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My Relaxing Indulgence…The great book of lists.

April 9, 2016April 9, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha24 Comments

For this week’s Great book of lists, we get to outline our hobbies. Through the years, my hobbies have changed a bit. A lot have been dropped by the wayside due to push and pull factor of life. Some exigencies and recent moves found some things falling into the crack of lifes pavement.

However, there are some hobbies that have grown to become an intrinsic part of me:

I love to read and I read to live. As far back as my conscious mind can recall, I have been in love with the lettered word. Even as a child, I would spend my pocket change on a book instead of something else. I read voraciously. As an adult, I indulge in a book, two or more in any given month. Reading is my sleeping pill. After the day’s hustle, I settle my nerves down with a book and if the book is a compulsive read, I might read far into the night or toddle off to sleep as I read.
Writing. This is my way of thinking. I think through my fingers. Even before I ever started blogging which is just 11 months ago, I journalled every day.
Doodling. I sketch. I really don’t know how it works but sketching relaxes me. I just doodle whatever comes to my mind. Sometimes, they turn out very nicely.
The Running Man
Can people watching be classified as a hobby?
Taking photographs. I have thousands of random photos taken over time. I hope to find time to take professional lessons. It’s a hobby with a lot of potentials.
Dancing. It makes me very happy. I dance just for the sake of it. No celebration required. I get a shake of a leg in virtually every day. Somewhere, some how, I find my ten minutes of wiggle the waist 🙂
My daily me time gives me a little room to flex my mind, to tone down and just exhale. I could spend my me time just being quiet, or taking a walk and soaking in the things around me.

There are some hobbies that I miss doing, like crocheting, playing the piano, pottery making and sewing. I don’t know if it’s that the zeal has waned or due to time squeeze. I guess I can use the excuse of not having a piano here in Dubai to console myself.

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The Good, The Bad and The Evil…The great book of lists.

March 17, 2016March 17, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha18 Comments

For The Great Book Of Lists, this weeks theme is a list of people throughout history that I would like to meet *dead or alive* and without missing a beat, I know the people that I would really love to spend some time with right now.

I will concentrate on those who are no longer with us and I will start the list with the good ones.

My dad. If I had a chance to choose a parent once again in my life, I would choose you. You are one of the most beautiful soul that I am opportune to know.
My grandma. She loved me.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis – After all, I was named after her and would have loved to meet her.
Princess Diana – I admired her a lot.
Mother Theresa – Her generous and gentle spirit is an example of how a person can make a difference.
David, The King of Israel. After reading my psalms quite a bit, I have pondered often on this great soul.
Clark Gable aka Rhett Butler of Gone with the wind. I had a girl crush on him, even though he was already gone by the time I came.

The EVIL THAT MEN DO will always follow their name long after they’ve left, and these men below were simply vile.

Adolf Hitler
Vlad Dracula
Idi Amin
Joseph Stalin

The rest of the infamous evil gang can be found through this link if you wish to read 25 Most Evil.

My sole wish is to look them in their evil eyes, give them a large piece of my mind and a nice smack on the cheek. They literally got away with murder on so many horrendous degrees!!

Lifestyle

I am learning to eat to live…TGBOL

March 12, 2016March 12, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

I knew that I was forgetting something and that’s The Great Book Of Lists.

This week’s word is about food. My favourite dishes and more.

I like food, no doubts about that but the strange thing is that I am also not finicky about it.

I am adventurous as well, as long as it’s not a live squiggly creature.

The shameful truth * with my eyes covered* is that I would probably prefer to eat desserts 365 days of my life to proper food.

Cooked food bores me easily especially since I do the cooking and this hasn’t helped my weight struggle. After cooking for my household, I will reach for a piece of croissant or cookies.

It’s been a struggle to break that cycle and I am trying to find ways of eating better.

That being said, there are some dishes that are constant faves of mine and I will resist adding the sweets 😉

Jollof rice is a one-pot rice dish popular in many West African countries, eaten whenever desired.

Party Jollof rice with plantain and moin-moin

2. Nigerian porridge beans and fried plantain

3. Oha soup and pounded yam is a traditional soup made from cocoyam paste, Oha vegetable, dry fish, meat and other condiment.

4. Soft boiled yam and egg sauce

5. Pepper soup is a special peppery broth, made with a mix of spices, lots of pepper, and scraps of meat, most especially goat meat.

6. Isi ewu is another delicacy prepared with special spices and the severed head of a goat, cut into little bits.

7. Peppered Gizzard

8. Blueberry pancakes with maple syrup

9. Chilli bean soup

10. Mashed potatoes, mushroom sauce and steak.

11. Lasagna with lots of cheese and ground beef.

12. I love Pasta.. in all forms

P.S. Images borrowed from Nairaland and Pinterest.

Challenges · Personal · The Great Book Of Lists

These Musical Chords That Tug My Heartstrings…

February 25, 2016February 29, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha36 Comments

La Duchesse seems to know all the good buttons to press to get my heart overflowing with good memories.

I grew up on the staple of a plethora of music from a father who adored music.

Our mornings started with music for as long as my dad was alive. Played on the Grundig turntable and then on to Bangs & Olufsen sound system.

