olaoluwatomi

I am sure I have mentioned before that I am a dreamer, the definition being one who sleeps then dreams! I just realized a few minutes ago that its been a while since I had a nightmare:) Nightmares for me at one point in my life were a regular phenomenom, my parents were sure to hear me knock on their door in the middle of the night if the dream was particularly frightening. Dreams that were almost real were parent waking ones!:) Since I left home for boarding school when I was eleven I had that pleasure of parental comfort only during the holidays! On days when the dreams were frightening but not a 'wake up mummy and daddy' level nightmare, if we were home my twin was sure to have me climb into bed with her and hear me whisper 'Toyin wake up I had a bad dream'. She would wake up for a few seconds and after pretending to sympathise with me would drop promptly back to sleep with the sleep elixir having a greater weight than Tomi's tale of horror. I should say the same...

Monday is here again and here is another list of things I am grateful for 51.The ability to sleep in for an extra few minutes on Monday, I dont have any classes first thing on Monday so I get to stay at home a bit. But blame habit, Im awake at my normal time but I do not have to go through all the motions to leave the house:) Ill enjoy it for now before I start work:) 52.The praise jamz I have been listening to for a few days now:) I still have not gotten through all the CD's! 53.For the space heater warming my feet, even though the temperature has risen in the last few days my feet always seem to be cold. 54.The fact that I dont have to wake up and cook for anyone:) (No protests here, Im happy for this one fact at this time) 55.Safety- the other day I thought about my windows that have no burglary proof and yet I can go to bed without thinking that Ill receive an unwanted night visitor:)

I am not a fan of 'iku' which means 'death' by the way but I would probably be insane to ignore the fact that I will one day go the way of all flesh. My reaction to the topic of iku depends on what my state of mind is. A proverb on African Proverbs which I follow on twitter goes thus 'Death does not sound a trumpet' Its a congolese proverb and one that rings so true! Who knows when they will pass to the great beyond? No one, not even those who have been told by the doctor they have just a few days to live. A diversion here, I never can understand it when people say they have been given thirty days (or whatever time frame is used) to live by doctors. I have certainly never given such dire predictions and have not seen any of my senior colleagues do the same for though are believed to hold the secret of life in our hands, we are helpless when it comes to giving predictions on the expected time of death! I know when someone is dying right in front of me but I canno...

I had a lovely dinner yesterday and just had to share! This was the last course and when it arrived I was already full but I found space for a little more, I hope your salivary glands are activated by the pictures:) Thanks to the Japan trip organizers and our lovely benefactor!

When last did you do something nice for someone just because? I hear you ask 'what on earth does just because mean'? It means for no reason at all! I got a lovely package from a friend I have not seen in over 15years. She sent me an email a few days ago asking for my postal address and today I got home and the package she sent had arrived. The package contained over 10 CD's of praise songs in my native language- Yoruba! I had forgotten how sweet praise songs to God in Yoruba sound and even as I write I have my earphones on listening to the wonderful tracks! Her act of kindness touched me greatly and I wonder why she remembered me and sent me the package, all I know is that the CD's arrived at a very apt time. Listening to the songs I am reminded that God delights in the praises of His people and wants us at all times to praise Him! Listening to the praise songs,I can not help but sing along and have danced in the privacy of my room:) to the very danceable songs (even a ...

Its another Monday so here goes the list of things I am grateful for! 46.Life, I sleep and wake up in the land of the living. 47.The courage, strength and joy to go through each day. 48.Music, a song can dispel so much gloom. 49.Hope and Faith, life is empty without them. 50.Grace.

Picture from heeldirectory.com What set me off on this topic? I was walking home from school a few minutes ago and saw a woman wobbling, I thought there was somethig wrong with her until I realised that she was walking in a pair of shoes with high heels:).Of course this incident set me thinking about all the women in recent times I have seen who have worn heels and seem to be undergoing some form of punishment. My philosophy with regards to dressing is 'the more comfortable it is, the better'! So you wont catch me in heels that make me look like I am tottering from the top of a totem pole! I probably need to wear heels seeing as I am one whose height is described in my mum's language as one whom the ground has seized and refused to let go', but I have never been comfortable in any shoes that raise me more than 2 inches above the solid earth. All my shoes save one pair are flat! Flat as in flat,I love the fact that I can feel the earth through my shoes:) I am therefore ...

