My Lettered Mind… The Great Book Of Lists Chapter 1.4

January 28, 2016January 28, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha46 Comments

At a young age, deciphering the lettering in the pages of a book became No. 1 on the list of my favourite things and if it is possible to say, I would say that I gobbled up literature with such veracity, that one would think it was an Olympic contest.

The adventure that I have with books has led to a rhyme or two words.

Out of my forays in reading, I got to learn that I am an incurable romantic realist *if such a term exists* and I always look for the happy endings or at least something heartwarming.

I read several horrors after a fad and found it absolutely not to my taste.

Yes, I admit, the amount of Mills & Boons, Harlequin Romances, Barbara Cartlands, Penny Jordan’s, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Amanda Quick and the rest of the crew that I read, must have contributed some coins from my piggy bank to the authors pockets and it’s amazing how much content the brain can take in and still keep soaking up more each day.

Ah! These brings back the days of mobile library and the ice-cream van to my mind. The two always seemed to come around the school premises almost at the same time and now that I think about it, that ice-cream man must have been responsible for my love for sweets. Just imagine bringing my two favourite things together 😉

I digress. Back to some of the books that caught my mind, held my thoughts and stoked my imagination enough to steal into the toilet for a quick page of reading when I was meant to be watching the beans on the fire and yes, a page turned to several and the beans got burnt.

For this weeks The books that transport me, chapter 1.4 of TGBOL, these ones come easily to my mind:

Lorna Doone – Richard Doddridge Blackmore
Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
The Basket Of Flowers – Christope Von Schmid
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain
Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
The Mayor of Casterbridge – Thomas Hardy
The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
Gone with the wind – Margaret Mitchell
Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe
Sands Of Time – Sidney Sheldon
The Secret Garden – Frances Burnett
Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
The Merchant Of Venice – William Shakespeare
Comics of : Archie, Betty & Veronica, Jughead, ASTERIX, TinTin
Fairy tales by The Brothers Grimms
Enid Blyton books

Numbers 18, 19 and 20, I pretend to buy for my children and still sneak in a good read and a chortle. Please, you are free to think whatever, I am still a child at heart 😉

A link to my neighbours/Community · Blogging

Let’s Have ‘An I Love You’ Party…

January 26, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha105 Comments

We are approaching the commercial month of love, though I am of the opinion that love should be a practiced existential part of our everyday lives. Sometimes, I kinda feel that the commercializing of valentine is a bit much, but that’s just my opinion.

Why don’t we have a lovely, lovey-dovey blog hopping party weekend :0))

If you are interested, I can be the hostess. Just sending out feelers.

There will be lots of candles and flowers, cakes and chocolates too *at least virtually* and we can share loads of links to our soppy love stories – non-fiction or fiction, poems, lyrical prose, pictures etc.

Posts that tugs at the heartstrings, plasters smiles on our faces and makes you bring out your scented tissue box.

Let’s make it a date ‘cos I am falling in love with you 😉

If you think it’s a worthwhile idea, please indicate below.

I will be re-blogging this post till the Valentine weekend.

Please do share if you can and invite others. The more the merrier.

Regards,

Five Sentence Inspiration · Lifestyle · My Thinking Corner · Quotes For You · Success

Tuesdays Trickles 6…My Thinking Corner.

January 26, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha23 Comments

Every Tuesday, I share snippets of thoughts that I call ‘My Thinking Corner.’

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple.

Each Tuesday, share your very short snippets of positive, inspiring, motivating, health, spiritual, writing advice, clips, posts etc, that can serve as a prop to motivate others and simply add my link to your post.

I call it my thinking corner because, I actually take out a bit of time just to think through things, encapsulate my thoughts as much as possible and detoxify my mind.

It might work for you in a different way, but the idea is to get the positive thoughts flowing.

Please send in your little thoughts. You never know whose life you might inspire.

The single truth that we tell ourselves is a million times better than the half-truths that we are told by a dozen.

Hope is that last little flicker in the rubble of our burnt ashes. When you stoke the embers sufficiently, the flames will come alive.

Our dreams can never be the same neither will our journey. You must dream your dreams and not wait for hand-me- downs.

An empty heart will never have anything to give. Fill it with good things and it will overflow naturally.

Once that little voice in a mind asks, is this all there is? Then, there must be more to be done and we should be on the quest for that more.

Here Are Last Week’s Thinking Corner Thinkers 🙂

Small Choices. Rosema of Reading Writers little nuggets in brief.

The gift called today from Oba of the King’s Oracle fills me with beautiful thoughts.

Tuesday’s thoughts by Bisi of Femininematerz connects the dots of rising to the skill of your art.

Deep thoughts of Trickles and Tears from Diane of Ladies who lunch reviews.

Persevere. These very few words from simply me speaks very loud and clear.

Let’s hear your thoughts, quotes, advice et al.

Blogging · Inspiration - Motivation

Let’s Do The Mathematics Of Blogging…

January 25, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha70 Comments

If I were to lend an ear to a new blogger, my first words would be: Cartoon Teacher | lol-

Go to school! WordPress Blogging University offers such facilities at no cost. Get involved and learn how to make your blog better.

