Elements of my day and so far so good…The great book of lists.

May 29, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha17 Comments

La Duchesse has given us a double prompting and I’ll just race through me as quick as breeze:

Veggie sauce bubbling on the gas :-) — Veggie sauce bubbling on the gas 🙂

Her idea for this prompt ‘elements of my day and so far so good,’ comes from Brandon Burchard’s day planner.

So, the instructions are to build your list :

quickly jot your to-do list
what are the 3 things you are excited about today
what are the 3 things you are truly thankful for today

My quick to do list

Revise for the end of year exams with the children. I have to quiz them and go through their subjects before shooing them confidently out of the door to go and get those grades.
Conclude my monthly bulk cooking of stews, soups, and stuff: I always prepare at least two batches of our native soup amongst other stews to ease life a bit. These could serve as quick dinner or lunch on busy days. It earns me some hours of putting up my feet 😉
Continue partying on my blog and mixing with fab folks. Come on in 🙂
Place some calls to family in Nigeria.
Writing quick drafts of some of my blog posts for the coming week so that I can face my other writing works.
Tweak my second self-hosted site a little bit. Not yet ready to run.
Do some research work for work on Mastermind Learning and Development strategy.
Native vegetable ‘Edikan-ikong’ soup.

I am excited

That school Summer break will commence over here in a couple of weeks. Don’t have a holiday plan yet but looking forward to working out something.
I have been nominated for The Annual Blogger’s Service to Bloggers Award. Have you voted yet? Please do cast your votes. Who would have thought that lil‘ me will be nominated for such 🙂
Some new ideas are cooking in my head and it makes me feel all warm at the thought.
Getting my teeth into my second book. It’s been a bit slow.
A 3-day self-improvement workshop that I’ll be attending. Okay, I’ve overshot the 3 things.

I am thankful:

For my husband and children. They are kind and supportive.
The blog World and the great supportive people I meet here. I’ve learnt so much in this space.
For life in general. Each day is a splendid opportunity.

So far so good and so not good. I had to slip that in there 😉

I feel naughty and guilty for not having stuck to the ‘treat your body better rule’ that I set for myself. My weight loss has been sitting put like the Sitting Bull, but it’s my fault 😉 Okay, I’ve got that off my chest. Now to the good part.
My published poetry book makes me very happy.
The decent growth of my blog in just a year of blogging always amazes me. It’s just wonderful.
The endless burst of inspiration keeps me bubbling. I wish my fingers could work half as fast as the ideas that are streaming through my head.

Thank you, Duchesse. I enjoy your promptings.

P.S. You can join our Summer blog party by clicking the link. It’s taking place right now and really bubbling. It’s fun and you get to meet fantastic folks. Looking forward to seeing you

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath

I did nothing!…personal

May 20, 2016February 9, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

It’s a Friday morning this way and it’s the weekend already in the Middle Eastern World.

I write this with a lot of appreciation. It doesn’t take much to make me happy or to make me cry *tears of joy and maybe sadness too*

I scrolled through my comments and saw Tanya, Post Prodigal and Beth’s – Nutsrok’s comments:

Just got your book from Amazon. Will be starting it tonight! From Beth

Thank you, Jackie. I’m still reading and loving your book of poems, btw. I’ll post a review on Amazon when I am done. It just blesses me! From Tanya

and the tears pooled in my eyes. Yes! I can be emotional, but that’s who I am.

I did nothing to deserve the show of kindness that I’ve received in this place.

I did nothing to receive the amount of care that I receive in this place.

I did nothing… Not one thing…

You did it all…and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

You may not understand…

when someone is walking out of the valley of fear,

of deeply incinerated scars and doubts, reaching for the light…

a little shine of light is so much hope.

I wrote my poetry book from my heart and I’ve never thought that it would interest anyone. I couldn’t even afford professional editing.

