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We Are Frowning Goats!…

November 28, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

In my young mind, when my grandma used Igbo (African) proverbs like ”no matter how much a goat frowned its face, its owner still had to take it to the market to sell’‘ I literally thought she was talking about her goats.

She used to raise some goats that were either sold or killed to celebrate special occasions, and I recall looking at the faces of the goats with curious eyes to determine how they frowned.

It took maturity for it to dawn on me that the proverb was meant to address issues that we were either dodging to do or were difficult to do, yet they needed to be done.

Maybe, I should liken myself to the frowning goat in the proverb above.

For the past few days including today; though today has been super-charged busy for me, I have found every busy reason to dodge sitting down and working on my book.

I know that I could find half an hour to squeeze in yet…

Well, I say to myself, the book will not write itself lady!

Get moving! No matter how many excuses made it still has to get done right?

Like my people would also say; ”if the child likes, he should play pranks all day, his portion to weed at the farm will still wait for him.”

I am sure there are other frowning billy and nanny goats as well as pranksters like my dear self, who are using all the bucking tactics available to skirt around the needful 😉 ‘fess up to your misdeeds and lets get it rolling.

Once again, izzyasabee thank you for the invitation to take part in the three quote challenge which I have concluded and will be moving on to the next round of invitation from Vincent Wambua.

I call on these gems of my blogging World to join the fun.

Thomas Dohling

Kat blogs

SarahC

Musings · Quotes For You · Writing

My Best Material Possessions…

November 27, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha33 Comments

Whenever someone asks me what the best purchase I ever made was, I wonder why my mind simply drifts to the books that I have read and those that I look forward to reading?

Books are such ordinary things to call prized possessions, yet no gemstones like them have I found. Does this happen to you too?

My mind traces back to those books that have imparted valuable knowledge and fed my eclectic taste and senses.

I am always hard pressed to think of other material belongings that give me as much pleasure as my books and my Kindle does.

Is it my diamond encrusted ring? I do love it so and it always glows on my finger and makes me smile.

They say that diamonds are a girls best friend but I am still not yet so sure if it is truly mine. I appreciate it’s value but it is yet to speak to me.

Is it my latest pair of LV slippers? Yes they are certainly popping beautiful feet candy but not my prized possession.

Is it the fantastic new perfume of mysterious origin that I discovered at the Souk?

I have no idea what the name of the perfume means, since it is written in Arabic, but I must tell you that the fragrance is divine.

The list could go on and on but if the truth be told, none of these other things gives me the depth of satisfaction that books I have read gave me.

When I buy a book, it’s like I found a new friend. I usually can’t wait to curl up on my sofa or bed to get acquainted.

I always think that the cover of a book is like a door. Which gives me delightful glimpses of where I have not been before.

Sometimes it casts a spell, tickles, teaches or chastises. I always wonder when I knock what welcome there will be.

This little poem I wrote a while back will tell you more of my thoughts about books.

So what’s your best purchase of recent? Do share the fun, whatever that may be 🙂

NaBloPoMo prompt – Friday, November 27

What’s the best purchase you ever made?

Blogging · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Musings · Quotes For You · Weave that Dream

I am Jacqueline Of All Trades and not a Boring Bumkum!..

November 25, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha25 Comments

How would you feel if you are at a cocktail party or any social gathering, where several chit-chats are going on in small circles and you are stuck with a Mr/Ms Know-it-all, who is busy spouting boring bunkum over a singular topic that would probably put you to sleep at the get go; no matter how much you try to steer them into a more interesting topic?

Your ears will twitch and strain in a giraffic eavesdropping attempt to catch morsels of discussion going on across the room, where every body looks animatedly engaged, while you nod in mindless agreement to phrases and lip movement’s of a conversation that lost your attention 2 minutes after it started

I bet you, once you think it is polite enough, you would definitely find the quickest and possibly a dumb excuse; usually a visit to the rest-room always comes in handy, then make a fast get-away, only to slink back in and go over to join the merry crowd who are laughing off their heads and having a swell time.

I definitely don’t want to be that boring bunkum that you want to escape from!

