Saturday, January 5, 2013
Rounding off 2012 in Portland Oregon - Weekend Pictures
When deliberating on what to do or where to go for Christmas or New Year, we didn't want to go too far so it was either a staycation at home, another city in our state or something similar. We settled for Portland in neighboring Oregon, it is actually closer to us here than some other cities in Washington, and we'd never been there before.
To add some pizazz, we decided not to drive, and instead bought Amtrak train tickets to and from Portland. It was roughly three and half hours, and that was time we could spend doing whatever we wanted instead of one person being stuck behind the wheel. Something funny happened, we almost bought tickets to Portland, Maine. The price first tipped us off, and the fact that it took three days to get there. We shined our eyes properly and were able to select our correct destination in the end.
The train ride to Portland was quite comfortable, I could say luxurious even. It was the Coast Starlight enroute to Los Angeles, and had and upper level in coach where we sat. The leg room was so much I was jealous. Why? Because I couldn't reach the leg rest attached to the seat in front of me. Turns out, the train thought of everything. Both the food tray and leg rest had extensions so I was able to use them easily. Our return was on the Cascades, which though not as shiny, was comfy still.
Friday, January 4, 2013
My Wedding Ring by Nena Ndioma
We got a good deal on my wedding ring. It cost us $75 at Sam’s Club, and that was a lot of money to us back then. It’s a simple, gold wedding band. I forget how many karats.
I never dreamt about what my wedding ring would be like. Apart from the fact that I’m not big on jewelry (except for earrings!), the sort of ring I would wear just never seemed terribly important to me. What mattered to me was to have a solid marriage, no matter what kind of ring I wore.
When we got it, I remember thinking to myself, ‘I bet this will fade in a year or so.’ Although $75 was nothing for us to sneeze at back then, I knew that there were much more expensive, sophisticated, beautiful rings. ‘If it ever fades in the years to come, we can always buy a better one,’ I thought.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Clear Your Shelf Giveaway - The Language of Trees
I have so many books sitting on my bookshelves that I've read but will probably never read again because I want to read more, newer books, etc. There's only so many hours in a day after all, and that's why I joined up with the "Clear Your Shelf" Giveaway Hop.
So join me from January 4th to 10th. This is my chance to clear out my overflowing bookshelf and pass on some books to other book lovers. I will be giving away a book I won from LibraryThing and which I really enjoyed reading, The Language of Trees by Ilie Ruby
WIP - Dunni Bonds with her Father
Posted in:
A Fiery Love
One of my action plans this year is to complete this WIP and if possible publish it this year. So again I bring what I've written so far for you guys to help me critique as we go. You can catch up by reading the previous instalments HERE. Thanks!
Dunni set the tray of Amala and Ewedu on the dining table and opened the ceramic dishes her mother had asked her to serve the food. The steam from the recently microwaved food filled the small room with the smell of the palm oil sauce and it wasn’t long before her father moved from the sitting room to the table.
“I hope your appetite is good this afternoon?” she asked.
He smiled at her as he sat and washed his hand in the basin of water she’d already set out.
“This ewedu is very fresh, I like that,” he said, smiling at her as he put his fingers into the sauce and after rooting around, pushed a piece of fish in his mouth.
Dunni pulled out an empty seat and sat the table, watching him roll the amala between his fingers before dipping it in the dark sauce.
“Are you not eating?” He asked.
“No, papa. I’m not hungry now.” Also, her father loved to eat Ewedu daily while Dunni could only stand the soup in small not-so-regular doses.
“I hope your appetite is good this afternoon?” she asked.
He smiled at her as he sat and washed his hand in the basin of water she’d already set out.
“This ewedu is very fresh, I like that,” he said, smiling at her as he put his fingers into the sauce and after rooting around, pushed a piece of fish in his mouth.
Dunni pulled out an empty seat and sat the table, watching him roll the amala between his fingers before dipping it in the dark sauce.
“Are you not eating?” He asked.
