achieved. It won’t matter if we lived in the “right” neighborhood, who we may have married or what we did for a living. The only two things that will matter is what did we learn and what was it that we left behind.’

A little teacup Beautiful Jennifer is one of my fave poets in this space. Her words are always flavourful and no matter how short the prose, it always packs a good oomph about it.

Just me please The fantastic pictures on this travel blog…

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Uncategorized

Midnight Motivations and Musings # 30…

March 11, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha15 Comments

With the advent of social media, the success of people’s lives are now measured on how glossy they look on instagram, Facebook and other platforms.

Are they living it up? Are they performing feats to the glee and cheer of the crowd, almost turning it into a comedy and circus of sorts, inadvertently pushing peoples boundaries, especially the younger impressionable generation, to aim for the outrageous in order to feel any dint of success or fame.

The failure in realizing and appreciating those little goals that we’ve achieved on the road to the bigger one is ingratitude.

Living is a risk and each day well-lived is a peak climbed. No day should be taken for granted in the search of only the glossy, adrenaline/dopamine filled days.

Don’t let anyone undermine your fruitful days. Sometimes, behind all the glossy finish that is shown off lies murky ripples and misery untold.

The little everyday conquests we make in our living are our peaks.

Enjoy your moments.

Short Stories · Uncategorized

The Angry Goddess…

March 11, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

Each day the fishermen set off to the river in search of their daily bread. It took longer and longer, and they had to go further and further for reasonable catch.

Over recent years the harvest has dwindled as the flow of the Nguru was interrupted in unnatural ways and the villagers were unhappy.

The river had many tales to tell. Once it flows past, it never came back that way again, but continued on its journey through the winding villages out to the sea.

The big companies had come with their massive artillery.

They were searching for the gems of ancient days that they believed were hidden in watery coves.

They soiled the water and killed the living things that called Nguru their home.

Simbata the River Goddess is in a rage.

They have turned her domain into a place of greed, avarice and destruction.

She planned to flow over the banks, through the tributaries and into the house’s.

It was time to speak out her displeasure.

The Daily Post prompt flow.

Uncategorized

Featured Post 17….Let me share your links.

March 11, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha1 Comment

Today’s featured blogs are:

A little teacup Beautiful Jennifer is one of my fave poets in this space. Her words are always flavourful and no matter how short the prose, it always packs a good oomph about it.

Just me please The fantastic pictures on this travel blog will keep you looking for days. Chock-full of travel tips, budgets and all.

Life of an El Paso woman A lovely eclectic blog of filled with vibrancy of music, people and places, social issues, Hispanic culture and much more. You’ve got to step in and find out yourself.

A happy day Roaming Urban Gypsy and her brother takes us on a visit to the Brooklyn museum. Say hello.

Please visit their blogs and say hello. A few minutes may gain you a friendly support.

Do you want more eyes on your words?

Well then, add your LINK into this loop.

P.S. Comments are disabled here to keep the loop tidy. Any comments or link you want to send can be added through the link in the post.

Thank you for your understanding and regards.

‘We create a cohesive community when we come together.’