Multiple Dreams…

November 3, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha22 Comments

Good evening. From BlogQTV, these are the headlines…yada, yada, blah, blah, blah…

The attraction of young unjaded bright eyes to legendary newscasters beaming their lovely dentition through our black and white television stoked a childish dream and aspiration.

“What did it feel like to speak into that microphone and have others listen to the words that came forth?” I was enthralled. I made my ever loving younger brothers my audience with my fabricated microphone of an empty plastic bottle 🙂

Then again, so did so many other things mesmerize me even things that turned out not to be good for me.

In my head, I often became a renowned newscaster, artist, actor, dancer, singer, sportswoman, astronaut, detective (yes I fancied myself a George in famous five, a Nancy Drew and even Sherlock Holmes at some point in time; I wrote a detective story and called myself Sherlocka Homer 😉

It was a case of whatever caught the fancy of this impressionable young child which I think was an excellent exercise. “I wonder if my younger siblings think so?”

I was always the nurse who gave the injections and they were my patients ;-), or the cop and they remained the bad guys.

Then came crunch time of university and choosing a course. Theatre Arts was vehemently refused by my parents. Back then in Nigeria, artistes were hungry and viewed as a bunch of charlatans.

Communication Arts was also not highly favoured. There was a need to have a prestigious lawyer in the house, so I tried to become one.

To cut a long story short, lawyer I am not. I have evolved into so many things over time and have learnt as I went along, “that though sometimes, life wants to chose what it wants you to become, you have to take pliers and grip that which you truly want.’‘

In response to NaBloPoMo prompt – Tuesday, November 3

What did you think was the coolest job in the world when you were younger? Do you still feel that way now?

A link to my neighbours/Community · Blogging · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · The Daily Post

This n’ That….its a variety

November 2, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha41 Comments

The word companionable is synonymous to gregarious and that is an adjective that would describe me fittingly, though I have my moody alone moments when I want to marinate in those horrible, leave me alone juices.

My spirits are perked up most of the time and as a companion to my gregarious personality, my taste runs to eclectic style in things, even with the blogs that I follow which are over Five Hundred in number and range from vibrant pictures, cute pets, sage counsels, wise quotes, health and wellness, security consciousness and so on.

They motivate and inspire me. They enlighten me by teaching new things. They take me places with the clicks of their cameras. They make me smile, laugh and cry and I am glad that I belong to these group of they.

A day spent going through this and that on my reader or email would find me dropping little likes and comments here and there. It finds me laughing, or with my brows furrowed in mindful thought. It finds me in awe or whispering a silent prayer in my heart for someone. I have close encounters with soothing sights and thoughts and belly rumbling bites teasing my eyes.

I truly don’t have a favorite, favorite blog, because I seek out what each blog as an entity has to offer and probably because my reading taste is also myriad, it is pretty difficult to narrow down on one choice. ”Never ask a mother to choose between her children.” Always know that with each day that passes, beautiful ones are born.”

It would be utterly boring if I had to stick to the same kind of blogs and all. A sprinkle of sparkles, a dash or colour blends better to make the muted grays more tolerable.

In response to The Daily Post prompt Companionable

Head to one of your favorite blogs. Write a companion piece to their penultimate post.

Blogging · Family · Life · Personal story

Growing Gains or should I say Pains?…Personal story

November 2, 2015November 3, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha50 Comments

Delving into my brain and trying to excavate a remembrance of a toy that my parents deprived me of in my archive of childhood memory bank, I come up a bit short.

Though I recollect begging off some Goody-Goody rubbery chocolate bite and Bazooka Joe chewing gum, from a childhood mate and wishing that I had my own kobo to purchase some. Those things were sweet!

It turned out that she had pinched some kobo’s from her mothers purse and the butt-cracking whoop she got sobered my aspirations in my head. You could hear her mothers paddling and querulous voice as well as my friends wailing in the entire neighbourhood.

