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The One and Only Beautiful Gem Called Tanya Cliff.

jacquelineobyikocha3 Comments

A beautiful and fascinating lady writer whom I admire greatly. It is said that one’s words are a mirror into their soul and Tanya’s one amazing writer who’s words reach you on another level.

A Bit About Me

Tanya Cliff, Writer, Interview

My pen is a mighty tool. I’ve been using it all my life to tell stories and explore this world in all its natural wonder and human diversity. I write everything from the diminutive, but powerful, haiku to the full-bodied epic adventure. Of all my writing endeavors in the past few years, I’m most proud of the successful use of some of my work a juvenile detention center in SE Wisconsin to foster creative expression and encourage these children to develop their unique talents.

My passion for human rights manifests in a strong voice of advocacy for the persecuted and poor and an ongoing family effort that supports a range of humanitarian efforts. Watch where you step on my blog. I shatter a lot of glass of past hypocrisies with my pointed quill.

I love working with the camera and use my photography to illustrate the pieces I share on my blog, with a special emphasis on nature shots and work with a macro lens. The credit for all the photos of me goes to my talented 13-year-old daughter, who shares my enthusiasm for a good capture.

I’m a classically trained flutist with a rich and eclectic taste in music, performing everything from Mozart to jazz improvisation.  My favorite playing hours, however, find me behind the piano keys.

I am a graduate from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

A Bit About My Blog

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The Prodigal 

I started my blog just over a year ago as a platform to support the fantasy novel I had just published and to grow my writing skills. On my blog, I write everything from the diminutive haiku to free verse poetry to short stories. I have even begun sharing stop-motion videos that I produce. My work often serves as a platform for social commentary and critique and a voice of support for those who have nothing. My passion for nature finds frequent expression through words and photos on my blog. I love my interactions with bloggers all over the world and take great inspiration from their friendships and encouragements.

Blogging Challenges

I recently retooled my blog to include new projects that I have and directions I’m exploring. This involved clearing a lot of old writing off my blog and completely redoing my home pages – a major facelift.

Projects

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My first-in-series epic, fantasy novel, Tales from the Valdaren – The Prodigal Son, was published just over a year ago and maintains a 4.5-star rating on Amazon. The second novel is in development.

I just published, A Haiku for Ricky Baker, a book of poetry including Haiku, Tanka and free verse poems telling the stories of neglected and at-risk children. All proceeds from that book go to fund art and writing programs for children in juvenile detention. I also hope to use this book to introduce Haiku and Tanka to these children as a method of developing strong writing and reading skills.

The second book of poetry and short stories, The Politically Empty Glass, will be released shortly. This book explores the hypocritical application of “liberty” in the United States through a combination of Haiku, Tanka, free verse poems and satirical short stories. It is a work that has come about, in part, due to the encouragements of my blogging friends.

I am also delving into screenplay work, using the development of stop-motions videos as an initial platform. I love the challenge of telling a story through this medium.

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Haiku for Ricky Baker

 

Guest Posts

Connecting With Susan

jacquelineobyikocha3 Comments

Me and My Blog

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Body Renovations was born from my lifestyle transformation I underwent 9 years ago, with a focus on body, mind, and heart. It is hard to believe it has been that long already, as it seems like just yesterday I dropped the weight and have maintained it ever since.  
That’s why I know it was a lifestyle change because I changed my way of life and have no intentions of ever going back to the old habits. Don’t get me wrong, I still have days when I struggle with my diet, but I am so much more aware of what my body tells me if I make poor food choices. I define goals every year and I pick an area that I need to focus on. This year it is Nutrition. I’m trying to learn more and incorporate clean eating. 
I successfully transformed my thinking turning the negative thoughts around, to have a positive outlook on life. I began to love myself and life. Then I became more active, walking, hiking, biking, lifting and even learned how to swim at 52 years old! You are never too old, or it is never too late to do anything. If you don’t try you never know what you are missing out on. 
I have been able to throw my medications away, no more blood pressure or cholesterol meds for me. Exercise and diet have made it possible to live medication free! I am sure changing my attitude and thoughts have also made and impact. It’s so easy to allow your mind to stay focused in the negative and play the victim card. You can turn that around by focusing on the good things in life.  
One of my goals last year was to do more writing, someday I want to publish a book. The book idea has been on my goal list for several years, and I start and stop. Since I was stalling out I thought I might need to try a different approach…start smaller….write a blog. I might not post every day, and yes, life gets crazy and steals time from your time to write….but the main thing is to post when I can, don’t let it become a stressor. I don’t feel like writing comes easy for me, so I am working on developing the writer muscle so I will be able to publish a book someday. If you don’t try you never know what you are missing out on.
Sometimes we need to perform a remodel and Body Renovations covers the whole being. Body Renovations
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My Motivation

Reading other blogs inspire and motivate me. If I am out on a walk, hike or bike ride I have ideas popping into my head and I think about how I could use that idea to write a blog post. Sometimes I get so excited about a topic and when I sit down to write I get a couple sentences drafted and then nothing! I will stay engage with writing for a while, but when it is evident that I have nothing else to expand on, then I leave it and come back to it another time and find that I can add to it and I have a blog post.

