A Little Dream Coming Real Before My Eyes….

October 13, 2015October 13, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha87 Comments

Whoot! Whoot! You don’t say! My 200th Blogging Milestone post is in!

I feel like floating out of my seat and singing loudly and off-key too!

I didn’t set out to hit this mark so soon just after hitting my 100th blogging milestone on the 8th of September, but I just did it!

I am truly surprised because according to the timeline/goals that I had set for myself, I expected to get here by the end of the December. Naturally, I expected to gain a few more blogging friends as I went along, but I have managed to exceed my own humble expectations.

I personally don’t like putting too much expectation out there and wearing my heart on my sleeves; that way, I won’t feel particularly disappointed or perturbed if things are a bit slow.

To have started this 5 months ago and happily sustained a tempo is what really makes me glad. I had expected the fascination to wane a bit, but not yet! It has only grown stronger by the day.

The desire to write solidifies more and more.

I take a closer look at my posts and found that in September alone, I had churned out 86 posts and this month 29 posts so far! I firmly believe that Blogging University contributed a grand deal to this scheme and I would like to encourage anyone having second thoughts to give it a shot.

I also look at my stats and yes I am pleased to bits. I try not to check it too often – maybe once a week to decipher which day or what article came out strong.

Compared to my 100th post which took me 3 months from May to September to arrive at and my stats stood at:

I am celebrating my 100 posts, my 192 blogger friends, my 4,247 followers and my 5,220 stats on this blog.

TODAY:

I celebrate, my 200th blogging milestone, my 435 blogger friends, 6,556 followers and my 12,327 stats! More than a double jump in a month and 5 days!

To say the least, I am very happy! No! my bank account did not swell from blogging and that has never been the reason why I started blogging in the first place; if it comes as time goes on, of course, I will celebrate that too.

Have a cupcake with me, its virtually fat-free

I like to dream realizable dreams and though this might not mean much to some big bloggers, it means a lot to me!

I will not despise my little beginnings, because we all have to start from somewhere.

The magic that it holds for me is that I got up from dreaming about it, to actualizing it! Well that’s a little dream come true for me!

My heart swells from meeting so many of you. To some of you, I have already imagined who they are in real face time based on our exchanges and their blogging voices and I so hope, that maybe one day in the future of WordPress, we may be opportune to encounter in real face time.

To all of you, I do say thanks. Thank you for the encouragement. Thank you for the smiles. Thank you for adopting me in this community of well meaning individuals.

I Thank God most of all for the sustenance and Grace.

Now let me go and hoot my horn and make some noise in my house 😉

Dancing cartoon gif courtesy: picgifs.com

A link to my neighbours/Community · Blog Awards · Blogging · Inspiration - Motivation

These Blings Of Mine…

October 11, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha47 Comments

The Laurels are multiplying by the day and it is really time that I attend to them.

My sincere apologies to my dear good blogging neighbours who have nominated me for these 15 awards for my delay in responding.

I appreciate each of you individually and collectively as a community of encouraging, motivating, inspiring, fun loving and wise people.

I may not have met any of you in the flesh, but to a large extent, your words do speak for who you are and I would like to refer to y’all as those that I call ”FINE GENTRY.”

Due to the fact that it would be inundating to take these nominations one by one and my desire not to drive my friends batty with spurious award posts, I will have to break so many rules and merge these laurels of mine into one fine post.

Please stay seated whilst I give my speech 😉

First and foremost, I would like to thank the following awesome bloggers who nominated me for:

Blogger Recognition Award

For this nomination, I thank the following bloggers enlisted below:

 Cathy Lynn Brooks, Carol of Designing Life,KAT BLOGS Spontaneous Whimsy, Pancake Bunnykins

Creative Blogger Award

For this nomination, I thank the following bloggers enlisted below:

I care, U care, Velissima, Theshivasponder

Versatile Blogger

For this nomination, I thank I care, U care  .

Sunshine Blogger Award

For this nomination, I thank:Anand of Blabberwockying

Infinity Dreams Award

For this nomination, I thank I care, U care  .