I wrote it for me. To help me deal with some experiences and pain that life brought my way yet, several friends have reached out to me to express how the words have touched them that I have to go and read them again myself…

Publishing it was just a step up, to tell myself that “yes I can!
…and I said to myself, Jacqueline, if even 5 people buy this book, then consider yourself blessed…

It sold 5, then 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12…..19 and counting

Thank you, my dear friends. Thank God.

I have friends in high places and it’s YOU!

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath

Expose my heart

that I may understand your words

through every conscious,

awakened pore of each moment.

*an excerpt from my poem*

Gratitude · Personal

For these one’s, I give thanks…personal

May 4, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha16 Comments

There’s always a reason to be thankful no matter how minutiae, but today I have lots of reasons to be full of gratitude. Gratitude, Grateful, Prayer, Thanks, Blessings, Open

I am 2 day’s away from clocking 365 days of non-stop blogging and it puts me in a reminiscent mood. It may not mean much to some people, but I am still chuffed over the fact that I have diligently stayed the course.

My first book also got published over the weekend and I am totally excited about it.

The exemplary gentleman/publisher who worked with me on this project David Cronin of Moyhill publishing, Sally Cronin’s husband has been so supportive to this novice, answering all my questions down to the nitty-gritty and the book is already receiving excellent reviews.

I gained a worthy and supportive partner this last week, a fellow blogger whose articles inspire me very much. Kaylaa Blackwell of Inspired Beacon, I thank you for having enough confidence in me and finding it worthwhile to partner with me. I will be writing more on this in another post.

For amazing family and friends who don’t cease to surprise me, I am thankful you are all in my life. Your encouraging words literally fuel me. I hope that there’s something that you are thankful for today.

You can join Colline’s or Maria Jansson gratitude challenge platforms.

Below is my first Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha’s poems portray images that stare us right in the face. Images of love, joy, death, pain, challenges, violation, and freedom. She writes in a language that’s rich in imagery, earthy, honest, vulnerable, yet full of the promise of hope, of loving and of Grace. A collection of light and dark soulful prose.

appreciation · Gratitude

It’s been a trying moment and I am trying hard not to scream…

April 27, 2016February 2, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha33 Comments

It’s been a blog challenging, two days to say the least and definitely not amusing.

Having my blog harassed by malicious attempts or whatever, is not something I anticipated dealing with this week and for some good moments, I’ve been made to question and ask what if?

What if I woke up and my almost 1,200 posts have gone poof into thin air?

How will I take it?

I believe I will be hopping mad! I believe all my righteous indignation juices will overflow zealously and my write mode will go into overdrive.

So, after all, said and done and while WP happiness engineers are trying to restore my happy blog to robust health, I am thankful for friends who were concerned enough to reach out and send messages notifying me of the anomaly.

They didn’t run off scared throwing me to the dogs. Now that is called friendship.

I am thankful that I am not yet screaming myself blue in the face and throwing colourful strings of curses. Phew!! It felt good to say that.

It’s all good. I’ll just take a chill and have some cardamon tea while it takes whenever to get things back to square zero.

You can join Colline’s or Maria Jansson gratitude challenge platforms.

Everyday People · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Photographs

Take 1, 2, 3…Every day beautiful people # 26

April 24, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha4 Comments

‘Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things that you see and everything to do with the way you see them.’ Elliot Erwitt

I am the fourth photographer 🙂

appreciation · Musings

A Season and Friends like this…

April 20, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

I love the blooming flowers and the cheery mood on people’s faces. There’s something very pretty about this season, even if we are all sneezing in my house at this point in time.

I appreciate that it’s not yet baking hot which is a condition synonymous to the Middle East and as such, I am still taking advantage of the airiness of the outdoors and spending as much time as I can before it all changes.

I am quite thankful for the connections that I have made in this space.

Some bloggers have extended their hands of fellowship way beyond my expectations this past week in their show of kindness to me.

To you dear Dehan Taylor and Tasha , I say thank you.

