olaoluwatomi

It has been many wonderful years of life together and we (my twin and I) have so much to be thankful for: *The gift of life. *Extremely wonderful parents. *A handsome and loving brother. *Her- A loving husband and daughter. *Me- A great brother in law and beautiful niece. *Great cousins, uncles and aunties. *So many more wonderful blessings that it will be impossible to list them all! Wishing my twin and of course myself today a very happy Birthday!

Faith Death Life New Opportunities Family 226-230

I will not resurrect the ghosts of christmas past for in doing so I may just dissolve in tears. It is another Christmas and I am alone without my family! It is difficult hearing their voices over the phone, the excitement, the chatter, the plans of celebrations, the clatter of spoons, forks and knifes against plates, the unrestrained laughter that flows through the space and fills my room with more longing for home. It is difficult knowing that once again the christmas chicken will be bought and dressed in spices and cooked slowly to make it succulent and only my imagination can bring to life its sweetness in an empty pot! No fanta or coke in bottles to wash down the jollof rice that was prepared specially for the christmas morning. There will be no christmas trees- plastic or artificial for its not our custom to adorn the branches of a tree. The smiles of family glad to be together do more to brighten up the room than a plastic angel ever will. No presents will be exchanged for every

221-225 R&R Change of Environment Good Health Friends who share burdens and spread joy and laughter A great dad!

Just wanted to show you pics of my new kindle. It has been on my wish list for over a year and finally someone who loves me decided to give me an early xmas/birthday present! I have already downloaded more than 20books from amazon, thank God for free books on amazon. The only but is that they are all classics! Awuf de run belle:)) Anyway Im spending my time to and from work more productively, I started reading Anna Karenina and im 52% of my way through it! Yes the Kindle tells you what proportion of the book you have read! It also has the beauty of starting you right were you left off, no more do I have to have a bookmark or bend the pages of a book to mark my page. Its light weight! Its a 3G/wifi kindle so I can download my books even when there is no internet access! Anyone can buy me books,kindle books are much cheaper than the hardcovers! I have already received an early birthday present-a kindle gift certificate from amazon! So if you are still looking for what to get me, look no

Laarin awon anfaani to wa ni kiko yoruba nipe eyan le ko awon oro kan ti o ni ti yan loju. Toba jepe mo ko ni ede geesi ara ma ma se mi bakan, sugbon ti mo ba ko ni ede awon baba mi, ko ni jo mi loju. Oro ti mo fe ko nsin je okan ninu awon oro wonyi. Ki leyan le ko lori oro 'ile igbonse'? Opolopo oro wa o! Nibise mi nigbakan ti m ba fe lo lo ile igbonse mo mo pe mo ma rin nkan ti o ma je ki inu ro mi. Ni ile ise yii, omi ati ose wa nigbagbogbo. Ko de s ojo kan ti eyan ma lo sibe lai ripe omi n san bi okun. Sugbon awon eyan wa to ma n lo ile igbonse yii won de ni fi omi fo idooti won kuuro. Igba ti mo koko rii kini buruku yii mo sare fi omi san kuro. Mo ro wipe boya eyan yen sare kuro ko de farabale duro ko ri boya igbe ti lo tan. Sugbon igba to sele lera lera mo ro wipe boya obun leni naa. Ki ni idi ti awon eyan ma n lo ile igbonse lai fi omi fo idooti won kuro? ko ma yemi o! To ba je pe ko ti e si omi, a le se **ìmúkúròìÿàtìkíkö láti gbà fun won. Sugbon ni ibi ti omi wa, eyan

216-220 Broken dreams Bruised hearts Bounding hope Belated joy Boisterous life

211-215 Another year gone by and the beginning of a new year for me. A Kindle, a kindle someone who loves me bought me the device that was on my wish list!And I thank God for the person who bought me the kindle (ile ise yin o ni jona o, Amin, Olorun a ma ro ibukun laiye yin:) A Savior who has been in exactly the same spots I am in now, who understands how discouraged I am, who knows that this momentary light affliction is for just a while and who stands by me through it all! A reason to celebrate! A day off from work on my birthday:) For the first time since I started working, Im not going to work on my birthday, its been added to the New year celebrations as time off from work for everyone!

