Photographs · Uncategorized

Abandoned…

For two days running, I have seen this abandoned scooter and I am wondering which child left it behind. There’s a park close by.

Tongue in cheek, I dare say it belongs to a boy, from mere deductions of the Ben 10 image on it and the colour as well.

I bet he will tell his mother that he doesn’t know who took it 😉

I would have loved to be there and to see his wide-eyed innocence when he says ‘I don’t know who took it.’

So many scenarios have played in my head and I am writing a children’s story about it 🙂

Walking energizes me both physically, spiritually, mentally and so much more.

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Personal · Photographs

Things That Make Me Go Hmm!…

Today’s theme for Photo 101 is bliss. Well, it falls in rather nicely today. Yesterday it rained ceaselessly that the school sent a mail of no school today, so yours truly started having bliss from last night at the thought that I don’t have to jump up at 4:30 in the morning. Yours truly lounged in bed. Now that is bliss 🙂

My source of bliss are derived from the simple satisfaction that I can find in the daily life around me.

I make a conscious effort to cultivate a heightened sense of contentment and each source depends totally on my frame of mind.

Something as little as seeing a happy dog, gives me a sense of joy.

Below are some things that signify bliss for me.

Blog · Personal · Photographs · Uncategorized

Leaping Along…personal

My new skipping rope. The previous one was a killer rope in it's past life.
My new skipping rope. The previous one was a killer rope in it’s past life.

So here I am seated in-between Sugoi and Umami, two Far East Urban Cuisine/Japanese and trying to decide what to eat as well as checking my mails when I see Colette’s challenge sent to me to leap and the Daily post prompt to leap as well, so I will kill two birds with one stone.

Don’t think that I am a food addict. A girl has to eat to keep the brain cells functional and aside from a bowl of porridge and currants this morning, this is a late lunch of my decision, veggie rice and teriyaki prawns.

I enjoy the drone of voices. It’s amazing when you keep silent and just listen to the cacophonous buzz around you. My thoughts takes me back to the beginning of the year and how far I am leaping along.

Thinking about leaping made start looking at people’s feet as they passed by, for silly reasons. No one was leaping out-rightly, just a scurry, a flinch, a waddle and a slow trot.

Where have I leaped to between Jan and now?

I tried to leap high, but feared that I would break a precious bone, so I just hopped along.

  • I just bought a new skipping rope, a few minutes ago. Very apt for leaping out of a month. I will obviously leap a lot in March.
    The last one I had was used for drilling young recruits in its past life. It kept flogging the back of my legs *no jokes* when I didn’t skip high enough, that I had to ask myself if the punishment was worth the result?
  • So, I finally finished collating my poetry book and hopefully, by next week, I will seek professional assistance with editing and book cover. The plan is to have it out between March and April, so it’s right on track and I can tick the box for hopping along with my set target to have four of my published works out this year.

Yes, I know its a tall challenge, but I believe in setting a high bar for myself so that even if I fail to meet all, I fail forward by achieving a good percentage.

  • I hopped to a writer’s critic group and asides from parting with too many dirhams buying coffee and sandwich, watching people feel snazzy and writer-like with the interesting hair-dos and streaks of colours, and a huge dragon tattoo running from one shoulder into her bosom *I didn’t get to see the bosom* but the dragon did, and a lot of Shisha smoking all around, I really didn’t get much out of the experience, so I am quite doubtful that I will repeat the experience.
  • I dared to submit one of my stories for a competition. The results don’t come out till March, though in all honesty, I am not expecting anything, since the whole World, their wives, pet garter snakes, dogs and cats made an appearance. A cool cat is most likely going to win the prize. I did it to push myself out of my comfort zone and get over the jitters.
  • The weight hasn’t shifted downwards, but it hasn’t gone up thankfully.
  •  Blogging is coming along nicely 🙂

I am ruminating over my personal goals for March, so let me trundle along and get cracking.

So, who would like to leap off the board with me? A short note will do just fine

Colette, thank you for making me look and appreciate my steps.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

The Daily Post Prompt Leap.

P.S. A silly video of the drone of voices and the occasional feet.