Back then, your parents would discipline you openly and the auntie next door would probably chip in her own reprimand, to spice up matters. The fear and shame kept you on the straight and narrow for quite a long time. It was just the way things were.

My life was shaped with love, laughter, rebuke and encouragement and maybe I didn’t know better, but we hardly took much notice of material things that seemed lacking.

As a child, I was raised in a community where everyone was virtually at par in wealth. A decent home, a utility car to get you around, a university staff school for the children, a common playground and other haunts where we got up to all sorts of mischief.

In my minds eye, our parents pockets never overflowed with golden pennies but they provided the best of the basics and the little treats now and again, meant a whole lot.

Shopping malls did not dot the landscape as is obtainable these days and going to the few that existed then, was a treat in itself. Today’s digital gadgets were non-existent, even our television was a Black and White Grundig that came on only in the evenings after the National anthem and watching those cartoons was a privilege.

Most times, we amused ourselves creating our own kites, building cars from discarded tires, crocheting, skipping ropes, playing hopscotch, making pat-a-cakes from sand mounds, scrambling up mango or cashew trees and a myriad of things that children did.

Now and again, a friend would acquire a new toy doll or toy car and we shared in playing with it; of course with a promise to her/him that when he got ours, we would share with them as well.

Christmas and birthdays were beautiful and magical times spent with family and friends and then came the presents, usually something that was in vogue at that point in time. It seemed every little girl owned a rubber doll with sets of combs and what have you or a Raleigh bicycle with a little basket it front.

Now that I think of it, maybe the parents used to converge for a meeting to decide on the present theme for the year.

It was really a simpler life.

In response to NaBloPoMo November 2015 Prompts

Monday 2 November – What was the one toy that a friend had that you wished you had when you were little?

Image credit: Pinterest.

Blogging · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Musings · Weave that Dream

Powerful Positives….

October 23, 2015October 23, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha21 Comments

You can't live a positive life with a negative mind. How many chameleons can you see? — **You can’t live a positive life with a negative mind.**
**How many chameleons can you see?**

For me, it is a conscious effort to make and reflect on positive affirmations each day, so that I don’t get drowned in the sea of negative vibes and occurrences which pervades today’s life.

Not that I don’t get affected by the rotten stuff that life tosses, but I try to deal with it and move on. Worrying, adds no value. You can’t keep carrying an umbrella hoping that rain will fall, when the sun is shining brightly 😉

If I choose to dwell on the constant personal negative challenges that have stared me in the face, not only will I be swamped with complete disbelief in the wonder of life, but my life would be a total mess.

I try to mindfully apply certain quotes to my life and I will share some with you.

Today, I am going to do my best. I may not be there yet, but I am closer than I was yesterday.
Life is a gift. Never take it for granted1
Did you know that many butterflies can taste with their feet to find out whether the leaf they perch on is good to lay eggs?

A positive brain is 31% more productive than a negative, neutral or stressed brain.

You cannot start a new chapter in your life if you keep re-reading the last chapter. Move on to the next please! Thank you.

I am in no competition with anyone else but myself.

Believe that you can and you will!

All things work together, for my good!

This is the first quote in a series of three that I will share of the next three days in the quote challenge. Thank you for the invitation leannenz. I really enjoyed your first in the series of quotes. I would like to invite 3 awesome bloggers to share their favorite quotes in the series of 3.

OBA’s blog

Lucid Gypsy

Nadine

Random Pictures taken in Dubai

Watching OSN/National Geographic create the illusion of levitation.

Blogging · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Personal story · Success · The Daily Post · Writing

Brilliant Bulb…personal story

October 20, 2015October 21, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha38 Comments

Ever so often a brilliant bulb comes on in my head with an idea hovering within.

I am not the dullest knife in the pack, so my genie lamp does come on frequently you know 😉

Hatching good ideas seems to be a pastime, but the big question is what do I do with all the hatched ideas that I incubate?

