To A Dear Friend…

November 23, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

My dear best friend,

How ever could I have survived without you? I am sure that you are wondering that after all these years, I finally acknowledge the importance of your friendship above that of all those who have blood flowing in their veins.

You are inanimate, yet you stand strong. You neither disdain nor discard me. Always supportive with your constant non-judgmental ear and never have you tittle-tattled behind my back even when I have treated you so badly, crumpled you in annoyance and tossed you aside in utter disgust in moments of emotional turbulence. You are so trustworthy.

Each time you still accept my pick-ups without a word of complaint, soaking in the outpouring of my thoughts until I am drained and sated.

I know that sometimes you must be confused with all the different voices that races through your domain; the flighty, flirty and glamourous, the happy and sad, the joyful and sorrowful, the excited and dreary, the calm and crazy, the contented and disgruntled, the sexy and boring, the discombobulated and all the weirdos that I bring along.

You have caught my tears, held my laughter, my sighs and wishful thoughts. You have stoically shared my struggles, troubles and triumphs and only offered succour by serving up reminders of beautiful days past and a glimpse of finer days ahead.

What can I say dear best friend but thank you.

I sincerely appreciate you my dearest diary for keeping me sane all these years.

You and chocolate have been wonderful companions of mine over the years. Bearing my torture and sating my taste buds, you are truly the best team a girl can ask for.

Yours truly,

Your sometimes awesome, fabulous and crabby owner,

Jacqueline.

The Daily Post prompt Literate Today

Someone or something you can’t communicate with through writing (a baby, a pet, an object) can understand every single word you write today, for one day only. What do you tell them?

Image credit: Pinterest

Creative Writing · Fiction · Short story · The Daily Post · Writing

His Flanges Got Propped!…. A short story

October 3, 2015October 4, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha31 Comments

It’s been quite a grueling competition! Sebastian is determined to win the championship even if is by the skin of his teeth!

He has come far and this is it! The moment of his life and his dreams!

He could almost taste the victory and the fame at the end of it all.

His face would be splashed all over the papers and television. Instant celebrity status stamped on him as he turns into the toast of the town.

Endorsements would fly in from here and there. He could imagine his preening and the ladies cooing after him; his companionship sought by all. He could see it all! The pause to pose for silent brooding pictures for the paparazzi. The constant request for interviews. The frenetic social calendar. What a success it would be!

For just a split second, his wandering mind drifts off from the game at hand. In that split second, the ball comes sailing through the air and his delayed reaction causes him to over-reach. His legs fly out under him! He sails into the air, landing with such a heavy thud at an odd angle.

Pain pierces and radiates through his entire body. He struggles to rise but this legs crumble under him as the excruciating pain keeps him down.

The medics rush to attend to him and a quick examination is carried out.

Through the haze of the pain, a sober voice filters through;

“Well my young man, it appears you have popped a rib or two!” Said the Voice.

”You will be needing a FLANGIPROP for support for several months or more.” ”Unfortunately you cannot continue with the game.” The droning voice continued as he administers on-site first aid.

He is quickly holstered on a stretcher whilst he writhes in pain and anger. This is not the way it is meant to end he argues in his mind.

The flashes of the camera keeps popping in his face as the paparazzi catch every wince of pain and misery that is etched on it.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha.

In response to The Daily Post – Invent a definition for the word “Flangiprop,” then use the word in a post.

The actual definition of Flange: An external or internal rib or rim which is used to add strength or to hold something in place.

The actual definition of Prop: An object placed against or under another to support it: anything that supports.

Blogging · Creative Writing · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Success · Weave that Dream

A refreshing Toast….

September 8, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha43 Comments

I am 100 today. Not in age 😉 but in blog posts. In my place, there is an old saying that “you celebrate the small things, in order to pave way for the bigger ones” and this is precisely what I am doing. I am celebrating my 100 posts, my 192 blogger friends, my 4,247 followers and my 5,220 stats on this blog.

Vividly, I recall the trepidation that I felt on May 6th when I made my first post on this blog.

I felt like an amateur fisherman who was sitting in a boat that gently rocked on a calm lake, with an occasional ripple of the water, croaks and chirps from the surrounding shrub to interrupt his concentration. He hooks a wriggly, skinny worm as bait and simply casts his line into the water, in hopeful hope to catch a fry.

His minutes turn to a slow time of humming, sipping his beer and holding his bated breath; then SNAG, the pull of a first bite tugged at the end of the pole and he nearly topples over into the water out of elation and excitement of his first catch.

Now, that was precisely my reaction when I sent out my initial 2 posts and 3 bloggers Stuart M. Perkins – Story Shucker, E. I. Wong and gpicone liked my feeble attempt at getting my toes wet in the choppy bloggy waters.