Family · Personal · Photographs · The Daily Post

In The Present Moment…

The Daily Post Photo prompt State Of Mind.

All taken at some point of yesterday. My present state of mind is filled with love for my family. Enjoying them and finding inner peace.

Health · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Photographs

The Buoyancy Of Optimism…

Yesterday, I watched my very dear friend, Ekaete Augustine-Edet run her very first Marathon of 42.195 km in Dubai and that made me so proud.

She flew in from Nigeria with other queens of marathon. These are women who are mothers, wives, workers and all. They are in their late thirties, mid-forties and late forties.

The interesting thing is that most of them only started training several months ago.

What impresses me most is that she wasn’t sure she could do it. She was nervous about it, but she set out to do her best and she did it.

Running 42.195 km for over 4 hours is not a walk in the park. Now that is optimism and determination.

‘Well done Ladies.’

P.S. I didn’t run, but I was there to whistle and cheer them on and of course to take pictures 🙂

The Daily Post Photo Challenge Optimistic.

How do you fuel the fires of optimism?

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© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Life · Lifestyle · This Is My Life

The Little Things That I Love…The great book of lists.

I am late for this party, the great book of lists challenge, considering that I re-blogged the post and was all excited. Somehow, I failed to start off last week.

However, I am still going to gate crash and hope that La Duchesse Derat won’t throw me out without as much as a mince pie and a glass of warm drink.

  • I love waking up early when the entire house is quiet, lying still and just listening to the breathing of my husband beside me as I think through my day and make a mental to do list.
  • I love my early morning brisk walks especially with crisp cold breeze on my face and my denuded face free from any artifice soaking it all in.1452772090288[1]
  • I love those sights of little things that I get to see when I am out and about – like a flock of birds in a feeding frenzy and the naughty Cat that came and made them run away, or a budding pretty flower – such sights are fuel to my mind.
  • I love the tingly foot massage that my young ones take turns to give me. It is nowhere near professional but it is so soothing. Sometimes they throw in a neck rub.
  • I love those little moments when my youngest keeps offering to make me his special sandwich; which equals a slathered helping of peanut butter and toast, with a nice cup of beverage and he tells me ‘I love you mummy, enjoy your sandwich.’
  • I love having a full pantry of food even if I don’t have money in my pocket. It always leaves me with a contented feeling and satisfaction when I do my bulk shopping for the household.
  • I love having people around me. It always gives me a warm feeling, even though, I occasionally hibernate, which, by the way never lasts long to deserve that lengthy word.
  • I absolutely love to dance to my long playlist while working out. I steal in a wiggle or two. It’s like working out two things at once; My Body and my Soul.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Creative Writing · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Poetry/Poems

I wonder how long they will last?…

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The gym overflows to the brim
Every corner occupied to its seam
The svelte and the porky
The taut and the cuddly
All gathered in the square space
Intents burning in avid blaze
Brand new gears all donned for the show
Sweat trickles down and dots the brows
The man with the wobbly one pack
See’s in his mind a defined six pack
The lady with the pouting lips
Takes the 50th selfie as she takes another leap
The dude with true six packs
Simply shows off with all the weight racks
The sage mother like I, walks sedately on a climb
We offer each other a nod and a smile
We huff and we puff
We groan and we grunt
I haven’t seen the gym this way
No. Not in many months of May
I know the new ‘Resolutioners’
With the Dre beats and everything new
Let’s watch and see how long
The new fad will continue to brew.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Photographs · Poetry/Poems · Saturday Snippets

We Are Fattened…

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So much have all consumed
A little plumper, we are fattened
A clink of glass and a tipple of wine
No thoughts to hourglass, the merrier we dine.
Cheers! Make merry.
Today we eat.
Tomorrow we run.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Musings · Poetry/Poems

The Truth As it is ðŸ˜„

In my mind,

I run like an African Gazelle,

filled with grace,

speed and style,

while in actual fact,

I am a robust Heifer,

trundling along,

with a rolling gait rump,

also filled with grace,

style and attitude,

to make up for the speed.

Go ahead! Have a chuckle at my expense.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

cartoon-funny-elephant-jump-exerciseImage Source: Indy Pendent Thinking