I love to know bits and pieces of this and that, even if I don’t know all of them with the proficiency of an expert, at least let me know enough to hold a sensible, intelligent and entertaining discourse.

Certainly, there are people who are designed to be experts in physics and geology and what not but, I am simply not one of them!

My interests are so diverse that sometimes I wonder when on Earth I am going to be able to experience doing them all!

Serious consideration on making a bucket list as long as ever, is currently on-going on my part, so that I can start prioritizing those things that I want to do or learn to the best of my ability and for my own pleasure.

Maybe it is due to my spirit that seeks to find beauty and fulfillment in everything that I see that pushes my desire for a bit of knowledge of diverse things.

I would rather have a spicy and flavorful life of bits and pieces of knowledge than a staid, cold custard of expertise.

NaBloPoMo Prompt – November 25, 2015

Do you think its better to be a recognized expert for one thing or known to be really good at a lot of things.

A link to my neighbours/Community · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Musings · Quotes For You · Tips for the day · Weave that Dream

Stretching The Vision….

November 24, 2015 jacquelineobyikochaLeave a comment

Our external vision are absolutely important, but without our internal vision we are more or less blind.

One’s internal vision acts like a compass, steering wheel and rudder that directs our sweet spirits, whispering through our lives with guidance and grace.

Our internal vision can be nurtured even beyond what our physical eyes can behold and our expectations.

Have you ever wondered how some of those who have challenged physical capabilities are able to do exceeding great things?

It is from their internal vision.They nourish and nurture it constantly despite adversity.

They walk by faith and not by sight.

What are you doing to build, foster, nurture and encourage your internal vision?

What are you looking at?

Remember that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he!

Thank you izzyasabee for inviting me for a round of 3 day quote challenge. I appreciate the opportunity.

I will equally invite these 3 awesome bloggers to join the quote challenge.

Nedoux

Emma of Shut that negative noise off!

Mary of MLou’s photography blog

Inspiration - Motivation · Musings · Personal story · Quotes For You

The Game Of Best…

November 23, 2015November 23, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha29 Comments

There are no two ways about it, the utmost thing that I do better than anyone else is being myself.

I am an original of who I am and not a poor quality copy of someone else – well, except bits of my parents, who did the very needful to create me 😉

It is important to reaffirm this to oneself time and again, especially in voyeuristic recent times where the over-zealous drive to be perfect seems to increase more and more.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in striving to be the best that one can be, but there is something wrong in getting carried off in the drift of trying to be too many people at the same time; even a persons brain will surely get wonky and tired from the ping-pong of living lives or attempting to live lives that don’t belong to us.

I may not be particularly adept at doing somethings that other people are very good at doing or being better than anyone as a matter of fact.

What I know for sure is that whatever interest that I develop, I try to put in the best of my ability and my real competitor is myself because I keep pushing my boundaries and keep aspiring to improve on my standards.

When we look at our palms, no two finger prints are the same, likewise, all fingers are definitely not equal. Each is characteristically different and that is how all human are different.

It is a foolhardy, frustrating, exhausting and stress inducing process to keep comparing notes and juggling the attempts to beat others.

There will always be someone better at one thing or the other.

Trying to be the very best at whatever your game is the first part of being the best and I must reiterate that in the game of best, being the best authentic you that you can be is better than being a confused nobody.

NaBloPoMo Prompt – Monday, November 23

What do you do better than anyone else?

Haiku · Monday Motivations · Poetry/Poems · Quotes For You · Tips for the day

Lounging Recasts!

November 23, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha14 Comments

Around comes Monday, Quick, so Fast!

The Weekend is simply not so Vast!

Well! Its time to live now and forget the Last!

Till next Friday and another lounging Recast!

The picture above – Quick Forgotten History and Fact:

More than a thousand years ago, on a hill in Cordoba, Abass Ibn Firnas, the first Aviator, boldly set out to do what no man had done before. He was ready to test the first flying machine in recorded history.

It’s lovely to start the week and each day as a matter of fact with positive outlook. I find Leannenz Monday memes interesting.

A link to my neighbours/Community · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Little rants · Quotes For You · Societal Issues

When One Finger Picks Oil….