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Challenging Moments

The most challenging thing for me with blogging is finding different ways to express myself in my writing. I’m not a natural writer…this is a stretch for me, it’s an opportunity for me to push myself to the edges. When I write, I want to be creative with my writing to draw people in, to influence and inspire small changes that readers can think about and apply in their lives.  
 The other thing is making time to write, as well as reading other blogs. They are so many inspiring writers out there, I didn’t have any idea until I started my blog. People started to follow me after my very first post, that was hard to process, I mean people that didn’t know me liked what I had to say. It started connections, with other bloggers and I have made friends with complete strangers from across the globe. It was our “thought likeness” that brought us together. It was the common bond of love where our paths crossed and we share our comments of support. It is a community where we lift each other up. It is a beautiful thing, this thing called blogging.

A Word To Others

I definitely would encourage everyone to create a blog. It’s a platform to share your passion, and let readers see the depths of your soul. I have found so much inspiration from other bloggers that I follow, and they touch my heart with their ability to draw a picture with their words like an artist painting a picture.
Writing is a way to expand your thinking, to challenge your mind to meet your heart and let your wisdom flow. It is a great way to get in touch with your inner being.
Have fun, release your inner child to guide you to your creativity!
 
Check out this blog post: Living on the Edge…
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I would like to thank you, dear Jacqueline, for this guest interview. I am both humbled and honored for this opportunity. I appreciate your support of fellow bloggers and the love and inspiration that pours from your heart into your writing. You are a blessing to the blogging community!
Love and hugs,
Susan
Guest Posts

A Professional Journalist, Writer, Blogger: Getting To Know Sir Romanus Ngobesing

jacquelineobyikocha15 Comments

I call him Sir Romanus out of respect and much regards. Since we connected in this space, he’s been a voice of encouragement and support. He uses his blog actively as a platform to inspire and promote others and his openness is just heartwarming. Thank you for all you do Sir Romanus.

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A bit about me

Thank you, Jackie for making me a guest on your blog! You are one of the bloggers I admire for the quality of your work and feel honored to be your guest.

My name is Ngobesing Suh Romanus, and I hail from Cameroon, in Central Africa. We are a close neighbor to Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa. My country is best known as a great football nation with stars like Roger Milla, the African Millenium player and 4-time African player of the year, Samuel Eto’o Fils.

I am a journalist by profession, a Senior Citizen retired (but not tired) in 2011 from the state-owned Cameroon Radio Television in Corporation, after thirty years of service. A month after retirement, I picked up my present position of pioneer Manager of the Catholic Radio in my Archdiocese, Radio Evangelium. I have had the duty and honor to set it up from scratch and have it running.

To know more about where I am coming from, I started secondary education in one of the best secondary institutions in my country, Sacred Heart College, before becoming a probationary teacher after passing a recruitment exam in 1967. One year later, I got into a Teacher Training College where I got trained to teach. Then I taught for a while before getting into University where I obtained a B.A in bilingual literary studies (French/English). I did one-year ‘Maitrise’, before proceeding to the International Higher School of Journalism in Yaounde. There, I did professional studies, obtaining a B.A. in Journalism. The study program offered me the opportunity to travel to France, Canada and the United States of America for internships in different institutions.

After school, I started my broadcasting career in 1981. In 1997, I travelled to Holland where I did a course on Human Rights in the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague.

My work over the years has impacted many people and changed their lives. Wherever I serve or go, I love the people I meet and they love me. In 2007, in recognition of my contribution to the transformation of the society, the International University of Bamenda awarded me an honorary Doctorate degree in Public Relations and Journalism.

My Pleasures and Displeasures

Talking about my likes, I love my work. My work as a journalist (broadcaster) writer and blogger has enabled me to serve more people than I ever imagined. I have impacted many lives positively and it gives me tremendous joy not just because it has made me a household name in my country, but because, I have had the chance to do what gives me real pleasure which is serving people, helping them make the most of their lives, and contributing, in my modest way, to make the world a better place for all.

I dislike injustice. I dislike when I see talent wasted because of the lack of the opportunity or motivation to develop it. I dislike the fact that the resources of the world are not fairly shared; some people swim in luxury while others wallow in misery. I think this should not be so. The rich must make their riches circulate so that no child fails to go to school because their parents can’t afford their fees; so that no child or adult dies because they cannot afford medical care; so that no family goes to bed without a meal because they cannot afford it. I think we should all work in a way that all of us, not just a few of us, will enjoy the world.

Blog Talk

I love my WordPress blog. I love the name Success Inspirers’ World. I started it when I became a Senior citizen. That was precisely in August 2014. Before then I had a blog on blogger which I struggled to run because I knew very little about ICT having never gone to a computer school. I learned computer informally from the students who came on internship and worked with me, as well as from my children, my spouse, and later on the staff in my present job. Surprisingly, today, I am doing far more than many who taught me.