Leibster Award

For this nomination, I thank the following bloggers enlisted below:

Wife who writes, EttaD Keeping up appearances,

Premio Dardos Award

For this nomination, I thank I care, U care  .

The Rules of Engagement:

Select other blogs you want to give the award to.
You cannot nominate yourself or the person who has nominated you.
Write a post to show your award.
Give a brief story of how your blog started.
Give a piece of advice or two to new bloggers.
Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Attach the award to the post (right click and save, then upload).
Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them.
Provide a link to the award post you created.

Questions:

A brief about my blog.

Answer: I started my blog precisely on the 6th of May, 2015. My synopsis for starting this blog are: to meet other people who can enrich my mind through their stories and posts. An avenue to share my stories and thoughts and also as a medium of honing my writing skills, whilst developing the discipline of writing everyday.

A piece of advise to new bloggers.

Answer: My advise to new bloggers (I am still one by the way) is to write from within; from their hearts and not an attempt to be a copy of another blogger. That is unsustainable and would probably end up being disappointing. Keep your eyes away from the statistics at the onset. It is worse than watching paint dry. Write your post, then go out and engage with other bloggers. Visit other blogs and generally mingle. Attend as many blogging courses as time permits you. Don’t be a stranger!

Five facts about myself:

Answer:

I speak French and I love children’s coloured books (yes I said it! I think I am still a child at heart.
This may not make sense, but I sincerely believe that all things work together for my own good – even the bad experiences, even when I don’t see the sense in them. I know that God knows!
I am not yet a published author, but hope to be one in the near future.
I love to dance and yes, I am probably one of those that you have to peel off the dance floor of a party. As long as the DJ is playing the right tunes, I am hopping to it 😉
I used to model as a teenager and in my early twenties and sometimes, I wonder how different or the same my life would have been if I had continued modelling.

What do you like most about the present situation?

Answer: The fact that I am writing consistently these days. That I am at peace with myself.

Which is your best memory?

Answer: I hardly ever think of things as the best, because I always feel that something better might turn around the corner, but I think so far, my childhood days are my best memories.

Do you feel you are at peace with yourself?

Answer: I think I answered in the first question before getting here. Yes indeed, I am at peace with myself.

Who is your guide, guru or counselor?

Answer: I have no human that fills that category. My Bible serves as my spiritual guide. My mother and husband serve as my human counselors and then I read a ton of books written by renowned motivators and counselors.

What makes you feel very good?

Answer: I try not to base my feeling good on the conditions of anything because life as we know it can get very sporadic, but I feel good when I set out to achieve something and succeed in doing so, even if they are menial, daily tasks.

Which quality or habit in your life do you like the most about yourself?

Answer: For quality I would say my empathetic and resilient spirit and for habit, I think my reading habits.

Who are your source of inspiration?

Answer: The word of God and my mother again. This is because she is one of the most generous humans I have ever met. Her faith in God always appears as solid as a rock in my eyes (maybe, she might have her doubts, but she never voices them). I don’t know if it means that I am not ambitious enough, but other people’s wealth does not really inspire me. What inspires me is how much they have positively impacted the lives of those around them.

What is the role of gratitude in your life?

Answer: In everything, I always try to give thanks. Gratitude turns what we have into enough and more. A grateful heart knows a lot of happiness.

Has blogging enriched your life? How?

Answer: Yes, in so many ways it has enriched my life. My blogging path has crossed those of other people who I may never have been opportune to meet. It serves as a personal source of accountability because it has kept my mind focused on writing.

What is your greatest talent?

Answer: I am still on a journey of self discovery and evolution. Maybe, I may still chance on a box of tricks hidden somewhere.

Without any obligations because I appreciate how long it takes to respond to these nominations, my Nominees, in no particular order are:

Smiling away allergies

Sshh, Maddy is Writing

Please check through the Awards and choose ONE that most appeals to you.

My 10 questions:

What makes you happy?
If your life was turned into a movie, what actor would play you?
What’s your favorite memory?
What is your greatest strength or weakness?
What do you feel most proud of?
What is your favorite music?
If you could only keep 5 possessions, what would they be?
If you win a lottery what would you do?
What are you most afraid of?
How would your friends describe you?