Don’t sweat it! Don’t chew off your fingernails in anxiety with your eyes glued on the statistics of your blog right from the onset.

If you keep your eyes on that statistics dashboard, it will leave you with lots of angst, which can get pretty exhausting.

Easier said than done, but if you really want to grow, you have to be pragmatic in your approach.

Write from your heart and not someone else’s heart.

After the writing, go and mingle with others as much as you possibly can.

No! Don’t just pin up a post, then go off to the beach to pluck your toes in the water and your butt in the sand, surfing YouTube and sipping pina colada. Your blog will not read itself. Nope! It won’t.

I will say it again. ‘MINGLE IN THE MIX.’ As time goes on, you will find your footing, gain some lovely friends and it will surely grow.

Be social media friendly. Yes I know it’s Evil, but it has it’s good sides too 😉

The Truth and Nothing But The Naked Truth is that every good and successful blog out there took a lot of work and time from the blogger.

Lest I forget, please check the grammar as well. No one likes to read mumbo-jumbo. An occasional mistake can be overlooked, but I must warn you that there are grammar Nazi out here looking for who to catch 😉

Now Go Ye And Be Blog Happy. Every successful blogger started with zero follows and when you add these recipes plus more, you will see the digits come up.

The Daily Post Key Takeaway.

Give your newer sisters and brothers-in-WordPress one piece of advice based on your experiences blogging.

If you’re a new blogger, what’s one question you’d like to ask other bloggers?

Image credit: Cliparts.co

Hope · Life · The Daily Post

No One Is Kicking This Bucket Yet!…

January 23, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha49 Comments

Thanks but no thanks WordPress. I still have a lot of life in me. I have no bucket list, thus no item 11 to talk about.

This is not something that I have gotten around to doing and doubt if I would do so, even though I know that it might seem the fashionable thing to do and what not, I have honestly never dwelt on it.

It’s not necessarily because I feel that I have all the time in the World because I don’t, but I am holding on to God’s promises of satisfying me with long life.

I am holding out for the blessings of seeing my children’s children and that my children will be like olive trees. As we know, olive trees are very long lived and bear bountiful fruits. I am holding on to this promise that I will not die before due season, but live to declare the good works of the Lord in the land of the living.

That said, I think that might be part of the reasoning behind my never having spent the time to make a long drawn bucket list. Where exactly on this list do I want to start from, because it would be a very long one.

Secondly, I am my own worst critic and tend to beat myself over the head when I set a long list of goals and fail to achieve them. It automatically sends negative signals of failing a promise to myself and I am seriously trying to get rid of those negative energies swirling around.

What I am trying to do is to look at the things that I aspire to achieve, break them down and focus on getting them done as much as possible without turning it into a do or die affair.

In some part of my mind, I feel as if a bucket list is self-limiting. What happens when I get to the end of that list?

Does it mean that I am ready to kick the bucket? No can do!

I think I shall pass on this assignment because, I truly believe that the journey of life should be savoured as much as possible, enjoying the joy that comes from the journey and not turn my life it into a big boring To-Do list.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

The Daily Post Kick It.

What’s the 11th item on your bucket list?

Health · Life · Social Issues

Sickle Cell Anaemia…

January 23, 2016September 17, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha41 Comments

When I was a very young girl, my bosom childhood friend Nnenna * God rest her soul* had sickle cell.

In my mind I still recall day’s of visiting her with a bunch of other friends and watching as she wept in throes of pain.

We would rub and massage her muscles to help, try to make her laugh and a lot of times I would go home feeling burdened with questions and worry.

She was a very beautiful, bright, talented young lady and equally full of life. She never liked being segregated or made to feel different and now that I dwell a bit on these memories, I can’t even fathom how big a burden she bore.

Knowing a family that lived a few streets away from our house, lose their offspring one after the other from Sickle cell disease, definitely cemented the indelible marks that SCD made on my mind.

Today, thankfully, with modern science, life expectancy of sufferers is a bit longer than what it used to be, nonetheless, it is still a traumatizing disease.

To know a bit more about SCD, you can click on this link Sickle Cell Disease.

Personally, I love to support groups that are out there, selflessly seeking to improve the standard of living of human life.

Most times, when we hear the word support, we balk at the idea because we automatically think of big bucks.

Support can come in so many forms that may not involve parting with any form of money.

Support can be the giving of your time and helping hands.

Support can be by lending your voice to a worthy cause.

Support can equally be by just being there for someone who you know going through a rough patch. Knowing that you are there counts for a whole lot.

‘Remember that though you may not be there for everyone, you can be there for someone.’

Regards,

Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Quotes For You · Three quote challenge

When You Agree…

January 22, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha29 Comments

In my place, there is a saying which states that ‘when you agree, your God agrees with you.‘

A blogversation that I had recently with an awesome blogger brought back this saying that my dad used ever so often back to my mind and I spent a little time dwelling on the thought of it’s meaning.

As a child whose parents used lots of proverbs to buttress a point, I never quite understood some of what they were trying to say to me then, but as time went on, these kernels of words planted have been germinating profusely and I find wisdom tucked inside them.