I created a blog to reach out to those I knew needed the kind of help and support I had been offering my radio fans over the years and which was greatly embraced. I see many people who waste their lives, some of whom have enormous talents just because there is no one to help them discover who they are, or to encourage them to bring out the best in them. I enjoy inspiring, motivating and encouraging people. There are people who are failing woefully in their marriages whereas they should be succeeding and shining.

Since I spent all my working life assisting people this way and accumulated so much knowledge in these areas, I thought, and with encouragement from others, that I could reach more people through my blog. I still inspire, motivate and encourage people on radio but that is limited to how far the signals can go. They don’t even cover my country. It is this blog that has enabled me to reach parts of the world I would never have imagined. That has given me a tremendous feeling of fulfillment, and this is just the beginning.

Passion Inspires Me

My passion for what I am doing is my first source of motivation. My passion is unbounded. I go to bed with it and get out of bed with it. My conviction that what I am doing is right, useful, and helpful keeps me going. I am also motivated by what I have learned, shared and taught all my life. For instance, that the best is yet to come. I strongly believe I have not reached the summit which the Lord has earmarked for me. I believe God wants me to leave something for posterity and I have to work hard to do so. I have to explore beneath the mountain, beside the mountain, at the summit of the mountain and even dig into the mountain to discover it. It’s not going to come to me if I sit and wait. I have to go find it.

The Ups & Downs of Blogging

When I was going into blogging, I had very high expectations. I thought it would be easy to become a hero within a very short time. But it was not long before I saw it was an uphill task to win followers and drive traffic to my site. I would see other bloggers with so much traffic and wonder why I could not do like them. Some days were really discouraging. I would publish a post thinking it would go viral. It would not even take off the ground. For almost three years on WordPress,  have not published a post which has drawn the number of clicks or likes I can brandish to others. It’s really hard, but I am happy that I have kept on. I am happy with where I am today, knowing how difficult it is.

In fact, I do encourage others to blog. I am even helping others to blog and to reach more readers. Blogging is a way to share ideas, and participate in building people and the world. I have more than fifty authors who are free to publish on my site if that can help them reach more readers. But of course, it does not help them alone. It also helps me and the world.

A Typical Day with Me

I get up quite early, between 3 and 5 am. I do blogging for some time; then listen to radio. I have a daily radio reflection which I present and it triggers calls from the public. I leave for work by 9 am and go home at 6 pm. My spouse has the responsibility in her office so she is at work a lot of times too. Our children are grown so no worries about caring for children. Back home, I do some blogging before I go to bed. My social activities are limited. I don’t go out to drink as I see a lot of people do. I do not have time to waste. I work a lot. I believe hard work pays. I encourage people to work hard and I show the example.

What Tomorrow Might Bring

I look forward to seeing Success Inspirers’ World grow into a website which is visited by millions of readers around the world. My dream is that it becomes a real platform where other bloggers and readers get help, inspiration, and motivation to succeed on their own blogs or in life. I am thinking seriously about monetizing it so that it brings in some money. With money, we can achieve a lot. I am building an international team that will work with me to create something of a sensation. I believe there are real talented and honest people who can form a team with me and if we succeed everybody will get rewarded fairly. I am a fair person and would not like anybody who makes a contribution to our success not to be rewarded for it. I am happy that I continue to get more authors interested in what we are doing. It is easier to succeed as a team than to succeed alone. Some people fear to join teams and want to stand out and shine alone. Many never shine. Many heads are better than one. I want all of us on Success Inspirers’ World to be part of a great dream; to journey together, shine together and get the glory together. As soon as I can afford the finances, I will upgrade this site and new things will begin. I have so much faith in the future. Age does not bother me. I’ll keep working to make the most of my opportunities and contribute as best I can to make the world an excellent place for all. I have written a lot.

My publications include,”A loving Woman in
Tears” (Novel) “Mr. Money Man, Too Rich to Die'(Play),’ The Teacher’,
‘Girls and Life’, and ‘The Wonders of Wisdom.’ ‘Thought Waves’

I welcome encouragement and support in any form.

Reach me at ngobesingromanuss@gmail.com. My blog is Success Inspirers’ World

Guest Posts

Meet Mick Canning – Story Teller, Writer and Photographer Par Excellence

jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

I love to interact a lot with my male counterparts in this space because I glean so much from their intelligent discourse and inspiring posts. Mick has been a supportive friend in here and I appreciate his acceptance to grant us a view into his life.

Thank you,  Mick and I wish you all the best with your endeavours.

Bits About Mick 

About me? Gosh, I’m not that keen on talking about me, although I’m aware that I should be a lot better at it than I am since this is the sortportrait1 of thing I get asked at, well, interviews! A native of the UK, I’ve spent a number of years working abroad, mostly in the Middle East, and generally traveling, particularly in the Indian subcontinent. I’ve always been a bit of an artist, writing and painting on and off for most of my life, but since my first visit to India, I found that both the writing and painting has been largely focused there.

Otherwise, I make a tenuous living as an outdoor activities instructor, especially climbing, although as I get older and my back gives me more problems, I find that I am looking forward more and more to retirement from that.