Sometimes, nothing at all! A lot of times I share them with others who go forth to continue with the hatching!

Nevertheless, I have recorded a few successes here and there, one of such is that I am here talking to you!

Another happened several years ago, when my dear husband was on assignment in Lagos.

I wasn’t prepared to return to the formal workforce again, because I wanted to have time for my young ones. I looked around, saw the need to provide quality culinary and baking services, so I jumped in with my two feet.

It was not an easy feat with the ups and downs of Lagos, but the three years spent doing that business, were exhilarating, financially rewarding and extremely tasking.

I started out with a team of six staff, consisting of a cook, a baker and his assistant, a driver and service girls.

We started à la carte meal supplies to corporate enterprises that required our freshly made finger foods and huge pots of jollof rice, stew, pounded yam and soup etc for their workshops, training’s, meetings.

It was a crazy time. We would sometimes start work at 4:00a.m. in order to get every thing ready and deliver to the customer by lunch time and race through the infernal Lagos traffic jam with a customer calling every five seconds to know if you are almost there.

Sometimes, it required prepping stuff the day before in the evenings in order to meet deadlines.

I would come home worn out but satisfied and we got lots of referrals from satisfied customers.

Within the space of a year, I outgrew the space that I had rented inside the shopping complex and I needed to secure bigger space.

With money in my pocket I went hunting for land to purchase. Purchasing a parcel of land, I built and equipped a bakery and modern kitchen from scratch coupled with a little office for myself and a staff cloak/relaxing room.

Several learning obtained from the experience:

Catering business is a grueling business but financially rewarding!
You work harder to ensure the success of your own business than any other employment.
Learning how to effectively manage a retinue of 10 full time staff and several ad-hoc staff (the staff number grew within a year) with all their quirkiness.
Customer is key to your business. Keep your customer happy and you grow your business.
I actually started putting a cookery book together but….
I became not only a Business Owner, but also a Manager/Supervisor, Procurer, Human resources Officer, Accountant, Marketing Executive and all the hats that needed to be worn.
I invested and gained a property from the process.
I provided employment opportunity for others.
It gave me extreme satisfaction to prove the naysayers wrong. At the initial onset, even my husband was not too keen on the idea, until he saw me buy my first bus cash-down. NOT ON CREDIT! To obtain loan in this part of the World is no piece of cake, especially when a business is viewed as a new venture.

When I started building the bakery/kitchen without any form of loan but the sweat from my brows, he was amazed at my tenacity and success.

Sadly, our nomadic lifestyle of moving from one Continent to the other made it unfeasible to effectively run this business from afar.

Another day, we could share more brilliant bulb ideas over a cup of coffee!

Now I am looking at other possible ventures, let me go and put on my thinking cap.

In response to The Daily Post prompt Brainwave

What’s the best idea you’ve ever had? Regale us with every detail of the idea — the idea itself, where it came to you, and the problem it solved.

Blogging · Devotions · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Tips for the day · Weave that Dream

Your Time, Your Light, Your Life…

October 18, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha42 Comments

Try not to waste time on darkness that robs you of your light!

How you spend your time, defines who you are or who you become!

Some people suffer from major ego-dysfunction and seem to dwell only in dark, negative auras; that once you get sucked in, they rob you of the light and energy that you require for yourself and others!

They are not interested in your time nor the positive energy that you channel to them, but the narcissistic pleasure they derive from waste!

Remember that change cannot be forced down a person’s throat! That person has to desire the change itself, because true change starts from within to without!

You may share your empathy with all, but choose wisely those who dine in the inner cores of your heart!

Use your light for greater good, your life will be better for it!

Wasting your time is simply wasting your life!

Protect your time. It is your life!

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Blogging · Devotions · Hope · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Inspiration - Motivation · Love · The Daily Post

Soothing, Still Healing Waters….

