Extra TLC…

December 20, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

Women are far more resilient than men and this is a fact. It is not a statement of feminism or trying to create a tug-of-war argument on which sex is stronger.

Our endurance faculties, pain threshold, multi-tasking abilities are light years ahead of that of men and you only have to take a good look at an average family woman with a household of children and a spouse to understand my analogy.

A man will have a minor headache and he turns into an attention seeking toddler.

When he has a flu, life almost grinds to a halt and the wife or partner automatically has a mental flu along with him.

On the contrary, in a lot of instances, a woman will be feeling down, yet you will see her juggling housework, family, work and the rest of the shebang like a pro.

It does not mean that she doesn’t appreciate nor needs TLC, but she just gets on with it and does the needful, most especially when you still have a young family to tend.

I have had a situation of being in pre-stages of labour and I was still struggling to conclude the cooking that I was doing before going to the hospital meanwhile, my husband was all flustered and palpitating that he practically hustled me out of the kitchen to the hospital where we then had to wait for hours before the main action started.

If I recall, I think I even quarreled with him for not letting me finish my cooking before harassing me to go and sit idle and experience every ounce of pain. I had preferred to stay busy and keep my mind occupied than panting and counting the minutes.

Years back when my children were still toddlers, there was no moment of respite. It was always go, go, go but now, they have learnt how to do quite a number of things themselves, so, just in case mummy is feeling poorly, they help to make me some sandwich and a nice warm cup of beverage to drink and my hubby then helps with the rubbing down and extra pampering. I never hesitate to ask.

Though there are those times that I feel cranky, snapping like a dragon and just want to be left alone, they know well enough to hide their heads while I am breathing fire, but such moments are so few and far between and they hardly last long.

The Daily Post prompt Take Care

When you’re unwell, do you allow others to take care of you, or do you prefer to soldier on alone? What does it take for you to ask for help?

The Last Supper….

December 19, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha38 Comments

If ever there is a painting that I have stared at with so much intent all my life is ”The Last Supper’‘ painted by Leonardo Da Vinci.

During my growing years, we had a framed copy of the last supper which hung at the dining area of my parents house and it was there for as long as I can remember.

I always wondered what the conversation around the table would have been like.

How had Jesus felt knowing that his betrayer was there supping with him while maintaining his camouflage as a disciple?

Would I not have promptly confronted Judas for his betrayal? Then again, I am not Christ.

The second painting is ‘‘The Crucifixion” and I couldn’t stand to look at it when I was much younger.

I could never stand the thought of such wicked, torturous and the slow death of nailing someone to the cross alive and watching them bleed drop by drop until their last breath.

As I grew older, I realized that indeed the biblical quote that ‘‘the heart of man is desperately wicked’‘ is so, so true.

The Daily Post prompt The Artist Eye

Is there a painting or sculpture you’re drawn to? What does it say to you? Describe the experience. (Or, if art doesn’t speak to you, tell us why.)

Image courtesy: Wikipedia.org

Creative Writing · Photographs · Poetry/Poems · The Daily Post

Gathering…

December 19, 2015December 19, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha16 Comments

A beautiful bouquet of flowers

Les Dames de couture

Brightly lit palms

A gathering of dark clouds.

When we gather together
We achieve so much more
That we cannot achieve
When we walk alone.

The Daily Post Gathering

Creative Writing · Photographs · Poetry/Poems · The Daily Post

The More, The Merrier…

December 19, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha10 Comments

A gathering of shoppers.

A flock of Birds

A school of Fish.

A clutch of sea birds.

A herd of Cattle.

The more we are together,
In unison,
The merrier we shall be!

The Daily Post Gathering

Haiku · Photographs · Poetry/Poems · The Daily Post

Together…photo challenge

December 19, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha4 Comments

A formation of planes in a clear blue sky.

A group of motorcycles.

A fleet of cars under a desert tent garage.

A flotilla of boats at the marina.

In Fleets and Droves

They gathered

In their Coves

The Daily Post Gathering

Family · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Personal story · The Daily Post

For Sanity’s Sake…

December 17, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha30 Comments

I have always felt that evenings are meant for kicking back and relaxing after a days hectic job, either with family, doing what families do; eat, talk, laugh, squabble, watch TV, do homework etc.

I would rather close my day reading a good book, or browsing the dailies and just talking off my husbands ears with tidbits of the news.

I also enjoy the quiet time of going through my mailbox or lazily catching up with the blogs, with the sounds of my household in the background.

On days that I feel like stepping out for the night, we could just take a leisurely drive through town, grab a pizza or watch a movie with pop-corn and all the works.

I simply cherish my evenings and due to that, I prefer to do my work in the mornings; bright and early, I am ticking to go and by evening time, I am mentally not in the mood to burn.

The downside with that is that what I cannot get done with by 7pm, gets shoved over to the next day.

It does not escape my mind that there are some whose livelihoods revolve around night jobs.

I truly cannot fathom how they do it, year after year without turning into grumps.

I would go bonkers and probably turn into an ogress – QED.

The Daily Post prompt Because the night.

Are you a night owl or are you the early bird? What’s your most productive time of day? When do you do your best work?

Family · Life · Personal story · The Daily Post

When They Came Calling…

December 15, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

My growing years was in a community where visitors didn’t need to announce their intentions before paying a call. It was simply the way it was.

It was normal to see hundreds of honorary aunties and uncles floating through the doors of my parents house and my parents returned the same courtesy.

Ours was a calm, intellectual and laid-back University community where the evenings after work were spent by the gentlemen at the staff club or folks visiting each other.

They would talk and eager laughter would echo through the house while they ate garden eggs and alligator pepper. Bottles of beer accompanied these relaxing moments and they recounted their tales.