I like a quiet life, which is probably why I am drawn to writing rather than, say, night clubs and politics, although the things that get me fired up are injustices. I try to avoid controversy on my blog posts, but I’m sure that it does come through at times. I do care passionately about the environment, hate all forms of discrimination and intolerance, and cannot understand why anyone of any gender or race can be considered as inferior to any others.

I try to be a positive person, but when I read the papers or hear the news it seems difficult.

A bit about my blog

I started the blog a little over a year ago, being persuaded that it was the thing to do if I was to promote the novel that I was then working on. I’m not, as I’ve mentioned already, all that keen on talking about myself, and up until recently, I’ve regarded blogs as rather narcissistic self-indulgences. While there are obviously a few like that, I’ve been delighted to discover that there are (naturally) a whole range of blogs out there and that the majority are both interesting and informative.

I had assumed, at first, that all my posts would be about my book or at least my writing, but quite quickly it seemed to morph into a mixture of posts on writing, travel, a little about my other artistic endeavours (such as painting), a few slightly political pieces, and, naturally, a few pieces about myself. This wasn’t particularly intentional, and certainly not planned that way. Naturally, some of them I was more pleased with than others, and some generated much more interest from readers than others – certainly not always the ones that I expected to! A slightly random selection:

The Mad Woman of the Hill Station

Nepal – Everest Region

And finally, a couple of months ago I published a post about why I sometimes stopped following blogs, never anticipating the huge interest it would generate:

Oh heavens, why on earth did I follow that blog?

Having been blogging now for over a year, I am now hooked on it! I think that the best thing about it, for me, is that after I had been blogging for a while, I discovered that I had become part of a community.

On staying motivated

Motivation is quite easy, actually. I usually find I have something I want to say, and a blog post is just the right length for what I want to write. In my case, somewhere around 1000 words seems adequate, which is about the length of blog post that I am also comfortable reading. Anything much longer, and I find I am put off. Perhaps this is because I also follow a lot of blogs, and to see one that is several thousand words long makes me avoid reading it. There just isn’t time!

I do keep a notebook, naturally, as all writers do. And I have maybe a dozen unfinished blog posts at any one moment, so when I feel a little stuck, I can go to one of those.

A little down but more ups

That’s a difficult one! We all have times when we feel that, despite everything, we can’t think what to write. But so far, the blogging journey has been a pretty smooth one.

As for my other writing, I think the worst thing is when I have been working on a story for a long time and I read it back and have the sudden epiphany; ‘this is complete rubbish!’

Would you encourage others to blog?

Absolutely! Next question?

A day spent with Mick

Oh dear, there’s no such thing as a typical day. If I don’t have any outdoor work, and as a freelancer that happens quite a lot, then I declare the day a writing day. This means that I begin by catching up with blogs I follow, perhaps posting a new one myself (I try to post twice a week, but it is a bit flexible!), which might take from an hour or so up until lunchtime. Afterwards, I would try to work on my novel, or perhaps on a short story, for the rest of the afternoon. I usually try to go for a walk at some point, often to try to resolve sticking points in my stories. I find I think best that way.005-1

To distract me, of course, are all those little jobs that we all have to do. Everything from housework (my wife has regular work, so I do a certain amount during the week) to shopping, and then, of course, we all have family to see. I can usually rely upon the cats to distract me regularly, too. They seem to think they should be fed at least once an hour.

The future and beyond

I’ve had the blog for just over a year, now, and am quite happy with the way it is going. Without any real effort by me, the number of followers is regularly rising and I’m not yet experiencing any difficulty thinking of topics to post about. I do have plans to add a few extra pages so that I can put in extra pictures and details on various topics, but I’m in no rush!

As for my other writing, I’m currently working on a new novel, after publishing my first one earlier this year; Making friends with the Crocodile, which is set in Northern India and explores how women are treated by society there. I’m delighted that although I have not sold a huge number of copies – it is available as a print on demand paperback as well as Kindle on Amazon, and now an e-book on Kobo – I have had some lovely and generous reviews for it. Unfortunately, the POD book is not currently available in India, but I am now speaking to an Indian publisher with a view to releasing it there in a few weeks.

My new novel is also set in India, but this time in a fictitious hill station in the Himalaya.

Thank you for hosting me today, Jacqueline.

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Guest Posts

Bernadette is a friend to have in this place. She’s a lovely, smart, warm and totally inspiring woman.

jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

I follow a lot of bloggers and interact with most of them as often as I can, but in this blogging journey, there are some people who you connect with and you see the beauty of their soul shine through their work. I read Bernadette’s posts every week and I never leave empty handed.

Her thoughts are enriching and uplifting. She’s supportive of her blog friends and to take it further, she and I (with other volunteers) are starting off ‘Writers Quote Series,’ this November.

Bernadette is a friend to have if you are not following her already. Please check out Haddon’s Musings, join the 52 weeks of thankfulness series or the senior salon 🙂

Thank you, my lady, for granting this interview. I appreciate you and wish you all the best in getting that publication done.