October 15, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha18 Comments

I get to be a Patron or should I say a Matron Saint? You don’t say!

What an honour! I would like to be the Matron Saint of the Healing Waters!

It would be a glorious opportunity to serve Christ and my Saintly powers will be synonymous with healing of all ailments which is the bane of mankind; in all its forms and ramifications.

I need no unnecessary fanfare or dodgy attention of business men who will try to peddle stuff in my saintly name.

There will be no hocus-pocus, quackery or questionable required acts involved. Just effective healing in the soothing, still pristine waters for those who seek me out.

It would be sufficient reward to see faces etched in smiles from the healing and regained health of suffering souls (and of course, no dropping of garbage in my pristine waters please).

I have seen enough homes and hearts pierced with wedges of cancer and the likes; mine included!

Now that would indeed be a dream 🙂

In response to The Daily Post prompt TRUE SAINT

In 300 years, if you were to be named the patron saint of X, what would you like X to be? Places, activities, objects — all are fair game.

Blogging · Hope · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Inspiration - Motivation · Weave that Dream

A Little Dream Coming Real Before My Eyes….

October 13, 2015October 13, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha87 Comments

Whoot! Whoot! You don’t say! My 200th Blogging Milestone post is in!

I feel like floating out of my seat and singing loudly and off-key too!

I didn’t set out to hit this mark so soon just after hitting my 100th blogging milestone on the 8th of September, but I just did it!

I am truly surprised because according to the timeline/goals that I had set for myself, I expected to get here by the end of the December. Naturally, I expected to gain a few more blogging friends as I went along, but I have managed to exceed my own humble expectations.

I personally don’t like putting too much expectation out there and wearing my heart on my sleeves; that way, I won’t feel particularly disappointed or perturbed if things are a bit slow.

To have started this 5 months ago and happily sustained a tempo is what really makes me glad. I had expected the fascination to wane a bit, but not yet! It has only grown stronger by the day.

The desire to write solidifies more and more.

I take a closer look at my posts and found that in September alone, I had churned out 86 posts and this month 29 posts so far! I firmly believe that Blogging University contributed a grand deal to this scheme and I would like to encourage anyone having second thoughts to give it a shot.

I also look at my stats and yes I am pleased to bits. I try not to check it too often – maybe once a week to decipher which day or what article came out strong.

Compared to my 100th post which took me 3 months from May to September to arrive at and my stats stood at:

I am celebrating my 100 posts, my 192 blogger friends, my 4,247 followers and my 5,220 stats on this blog.

TODAY:

I celebrate, my 200th blogging milestone, my 435 blogger friends, 6,556 followers and my 12,327 stats! More than a double jump in a month and 5 days!

To say the least, I am very happy! No! my bank account did not swell from blogging and that has never been the reason why I started blogging in the first place; if it comes as time goes on, of course, I will celebrate that too.

Have a cupcake with me, its virtually fat-free

I like to dream realizable dreams and though this might not mean much to some big bloggers, it means a lot to me!

I will not despise my little beginnings, because we all have to start from somewhere.

The magic that it holds for me is that I got up from dreaming about it, to actualizing it! Well that’s a little dream come true for me!

My heart swells from meeting so many of you. To some of you, I have already imagined who they are in real face time based on our exchanges and their blogging voices and I so hope, that maybe one day in the future of WordPress, we may be opportune to encounter in real face time.

To all of you, I do say thanks. Thank you for the encouragement. Thank you for the smiles. Thank you for adopting me in this community of well meaning individuals.

I Thank God most of all for the sustenance and Grace.

Now let me go and hoot my horn and make some noise in my house 😉

Dancing cartoon gif courtesy: picgifs.com

A link to my neighbours/Community · Blog Awards · Blogging · Inspiration - Motivation

These Blings Of Mine…

October 11, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha47 Comments

The Laurels are multiplying by the day and it is really time that I attend to them.

