a cooking pot and twisted tales
Thoughts and Tales…A Lifestyle Blog with a Zing.
The bright and shiny pink door beckoned to me to step inside. Of course, I had to satisfy my curiousity and took a peek.
Everything inside is pretty, shiny and smells good too and would possibly dent my account. I solidly resisted the whispered encouragements of the bottles of Arabian night perfumes and walked away with my plastic intact 😉
![Trades_woman[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/trades_woman1.jpg)
My conversation with the tradeswomen below:
“We take small items from the wholesaler on credit to sell. We only earn commissions and maybe extras from the profit of the original amount. Some days sales are poor, but it’s better than doing nothing.”
“It’s difficult to make savings from this, but I hope one day to save enough to have my own small kiosk.”
I ended up buying a whistle 🙂
I have found that once you approach people decently and engage in a conversation, within split seconds, you learn not only a bit more about them, but these little conversations make me pause and be thankful. They make me smile, laugh or sober.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Excited voice of the children drew Salome’s attention and before she could say hey presto, they burst into the kitchen trailing mud and straw. They were running after the chickens again for fun. Raising her voice to scold them for bringing in dirt, little Jude interrupted her:
“Look what we found Gramma,” he was clutching a strange straw bag.
“Leave it there and let me finish what I’m doing,” thinking it was probably filled with mushrooms or a frog, she continued plucking the cockerel for chicken stew, but their eager faces made her pause to take a peek.
A dumbfounded Salome burst into tears and laughter when she emptied the contents of the bag.
They kids had knocked Bernard’s scarecrow over and in a bid to piece it together, they found the straw bag.
Her late husband Bernard had been a dear man and many times the funny looking scarecrow made her smile in recollection of how much he had been drawn to it as his Dementia got worse.
She had no idea he had hidden lots of coins and forgot where he kept it.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Thank you, Louise, for the photo and Priceless Joy for hosting this charming platform where we unleash our stories
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.
A Richly Layered and Passionate Read. Jan Cliff
If you enjoy my works, you can fuel my creativity with a cup of coffee or a slice of cake
The Daily post photo challenge is ‘spare’ and a number of spare thoughts and photos come to my mind.
Spare Change!
I went shopping at an old souk recently and the amiable shopkeeper of a gift store had a huge frame filled with currency from different parts of the World that he had been to over his 78 years of living.
While admiring his spare changes, I noticed the space with a missing currency and asked him about it, and surprisingly he knew the money that had been in there.
He said it was rare currency ‘Pa’anga’ from the less travelled country of Republic of Tonga, which is a Polynesian kingdom situated in the middle of the pacific.
He had no idea how the money disappeared from his framed collection and that set off all sorts of vibrant imaginative juices in my mind.
I must visit him again, ‘cos I have some conspiracy theories 🙂
Feeding the flock.
My last spare is about interesting art.Beautiful art can be made from all sorts of stuff, even rubbish. This creative piece below is made out of spare tyres and was part of an art exhibition.
The creative mind is a wonderful thing 🙂
Spare tyre art
P.S. You can join our Summer blog party taking place right now. 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.
![1460703836335[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/14607038363351.jpg)
A lot of times, pursuing our passion will take a whole lot of our hearts, heads and everything else that we’ve got to give and this is mostly where the challenge lies.
In as much as money makes things easier, money has never stopped a man whose driving aspiration consumes him. They will always find a way to chase it with their zeal.
Often times, we are not ready to make the commitment that such aspirations require and we mask our inabilities by using very legitimate reasons. Other times, doubt may erode our dreams and they die a painful death never having been birthed.
You’ve got to deal with the doubts.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
It always makes me chortle seriously when I receive such spam mail with all sorts of enticing figures and ridiculous promises from total strangers. They’ve simply chosen the wrong customer.
It actually makes me wonder who the fools and unfortunate souls who fall for these scams are? They are GREEDY people!
Why would anyone become the beneficiary of huge sums of money out of the blues, when it’s not the open national lottery?
It’s only greed that will make a human want to harvest where they never sowed. It’s only avarice that will make a fool fall for scams that are as old as time.
People should beware of such mail. Don’t click or ever respond to it. Send it forever to the trash and don’t let the creep out.
I receive several each week and overlook them, but it dawned on me that so many poor, unassuming humans have fallen into such pit of rattlesnakes.
Below is a copy and paste of one of such mail.
Please feel free to chuckle with me or reblog if need be.
Regards,
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Hello my dear,
This is to bring to your notice the resolution of our recently
concluded Joint Committee meeting with the United Nations Secretary
General (Ban Ki-moon) and the World Bank Group President ( Jim Yong
Kim) with Agenda focused on investigating the unnecessary delay of
international withheld payments which was previously approved.