Hello, my name is Bernadette and I blog at www.HaddonMusings.com. Jacqueline has very kindly invited me for this interview.bernadette

My entire marriage my husband has told me I was a writer and encouraged me to sit down and take out the pen and put it to paper. I always demurred and explained to him and there are readers and there are writers and being an avid reader does not make a person a writer. But then about four years ago during my morning walk, I started to feel a need to express my appreciation for all the beauty my small village holds.

So I started to write about Haddonfield and its citizens. Hence the name HaddonMusings. Surprisingly, I became confident in my writing and was fascinated by the fact that anyone would possibly be interested in my scribbles. As I started to meet these fascinating bloggers from all over the world, my blog became wider in scope.

One of the outcomes of meeting so many people was I became curious about how many bloggers were of my generation. I wanted to see and read about their creative journey during the aging process. So, I actively sought out people over the age of 50 and formed a regular column called the Senior Salon.

At the Salon, I have been able to form a warm community of people who are doing many different and fascinatingly creative things during these bonus years. It has been my great pleasure to watch them interact with each other and form new relationships.

Three years ago my granddaughter was born and this led to a rekindling of my feminist ideals. I want her to know about the true strength of being a feminist. I want her to know that a woman can be whatever she wants and she doesn’t have to be strident or dislike men in order to do that. So, I started writing my regular feature called Feminist Friday. I have really enjoyed doing the research for these columns and I have been gratified by the number of woman of every age from all over the world that have supported this project.

This year I started writing another regular feature called 52 Weeks of Thankfulness. I am writing this in response to all the negativity and acrimony that I am encountering on a daily basis in my country. My hope is by refocusing attention to the good in the world, I can help eradicate the rampant negativity.

Jacqueline asks how I keep myself motivated. My motivation comes from reading so many other fabulous blogs and wondering if I can, as a writer, achieve the same quality of writing.

My Muse – Haddonfield

Jacqueline wanted me to share my most challenging moment during this blogging journey. I know that my biggest challenges when I started blogging was learning the etiquette of blogging. I had two very nasty encounters with long-time bloggers’ due to the fact that I didn’t understand the etiquette of this format. If you are just starting out, I would strongly suggest learning those rules quickly.

And yes, Jacqueline, I would very much encourage others to blog. Circling back to the Senior Salon, I think that blogging is a splendid creative outlet and as we age it become more and more important to find new creative enterprises in which to participate. Creativity is important for the mind and the spirit.

Jacqueline asks what is my next goal in blogging and I would say that I have a great desire to publish an online journal featuring the work of my peer group. From the research that I have done so far, the last time a journal featuring the creativity of the senior population was printed was back in the late 1960’s. It seems to me that such a publication is long overdue for resurrection.

Thank you, Jacqueline, for this opportunity.

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Guest Posts

Sublime Scars – From Kavita Chavda

jacquelineobyikocha1 Comment

Displaying sublime scars.jpg

She loved moonlight, raindrops and

the beauty of nature around the fields of crops

and as other things that have soul

because she often feels the universe’s call.

All her scars shined bright in the moonlight

when universe asked about her ugly scars.

The things she could not reveal

to anybody but herself

because she bleeds in colours

that this world does not understand.

They said, understand soul?

Soul with ugly scars?

She said it’s the

soul that reveals love.

Soul that reveals purity.

After the years of pleading,

purity of the soul finally shined

under the moonlight

with love shred like raindrops.

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I am Kavita Chavda from India. I am an Introvert at heart, a writer by passion, an engineer by profession, a philosopher, a counselor, a dreamer and an over-thinker. I love relationships at soul-level. Writing is my passion and I talk my heart out through writing. According to me, words are the greatest invention of mankind! They create magic. They make us relive moments. They take us to places we’ve never been.

My blog ‘Playing with Words’ is all about these enchanting words that in some or the other way relates to all of our lives.

You can connect with me on my blog WriteKavita

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Guest Posts

Have you met delightful, warm Brigid? You Should!

jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

The wealth that you receive in life is that which society entrusts you with and can only come from friends. Each day, I’m thankful for discovering the beauty of blogging, it not only gave a voice to speak but gives me friends like Brigid whose succinct words come enriched with soothing wisdom.

Thank you, Brigid, for your support and for letting us get to know you some more.

A bit about me

Greetings from County Donegal in the north-west corner of Ireland.  My name is Brigid and I moved here in 1999 after living in Scotland for 44 years.  I have had an “interesting” career path – I originally wanted to be a doctor but God had other plans!Displaying IMG_5428.JPG

Instead, I entered the world of Life Assurance working in the Actuarial and Life Underwriting departments before following my heart into a 20-year career in Natural Medicines.   I was a bit of a pioneer back then and fell into teaching which I really loved; I eventually set up a two-year training in healing skills and I also opened a healing centre and shop.

After the death of my father and the breakup of my marriage, I moved to Donegal – the home of my ancestors.

I retrained in Organic Horticulture in 2006 after a two-year hiatus due to a mystery illness which was eventually diagnosed as Fibromyalgia and autoimmune disease.  I taught Organic Horticulture in schools until recently.