I grew up with extended family drifting in and out of our home and it was likewise in so many other homes that I knew. As a matter of fact, some extended family members were permanent members of the household.

Meals were always prepared in extra quantities so that unanticipated guests would have a warm plate of rice or whatever was available; and it was always enough.

It didn’t matter how tight the house was, there was always room for one more and it was almost tantamount to an abomination for your folks to have to make a special request before they could come calling.

That was the mentality of hospitality back then, but times are certainly changing.

However, it was still such a pleasure that when I went home in August, visitors were still floating in and out to see my mother and I am certainly grateful for them being there and helping to take her mind off things.

So, assuming that I come home and see a strange couple in my house eating a slice of cake in my living room, my primary concern would be to find out if they are menacing, especially since they are unknown.

How did they get in? Are my family okay and not under duress?

As long as everything is as it should be and that they didn’t break into my home, but were let in quietly, I will then settle down to know who they are and why they came calling.

Maybe they are just the new neighbours who came by to get acquainted and my husband is being very magnanimous with my freshly baked cake and my inquisitive self would love to get to know them a bit better.

You never know what story may be lurking in there in their midst.

The Daily Post prompt unexpected guests.

You walk into your home to find a couple you don’t know sitting in your living room, eating a slice of cake. Tell us what happens next.

A link to my neighbours/Community · Blogging · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Inspiration - Motivation · The Daily Post

My Dear WordPress….It’s not possible!

December 14, 2015December 15, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha51 Comments

My Dear WordPress,

If I can recall a not so dim memory in my conversations with you, I remember that we have had this chat before, when you slyly asked me to take a pick of my three favourite blogs out of the wholesome lot of my blog-some friends.

I told you that my eclectic tastes and needs makes variety the spice of my life. That these needs are fed in their itty-bitty parts by each and everyone of my committee of friends and basically, in a day I go visiting at least a 100-200 of my friends, which makes it rather impossible to pick 3 posts out of so many.

Since you can’t quite remember this conversation, let me refresh your mind.

I told you my dear WP ( I hope I can call you that, since we are such bosom buddies) that a lot of my friends fill so many gaping gaps in my life.

They make me howl in glee till tears run down my face.

They plaster smiles on my face and sometimes do make me frown.

A good number of them have clicky fingers and they show me vibrant pictures that leaves me in awe.

Some keep me grounded and in touch with my humanity and yet some make me reflect deeply about life itself.

Some remind me that I should always be grateful for the little things, sharing their tips freely and indeed I am grateful for these friends of mine.

Some fellowship with me and throw more light on my spirituality and some are generous enough to share their blessings with me.

They have shared their lives, their children and spouses, their pets, their horses and even garter sssnakes at times (now I have the heebie-jeebies just from the ssss word and it’s all your fault).

A good lot of my friends feed my appetite with the flavour bursting, delicious meals that they serve up online – thank God we can’t add weight from looking at all the pictures.

A staunch number of my wonderful friends encourage and inspire me to spread my wings, to soar and reach for the skies and some even take me on their own wings on expeditions to places that I have never been before.

Some give me cause to pause and share a silent prayer, hoping that all is well with them and lest I forget, a good number of them weave very delightful tales and write delicate poems.

I do have a raunchy bunch too and the political man as well.

A lot of sage counsel is equally on offer and they’ve got my back as well.

So you see, my crowd is quite a mix, even with music and I really think that maybe you should join us? Need I say more? What do you say?

Maybe, if I send you the list of 719 of them to marinate over, that might help you make a decision, whilst I go and get acquainted with some more.

Finally, don’t forget that saying which goes that ”you should never ask a mother to choose out of all her children, it’s simply not done.” If you are wondering how she can cope with them all, I must highlight to you that she is the multi-breasted one.

My regards to you WP. I have enjoyed having a good natter.

The Daily Post prompt Press It

Give some love to three blog posts you’ve read and loved in the past week, and tell us why they’re worth reading.

Life · Personal story · Photographs · Quotes For You · The Daily Post

My Clay Feet…personal

December 13, 2015December 13, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha35 Comments

Did someone mention flaws? Oh dear!

My heap of clay feet is so huge that it’s too heavy to be placed on a pedestal. I am covered in bruises of flaws.

I am bandaged and sore all over from the blight of character that I suffer.

Grace and mercy saved me from the blisters of slavery to my flaws and I hardly know where to start, but what I know for sure is that I am truly glad for the gift of self acceptance and discovery.

Before I got married and had children, my patience level was low and needed room for improvement. In simple terms, I did not suffer fools gladly.

However, with the arrival of my darling, yours truly, my young patience was stretched thin, that there were times I wondered if God was having a chuckle as fate deliberately paired me with a man who is my direct opposite and who would drive me crazy with his own eccentricities.

Then the arrival of children stretched it further, yet, surprisingly made it stronger and more elastic to such an extent that the level of my patience in recent times astounds even me at times.

I used to worry incessantly. I worried about my family. I worried about tomorrow. I worried about the state of the World and everything worth worrying about up until the ministrations of the Holy Spirit made me realize that worrying about issues beyond my control was simply exhausting, fruitless and non-purposeful.

I learnt to start casting my burdens unto The Lord as minutiae as they may be and over time, I have noticed so much improved difference. The trials and lessons were actually meant for my own long term benefit.

It’s really an endless list but, something that I know for sure is that, not only is my evolution a transforming liberation for me, but also a spiritually refining progress.

Without doubts no one can claim to be flawless. Even the Saints were Sinners at some point in time in their lives.

Now I see my flaws as my beauty spots 🙂

The Daily Post prompt Flawed.

What is your worst quality?