Both of you might not see what you’ve done as much, but it means a lot to me.

I sincerely appreciate your care and can only leave this word of blessing for you, ‘as you show love to those around you, you pave way to your own greatness.‘

I hope that you are thankful for something today. You can join Colline’s or Maria Jansson gratitude challenge platforms.

Everyday People · Humans

Titillating Conversation…Every day beautiful people #17

April 15, 2016April 15, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

‘A conversation is so much more than words: a conversation is eyes, smiles, the silences between the words.’ Annika Thor

I love real heart to heart tête à têtes. It reveals bits and pieces of the soul and creates honest moments in between- Jacqueline

Do women enjoy titillating conversations or is it just the menfolk that does?

Everyday People · Photographs

Everyday Beautiful People # 9…

April 6, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha4 Comments

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners, who make our souls blossom – Marcel Proust.

Surround yourself with the right people. Jacqueline

Everyday People · Shopping

Everyday Beautiful People // 7…

April 4, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha5 Comments

“People are who they are and, try as you might, you cannot make them be what you want them to be.” Leila Sales

Appreciate people for who they are because we are all different for a reason. Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Family · The Great Book Of Lists

Celebration and Acts of Love….The Great Book Of Lists.

April 3, 2016January 31, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha10 Comments

La Duchesse Derat gave us two themes for this week’s Great Book Of Lists and as usual, they are topics that bring out the joy in us.

I am a very expressive person and I believe in appreciating those around me whether in little or big ways. What matters is that over time, those little things compound into something that they hold on to as a good memory.

The little Acts of love that I indulge in often are:

I am a hugger: Embracing my children, my husband and those whose are close to me always give me a warm buzz and it costs nothing.

Buying little tokens or giving a gift card: A lot of times I might stumble on a little item that makes me smile and think of someone, from a painted little vase, a book, or a card. I buy it and give to the person.

Occasionally, I indulge in gift cards that don’t cost the World – a 10, 20 or 50 dollar gift card depending on how buoyant my pocket is at that point in time and give them out in appreciation. There are times when I have a little bit extra to spare, I could buy up to 5 gift cards and just keep in my purse and give them out as my spirit moves me.

Cooking: Celebration calls for arrays of food. It always gives me pleasure to watch everyone eat, drink, laugh and generally enjoy the offerings that I made with a lot of love and sweat 🙂 There is this bond and camaraderie that eating together builds.

Calling and texting: I always endeavour to call or text family and my close friends to find out how they are doing. Now BBM, Whatsapp etc have made it cheaper to do so. It gives me an uplift in the spirit after a nice, warm chat.

I listen, I counsel and I pray: I always offer a listening ear and as much as possible, try to offer an objective advice that’s not biassed. If it requires praying, I would partner in prayers and counselling. If issues need to be straightened out, then as much as possible I will tell you my mind as gently as I can. I don’t believe in enabling someone to behave badly and unfortunately, this has once or twice not gone down well with one or two friends who sought my advice and expected me to side them in their bad behaviour…telling my friend that she’s wrong to wish her husband harm and going out of her way to his office to make a scene did not earn me any badges, but it’s not a friendship that I particularly miss. I will only proffer an advice that which I would probably resort to myself.

When it comes to celebrating:

I dance. I love to dance and possibly sing along to the music. Sometimes, when I feel very glad, it’s not uncommon to just play my loud jams and dance. Occasionally, my husband takes me out to go dancing and dining afterwards.

Going out with my family for a good time.

Take my body wholeheartedly to a spa and get a little pampered. There’s nothing like a deep tissue massage to work out the kinks and a relaxing pedicure to make you feel as if loads has been lifted off you. I love to paint bright red colour on my toes at such times. It makes me feel like revving my engine 😉

Indulge in some cheap home treat of reading, eating dark chocolate, running a nice hot tub and just feeling good.

I share my good news. I believe so much in the power of positive aura and when I have positive vibes to share, I do so.