It is a common belief back in my place that each person has their own little ‘Chi’ or ‘God’, also perceived as a guardian Angel and that whatever limitations the person sets for themselves, that is equally where their God will set himself.

If you buy into the myopic view of a misguided person that you are not good enough, then you will remain so.

If you set limitations for yourself with all the usual excuses: because I am poor, black, brown, fe/male, tall, short, etc, you will not grow past your limitations. To grow past them you have to stop agreeing to the negative feedback of ‘You Can’t.’

‘What are you agreeing to?’

There is no disputing the fact that there are socio-economic challenges, gender limitations, race boundaries and all the conceivable ceilings out there that hinders us from breaking through the invisible barriers to our perceived success, but wait a minute.

What of the glass ceiling that you have placed on your own mind? No one else will break through it and free you other than yourself.

In as much as there are things we are unable to stop from happening, we have the will power to choose how we react to these things.

Do we remain victims of our own minds, or do we break free from the bounds of mind enslavement of whatever it is that we are agreeing to and become victors?

The choice is yours. What are you agreeing to? What ever it is, is what your God will agree to as well.

I shall leave these little quotes here for you to dwell on.

‘It is not what you are called, but what you answer to.’ African proverb

‘As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.‘ Proverbs: 23.7

‘Be careful how you are talking to yourself, because you are listening.‘ Lisa M. Hayes

For the quotes challenge invitation, I thank Kaushal of Expressive Human for the invitation, and would like to invite the following awesome bloggers to participate in the 3 days, 3 quotes challenge.

No pressures at all to do so.

The rules are:

Post 3 Quotes on 3 consecutive days.
Thank the person who nominated you.
Nominate 3 other bloggers on each day of challenge.

Pancake Bunnykins

Sabiscuit

Commonsensegal

A link to my neighbours/Community · Dubai · Echos Of My Neighbourhood · Photographs · This Is My Life

Echoes Of My Neighbourhood # 6…

January 21, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha67 Comments

On Thursday’s, I share a picture about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple.

Every Thursday, share a photo of bits and pieces of wherever you are at any point in time. It could be houses, backgrounds of your neighbourhood, activities and so forth and you can tag it Echos of my Neighbourhood, add my link to your post so that I will get the ping from your post.

Every other Thursday, I will publish a post with the links of all those who participated the previous week.

This is just a fun way of getting to see more of the World around us through your eyes, since we cannot all be at those places, we can at least see them through you.

I look forward to seeing your pictures.

Best regards,

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

For Last Echoes, the following interesting submissions came from :

In the bonnet from Mandibelle. Very cute and smile worthy. She has only grown bigger. 😉

This lovely trail from Wandering Poet. Calming environment. A good place to be

By the way, whose feet is bigger? By Kat Myrman of Mercury Colliding. I didn’t want to guess, lest I am wrong in my assumption. What do you think 😉

The Meeting Spot from Pancake Bunnykins seems like where some interesting conversation would go on.

Chemtrails in the sky from Spiritual Journey leaves you wondering. Take a look.

Let’s see some of yours PLLLEEEEAAAZZEE 🙂

Humor - Bellyful of laughter · The Daily Post · This Is My Life

Hear I Warble…Something New.

January 19, 2016January 19, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha63 Comments

I laughed out very loud when I read this prompt, because I have been tinkering around with the voice recorder and I said to myself that WordPress is out to get me 😉

I have no particular reason to cringe at my own voice, other than the fact that I think my voice warbles instead of coming out smoother when I sing, but hey, I gotta love what I have.

So WordPress, the simple truth is that I can live with my voice. What would I do if I don’t like it? Nothing. So I have to love it’s dusky tone and squeeze the best out of my juke box.

I have been working on reading my poetry online, but still haven’t gotten round to doing so even though I have a few recordings of my voice.

In family videos, I am either running around serving everyone else, or laughing so loud that I doubt if I am ever caught looking as cool as cucumber.

So for the voice part here goes.

You be the judge.

The Daily Post Can’t Stand Me.

What do you find more unbearable: watching a video of yourself, or listening to a recording of your voice? Why?

Image credit: Pinterest.

Five Sentence Inspiration · Inspiration - Motivation · Lifestyle · My Thinking Corner · Quotes For You · Weave that Dream

Tuesdays Trickles 5..My thinking corner…

January 19, 2016January 19, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha38 Comments

Every Tuesday, I share snippets of thoughts that I call ‘My Thinking Corner.’

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple.

I call it my thinking corner because, I actually take out a bit of time just to think through things, encapsulate my thoughts as much as possible and detoxify my mind.

It might work for you in a different way, but the idea is to get the positive thoughts flowing.

Please send in your little thoughts. You never know whose life you might inspire.

Sometimes we stare hard at a closed door for too long that we fail to see the new ones opening for us.

When we expunge the negative, we must endeavour to fill the space created with the positive, because nature abhors vacuum in our existence.

As difficult as it might be, hold on to those positive thoughts. It never fails to expand your coast and broaden the possibilities of your impossibilities.