The inspiration for this post came from reading this blog http://irinajoyinbo.wordpress.com My apologies to non-Yoruba speakers but you will need to be able to read yoruba or find an interpreter to understand the post below:) I have also put up pictures and a video so you have a pretty good idea of the topics of my rants:)! O ti pe ti mo ti fe ko awon oro yii sile sugbon mi o ti setan lati se afi lehin ti mo ka 'blog' Kayode, mo ranti pe mo le ko awon oro yii ni ede ti die laarin awon to ma n ka 'blog' mi le ka. Kii sepe mo ni nkan fipamo sugbon lasiko, awon oro kan wa to dun so lede mi, ko de si oro ninu ede geesi to le mu oyin kuro ninu okuta. Nkan sele leni ti o ya mi lenu gan.....................................................................................................................................................................hmmm e ma binu iya to ya mi o je n ko le:) Awon ile ologe ni awon oro mi to ku wa fun 1. Ki ni idi ti awon okunrin loni ma n wo sok

206, 207, 208, 209, 210 < God's endless provision, its never too early and never too late! The end of swotting at least for a few days! A trusting heart! The absence of bitterness Family,family,family I can never stop being grateful for you all.

I decided not to wait till M onday to give thanks for someone whose presence in my life has made all the difference in the world- My Mother. Today is her birthday and I thought it would be fitting to celebrate her. Her name when translated means 'Peace' and I remember my dad saying during my sisters engagement ceremony that ever since she came into his life, she has brought him nothing but Peace! I can testify to that. My mum is soft spoken but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a spark in her. That spark comes to life when she speaks about injustice in the land. She is also an extremely determined woman, pushing ahead to reach the heights of her career. She doesn't let anything weigh her down and she has a faith that is as solid as a rock. Many times when I have doubted, her faith shone through and served as an anchor. She loves a good joke and tells stories she finds hilarious over and over again. We all have probably heard the tales before but each time she te

A few Saturdays ago, I decided to leave my cave of hibernation and get some fresh air. A friend and I decided to tour DC, the Capital city of the US! We quite ambitiously armed ourselves with a map thinking we could see all the sights in one day! At the end of the day we had only been to three places. We visited the Capitol and took loads of pictures outside it. Then we went to the Botanical Gardens and spent some time warming up and admiring all the very beautiful flowers. I have never seen so many cacti under one roof before! Then on to the American Indian Museum we went and there happened to be a cultural exhibition on and for the first time in my life I danced on a stage in public :) Of course I hid behind everyone else who volunteered to learn a tribal dance and did not take any pictures of myself. Enjoy the pictures below, I enjoyed taking them and look forward to taking more pictures when we go back to finish up our tour of DC! The Capitol- One of the many views! A replica of

The things I take for granted (TTITFG) Over the last month, I have stressed myself out completely. Many times I have wondered how on earth I'm going to cope with all that is in front of me- Exams to write, a job to do, decisions to be made and the other things we human beings worry about. I found out that I spent more time stressing about missing a bus than appreciating all the very many wonderful things that I have been blessed with. So the TTITFG is a list of those things I hardly pay any attention to and yet if they were missing I would not be able to function optimally. A lady today at the bus stop told me of how she was hit on the head with a weapon by another passenger and almost passed out. While another lady she knew was hit by this same man and had to have stitches put on her scalp. I realized that so many times I have ridden home without giving a second thought to my safety. Its one of the things I have so often taken for granted. So this post is supposed to help me look

201-205 E xams and all the swotting that it entails. F riends whose words, gifts and love put smiles on my face. Thank you T&K! G enerous sister, brother, dad, mother, grandmother whose gifts of love and prayer uplift me constantly. H eavenly missives that are never too late:) I ncredible friends whose outpouring of love make me want to strive to be as selfless as they are! L,R,C- You are gems!