My sincere apologies to my dear good blogging neighbours who have nominated me for these 15 awards for my delay in responding.

I appreciate each of you individually and collectively as a community of encouraging, motivating, inspiring, fun loving and wise people.

I may not have met any of you in the flesh, but to a large extent, your words do speak for who you are and I would like to refer to y’all as those that I call ”FINE GENTRY.”

Due to the fact that it would be inundating to take these nominations one by one and my desire not to drive my friends batty with spurious award posts, I will have to break so many rules and merge these laurels of mine into one fine post.

Please stay seated whilst I give my speech 😉

First and foremost, I would like to thank the following awesome bloggers who nominated me for:

Blogger Recognition Award

For this nomination, I thank the following bloggers enlisted below:

 Cathy Lynn Brooks, Carol of Designing Life,KAT BLOGS Spontaneous Whimsy, Pancake Bunnykins

Creative Blogger Award

For this nomination, I thank the following bloggers enlisted below:

I care, U care, Velissima, Theshivasponder

Versatile Blogger

For this nomination, I thank I care, U care  .

Sunshine Blogger Award

For this nomination, I thank:Anand of Blabberwockying

Infinity Dreams Award

For this nomination, I thank I care, U care  .

Leibster Award

For this nomination, I thank the following bloggers enlisted below:

Wife who writes, EttaD Keeping up appearances,

Premio Dardos Award

For this nomination, I thank I care, U care  .

The Rules of Engagement:

Select other blogs you want to give the award to.
You cannot nominate yourself or the person who has nominated you.
Write a post to show your award.
Give a brief story of how your blog started.
Give a piece of advice or two to new bloggers.
Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Attach the award to the post (right click and save, then upload).
Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them.
Provide a link to the award post you created.

Questions:

A brief about my blog.

Answer: I started my blog precisely on the 6th of May, 2015. My synopsis for starting this blog are: to meet other people who can enrich my mind through their stories and posts. An avenue to share my stories and thoughts and also as a medium of honing my writing skills, whilst developing the discipline of writing everyday.

A piece of advise to new bloggers.

Answer: My advise to new bloggers (I am still one by the way) is to write from within; from their hearts and not an attempt to be a copy of another blogger. That is unsustainable and would probably end up being disappointing. Keep your eyes away from the statistics at the onset. It is worse than watching paint dry. Write your post, then go out and engage with other bloggers. Visit other blogs and generally mingle. Attend as many blogging courses as time permits you. Don’t be a stranger!

Five facts about myself:

Answer:

I speak French and I love children’s coloured books (yes I said it! I think I am still a child at heart.
This may not make sense, but I sincerely believe that all things work together for my own good – even the bad experiences, even when I don’t see the sense in them. I know that God knows!
I am not yet a published author, but hope to be one in the near future.
I love to dance and yes, I am probably one of those that you have to peel off the dance floor of a party. As long as the DJ is playing the right tunes, I am hopping to it 😉
I used to model as a teenager and in my early twenties and sometimes, I wonder how different or the same my life would have been if I had continued modelling.

What do you like most about the present situation?

Answer: The fact that I am writing consistently these days. That I am at peace with myself.

Which is your best memory?

Answer: I hardly ever think of things as the best, because I always feel that something better might turn around the corner, but I think so far, my childhood days are my best memories.

Do you feel you are at peace with yourself?

Answer: I think I answered in the first question before getting here. Yes indeed, I am at peace with myself.

Who is your guide, guru or counselor?

Answer: I have no human that fills that category. My Bible serves as my spiritual guide. My mother and husband serve as my human counselors and then I read a ton of books written by renowned motivators and counselors.

What makes you feel very good?

Answer: I try not to base my feeling good on the conditions of anything because life as we know it can get very sporadic, but I feel good when I set out to achieve something and succeed in doing so, even if they are menial, daily tasks.

Which quality or habit in your life do you like the most about yourself?