I suspected my dad wanted to be a musical maestro and he had a gentle deep baritone.

I love music and barely discriminate except when they are offensive and filled with cuss words.

I love the oldies and the trending ones as well. Most days, I join my children in singing the new songs, especially as we drive around town and I teach them some old ones. We love turning on the radio and just having a go at it.

However, deep in my heart there are those beats that are ‘my forever’ rousing strings of chords. I shall choose 10 out of the string beats of my memories and 6 from recent ones.

They are those beats that I grew up listening to over and over as I grew up in my parents home. Their sounds always transports me right back to the butter yellow house with the red roof. The house of my childhood.

We thank thee from Jim Reeves
The Archies. Sugar, sugar
Handel’s Messiah
Kenny Roger’s Through the years
Miriam Makeba
Nat King Cole
Bob Marley
Michael Jackson
Dolly Parton
The Beatles

I rock these ones below with my children:

Dido – Life for rent
Adele – Hello
Nico Vinz – I am wrong
Afrojack – Ten feet tall
Dimtri Vegas & Like Mike – Take me to a higher place
Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk

Challenges · Lifestyle · Parenting · The Great Book Of Lists · This Is My Life

Hang Your Bag…The big book of list.

February 19, 2016February 19, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha29 Comments

When La Duchesse Derat started this challenge my thoughts wavered on whether I could cope with adding it to my list , now it’s become a feature I look forward to weekly and this also goes to prove that you can go the extra mile and further if need be.

This week’s TGBOL prompt asking us to make a list of the ‘the words that matter to me‘ is what we refer back home as ‘buying market‘ or ‘inviting the insect infected log,‘ because yours faithfully Jacqueline has a lot to say, but I shall restrict my enthusiasm to 10 quotes.

1. ‘Hang your bag where your hands can reach.’

My parents used this phrase so much *in Igbo language * to teach us how to be contented with what we have and never be greedy for that which belongs to someone else.

They taught us that if you worked hard and with integrity, that yours will come and this is so true.

I can truthfully say that I have never owed for a day in my life because at every point in time even when it requires living the life of minimalism, what I have at that point in time is always enough and I even strive to create surplus from the little bit.

I endeavour never to buy that which I cannot afford to pay for, no matter how beautiful it is and for that, I have peace.

2. ‘For my Grace is sufficient unto the day.

The grace of God is free and belongs to all who seek for it. We all live by grace.’

3.’ As a man thinks in his heart so is he.’

Those things that you dwell on consistently, gradually erodes your mind and heart and becomes you, in the sense that you exhibit them and they control you.

4. ‘Never give up on yourself.’

Even if the World fails you, it’s only over when you fail yourself and stop believing in yourself that’s when it’s really over.

5. ‘For I have not given you the spirit of fear but of love, of power and of sound mind.’ 2 Tim 1:7

6. ‘Dare to dream big for the journey of a thousand miles started with a step, but you need to take that step and keep moving.’

Let your dreams be large. Then take them on. Even if you don’t arrive at that precise goal, you will have a heck of a good time getting there.

7. ‘Be appreciative of the simple things of life and be contented, for there in lies your sense of peace.’

The love from my family and the time spent with them is beyond priceless.

8. ‘Give. Be happy to share out of your bounty as well as your scarcity and you will see even more.’

Giving is not only when you have money in your pocket to hand out. If you do, all the better, but giving starts from the mind. Give of yourself and of the little that you have. Your resources well up and brim over.

9. ‘Be the light that you would like to see shining in others and do unto them as you would like them to do to you.’

10. ‘Be bold and be strong (courageous) for the Lord your God is with you.’ Deut 31:6

Life · Lifestyle · This Is My Life

The Little Things That I Love…The great book of lists.

January 14, 2016January 14, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha51 Comments

I am late for this party, the great book of lists challenge, considering that I re-blogged the post and was all excited. Somehow, I failed to start off last week.

However, I am still going to gate crash and hope that La Duchesse Derat won’t throw me out without as much as a mince pie and a glass of warm drink.

I love waking up early when the entire house is quiet, lying still and just listening to the breathing of my husband beside me as I think through my day and make a mental to do list.

I love my early morning brisk walks especially with crisp cold breeze on my face and my denuded face free from any artifice soaking it all in.

I love those sights of little things that I get to see when I am out and about – like a flock of birds in a feeding frenzy and the naughty Cat that came and made them run away, or a budding pretty flower – such sights are fuel to my mind.

I love the tingly foot massage that my young ones take turns to give me. It is nowhere near professional but it is so soothing. Sometimes they throw in a neck rub.

I love those little moments when my youngest keeps offering to make me his special sandwich; which equals a slathered helping of peanut butter and toast, with a nice cup of beverage and he tells me ‘I love you mummy, enjoy your sandwich.’

I love having a full pantry of food even if I don’t have money in my pocket. It always leaves me with a contented feeling and satisfaction when I do my bulk shopping for the household.

I love having people around me. It always gives me a warm feeling, even though, I occasionally hibernate, which, by the way never lasts long to deserve that lengthy word.

I absolutely love to dance to my long playlist while working out. I steal in a wiggle or two. It’s like working out two things at once; My Body and my Soul.