About my Blog – Watching the Daisies. 

I started my blog as a social media platform for my book of the same name – “Watching the Daisies – Life Lessons on the Importance of Slow.”  I write to inspire others on their self-healing journey, particularly those who have a long-term illness. Slowing down has been one of my major Life Lessons – I used to be incredibly busy!

I am very proactive and I have shared many of my own self-healing tips in my posts such as:

https://watchingthedaisies.com/2016/08/31/walking-the-wild-atlantic-way/

I initially wrote posts on flower essences, Natural Medicines, and my personal healing journey but my blog is constantly evolving with new posts:

“Thought for Today” and “Small Steps Up Mountains” which includes links to other inspiring posts illustrating a SLOW route through life’s challenges.  I also link into Bernadette of www.haddonmusings.com weekly post on gratitude “52 Weeks of Thankfulness.”  I have kept a daily gratitude diary since the onset of my illness.

I am overwhelmed by the generosity of other bloggers and the incredibly supportive community on WordPress.

MOTIVATION

I find it easy to motivate myself to write my posts.  In fact, I look forward to creating them and to reading comments and likes.  I love to read other blogger’s posts and I am continually inspired by their wealth of creativity and ENORMOUS support .

MY MOST CHALLENGING MOMENT

I began my blog back in February while doing an online blogging course.  My posts took me a long time to write as I was working part time and my energy was low.  In April, I lost a dear friend – Danny and I wrote a post in his memory: For Whom The Bell Tolls

I lost a dear, dear friend on Thursday. His name was Danny; he played the guitar for our church choir and he helped me adjust to a new role, as the newest choir … For Whom The Bell Tolls

The shock of Danny’s death floored me and it was not until I had a mini break in Belfast to see Bryan Adams that I was able to pick myself up and post on a more regular basis.

Bryan Adams Rocks Belfast

I first saw Bryan Adams in Edinburgh on 20th February 1984, supporting Tina Turner on her “Private Dancer” Tour. On Wednesday last, I watched Bryan play live for the third time, in Belfast.

WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO BLOG?

Definitely.  Blogging flexes your creative writing skills and is a huge platform for positive change.

MY TYPICAL DAY

I like to walk regularly, weather permitting!  I also love to spend time in my garden “pottering,” planting and admiring nature’s gifts.  I belong to a Women’s Shed that meets weekly, to learn crafting, photography, make up… and share in a bit of FUN.  I continue to enJOY singing in our church choir.  My favourite hymn is “Holy Night.”

I meditate morning and evening, I pray daily; I take things gently and listen to my body if it needs to rest.

NEXT STEP

I am really excited about promoting my book which is on target to be published in e-format on 14th November.  I am delaying publishing any hard copies until I monitor the response.

Thank you once again, Jacqueline, for this interview.

Blessings.

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Guest Posts

Please meet my beautiful, talented home girl and blogger friend Nedoux…

jacquelineobyikocha18 Comments

You meet some people and the connection is so awesome that you are simply thankful you got to meet them. ‘

‘Nedu is one of such people that I’ve met in cyberspace and when I call her my home girl and sister, it’s for many reasons that goes beyond enjoying her entertaining posts. Displaying At work.jpg

We are both Nigerians and of the Igbo tribe. I am not sure she knows this, one of my native names is also Chinedu – short for ‘Nedu like her’s and lastly, we both love Lagos. She currently blogs from Lagos and even though I left many moons ago, I’m still a Lasgidi chic.

Whenever I get to go home again, this enterprising, fine chic owes me some pepper soup and small chops. 😉

Thank you, sis, for granting this interview.

Let’s know a bit about you.

My name is ‘Nedu Ahanonu, I work as an Investment Analyst by day, Blogger by night and DIY sewist at the weekend.

I enjoy well-crafted satires and clever puns.  I like genuine acts of kindness and I dislike an unfounded sense of entitlement.

As I’ve gotten older and wiser, I’ve come to the realisation that life is as simple as we choose to make it. One must learn to take full responsibility for both their enthusiasm and happiness.

Why blog? What’s your blogging experience being like?

It all started as a blog where I’d showcase my completed personal sewing projects, then it gradually evolved into a fusion of both my musings and the sewing construction process.

My main motivation was to show readers that sewing wasn’t rocket science at all, it simply required practice and a can-do attitude.

Blogging has been a wonderful experience, it’s giving me a platform to share my thoughts. I’m particularly thankful for the opportunity to build a supportive network of virtual friends.

The post about Lagos I-live-here was a big hit with readers because they could relate with the many idiosyncrasies of a fast-paced city.

My favourite post has got to be this one- I’m-not-giving-up-on-you because the underlying message about having a positive perspective, inspires me.

What’s your typical day like?

Displaying Fabric shopping at Tejuosho market.jpgMy weekdays are pretty much routine,  commuting to the office, working and commuting back home after conquering the monster that camouflages as Lagos traffic.