196-200 An extra hour of daylight savings to sleep in:) Forty weeks of giving thanks, Time does fly! Family I cant ever stop being grateful for my folks! Things that dont turn out just the way we want it to! New friends-Catherine thanks for your friendship!

Have you ever laughed at how cute a child who demands our attention is? Or how charming a child who wants your praise after attempting some feat which you would not think twice of performing e.g. turning cartwheels backwards! In many ways I find myself acting like the child who stands by until you notice and comment on how her lovely her stick figure drawings are. I wait patiently for the words of affirmation and when they come I feel as happy as the child given a popsicle as a reward for good behaviour. And when no words of encouragement or praise come what do I do? I go over all the work I have done for which I am yet to receive praise (ridiculous I know) and wonder what it is I did badly. I wonder if perhaps I should have spent more time working on the project, maybe I should have smiled while I presented my work etc. All sorts of thoughts roam through my hyperactive imagination. Today the words of a hymn brought me to my senses. I dont have to receive any compliments for anything I

191-195 Thankful for the wonderful news a friend shared with me today! Our God is simply awesome! Thankful for the opportunity to work in a different setting! Spent today in a warehouse sorting through new clothes with colleagues for people who would need them. Thankful for His life and breath in me and eyes that see:) Thankful for things to be thankful for! Thankful for me!

My favorite past time these days is taking pictures of the sky and trees. I love the way the changing colors of the trees blend against a beautiful blue sky! My colleague at work made this lovely brownie cake:) You can tell that it was as delicious as it looks! The picture below was taken inside my office that explains the streaks on the window and the reflection of the camera! It was a beautiful warm day, a bright spot in the middle of the cold season. I went outside later on to enjoy the warmth of the sun against my skin and make some Vitamin D. I have taken loads of pictures of the tree below and its neighbours, its at a station where I stop to catch a bus home. The first day I saw it, it was almost all green, now it has deeper hues of red and orange and the green is slowly fading! It does remind me of how our lives change from year to year and in cycles. Nothing ever remains the same. We change, the people around us change and can either choose to ignore the beauty which is ever

186-190 Good health- Been having headaches and its made me realize how much I take good health for granted. So Lord Im thanking you for all the times my head does not hurt and all the times I have not had to reach for Paracetamol! Great Jokes- Laughter is certainly the best medicine. Watching Mrs Omokorede and a few Little Miss Jocelyn videos on you tube have given me a lighter heart:) Gracious friends- Im grateful for friends who graciously give of themselves time and time again without expecting anything in return! Good News- A dear friend passed an exam she had been whining about! Im grateful she passed and has now moved on to a higher level! Glad tidings- of great joy we bring unto you, the angels announced. Its a few weeks to Christmas and I cant help but look forward to the season of great joy and glad tidings. Its never too early.

I sat down a few days ago and I thought over my life. I dont yet have as many rags as my grandma but I can boast of having more clothes than a child:) Anyway I wondered why on earth I have gone through so many phases as I have and in my minds eye none of the experiences are yet to be linked. You hear stories of peoples lives and see how an experience they had when they were young was relevant to their life later on. I almost scoffed at the idea until I consoled myself that I am probably not at that age when I can boast of such, but the question I ask myself is when are things going to fall in place? One big and pretty consoling consolation is that God knows the whole picture! Even if I cant see it, He does! Why does it console me? I guess my answer is like the Psalmist who said when I was young and now I am old, I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread. There is one thing to be said of God, he certainly knows what he is doing when I absolutely have no idea. So

