![1458312168581[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/14583121685811.jpg)
She knew that
She had to fight
To conquer
Or roll over
To concede
and die.
She chose
To fight
and
she
won
♦
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
The Daily Post prompt fight.
Tag: Lifestyle
Quit Shilly-Shallying…
Agnes enjoyed the priceless looks on their faces and the gaping mouth as the stared at the rock on her finger.
She had landed herself a Duke. With her controversial intelligent brains as well.
It turned out that The Duke liked a lady who challenged his intelligence and even dared to ride hell for leather.
He wanted no milk and prim miss.
He wanted a zesty, buxom, eyes filled with fire miss, who would keep him well engaged and bear him many sons with her broad hips.
He is quite taken with Agnes and not Anastasia like everyone one expected.
Anastasia the pretty. Anastasia the prim and flowery. Anastasia the proper…
Bah! His Lordship thought. He would be bored between and betwixt. Her limpid eyes held no fire.
Stop shilly-shallying, Agnes mama had said.
Quit all your rambunctious ways, she nagged.
Or you’ll be left on the shelf, she warned.
No man wants a forward miss that rides bareback like a hellion, she intoned.
You my girl will end up an old miss, she shook her head in dismay.
But Agnes love for life beckoned far more than mama’s scolds.
And her love for life led her to the Duke, when her daring ventures caught his gleaming eyes and the good thing is that she fancies him too.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
The Daily Post prompt Shelf.
Great Service…Echoes Of My Neighbourhood #14
On Thursday’s, I share pictures 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.
A better part of my last week until this Tuesday was spent between the Iranian Hospital and having a little birthday dinner.
The pictures above are some parts of The Iranian Hospital Dubai. An International hospital affiliated to the Iranian Red Crescent/Red Cross. It’s among the top five relief agencies in the World.
No one likes going to the hospital, not for fun and spending time in a dinghy one would only make it worse.
The Iranian Hospital’s service was very professional, polite, prompt and I found no reason whatsoever to grumble throughout the days they attended to us. I was impressed.
You even have a schedule screen that tells you what’s going on and when you will be attended to. The cafe had hot meals all through and even several bowls of pretty species of goldfish to admire or to buy.
My daughter wanted one, I wouldn’t have minded several goldfish, but we don’t have a brilliant goldfish handling history.
The place runs smoothly at all times *even by 3 a.m. It’s like a well oiled machinery and they made a panicky mothers heart much calmer. Somehow, we managed to find time to hang out a bit at The Dome for dinner and eat lots of birthday cake.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Last Week Echoes gave us some peeks of different neighbourhoods, hop on let’s go see and do show some of yours 🙂
Hot brews of coffee in all sizes and even as blings. Seattle is the place to go for rich, decadent brews. Just drive thru for a look see.
Write them all more echoes of other parts of Dubai from a neighbour. It’s truly an amazing World how we connect online.
Sicily lovely sights and echoes of Sicily. I would like to visit this Italian city some day.
Giggles & Tales Well I never knew this. Fish feet spa where they fish get to feed on the cuticles of your feet. I already feel ticklish at the thought.
This and That with Sarah while she tinkers with her laptop.
Thoughts and entanglements Fabulous and interesting pictures from Brooklyn. I like those spangled underwear 😉
Dollops of heedful ramblings These are total and beautiful eye candy.
Mercury colliding Who do you think will win? Let’s take a vote on this. No it’s not Trump or Hilary 😉
I hope you enjoy the views.
Regards.
P.S. I hope that I didn’t miss someone’s ping back?
Midnight Motivations and Musings # 34…
![1458116205955[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/14581162059551.jpg)
Sometimes, nature forces us to slow down due to certain challenges that it throws our way and we are literally left in the waiting room.
While in the waiting room, it shouldn’t be seen as a drawback, but as an opportunity to decompress, to keep our eyes gazing up at the stars and yet our feet planted firmly in the present.
That would be a good time to have a bird-eye review, regroup and relaunch of that which you are projecting on.
I call it the 3 R’s .
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Write Garbage, Edit Brilliantly! ….Writer’s Quote Wednesday
If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn’t matter a damn how you write.
– Somerset MaughamIt is perfectly okay to write garbage—as long as you edit brilliantly.
– C. J. Cherryh
![1458140519729[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/14581405197291.jpg)
The above quotes repeats in my head when I think of my writing and encourages me to trudge along.
Someone once asked me how I decided that I am writer and my simple response that I have lots of stories to tell which left a blank look on her face made me feel as if I spoke Greek. Now and again, her blank face surfaces in my memory and I begin to question myself.
When I am struggling to put down the riotous thoughts in my head into a readable format, the question rises again and sometimes, a tiny voice of doubt tells me, ‘YOU ARE A FRAUD!’ WRITER YOU ARE NOT!
I have learnt to slap and shut the impish voice down, to go ahead and scribble my nonsense and leave it at that.