Weekends are far more interesting, there’s always something to do in Lagos! I go shopping for fabric and sewing accessories at least once a month, there’s something about fabric that excites me, I guess it’s the possibility of creating a beautiful garment.

So, what plans do you have in the offing?

I’m an avid muser and it’s my deepest wish to write a book someday once I convince myself that my past and present experiences plus my imagination are sufficient material for a best-selling novel.

With regards to the sewing aspect, I recently launched a Sewing Club, which is a nice transition from simply writing about my hobby to actually teaching a live class.

Displaying Sewing Workshop.jpg

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Guest Posts

Let me introduce you to my New Blogger Friend Jenita.

jacquelineobyikocha7 Comments

I enjoy the connections and interactions that I make here in the blogosphere. Each day it I literally meet a new person and today, I share a brief introduction/interview with  a new blogger friend of mine, Jenita.

Thank, you Jenita for talking to us about yourself on such a short notice and I believe you’ll do well in blogdom 🙂

A big thank you

Hello, everyone!  I’m Jenita. I am a fairly new Blogger on WordPress. It’s been about 5 months since I started my Blog.  I am also a children’s book author.Jenita 1

I love to write short stories & poetry.

My Blog, https://huntsclubhouse.wordpress.com/ is an extension of my main website, http://huntsclubhouse.com/ that was inspired & created for children; per I’ve worked several years caring for them as a Professional Nanny.       I love to find the beauty in things.  I enjoy decorating, and I LOVE to laugh!  I love hanging out and having fun with family and friends, per it’s always a blast. I am also sort of a neat freak (slightly OCD, lol)  I do not like disorganized spaces or over-crowded rooms!

 I created my Blog to cater to more adults & parents…as well as a platform to introduce my two children’s books, “Beautiful Boy” & “Beautiful Girl”.   In addition, during this process, to my surprise, I have found myself further developing my writing with newly inspired poetry and articles, about life and other inspirational topics, I didn’t even initially plan to share. This has definitely been a growing experience.  I am also simply blown away by the numerous talent I have discovered on various blog sites…including yours, Jacqueline. It is absolutely amazing!  There is such a plethora of topics & areas to be inspired by, or educated about, across the web.  It’s truly an open buffet of content.

I think I‘d probably be considered an average blogger.  I still have a lot to learn.  I realize others may have obtained more followers or higher stats in a shorter amount of time, but ultimately, I just want people to enjoy what I write…& the more people that are aware of my content, the more can be impacted.  Here are a few of my Favorite Blog posts….

https://huntsclubhouse.wordpress.com/2016/08/03/beautifully-flawed/

https://huntsclubhouse.wordpress.com/2016/07/08/just-breathe/

https://huntsclubhouse.wordpress.com/2016/07/14/becoming-diamonds/

In between my day-to-day caring for children, I LOVE to admire the beauty of nature, going out to great restaurants, & having fun with family.

One of my goals is to continue to gain more exposure for my two children’s books, which are available on Amazon http://amzn.to/24NhCzI

I would also love to write for a larger platform to increase exposure for my writing in general, as well as for my Blog.  My desire is to reach as many people as possible to hopefully inspire & motivate. If someone can be touched & inspired by my content, perhaps it will spread & motivate them to inspire others as well.

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Guest Posts

Meet the inspiring, intriguing and warm Lady Alexis Rose.

jacquelineobyikocha22 Comments

One of my objectives as a blogger is not just to write for others to read, but to equally get to connect and know who my friends in this space are. I’ve been following Alexis Rose for quite a while now and have not only enjoyed our interactions but she amazes and inspires me with her confidence, resilience, and candour.

Dear Alexis, thank you for taking the time to indulge my inquisition. My kind regards and I look forward to seeing your continued bloom and success.Thank you

1. Introduce yourself, your background, your likes, dislikes and general outlook towards life.

Thank you, Jackie, for this wonderful opportunity to be interviewed for your blog. I have followed you since I began blogging and so impressed by the myriad of topics you cover. I have enormous respect for the ways you build community in the blogging world.

My name is Alexis Rose and I’m from Minnesota, which is in the Midwest of America. My state is called the land of 10,000 lakes and it’s beautiful. Freezing in the winter, hot and humid in the summer. I moved here when I was in my late teens and set down deep roots. I have two wonderful children, and we’re excited to see our son get married in just 5 short months. I thought I would have a difficult time being an empty-nester, but we see our kids often and have a close relationship with both of them and their significant others. Alexis Rose 1

Up until 2009 I had a good career in the field of staff recruitment and marketing. I loved my job and was getting to a point in my career where I felt as if I could exhale a bit when it came to financial security. In October of 2009 sparked by a family tragedy, I began having flashbacks, although, I didn’t know they were flashbacks at the time. I had purposely repressed my past, but when my snow-globe world was shattered, I began to piece together, for the first time, a personal history of abuse and trauma.

While learning to live with the effects of my trauma, and working with the deficits arising from the post-traumatic stress disorder, I have co-authored three inspirational books and published my memoir one year ago.