I heard or read many weeks ago that the best way to improve your skills at writing is to write everyday. I whispered to myself that I would take on the challenge but as can be evidenced by a lack of posts on my blog and empty pages in my journal I have not succeeded in doing that. Why don't I write? Many days it looks like I have a lot to write about until I place my fingers on the keyboard hurriedly type out my thoughts and when I sit back to read what I have written it sounds terrible! I have many unfinished posts which are still unfinished. Some days I have many topics I think i'd like to write about and because I do not have a pen or paper to write down my thoughts they grow wings and disappear and when I finally reach for a pen or try to remember what it is I wanted to write about nothing comes up. On other days I am just too lazy and do not feel like writing. Other more important things clamor for my attention like trying to arrange my clothes for work:) Writing is not an

One of the stories in the bible that speaks about ungratefulness is the story about the ten lepers who were healed by Christ and only one came back to say thank you; Today I urge you to write out what you are grateful for and give thanks. Thanksgiving is around the corner and it may be a nice idea to compile your list and read it out then. 181-185 Today and always I am thankful for: The ability to give thanks. A song in my heart and a smile on my face. Warm hands and feet. This means that I am grateful I have shoes to wear and gloves to put on my hands when I am cold, a blanket to cover me up at night when the temperature drops and a roof over my head. WGTS 91.9fm A lovely work mate and a great supervisor!

171-180 I missed my last thanksgiving session because I forgot! Terrible isnt it? After all the badgering and the pestering, the gifts finally arrive and I forget to say thank you. Here is a double bowl of blessings for which I am grateful. A job to get out of the house and go to. I have grumbled today and all through last week about the commute when a month ago I would have gladly walked hours to work to get out of the house. Thank you for the job lord and please let me not have to wait 2 hours for a bus. Thank you:) For two great friends who have opened their home, hands, hearts and hearth to me. For the end of decision making and the beginning of a process. For good health, intellect and strength. For my future which God alone knows. For Charis's smile which lights up the room. For a warm break in the middle of a cold season. Puff-puff For Gods gift of his son Jesus, He who gave us his son will he not freely give us all things. Thank you Lord for everything you have done!

Day 5 Sirius http://www.alittlelightisallweneed.blogspot.com/ I loved these songs when I was growing up: 'I love my country I no go lie, na inside am I go live and die! and 'Me I like my country, I like the land and people, everything e dey for Nigeria, make we join hands to make Nigeria better'. The jingles from the radio and TV stations belted out the danceable tunes daily and as little children I remembered our excitement as my twin and cousins would stand in front of the tv singing along innocently to lyrics that tried to cover the already deepening crevices in the prosperity of our nation. My memory of those years may be like that of an adult who represses those memories too painful to remember or that of a naive child but I remember my childhood as one with a lot of hope for my country. Everyone around me was enthusiastic about the future of the country, how could I think otherwise. The future looked bright and it was! Then came SAP and its entourage and the story gra

A toast to Nigeria @ 50 May we continue to live together in unity! May the next 50 years be filled with much progress. May those who rule us be men that fear God , love the country and hate filthy lucre May the generations yet unborn be truly proud to be called Nigerians! May we yet see and eat the good of the land. Raise your glasses and let the rejoicing begin. For day 1 of the Nigeria @ 50 see www.simeoneomobaba@blogspot.com For day 2 of the Nigeria @ 50 blogsville write ups see www.ochuko.wordpress.com

Im at the airport waiting to leave a city that has been 'home' for 13 months. I am not one to shed tears but its one place Ill always have fond memories of and who knows I may come back someday:)). Below are pictures I took over the last few days here. Each marks a special memory of great times! Enjoy! One of my many farewell meals courtesy of the members of my small group! Drunken Chicken in a Thai restaurant! And no I did not end up drunk:) Last Arabic Class with Muallim Tahir, a fantastic teacher. I can proudly say the script is no longer indecipherable to my eyes:) Last ice-cream with friends at Harvard Square. One of the Harvard Buildings is reflected in the JP Licks store window! You can just make me out (the photographer)in the left lower corner! The beginnings of fall! An empty desk in an empty room! This is the first time I had seen the bottom of my desk in 13months:) Took this pic on a walk down Magazine st! A little friend in a mask! Had to babysit him and tod