November 22, 2015November 22, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

Blanket Race or Religious castigating remarks always feed off the wilful, ugly actions of the misguided among us in society.

These actions earn names and virulent comments from those who perfect the act of positing themselves as armchair judges, pointing fingers, pontificating and lumping people under labels.

In fairness to others, we should learn to stop herding and lumping people into categories to suit our lack of open-mindedness and to satisfy our cravings for ”I told you so’s” as is the case of an African proverb that says “when one finger picks palm oil, it spreads to the rest.”

It is a given and natural phenomenon that the influence of one’s upbringing and society will not only rub off on them, but will dictate and shape their views, behavioral tendencies and if this is the case, then it stands to reason that the individual is not necessarily to blame for how they turn out, but the society at large and their upbringing.

Who are society? We! We form society and not aliens from Mars.

What have we done as a society to improve these situations that we find ugly, which keeps perpetuating itself until they are fast replacing the normal with the abnormal?

Since we are too busy being politically correct, we are all to blame.

If we truly love and want to change our World as much as we claim, is this not then the time to stop playing Possum and to stop hiding our heads in the sand?

Is it not yet time for Muslim leaders to stand as one voice and castigate the bad eggs who perpetrate evil in the name of Islam?

Is it not yet time for the people to question the status-quo and raise eyebrows at those who do these so-called brainwashing?

Is it not yet time for Christians to open their hearts and express that love that we profess?

Is it not yet time for every Religious leader worth his salt to speak up and condemn these inhumane practices and other behavioural tendencies that hurts the society at large?

Or, have they lost their essence as the salt of the Earth?

Is it not time for the arm-chair pontificators to get off their butts and do something more useful other than to be judgmental?

Let us steadfastly attempt in seeking positive ways to do better things for the benefit of our society and not by the spate of ugly words spouting off peoples mouth all over the place.

Today, I will share these African proverbs with you, which should help us realize that our little works can have ripple effects since we are not in isolation and that:

”It takes a village to raise a child.’‘

”If your child is dancing clumsily, tell him, my child you are dancing clumsily. Don’t not tell him “darling, do as you please.”

”A child is what you put inside him.”

”One should shout when a child comes home with a stolen egg, otherwise the day he comes with a stolen ox, it will be too late.”

We are society. Let us stand for the truth.

Thank you Chape for providing the opportunity to enjoy ruminating over these proverbs. I would encourage you to visit his blog. You will find lots of useful fitness tips and neighbourliness.

My invitation extends to these 3 awesome bloggers:

Ngobesing Romanus of Success Inspirer

Tony Burgess

Beth at Nutsrok

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Image credit: Pinterest

Family · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Love · Quotes For You · Social Issues · Success

A Nanny Goat and Her Young Ones….

November 19, 2015November 19, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

When we analyze the state of things and how it appears that norms and values, respect and everything have been eroded, it also occurs to me that as adults, parents, custodians and educators of the young ones under our care, we are equally failing in passing on these expected values, right norms, respect and all that is deemed to constitute a responsible human onto these young ones.

Behavioural skills, social norms and beliefs are learnt and they do not grow on trees. They are acquired through constant teaching and emulation. A child is only radicalized through the teachings of an adult or someone in a position of respect. A child is equally taught respect from early days!

The younger generation did not wake up spoilt! Not at all!

We the older generation loaded them with ammunition like kegs of gunpowder and it takes just a strike of a match for them to combust.

They watch and learn from us, add their own individuality and whatever the end result turns into is a product of that.

In essence a child is a by-product of his/her upbringing and society.

We should therefore hold ourselves 90% responsible for the spate of violence, moral decadence, loss of respect and every other vice that rears up its ugly head in today’s World.

We should not lose sight of the fact that we wield a lot of authority in helping these young ones form, therefore we should exercise it in the right manner.

A lot of times, when I take a look today at the my own life cycle, it does not fail to occur to me that the tenets which I have held mostly onto are those ones inculcated in me in my formative years and I daresay that those tenets are the ones that kept me from sinking, even when I furiously dug pits that could have caved in on me. “When a child is raised in the way that he should go, when he grows, he will not depart from it.”

Let me share a couple of African proverbs for today, and bid you a good day.