Answer: For quality I would say my empathetic and resilient spirit and for habit, I think my reading habits.

Who are your source of inspiration?

Answer: The word of God and my mother again. This is because she is one of the most generous humans I have ever met. Her faith in God always appears as solid as a rock in my eyes (maybe, she might have her doubts, but she never voices them). I don’t know if it means that I am not ambitious enough, but other people’s wealth does not really inspire me. What inspires me is how much they have positively impacted the lives of those around them.

What is the role of gratitude in your life?

Answer: In everything, I always try to give thanks. Gratitude turns what we have into enough and more. A grateful heart knows a lot of happiness.

Has blogging enriched your life? How?

Answer: Yes, in so many ways it has enriched my life. My blogging path has crossed those of other people who I may never have been opportune to meet. It serves as a personal source of accountability because it has kept my mind focused on writing.

What is your greatest talent?

Answer: I am still on a journey of self discovery and evolution. Maybe, I may still chance on a box of tricks hidden somewhere.

Without any obligations because I appreciate how long it takes to respond to these nominations, my Nominees, in no particular order are:

Smiling away allergies

Sshh, Maddy is Writing

Please check through the Awards and choose ONE that most appeals to you.

My 10 questions:

What makes you happy?
If your life was turned into a movie, what actor would play you?
What’s your favorite memory?
What is your greatest strength or weakness?
What do you feel most proud of?
What is your favorite music?
If you could only keep 5 possessions, what would they be?
If you win a lottery what would you do?
What are you most afraid of?
How would your friends describe you?

Enjoy and kind regards.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Blogging · Inspiration - Motivation · The Daily Post

A view through the looking glass…

October 6, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha41 Comments

The intent of my blog acookingpotandtwistedtales is to serve as a virtual reflection of my true personality. It is my Alter Ego. Like it’s name indicates, it is a platform that I use to share the little stories that I have a natural flair to come up with. It is an avenue to share a bit of myself, what I feel, pray for, fear, think, love and rant about.

In brief, it could be described as a melange of bits and pieces of me and bits and pieces of the human stories that surround us.

I find daily inspiration in the things that surround me, the day to day human life that I witness.

I chose my Matala Theme because I love the fact that it is not bland. I don’t do bland. I love vibrancy and splashes of colour. Having a theme that reflects such colours with a dash of whimsy which is exhibited by the pastel twisted vines reached out from the very first day and curled around my senses.

Even though I upgraded the status of my blog and tried out other themes for size, I still choose to keep this theme because of how I feel about it. It is my abode and I should be very comfortable in it.

My thoughts reflect my optimistic views about life and my beliefs. I am in constant search for the positives in every situation, for the rays of sunshine and hope, for succour and healing, for laughter and dreamy, for the miracle of life itself and the joy of living.

I don’t like to dwell on so much darkness that can be found in some people. It weighs down the soul.

I do not want to sound like a goody-two shoes because I am far from that! In as much as I stand firm in my beliefs, I still have sharp sheathed claws and can turn into a Mama Bear once I sense any danger to my well-being or that of my family. I still haven’t learnt how to turn the other cheek or to play possum and pretend dead.

Looking through my blog, I find that I am driven to show the reflection of a warm, wholesome, down-to-earth, upstanding human, who is not far removed from my physical self. I sincerely believe that our thoughts are a reflection of who we are and I am glad that so far my blog continues to exude that warmth and friendliness that is synonymous to me. I can strike up a conversation with a total stranger and you would think that we have known each other for a long time.

I pray to remain a realistic source of inspiration, motivation, and strength. A loyal friend that would always lend a listening ear and share any wise counsel that I may have.

To be like your best pair of old feet snuggies/warmers; without the pinch 🙂

In response to The Daily Post Mirror, mirror on the wall.

Think of your blog as a mirror: what does it reveal? Consider your blog name, theme choice, design, bio, posts… what does every element tell you about yourself?