The Joint Committee discovered with great dismay that
your name with this email address is on the list of beneficiaries
whose payment has not been paid and unnecessarily delayed by corrupt
officials of the Banks in Africa.Following series of complain to the UN Secretary General (Ban Ki-moon
) over the discrepancies by Banks which has made it impossible for
people like you to claim their compensation / Inheritance funds, a
decision was reached by the Committee with the approval of the UN
Secretary General (Ban Ki-moon) under the authority of United States
to compel all Financial Institutions in Europe, Asia and Africa for urgent
release of all unpaid approved funds before the end of June 2016.The Good news is that an irrevocable payment approval has been issued
by the World Bank group to release your part – payment through MONEY
GRAM payment Scheme. The federal ministry of finance accredited payment
coordinator (Mr.Tony Jiaja ) will send your daily payment of $5,000 USD
to your name until your total payment is completed so urgently contact
Mr.Tony Jiaja at (wsucenter1@yahoo.co.jp) with Mobile (+229 653 615 95)
and reconfirm your daily payment receiver’s details below.(1) Receiver’s Name….
(2) Receiver’s Address ……..
(3) Telephone/ Cell# ……
(4) Test Question ……
(5) Test Answer ……..We will monitor and ensure that legitimate process is followed to
ensure that you receive your fund without further delay. Contact Mr.
Tony Jiaja who is currently expecting your contact, He will assist you
in transferring your funds, so make sure you give him your profound
cooperation to avoid undue delays or further hitches.Be advised you STOP all further communications with everyone regarding
this payment and keep this communication highly confidential to avoid
interception of information that might lead to double claim or loss of
any part of your approved daily payment as scheduled.Yours Faithfully,
Mrs Juliana Edgar
![1460261912095[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/14602619120951.jpg)
Should I rant? Shouldn’t I?
I had no idea that I had hit 1,000 posts on this blog which I started precisely eleven months ago. Actually, this will be my 1,022 (one thousand and twenty-second post).
For some reason, I kept plugging away without taking note of the numbers. I have been weaning myself from stats bingeing. Stats are important quite alright, but I don’t want it to rule my mind.
WordPress what gives with the lack of notification these days? 
My thought is that 1,000 posts is a milestone in blog-land and would have loved to know for knowing sake.
Gosh, that alone tells me how much I have written in this space in such a space of time especially given the fact that 99.9% of my posts, aren’t reblog and are written fresh off the printing mill in my head, except for photos which are also taken by me.
This girl’s got a lot to say. Oh well, let me say a belated YAY to me and NAY to WordPress!
Now, on to the matter that made me laugh out real loud.
I know some may wonder why I talk about money, so just in case you need to know, ‘money is the oil that runs the machinery of most of our basic needs in life and I, Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha, would like to earn some income from the hard work of my fingers.’
In February, I applied to have WordAds included on my site given that my site is a premium site and after their background check or whatever it is they do, it was approved and I promised to speak out on how it goes.
Interesting to know that for that month with 16,000 views, I had 3,449 impressions (whatever that means) and thus earned 34 CENTS. What a hoot!
Now, in all fairness to the man who told that he sucks some time ago, I understand better now why you were fixated with your stats.
I have no plans to get stuck in the bog of stats and peanuts, so there’s got to be better ways and it’s a nut that I must crack.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Would you lend a hand
To help those hands
Hanging out of the pits
reaching for someone
anyone to help and give a tug.
*****
Would you lend an ear
to help listen to that sad soul
who needs a simple shoulder
just to lean for a bit.
narrow or broad, any shoulder would do.
*****
Would you lend a voice
to say no to violence
to help push a cause
that fosters human well-being
a common need for us all
*****
Would you lend a dime or two
to help a brother break some bread
for not everyone that you see that begs
is really a lazy never-do-well.
Some fell on real hard times
*****
Would you help to whisper a prayer
in the silent abode of your heart
for an ailing stranger
whom you know not
hoping that things will be for the best
*****
What would you do to help
those painful eyes
those limp, bruised arms
those hungry souls
those voiceless ones
*****
Would you silently help
or would you shift your eyes
pressing the phone aimlessly
in an attempt to appear busy.
and simply walk on by?
*******
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Help. The Daily Post
Image: Pixabay.com
![1456149614808[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/1456149614808121111.jpg)
Today’s featured blogs are:
Basket ideas A refreshing blog filled with tidbits and inspiring stuff. The things that I like.
Blindly seeking Melinda weaves a basket of intricate suspense that sets your imagination on a wander.
Write intent Bits about incredible India from Pearl. Do look in and learn a thing or two.
Pranabaxom Delicate and sense stimulating lines that will definitely rouse feelings within you.
Ways to get out of debt A sure-fire and quick way to get out of it and get rid of that debt for good.
POETRY CHALLENGE This looks interesting and also another way of linking to more people. Don’t be shy. Give it a try. You just might discover the hidden poet in you 😉
Please visit their blogs and say hello. A few minutes may gain you a friendly support.
‘Do you want more eyes on your words?’
Well then, add your LINK INTO THIS LOOP.
P.S. Comments are disabled here to keep the loop tidy. Any comments or link you want to send can be added through the link in the post.
Thank you for your understanding and regards.
‘We create a cohesive community when we come together.’
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Was it worth the Price?
30 pieces of silver!….
To betray the man you called Master
The one who loved you
And whom you claimed to love!
I dare say not!
Is it worth the price?
The pain of her pleading wail
The shredded heart and rend pieces
That could never be put together again
You betrayed for a few pieces of notes
I dare say not!
Is it worth the price
To walk in the path of light
To look up above and see Christ
As he guides us aright
Leading gently, if we choose to follow
I dare say yes!
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Image credit: Pinterest
a cooking pot and twisted tales 