“No, papa. I’m not hungry now.” Also, her father loved to eat Ewedu daily while Dunni could only stand the soup in small not-so-regular doses.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Some Inspirational Quotes for the New Year
Posted in:
Now that we are fully in the New Year, some people have made new year resolutions for an improved lifestyle. Others take it day by day on the things they would like to change and work on for 2013. These quotes are useful either way.
For me, I go with the purposeful living action plan. I want to lose some weight and continue to eat more healthy food. After all that happened in 2012, I put back about 15pounds that I lost with the Bouri program in February. But I know I can go back to that my 135lbs figure.
There's this blog, naijastories, and my newly set up company - BTW, I was shortlisted for the YOUWIN program this year, yay! - which I want to take higher. I also want to be more intentional in my relations with family and friends, and take more time to focus on God, and my inner person.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Year!
Posted in:
This is 2013! How time flies, right?
So we open up another new calendar, clean and with so much promise. I wish everyone a colorful and fantastic new year, filled with joy, success, peace, love, prosperity, you name it, and you'll receive it, LOL.
Seriously though, may this year be the one in which we achieve. Amen.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Happy New Year 2013 Giveaway Hop
Posted in:
Giveaways
Happy New Year! It is now 2013 for most people who are reading this. Timewise, I live somewhere close to the back of the world, so we have a few more hours to go. Still I'd like to wish everyone a happy, prosperous and productive 2013. I published a book in 2009 and in 2011, so the new year calls my name for a new book. I look forward to meeting that promise :)
In the meantime, you can enter my giveaway for my first two books, A Heart to Mend and A Love Rekindled. Two winners will get their choice of either book. Enter via the rafflecopter form below. Goodluck!
Alero Roberts on Marriage - Marry your Friend
Being a doctor, wife, mother, teacher, relationship expert and columnist with Genevieve magazine, Dr Alero proves that love, understanding, patience and wisdom are the basics for maintaining a good marriage.
Definition of Marriage: For me, marriage is exactly what the Manufacturer planned it to be: there’s the man and then the wife, who is designed to be a ‘help-mate’ for the man she marries. Think of the head and neck relationship; he’s the head and she’s the neck, separate yet inseparable, distinctly different and yet inextricably intertwined. He’s the leader but she gives him permission to lead and shows him where to lead.
How they Met: I met my husband Dr Seyi Roberts in ward A2 at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on the morning of Monday, 8th of November, 1982. It was a consultant’s ward round and it was my first day of Neurology posting. He was a senior registrar just returned from his year’s training in Harvard. It was sparks all the way! I thought he was an over-rated, arrogant, bumptious creep and he thought I was a little miss ‘know-it-all’, too big for my boots!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Movie Review - The Hobbit (An Unexpected Journey)
Far over
The misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep
And caverns old...
Atala - Thus begin the lyrics to the Song of the Misty Mountain, a song which recurs throughout "The Hobbit", the subject movie of this review. And I have to say that if I had to choose a song to fit the movie, I couldn't have chosen better than this. It's a deep, soulful and haunting tune which evokes scenes of epic adventure full of perils and drama.
And there are certainly perils and drama aplenty in this film, as Bilbo Baggins, the eponymous hobbit, Gandalf the wizard and a company of dwarves go on an adventure to reclaim the dwarves' lost kingdom.
I was somewhat apprehensive about going to watch this; a few months ago, I had watched a Lord of the Rings trilogy of films in a marathon session, and I came away with a headache.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
A Blogger Wedding - Chizy Marries Playboy
Chizy is the blogger behind Chizy's Spyware, and on the 22nd of December 2012 at the Chapel Of Christ The Light, Alausa Ikeja, Lagos, she got married to musician and rapper, Playboy. According to her blog, "The ceremony was a combination of a historic church, a swanky reception and the most important element of all – a couple in love!"
I wish them more love and every blessing that comes with marriage. Some pictures from the wedding below.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)