Well, seeing such quotes from established authors does tickle my fancy bone, and I have come to realize that there is no perfect writer. We just write that which needs to be written and leave it at that.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha – Girl writer 😉
Written for Writer’s quote Wednesday.
Midnight Motivations and Musings # 33
![1457762671569[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/14577626715691.jpg)
When all we do is to talk and we don’t do, it then becomes Cock and Bull story.
Our reflections and introspection must try to match our conducts for any meaningful change to occur and this applies to every aspect of our lives that requires change and growth.
Some might say ‘oh yes, it’s in the plan, tomorrow I will do it,’ yet five years down the line, their tomorrow is still waiting to arrive.
The future belongs to all those who embrace constant growth transformation and exploring its directions.
Your future does not know waiting because the future is right now as we speak.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Midnight Motivations and Musings # 32…
![1457962450856[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/14579624508561.jpg)
A simple example of how difficult it is to keep our mind focused, is my last week spilling into this week, which has been one roller-coaster of health, stress and all sorts of challenges that I don’t want to inundate you with.
I found negative thoughts and horrendous words creeping into my mind and trying to take an upper hand.
It’s that part of human nature that dislikes discomfort that tries to lash out and grumble or muck about with so much negativity.
Remember the Israelite’s and their journey in the wilderness? A classic example of how grumbling can delay our blessings, that’s if we get it at all again.
I have found that negativity takes root faster than positive thoughts, as such, we must have to consciously pull ourselves out of the funky way of thinking into the way we ought to think.
Even if it’s difficult, occupy yourself with routine and the repetitive mantras from your box of positive thinking.
Regards,
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Midnight Motivations and Musings # 31
![1457763025081[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/14577630250811.jpg)
At some point in time every one fails in one thing or the other that they strive to achieve. It only becomes failure when we refuse to rise up from the debunked attend and forge ahead.
The worst disservice that you can do to yourself, is to muck about and wallow in that sense of defeat hanging like the Sword of Damocles over your head.
It will take you to the cleaners, squeeze you for all it’s worth, leave you dirty, down and out.
I tried to say the quote in a humourous way, but I am sure you get the message. If you give him an inch, he will take a whole yard.
Get up, dust off yourself and crawl along.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
It’s A Mix…Echoes Of My Neighbourhood 13
On Thursday’s, I share pictures 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.
The pictures above are taken from here and there. During the course of a week, I take pictures as I go along sorting each day’s issues.
When I am going out by myself, I prefer to leave the ease of driving myself and opt to take a train, bus or taxi depending on. The first two are my first options.
In a good number of areas, the bus stops have a pair of shelter, one for women and children and a separate one for menfolk. Due to the heat which can be unbelievable at times, they are air-conditioned and well maintained.
If you want to get to know a city, to meander free and get to know it’s people, get a map and use public transport.
It free’s your eyes to stare, snap and interact.
When I drive, half of the time, my eyes are glued to the GPS screen trying not to miss a vital turn.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Last Week Echoes gave us some peeks of different neighbourhoods, hop on let’s go see and do show some of yours 🙂
Ladylee Manila shows us some beautiful looks of Manila.
Oba takes us up close and personal to her neighbourhood in Lagos.
Deb of Bookyglover catches good snips of my Lagos and it’s eccentric nature.
Dollops of heedful ramblings showcases beautiful art walls.
Murals and Soulful strut are eclectic shots from urban gypsy.
Cherry blossoms pretty as a picture photos from Paula.
Giggles & Tales Denmark is good for a visit. There’s decadent chocolate and wine too.
Kat‘s photos makes me want to sing a song. Yes, they are beautiful.
The wishing well Colette introduces us to her Nottingham. Welcome Colette 🙂
Areas of life Mandi’s quite the lady. Her collection makes me smile and those tot photos are priceless.
Thoughts and entanglements There’s something so satisfying about this picture.
Writing in North Norfolk Kim has wonderful neighbours 🙂
I hope you enjoy the views.
Regards.
Midnight Motivations and Musings #27
![1457362914227[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/14573629142271.jpg)
When I was much younger, I thought it was possible to please everyone.
Boy! Did I learn a lesson from the school of hard knocks!
Some didn’t like me for reasons best known to them.
Some weren’t sure how they felt about me; their thoughts swinging one way or the other like a pendulum.
Some tried to like me, but I kept falling short of their hi-falutin expectations.
Some out-rightly wanted harm to befall me and actually set about planning harm.
Now, this is the scenario in a whole lot of people’s lives and this transcends from personal to business life as well.
The sad truth is that in a given 100% of people around you, 5 % care about you. 15% Don’t give two hoots and are busy caring about themselves, the other 80% are holding their bated breath and wishing you would drop off planet Earth.
So, if you are preoccupied with the thoughts of what people would say to decide each step you have to take in your life, you need another thinking coming on.
If you are caught up in the act of people pleasing, you will probably run yourself ragged and into the ground trying to fit into every bodies expectations.
That my friend is tantamount to signing away your life.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
a cooking pot and twisted tales 