I took the pictures of the same set of trees about 4 months apart! One speaks of barreness, cold and emptiness, the other of the beginnings of new life, hope and joy!

I was at a cocktail organized by the African students group at my school. I met the Governor of Lagos state- Babatunde Fashola! I had heard of the event through a friend of mine who has a good nose and ear for sniffing out and hearing about such things and of course I wanted a chance to meet him. The event was strictly by invitation and there was no chance of 'mo gbo mo ya' behaviour. I signed up to be invited and waited expectantly but it was not until less than two hours to the event that I got my invite. Of course I was not to be deterred and quickly went home to change from my Jeans to a more respectable looking pair of pants! (trousers my naija bretheren, na so dem de call am for here, no be underwear o!) I guess you can tell that I was very excited and I pride myself on not being excitable:) Anyway I got to the venue of the event on time for I am not one to keep to the African wristwatch. I had a heart stopping moment by the door when it took them some time to find my na...

For the first time in weeks I post this on a Monday,it should count as one of the many things I am grateful for! 41. I am thankful that I was able to attend a 'dinner'(twas actually a cocktail)with the governor of Lagos state-Babatunde Raji Fashola. I am more thankful for all the work his team and him have been able to do to turn the state around. (I'll post a more detailed summary of his visit soon). 42. Thankful that school is gradually rolling to an end and I am looking forward with joy not fear to the next step. 43. I am thankful for money in my bank account:) Money doth answer all things:) 44. I am thankful for my 'baby' brother. I called him today and we had a great conversation. 45. I am grateful for the flowers that are all appearing after the winter and the color they bring to my soul!

'Nigerians are easy to handle; even for small children'. I copied the sentence above from the Nigerian dwarf goat Association web site. You read it right, there is an association of Nigerian dwarf goat breeders! Nice surprise for me, but dont you wish that Nigerians are as easy to handle like the goats named after them:)

Picture From progolferclub.com There is something extremely exhilarating when you win a game not once, twice but thrice! especially when you have been through some tough seasons of life. I believe that Phil Mickelsons victory on the turf today is the sweetest he has ever experienced. It shows a strength which I am sure he never realized he had and only goes to show that even when you hit a rough patch in life you should never give up but get up, dust yourself and move on. I have certainly learnt some lessons from his game today. At one point while he was playing a little leaf/twig decided to land on the path were his ball was headed and hit it off course, what should have been a straight putt became a predicament. Some lessons from his life-despite his personal sorrows (both his wife and his mother have been diagnosed with cancer), he played the game to win! Up Mickelson!

I am grateful/thankful for.................... 33.A memorable easter sunday. I spent the day with a friend and her parents and had a real American meal. I am grateful most of all for their kindness, warmth and love. 34.Coming to the end of my time in school:) We took a class picture today and I remember that it was only a few months ago when the journey started and I did not know anyone in my class. Now I have a few good friends! 35.The advent of the spring, I love the way the leaves are sprouting and the flowers budding and I thank God for the reminder that though the winter is long and bitter, the spring will always come! 36.For life and the joy that each day brings. 37.For the joys of life, only this evening I roared with laughter at the antics of a boy in the story 'What Katy did'. I am grateful I can be amused by the little pleasures of life. 38.The very many miners were rescued from the mines in China after over a week underground. 39. Some semblance of stability in my co...

1. I write when I am angry about something, when I cant punch the other fellow in the face! (Not like I have the liver to do such a thing:)) 2. I write when I am stressed out about work, about life. When I have deadlines staring me in the face. When I should be completing my assignments and cant spare an extra minute thats when the writers muse descends and I cant decline until my script is done. 3. I do not write when I want to, when I absolutely need to, then the juices refuse to flow from my brain to my pen and no amount of coaxing gets me past the writers block! 4. I write when I am happy and want to shout but cannot do so, when I want the whole world to know how happy I am, then I write recording my happiness in terms that are so inadequate to express my joy but serve as an outlet all the same. 5. I write when I am ticked off by someone, when I receive discourteous service, when I am shunned for no obvious reason, when I am sad or lonely, then I write and pour into words, my hurt,...