Second Blog Anniversary

I've officially been blogging for two years!

I can't believe it, but it feels about right. Blogville is a weird and wonderful place to be involved in - all kinds of things going on with all kinds of people. Each person behind their own screen, typing and posting on topics that interest them. I've definitely enjoyed every ride, the good, the bad and the downright unbelieveable.

In the past two years:

I've started with one blog, and ended up with three!

I've spent countless hours in front of my computer, at all hours of the day and night, catching up on other people's writings.

I've been invited to read about people, sometimes so different from me, and yet, so similar in many ways.

I've had to imagine people dealing with situations that I have never faced.

I've been educated about opinions and experiences so different from mine.


I'm met many people I would never have met otherwise and I'm grateful for both the real and virtual friendships I've formed.


I've been inspired to dig deeper into myself and become a better person.


I've also been inspired to rekindle my love for reading and storytelling.

I've rejoiced with bloggers, cried with bloggers, prayed for bloggers, laughed along with bloggers.

So: many thanks to the bloggers who have made me laugh out loud with their funny and witty posts. Thanks to everyone who has dropped a kind word or two on my blogs, people who have encouraged me through their comments, people who have sent me emails with words of advice and comfort. I don't want to mention names, but you know who you are! Most of you I might never meet, but you have contributed to my life in many ways, thank you!

Many people start blogging, but for one reason or the other, they feel like they have to stop. For me it's like an open journal, it's an addiction I don't want to let go of, and it's a form of release. I hope I can continue to blog as long as there is life and I can access a computer! So here's to many more years in Blogville. Cheers!

One Year on Blogger!

Wow, it's been a year since I started blogging! I've had so much fun in the past year writing and reading other people's blogs. It's been like a hobby, a passion, a job and an addiction rolled into one. I didn't start blogging with any particular purpose in mind, but it's been a very interesting experience so far. It's been fun writing things that come to mind, and getting comments from the good folk of Blogville.

Soon I started writing another blog (JDTA) and I've been really encouraged to see that people actually read and enjoy my posts and find them inspiring. I've enjoyed documenting the changes going on in my life, life's ups and downs, random tit-bits of gist and thoughts in my mind. I've enjoyed getting a glimpse into other people's lives, and some of the episodes on blogville have cracked me up, some things have made me sad, some news has made my day or week! I've even gotten so used to my "Favoured Girl" pseudonym, it's almost like my second name now!

Sometimes I've been inspired to write something while I'm away from my computer and I couldn't wait to get home to blog it! Sometimes I've spent so much time online, blogging and reading other people's blogs that I've lost track of time. I would like to thank my wonderful hubby for being patient with me when I haven't made dinner because I've been blogging!

In the past year I've joined a community of "Blogville" residents, made both online and offline friends, laughed and cried over posts I've read, and rediscovered my passion for writing. Now I've even been so inspired, I changed my career path! It just goes to show that even the most insignificant things we enjoy doing can change our lives.

So, to celebrate my one year anniversary on blogspot, you are all invited to my palace for a grand affair tonight. There will be six-course meal, lots of drinks and live music, you don't want to miss it. Here's to many more "favoured" years in Blogville!