Alexis Rose 2My outlook towards life in one of hope. I am passionate about living life, not just going through the motions, however, that looks for a person. For me, it means living with my eyes wide open. I absolutely love people and human nature, I love all critters (we live with a dog and two cats) and feel best when I’m outside in any kind of nature. I think I was meant to live in the tropics because I thrive when it’s hot and humid.

2. Tell us about your blog and your purpose for starting it. Did you have any set goals in mind when you were setting up your blog? What do you think about the blogging phenomenon itself?

What has your blogging experience being? Here, you can share some links of your top posts or blog posts that you particularly like with us.

My blog is named Untangled, https://atribeuntangled.com/

I’m an active blogger who writes about PTSD, Mental Health, Trauma, with some inspirational poetry sprinkled in along the way. I started my blog after publishing my memoir. I was told that I had to have a blog to market my book. I had absolutely no idea what a blog was, except a way to communicate with family when someone was on a trip. I had never clicked on a blog, and had never heard of WordPress, had no idea what a tag was, or how to follow someone. Last October, was the first time I wrote a post. After writing my first post, and having someone “like, and follow my blog” I began to research how to tag, find other blogs to read, and engage in the blogging world.

Now, as I reflect on the last eight months of blogging, I’m grateful for the connections I’ve made. I love to follow blogs in all genres. Although my intention with my blog is to start and keep the conversation going about PTSD, or any other chronic illness, as well as share my poetry, I’m open and excited to be followed and follow blogs that write about every subject. I love to read about other people’s interests and viewpoints. I love to see the photos, read the poems, recipes, opinions and editorials. I absolutely love the connections that blogging provides.

I am thrilled to read and write on someone’s blog or have them write on mine from all the world. It makes the world a bit smaller as we are able to connect with each other. The reality of knowing that I am responding to someone who is already a day ahead of me, by virtue of time zones is amazing to me. I am part of their past, they are part of my future and yet we are talking to each other in real time. I LOVE that!!

As you can tell, my blogging experience has been amazing. Here are a few posts to click on to get a flavor of what I post:

http://atribeuntangled.com/2016/07/25/monday-mantra/

http://atribeuntangled.com/2016/07/27/wait-what-i-still-have-ptsd/

http://atribeuntangled.com/2016/07/15/as-she-dances-the-steps-of-innocence-2/

http://atribeuntangled.com/2016/08/05/the-value-of-friendship/

3.Take us with you on a typical day spent with you. Show us a bit of your World and yes we love photos of your pets if you’ve got any.

Most days start with working out, yoga, or meditating. I do marketing for two different businesses’ part-time, as well as try to market my book, and I’m only cleared to work two hours a day (part of the living with the effects of PTSD) so I divide my mornings into working. Then I take my dog, Leilani for a walk. She is my unofficial/official therapy dog and I don’t know what I would do without her. She keeps me grounded, knows what to do if I begin to have a flashback and is always by my side. I’m including a picture of Leilani and our cat, Brad.Alexis Rose 3

During the summer, autumn and spring, I try to spend as much time as possible outside, so I typically take a break during the day and spend time on our deck with the critters. Depending on the time of year, my symptoms can be a lot more prevalent, so I need to pace myself, and stay grounded. I make sure I see friends throughout the weekdays too. I have a wonderful support system of people who check on me, make sure I get out of the house for hikes, walks, lunches dates, etc.

I try every day to make time to read other people’s blogs. I believe that blogging is a two-way commitment. If I’m following someone I read what they write. It’s why we blog, so other’s will read our words. I try to engage as much as I can with comments, but I will typically always “like” someone’s post. I want them to know I am reading their words and they are being heard.

4. What’s the next pit-stop for your blog’s outreach and publishing? Any plans in the offing? You can also share some of your published works here.

I love the blogging world, and I get tremendous fulfillment from writing and sharing my posts. I still have a twinge, of fear each time I hit the publish button. Will my writing be interesting to others, will my poetry and/or writing resonate with others? I’m still not quite as confident I would like to be. I write from a vulnerable and honest place, so sharing that with the world and opening myself up is really difficult, but I’m determined to keep a conversation going about living with PTSD, and I’m passionate about dispelling some stigma behind the mental and chronic illness.

I will also continue to market Untangled on my blog. I love that my book has been read not just by the mental health community but cut across all genres of readers and I believe that is because of my blog.

I’m going to begin writing another book in September. I can feel another book bubbling out of me, and I’m compelled to honor that feeling. Besides Untangled, I have collaborated on three other inspirational/spiritual books, but they are currently unavailable on Amazon. I love all my books, but Untangled is my heart. It’s my memoir, and that book has given me gifts of healing, connection, and hope beyond my wildest dreams. Here is a link to Untangled.

I appreciate it when someone purchases my book, reads it, gives me feedback, and writes reviews on Amazon. I wish I could thank each person when they buy my book. Although, because of the wonderful world of blogging I’m able to thank many people when they reach out to me after reading it.

https://www.amazon.com/Untangled-story-resilience-courage-triumph/dp/1514213222

https://www.amazon.com/Untangled-story-resilience-courage-triumph-ebook/dp/B013XA4856