To say the least, it gave me such a buzz, that the thrill nearly jolted me out of my seat. Thus, my expedition in blogosphere began. Almost each day, like an adrenaline junkie, I return for more jolts; to write, to read, to listen and to learn. I have met lovely blogging souls on this path and I thank you all for staying with me.

Need I say more about this blogging milestone? If truth be told, the warm reception at WordPress exceeds my expectations.

I am going to go off on a festive tangent as a way of celebrating my little drops by re-blogging old posts of mine as well as posts of others that catch my eyes each day for at least a week.

Let’s keeping writing and sharing.

Regards,

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Blog Awards · Blogging · Inspiration - Motivation

It’s a harvest…Sisterhood

September 6, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha18 Comments

I have 2 biological sisters. They are very, very dear to my heart (the two very’s used here are for both of them, so that they don’t fight over who exactly the very is for, if I only use one 🙂 We fight and love each other to bits (never try to get your word in; you might find us showing you the way out, whilst we make a cuppa and settle our differences). They are my rocks of support and cheerleaders. Never hesitating for a moment to kick me in the butt when I need it; and plenty times too. Hey! Wait a minute! I am human you know 😉

Now, I have so many other sisters, across Continents and all the oceans that divide us. Their words of encouragement, humor, virtual hugs, pokes and friendly advise have come to mean so much to me and the saying that ”wherever we are, it is really our friends that make our World, be it one, two, three or a dozen” is very true.

Thank you aidly193 for this warm nomination. You sparkle 🙂

Now to the nitty gritty. The rules of the award are:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site

2. Put the award logo on your blog

3. Answer the ten questions sent to you

4. Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer

5. Nominate five blogs!

The questions asked are:

1. What is something you’ve always wanted?

Ans: The whole truth and nothing but the truth, something that I have always wanted is actually not an item that can be put in finite figures, nor can it be bought in the shops. It is simply ‘Peace of mind.’

2. What is your dream car?

Ans: My dream car changes like fickle breeze. Today I would ooh and aah over a Tahoe, tomorrow it would be a Corvette. I once had an affair going with a Range Rover until my husband bought one. Then the ardor cooled off and my roving eyes started wandering to the Mercedes Benz G wagon. I have expensive taste. Come on! Girls like toys too you know 😉

3. What is your favorite meal?

Ans: This may come as a surprise. I love everything edible, but you can catch my goat any day with plain Yoghurt (not the flavored ones) sprinkled with nuts. However, the bane of my life is gooey, chocolaty cake or ice-cream.

4. What is your favorite book?

Ans: I have fallen in love with so many books over the years that it is really a difficult choice to settle on one. The book that sticks in my minds eye as a child is The magic faraway tree by Enid Blyton. It simply made the World magical to me. As an adult, nothing beats my Bible. The treasures buried within never cease to amaze me.

5. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Ans: Recently, I have been thinking of so many parts of Asia.

6. What did you do for your latest birthday?

Ans: I was treated to a handsome breakfast orchestrated by hubby and kids. A lovely dinner (where I was allowed to have a large dollop of sinful ice-cream) and a beautiful set of silver jewellery, plus nail polish from my daughter, hand-picked flowers and body spray from my boys 🙂

7. What is your favorite genre of music?

Ans: My love for music is very eclectic and purely depends on the mood that I find myself in. It could be something calm and soothing to rollicking Afro pop. The short and simple thing is that I love every noise called music (that does not include the yowling from the cat).

8. What is something most people don’t know about you?

Ans: Shh! Can you keep a secret? I sometimes feel lonely in the midst of a crowd. Does that count as a secret?

9. If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be?

Ans: Why does Adolf Hitler come to my mind? I would sit him down and give him a piece of my mind.

10. What is your shoe size?

Ans: A whooping size 11. I envy all those dainty feet of other women, but I guess the feet size has to match the height of it’s owner 5ft 11in.

Now my nominees are:

Lynz real cooking: For all those lovely meals you keep serving up online.

Nena: I am happy I found you.

Oluseye Ashiru: For your lovely prayers and sage parental counsel.

Lucid gypsy: For the lovely interactions. Your posts make me smile.

Nedoux: I am glad I found you.

Do follow the rules above and kindly spill your guts below. Enjoy 😉

Are you a shopper or a penny pincher?
Do you have any hidden talents?
Do you dream often?
Do you think romance books and fairy tales influence our choice of a partner?
Are you an emotional person?
Are there any causes that you strongly believe in?
How are you feeling right now?
How do you make decisions?
What is your secret desire?
In a short prose, describe your town.

Looking forward to reading the scoop. Be blessed.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

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