Mummy, Health and Writing

I've been away from my blog for a while, I know. It's not because I didn't have things to say, and not because I was stranded on a remote island somewhere. I didn't have the inclination to blog for a reason, or maybe a few. I got a phone call recently that my mum was ill. My aunt didn't want to tell me what was wrong with her, all she said was that my mum had fallen ill and had been taken to hospital. I asked how mum was doing and my aunt said she was responding to treatment. I was quite worried because my mum is never sick. She is one of the most active and hardworking people I know. I can't remember the last time she was ill and had to go to hospital. Initially I thought maybe it was a fever or something, so I told hubby and we prayed for her. I called my dad and he was being very vague as well, he just told me that she had been admitted into hospital and she was getting better. But he wouldn't let me speak to her. So everyday all I could do was pray for mum to get better. It wasn't until a week later before he told me that my mum had had a stroke. A stroke?! I was stunned and I couldn't speak for what seemed like several minutes. The first thing I asked him was: why did you keep it from me all this time? There I was thinking she only had malaria or something! After I had recovered from the shock, I calmed down enough to ask more important questions about her health and how her treatment was going.
Well to cut a long story short, mum came around two weeks ago. I had been so scared that she would be permanently disabled or something, but to God be the glory, she is recovering well and she is able to walk and talk almost as normal as before. I spent the last five days with her and I'm really glad she is improving everyday. She told me what she could remember of when it all started happening and how she was rushed to hospital, how she was unconscious for many days, how she herself didn't believe she was so ill until the doctors told her. She is undergoing physiotherapy now, so she will be around for a while until she fully recovers. I'm just really really really grateful to God for sparing her life and I pray she will be perfectly healed - amen. When she gets better, I'm going to tell her that she must not stress herself again, she needs a long holiday.

That got me thinking about how much we take our health for granted. It is so so vital, something that cannot be bought in the market. I mean, for me that I had never seen my mum being in hospital, it did come as a shock. I had never imagined it could happen. I now thank God for my health everyday, it is a precious gift. I now appreciate life itself a lot more as well. My mum's friend said that after my mum got ill, she started appreciating that life is short, so she has started wearing all her nice clothes that she used to keep for "special occasions"! I thought that was funny but there is an element of truth in there. Why wait for another day to start enjoying your life? Who knows how long we will be around to live our lives anyway? I've made up my mind to live my life to the full everyday, because I don't know if I will be given another day.

I'm glad I could take the time to be with mum last week since don't have to be "in the office", but that does mean though that I've fallen behind my writing target for this week. I was hoping to have written a short story and another chapter of my book by Friday but that didn't happen. I couldn't do any work during the weekend either because I had to attend a wedding all day on Saturday, and I was so tired on Sunday. I'll have to adjust my deadline now but I intend to work extra hard and have something substantial to show for it by the end of the week. I'd better, otherwise my friends could start ribbing me like Brian in the funny clip below.

I hope not! LOL, have a blessed week everyone!

Health and Blogville

Thanks to everyone who wished me well on my previous post. I feel much better now! Got my test results back yesterday. I had been so nervous, I didn't know what to think. Thankfully, the GP said I'm not diabetic or anaemic! I'm so relieved. Still no explanation for why I was feeling drained the other week though. So I guess I just need to rest more. Stress less. Eat my greens. Do more exercise. The normal stuff.

Funny thing about blogging. I used to think I was anonymous and only a few known people read my blog. Imagine my surprise the other day. I was talking on the phone to one of my friends who I hadn't kept in touch with for a long time. Somehow he seemed to be pretty clued up on what was going on in my life. I was still wondering how, when he told me he regularly reads my blogs! He even told me about some of the things I wrote last month. I was like what, how did you know I had a blog, how did you find my blog address and how did you know it was me? Well that was easy. Apparently, my little sis had given him the link to my blog! Imagine that. I will deal with that girl when I catch her. (I know both of them will read this, so they know who they are).

I was watching TV yesterday evening when they showed the Orange Prize for Fiction Awards. I had been closely following the awards because I knew Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was nominated for her book "Half of a Yellow Sun" (read more about it here) . I was so delighted when they announced the winner and she won! I was excited like it was me that won. I'm really glad for her that her writing talent is being recognised and she has achieved success. I'm so inspired, I hope to follow her footsteps one day.

I've been away from blogville for a few days and so much is going on! I'm being updated by Mimi on what's going on. Blogville is having its very own Blogville Idols thanks to Pink-Satin and 9ja-opeke . Visit http://blogvillepopidols.blogspot.com/ for more details. I think it is all very exciting. Unfortunately I can sing as well as a frog so I won't bore you all to tears. I'll just be in the "audience" to cheer for the contestants!

Meawhile I've got the voice thing on my page now so feel free to leave me voice comments!