Enjoy and kind regards.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Blogging · Inspiration - Motivation · The Daily Post

A view through the looking glass…

October 6, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha41 Comments

The intent of my blog acookingpotandtwistedtales is to serve as a virtual reflection of my true personality. It is my Alter Ego. Like it’s name indicates, it is a platform that I use to share the little stories that I have a natural flair to come up with. It is an avenue to share a bit of myself, what I feel, pray for, fear, think, love and rant about.

In brief, it could be described as a melange of bits and pieces of me and bits and pieces of the human stories that surround us.

I find daily inspiration in the things that surround me, the day to day human life that I witness.

I chose my Matala Theme because I love the fact that it is not bland. I don’t do bland. I love vibrancy and splashes of colour. Having a theme that reflects such colours with a dash of whimsy which is exhibited by the pastel twisted vines reached out from the very first day and curled around my senses.

Even though I upgraded the status of my blog and tried out other themes for size, I still choose to keep this theme because of how I feel about it. It is my abode and I should be very comfortable in it.

My thoughts reflect my optimistic views about life and my beliefs. I am in constant search for the positives in every situation, for the rays of sunshine and hope, for succour and healing, for laughter and dreamy, for the miracle of life itself and the joy of living.

I don’t like to dwell on so much darkness that can be found in some people. It weighs down the soul.

I do not want to sound like a goody-two shoes because I am far from that! In as much as I stand firm in my beliefs, I still have sharp sheathed claws and can turn into a Mama Bear once I sense any danger to my well-being or that of my family. I still haven’t learnt how to turn the other cheek or to play possum and pretend dead.

Looking through my blog, I find that I am driven to show the reflection of a warm, wholesome, down-to-earth, upstanding human, who is not far removed from my physical self. I sincerely believe that our thoughts are a reflection of who we are and I am glad that so far my blog continues to exude that warmth and friendliness that is synonymous to me. I can strike up a conversation with a total stranger and you would think that we have known each other for a long time.

I pray to remain a realistic source of inspiration, motivation, and strength. A loyal friend that would always lend a listening ear and share any wise counsel that I may have.

To be like your best pair of old feet snuggies/warmers; without the pinch 🙂

In response to The Daily Post Mirror, mirror on the wall.

Think of your blog as a mirror: what does it reveal? Consider your blog name, theme choice, design, bio, posts… what does every element tell you about yourself?

Creative Writing · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Poetry/Poems · Weave that Dream

You Must Be Of Good Courage…

October 4, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha25 Comments

Let me tell you something.

You may have heard this a countless times before.

Even so, I still cannot resist telling you just one more time.

Let not your heart fail you; nor your mind deny your strength,

For within you lies courage; just reach deep and it will show forth.

Let me tell you that the measure of your courage;

Is not determined by whether you reach the goal or not;

It is determined by your decision to get back on your feet;

No matter how many times your trials failed!

No one said that it will be easy!

But if you have the courage to remain steadfast;

But if you have the courage to pursue you dreams;

You will give your life its richest rewards;

You will give your life its greatest adventures;

The brightest adventures do not lie on the peaks of mountains!

The brightest adventures lie first within you..

You must be of good courage!

And rise again….even when you have fallen flat on your face!

The Daily Post · Writing

My Narcississtic Self Tooting it’s Horns….

September 15, 2015September 15, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha33 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “These Horns Were Made for Tooting.”

It almost borders on narcissism to talk about oneself with any form of adulation. It is as if you are opening up a voyeuristic door into the heart of your soul; but self-confidence requires sometimes, that we push the shackles of shyness aside and come out of our self-imposed shells, allowing eyes, ears and minds to take a glimpse into our soft core.

The softness of my core has been built with Resilience and Adaptive strength that even tends to surprise me as well. Having weathered some very discomfiting and turbulent seasons in my life, I have only come out more refined and stronger.

I sincerely do not accord this character trait to my individual strength, but to the Grace of God which abounds and has proven to be enduring.

Bearing grudges is to harbor pain and a waste of time by allowing someone to occupy rent-free space in my head. Thus said, for some reason which I cannot decipher, I do not indulge in creating expectations from anyone, that way I have no lingering feelings of disappointment if they should fail to meet such expectations.

By so doing, every little warm gesture becomes a pleasure to be savored.

As much as I like lovely, expensive things 😉 I am very, very contented with simple things.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Image Credit: Funmozar.com

Inspiration - Motivation · Poetry/Poems · Writing

I put it to you….

September 15, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha68 Comments

I have learnt that your happiness is that which you seek diligently. That you should grab it with both hands and guard it like chosen treasure.

That the state of happiness can be a cultivated state of mind, by applying simple but life changing attitudes.

A forgiving heart and a generous spirit.
Learning to turn mistakes into lessons.
Always revert within and seek your inner peace.
Leave the sweating of the small stuff behind.
Be grateful and thankful always.
Learn to love yourself and cascade it to others.
Build relationships.
Drop the mental slavery and stop dwelling on the past. It will never come back.
Spend your time on meaningful ways of looking forward to the future.
Rough it through even though it might start out difficult, that situation too shall pass.

Let me share with you a little article I wrote a while ago:

Your real home lies within you.
Not the bricks and mortar house of glamor that you reside in.

All painted and glossy with every top of the range appliance that money can buy.

That my friend, is just your physical abode.

Your real home lies within you,

Yet the home within you is neglected, in shambles and in quandary,

That even a stray pet would not want to live in there,

Take care of the real home that lies within you;

Fill it with good things,

A large portion of love,

A fresh harvest of thanksgiving

A handful of forgiveness,

Some tablespoons of honesty,

A jug of faith,

A dash of loyalty,

An ounce of friendship,

Three tablespoons of tenderness,

A whole shake of patience,

One big barrel of laughter

And a large dose of prayer.

Blend it all together, and bake it in the oven of your heart with a pan of Hope until it is well done.

Serve your guests daily with generous portions,
And your real home will definitely gleam with splendor.

In response to: Writing 101 – Day 7: Hook ’em with a quote

Hope · Inspiration - Motivation

I am no Usain Bolt, but I’ve got my own THUNDER…

August 29, 2015August 29, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha14 Comments

“Encouragement is said to be the oxygen for the human spirit. Do not forget you are carrying someone’s air with you. Encourage them. Help them breathe” – anonymous.

The Encouraging Thunder Award comes with very simple rules:

a. The nominee posts the Award on their blog and adds the logo.

b. Pay it forward by nominating others.

c. Mention your purpose for blogging and thank the person that nominated you; also add their URL to your post for ping back.

For me, this nomination could not have come at a better time. In recent weeks, I have being overwhelmed with the responsibilities of family life, adapting to new things, trying to get my writing Mojo up to speed and in all honesty, there have been some days I just felt like pulling the duvet over my head and refusing to do anything.

Nothing like a little encouraging shove from the right quarters, to get up and get it going. Thank you KeenVision for your generosity of thought.

At the very beginning, May 6th 2015 precisely, this was my very first post on my blog;

“Now, why did I start this blog I ask myself? Just to share my quirky tales and thoughts as well as get to know yours. It’s not all ironed out yet, but what is life without a few wrinkles, I ask? So lets hobble along, tell some tales, read some minds, drink some wine and have some fun. Who knows? We just might end up making a perfect medley of this and that!”

I loved to write long before I knew what it meant to be a writer – now I wish I had taken better care of my young teen journals where I wrote uncensored; it would make a good read and laugh. However, I hated the supposed rigors and strictures I felt was required to make it as a writer, I have come to realize that the notion was a mental slavery in which I had trapped myself.

Writing as we all know, is not a walk in the park. It is hard work which requires boundless mental energy, steadfast inspiration, focus, acuity and even business savvy, so the efforts of writers should never be undermined. I doubted I had the above requisites nevertheless, I decided to try.

The desire for an outlet to share my stories, poems and perceptions as well as the need for a medium that would help keep me grounded and accountable in starting something and seeing it to fruition gave birth to my blog.

I tossed all the mental hindrance out of the window: the fear of putting myself out there, the fear of not having support, the fear of not being good enough and I chose to enjoy the experience and to take each day as it comes.

I am glad I ventured, the short stint of 3 months and a few days shy of 4 months has so far wrought many positive creative changes in me. The choppy bloggy waters are full of creative and encouraging currents, and it feels good to be here.

I would like to nominate a good number, but I am limited to only 5 bloggers:

May our ink pots never run dry.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Inspiration - Motivation

..just a little nudge. Your Tip for the month..

August 1, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha6 Comments

We have cycled out of another month, gradually inching to the end of a very hectic year. Once August flies past, the rest of the months zoom by.

Now is the time to take a little peek at our resolutions, where under the influence of New Years glad tidings and Auld Lang Sine, we scribbled a thousand and one impossible things that we aspired to achieve (myself included).

How have we fared so far? Have we been able to make a crack at it yet?

The resolutions to break some habits, to form new habits, to write some more, to read some more, to change our lifestyle for healthier options, to acquire new skills, to undertake more intimate spiritual journeys, to laugh, love, give, and pray some more, to start that business idea, that book, that class, more rest (yes recuperation is also part of it, for the workaholics amongst us) and the list is ever endless….

Let us not feel overwhelmed and at a loss of breath for the shortness of time, if you have fallen behind.

A lot can still be achieved this month by tuning into ourselves and prioritizing:

– Review that list down to plausible short term goals: for the day, the week and at most for the month. Remember that little drops does create a large pool, and consistency creates habits.

– Reward yourself for every step made in the right direction towards your goals. Rewards could come in different forms and doesn’t have to be an expensive venture. It could be buying that book you have been wanting to read, a lie in, a relaxing day at the beach/park, going out with the girls for a laugh, a glass of your favorite wine, a soak in a bubble bath, seeing a movie, just find out what works for you. For example, when I put in a good work-out, I dance at the end of my workout. It makes me happy.

– Now, go get them. You can do it!

Life is not a short sprint but a journey undertaken in leisure, so endeavor to savor your journey.

Image credit: Thanks to Joshua Earle at Unsplash

Uncategorized

Introducing myself: Blogging 101

July 6, 2015July 8, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha7 Comments

Let’s hope I don’t bore you to death with my ramblings on this assignment of “who I am and why I am here” in the blogosphere.

Jacqueline, the face behind acookingpotandtwistedtales, is a passionate Nigerian woman.

I am a wordsmith (on the cusp of authorship, in my mind at least). I am an entrepreneur, an advocate of truth and moral values, a people’s person, a motivator and a bi-linguist; French/English (also attempting to pick as many languages as I can, even just in their smattering forms).

I am the spouse of an interesting and intelligent gentleman who makes each day in my life spontaneous and devoid of boredom.

I am a mother of children who keep all my faculties engaged (physical and non-physical).

So this is me, an avid reader (not mind reader, unfortunately), an everyday woman with a passion for life and family.

I love to sing in my wobbly voice (who cares), to dance and strut my stuff and to laugh heartily. I love fitness and good nutrition when I can encourage my other lazy self to lace on her training shoes and not to eat all the cake.

I am still a child of Evolution.

I started blogging when I got tired of keeping my thoughts penciled in my journals (I still pencil though). It serves as a voice to some internal thoughts and turmoils. I think in clarity, I recuperate and I exhale when I write. It is therapeutic for me.

I see a story in everything, humorous, serious, life matters, beauty, child rearing or anything that inspires me that we might have in common as humans.

So here I am, exhaling after a long time of staying under water.

If I blog successfully throughout the next year, I would have cultivated the discipline of settling down to write and ramble. I would (hopefully) have finished the drafts of the three novels that I am working on.

Indeed it would be good to arrive at those goals, but I believe that the trip through blogging would be a whole lot of fun.

I look forward to meeting and interacting with other members of this community.

Yours in sincerity,

Jacqueline.