”When the nanny goat eats grass, it’s young ones watch her mouth and imitate.”

”If a child shoots an arrow that reaches the top of a tall palm tree, then it must be that an elderly person carved the bow and arrow for him.”

”The instruction of a child in youth is like engraving on a stone.”

”When a mother hen has been caught and killed, her chicks become easy prey.”

Once again, Chape thank you for inviting me to the quotes challenge. I shall extend the same courtesy to these awesome bloggers:

Danny

Maria Jansson

Jennifer Calvert

Kind regards,

Creative Writing · Devotions · Family · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Love · Quotes For You

A Single Palm Frond Cannot Weave A Basket…

November 17, 2015November 17, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha23 Comments

Honestly, I enjoy quotes because these short words tell succinctly, lessons that an entire book may be unable to tell. Thank you Chape for inviting me for a round of 3 quote challenge.

Events of the past couple of days have made me dwell so much more on thoughts of unity and prayer, because as we know very well that, in unity we stand, but in division we fall.

I remember when we were much younger and would get into squabbles with each other, my mother was the constant peace broker and she would use simple demonstrations to teach us certain things. Let me share one of them with you.

We had several old woven baskets which were used for storing spices or herbs in the house and she would fetch two of these baskets which were special handiwork of Nsukka tribeswomen – it’s weaving was not so intricate yet effective.

She loosened a bit of the frond at one end and asked each of us to pull at a strand, and the basket unraveled.

‘‘Can one palm frond make a basket?” She inquired.

”NO, Ma!” We answered in unison.

Comparing the unraveled basket and the one that stood intact, she asked us which one was useful in its state and we pointed at the one which was still intact.

”You are one when you stand together and you would be of good use.” ”When you choose to unravel and stand alone, you serve no purpose to anyone and you are weakened because your frond can be bent and broken, while the fronds that are intact cannot be broken together.” She intoned.

Let us remember to band together in prayers, in wisdom, in strength and in positivity to be of good use.

On that note, I will leave you with these African proverbs:

”If you wish to go quickly you go alone, but if you wish to go far, you go together.”

”When trees stand together they make a forest.”

”When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.”

”Two ants do not fail to pull one grasshopper.”

I would like to invite these awesome bloggers to participate in the quote challenge:

Dr Meg Sorick

anghulinghugotero

Maria Holm

A link to my neighbours/Community · Family · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Personal story · Quotes For You · Weave that Dream

How much?…

November 13, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha32 Comments

Haggling is an art! To live in an African society with it’s rowdy markets, you need to perfect the art of haggling over goods.

Recollections of days spent traipsing after mother or grandma at the market, trudging from pillar to post haggling over goods in order to get the best bargains makes me smile.

It was never a straight journey!

Purchases were made in-between hundreds of greeting exchanges.

These grown women would hug, chatter, ask about the entire family and their well-being, exclaim over the incessant climb in the price of goods, natter about the latest African prints fabric, discuss their next meetings and what have you, while you stood patiently with the basket waiting for that conversation to be over, only for another encounter of another auntie to occur down the line where yam tubers were sold.

The haggling dance between the seller and the buyer was one done in camaraderie.

A piece of yam tuber would be lifted, passed from the buyers one hand to the other to check how weighty, inspected to ensure that it was still fresh and when mother was satisfied with the selected yam piece, the pricing war begins with “how much?”

This could go on from one market stall to the other and the basket on your head got heavier with the items purchased.

On a good day, your assistance would be rewarded with some boiled groundnuts, fried puff-puffs or something little to nibble at.

Please do remember not to grumble when the haggling is going on otherwise, you might be rewarded with a proverb that says “a child carried on the back, does not realize that the journey is very far.”

For today’s quote, I shall leave you with these African proverbs:

“Life is like shopping in the market, when you finish your purchases, you go home.”

”One does not throw stones in the market square, because you don’t know whose head it might break.”

”Marriage is like eating groundnuts in pods! You have to crack it to see what is inside.”

I have totally enjoyed reminiscing over these proverbs for the past couple of days Oba all thanks to you.

I invite these awesome bloggers to feel free and share some quotes: