Merry Christmas

This is to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance. Let us remember the gift of Christ and as we celebrate, remember the best gift for the birthday boy is to share him with others.

And stay safe this holidays.

Happenings and Gift

Hello,

How have you all been? I have been fine and God is Faithful,so life is Good.

I have been trying to set up the bookshop website,which I had hope will go live this month but it seems slow but hopefully soon you will be able to shop for your books,DVDs,CDs and much more from my bookshop.It has been handwork but so rewarding especially when someone gets a book they want and recommend us. By the way, we are All Books and More, so go like our Facebook page.

My older son started secondary school in Ibadan and it has been tough for me as a mum. I have always wanted my children close to me so it was a BIG struggle to let it him go but we had to consider a lot of factors. The good thing is that he is with one of my sisters who is like a mum to him and has 3 boys herself,so I get to talk to him daily and see him when ever I want. Maybe, I will even relocated to Ibadan as hubby and I are great UI alumni. And I love the slower pace of the town.

So, how are your preparations for Christmas? Visit my Facebook page and like and leave a comment and you could be the winner of a pack of 12 Christmas cards. Hurry as it is over by the 20th of dec. And you have to be in Lagos to have it delivered, free delivery if you live in Magodo,Ikeja,Ogudu or Gbagada.

Ciao.

BOOK REVIEW; A Heart To Mend

I should have written this a long time ago but I guess, I had a lot on my mind.
A Heart To Mend by Myne Whitman is the romance tale of Edward Bestman and Gladys Eborah but it is much more than romance.

The setting is Lagos and as a long time eader of romance, it gladdens my heart to read a book set in my beloved and familiar environment. I was also glad to read a book written by a Nigerian and since reading romance books by Bisi Abejo in my teenage years,it was the 1st romance novel written by homegirl that I read as an adult and it did not disappoint.

Gladys is an independent woman who just came to town and caught the sight of businessman Edward,who had a lot of carry overs from his past and this colored his views to life. He chased and wooed Gladys who he could not get out of his system despite his distrust. Gladys certainly was no pushover and did not allow herself to be disrespected, she is a steady force when required and did not give up on her relationship.

I also kind of enjoyed the intrigue of the stock market, it did seem to go on and can be overwhelming but it was all woven together to create a beautiful story, the characters came alive and told their stories.

This is a wonderful book and a MUST READ and I certainly recommend it.


Ps, I could not put up a picture of the book because I can't seem to upload with this iPad

HEALTH CHECK

Hello,

How have you all been? Good,I hope?
I have been feeling very well lately except for a few aches and pains. I was with a few friends a couple of weeks ago and the conversation drifted to our health,since we are all over a certain age(guess) we started discussing medications and recent test results.
And It occurred to me that I had not done a blood check for a while, I am hypertensive and have had issues with my cholesterol in the past and so try to do blood checks regularly.
Off I went to the lab to check my electrolytes and urea,Fasting blood sugar and cholesterol. I got the results a few days ago and I have issues with my blood cholesterol again and have to go on medication again.

It then occurred to me that we tend to take our health checks for granted, I should know better being a medical practioner and I don't even have to pay to have the tests done but I still take my health for granted,aside from my blood pressure drugs and vitamins/supplements taken daily I really don't like seeing the doctor(hands covering face in shame) and try to maintain my health based on diet and exercise.

When last did you do check your blood pressure,Fasting blood glucose and cholesterol? Have you ever had a mammogram,pap smear if you are a woman or a PSA if you are a man?

It is not that expensive and a lot of NGOs are offering the checks for next to nothing eg Cervical cancer checks for as little as N1000 and a mammogram at General Hospital at N3000.
It is important we take care ourselves as this adds value to our lives.

Yes, Life is given by God but we must take care of our God given TEMPLE. Please do take care of yourself.

Cheers

Nigeria at 52

Happy Annnivesary to all of us as Nigeria clocks 52 as a nation.

God decided to shower us with the rain of Blessings(it is raining in Lagos right now). And as I listen to the President's speech on TV I can't help to pray for this nation, join me as we pray;

Dear Father in Heaven, please watch over us and our nation, may our hearts be turned back to you.
May we grow in our love for each other and let go of all tribalistic resentments but rather be our brother's keeper.
Give our leaders the wisdom to guide us aright and have our interest at heart,help them understand the need to make us secure in our everyday lives.

Help us to understand that 'The earth is yours' and we came naked and will not take anything along when we pass on,so acquiring wealth that even our great grand children cannot finish spending is of no use.
Thank you so much for loving us despite our failings. Thank you for answering our prayers IJN. Amen

Have a great week.

Ps. I could not upload a photo as I don't know how to using this iPad thing. Nothing compares to my laptop....lol.

Happenings

How have you all been? It's been a while.

I have had a lot happening on my side lately that I have not had time for to smell the coffee.

I lost a big brother 2weeks ago who has battled to live for the past 6years,it was sad and painful knowing he is no more but we also been grateful for the past few years that he spent with his family and am grateful God's will has been done in Uncle Ayo's life. I am especially grateful for the care of his wife,all her care and sacrifice to care for him,she is truly one in a million. He was buried on Tuesday may he RIP and may the God Lord remain with his wife,children,his mum and the rest of the family.

We also lost a beloved member of our family,one of our dogs, Matlock. We've had him for the past 10years,actually he was my older son's dog and he just dropped dead without being ill and the vet suspected a heart attack due to old age. It really broke our my son's heart as he was going off to secondary school the next day and my house is so quiet now, no more welcoming barks when I get home and playful wags and licks.

And finally, my older son started secondary school, another phase of life just began for us. I pray that the Good Lord will be with him as goes on this new life's journey and may he be successful in all he does. Amen.

Have a great weekend.

MONEY

Money, money, Where are you?
It seems the more I run after you,the farther you run.
I miss you, please come back.

ps: I am broke

Summer Trips

Hi,

How have you all been?

I have been away 1st to Accra and then to the Hope Youth Corps camp for a week. It has been quite stressful, especially my trip to Accra, you see, I had to go by road as I took along some of my books for the conference and also my boys came along for the ride.

Lagos to Accra by road took about 12hours using ABC, they were so slow but I guess safety is important and it took longer coming back, we got to the Seme boarder by 6pm but did not get to the bus pack in Festac until 11pm and did not get home until after midnight.I swore never to go Accra by ABC again or come back back by road again.

The trip was FUN as well as I made the trip with my sis in law, several girlfriend and our children and we took over a wing of the guest house, The Rest Inn, they were really nice to us despite the noise the children made.

HYC camp was fun as well, it is a week long live in camp for teens and preteens. I was there last year and was so looking forward to this year's camp and it was even better than last year's camp.

So, how have you been?

Is Our Reading Culture Dying?

I decided to write about our reading culture today because of how it affects me as retailer of books.....lol.

As you know,(I hope) I started a bookshop a few months back and I have to read and review a number of books I sell,so, I read more and for me reading is the best part of my job, reading and forgetting my worries and the world in general is bliss.

My best customers are children, it pleases me when children come to my book tables in church on Sundays(I make quite a lot of sales this way and I get to personally interact with my customers). They are always eager to buy new books and I have seen children who save their pocket money to buy books, even my boys are reading more and are always the 1st to buy from me as soon as I get new stock. I believe we have a new generation of readers and schools are becoming more aware of encouraging reading as a past time.

Some Adults too are good customers I enjoy recommending books and reviewing with my customers.I have regular customers who come by every week and ask me to recommend a new book and they don't mind the cost.

I also have people who tell me they don't like reading and will rather watch a movie than read a book

Nigerians are not known readers and there is a lot of fears about our reading culture. I met a lady buying some gifts for the prize-giving day of a school and she did not think to buy books as gifts until I pointed it out and this is a teacher.
My questions are;
How do you see our reading culture?

What are you doing about it?

What book(s) are you reading right now?

When last did you buy a book for yourself or as a gift?

Do you read to your children? Or encourage them to read?

Would you rather watch a movie or read?

Why don't you buy books?

Does the cost of book determines your choice?

Do you buy pirated books and why?

I will be very grateful if you can give me honest answers by leaving your comments as this will help me and other booksellers.

Hello

How are you all,

Just checking in and hoping you will have a wonderful weekend.

I also pray for a Peaceful and terrorist free weekend in Nigeria.....Pray with me on this one.Hope we will not weep over our citizens again and may God give our leaders the wisdom to lead us right. And may they have the humility to ask for help from the rigth sources when confused. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Today is my birthday.

So, I just wanted to say thank you to all my followers and readers of my blog.

Thank you for taking time to read and sometimes comment on my posts.

Thank you for allowing me to share some of my life with you.

Thank you for the friendships and encouragements to take my dreams higher, I openned my bookshop after meeting great writers in blogville.

Thank you for sharing your lives with me through you blogs as well.

I know more about the world around me because of blogville and I rekindled my love of reading also.

May the good Lord bless you all and may we spend more times together both in blogville and physically(some day)by his grace.

Much Love

The Versatile Blogger Award

I got this award from Empi a couple of weeks ago and am so grateful to her, this means alot to me as it is my 1st award or is it nomination????



Here are the rules;
- Thank giver(done) and include a link to their blog also done.

- Select 15 blogs you follow regularly......The hard part but here goes;

1. Chi_ajad
2. Nenyenwa
3. Secretlilies
4. Simply MEE
5. Myne Whitman
7. Priscy
8. Dayor writes
9, Diary of a derespate Naija woman
10. Kiru Taye writes
11. NutritionAlert
12. Naijamum In London
13. Northern Girl
14. Natural Nigerian
15. Okeoghene
I did it .

- Tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself
Here goes;
1.I enjoy my own company.
2.I sell perfumes as well as books.
3.I love travelling, preferable with a friend.
4.I work in my profession just 2 days a week.
5. I love cooking and experimenting with new recipes
6. I also love the rain at night.
7.I have never been in labour, I had my children by CS.

That's all.

Believer in BETTER Naija?????

When I started this blog, I descibed myself as a Believer in a better Naija, but I am not so sure anymore.

My last post,condoling with those who lost their lives was impersonal at that time because I did not realize that Hadiza Otegbeye whose dad lived 2 houses away from mine for 10years was in the plane.
Neither did I know that my friends, Kayode Okikiolu and Eyo Bassey were also in the plane.
Yemi Okikiolu, Kayode's wife just posted new family photo on facebook a few days before she was made a widow and 3 children fatherless, Hadiza left a husband and 2 children.

What a Waste.
All because what some people cared about is Money.

Will this country ever get BETTER? Or am I just fooling myself? All of a sudden I am questioning my husband and I's decision to remain in this country.

My husband does a lot of local travel and my blood pressure was certainly up when he had to travel to Abuja the week after the crash.
My heart bleeds for this country, is it the killings and wathon destruction that goes on every week in the North or the senseless deaths on the road?

I am no longer a believer in a better NAIJA,but I am now praying for a better Naija.

Plane Crash

Just heard about the plane crash in Lagos.
So, sad as I heard there were no survivors.
May their souls rest in peace.

Amen

Hi All,

How have you all been, long time.
just wanted to check in and show face.

Why the cake? well, it is my birthday month and just wanted to start celebrating and thanking God early, he has been good to me. I am alive and well, and my family is well and business is picking up.


Here is to a wonderful week ahead, filled with beautiful things.

Please, can someone tell me what I am doing wrong?

My last 2 posts was typed on my iPad and the layout of my typing is all joined with no commas, gaps and paragraph

ME NO LIKEY.

Moving On

Hi,

Thank you for listening to my rantings and it is so funny how much better I am these days. My children are healthy and happy and older son just got admitted into High school and we've paid the fees and bought the uniforms, so, that is settled.

Today, 15years ago,I had my traditional marriage and I can remember the excitement just like yesterday, my mum just retired and had time on her hands and I was supposed to be serving NYSC (yes,I'm that old) in Umuahia but I absconded after camp because I was not redeployed back to Lagos. I did not even report to the place of pry assignment,all that was on my head was my wedding plans.

And planning I did, the months before the wedding was a bonding time between me and Mum, we never used to be close as she was so busy with her job as a banker, we shopped and made decisions together and my parents let me have everything I wanted as per the wedding. It was beautiful, both the traditional and Church ceremonies.
I thank God for beautiful memories and a beautiful life with Yemi as well.

As the song goes;
Count your Blessings
Name them one by one
Count your Blessings
See what God has done
Count your Blessings
Name them one by one
And it will surprise you
What the LORD has done.

So, I'm counting my blessings this morning and ask you to Thank the Lord with me for his goodness and mercies for the past 15years.

Have a lovely day




PS; for those of you wondering, my NYSC was extended by 6 months and 6 months allowance was also not paid but small price to pay compared to the time I got to know my mum.

I am not HAPPY

Yes,

I am not Happy, in fact,I am really unhappy.

Satan has decided to bring out the big guns to try and steal my joy and I am fighting big Tim to hold on to it. Things are just happening that is so discouraging .
1st, I found a lump on my neck last year which I have had some tests to see what it is and the process is so slow in Luth where my specialist is. It is a lymph node and is non malignant but they can't seem to find the cause of it growing so large.

Then, my household equipment are giving up on me, 1st my microwave oven,then the fridge,followed by my washing machine and now my deep freezer packed up and it is full of food and I just repaired it less than a year ago.

Then, the custom strike has delayed some of books for some time and I hope they are safe and won't get stolen at the airport and am scared to place new order for some requested books.

I wonder why all these are happening to me,I can't afford all these repairs and health bills and it is weighing me down.
Now, my hormones have gone haywire and my period is doing their own thing. I am very weepy and sad and have asked God why he is allowing all these to happen,these drains should not happen to me as I pay my tithes and do not turn my face from the needy.

All, I have heard him say is,'My GRACE is sufficient for you, Trust me and be still and know I am GOD'. I am like Martha who was worried about many things but Jesus calls me to sit at his feet just as Mary did.

Hummmh I feel better already writing this down in the middle of the night as my family sleeps and ther is electricity and Internet service. (God is Encouraging me already).
These scriptures just came to my mind;
Praise the Lord, oh my Soul
And never forget his benefits,
Who forgives all my sins
And heals all my diseases.
Psalm 103:2-3

Rejoice, in the Lord always,
I say it again Rejoice'.
Phil4:4

So,I can be unhappy but I must be Joyful.

Long Time

How have you all been?
It has been a long time since I blogged and a lot has happened since then and some things have remained the same ie Nepa wahala.

I have been very busy with my bookshop, I finlly started selling and as with any new venture, it has taken most of my time. All I think about these days is sales, new orders, shipping, deliveries etc. Business is picking up, go and like my page 'Just Books and More' on Facebook and you can see how to order and buy yourself a book. Smile.......

My website is in the pipeline and I will let you know as soon as it is ready.
Keep me in your prayers and to all authors, writers and publishers out there, get in touch as we are the newest bookstores in town and we are going places.(Hints)
Got to go as generator is about to be switched off.

Love and Kisses

Ps; Pardon any typos, wrote in a hurry

ELECTRICITY........Missing In Action

Electricity the Son of Nepa.....sorry Phcn has disappeared from my home and neighborhood and has been declared missing in action MIA.
In it place, noise,fumes,discomfort, sleeplessness and heat rash has come to stay.

In case found,please,appeal on me and my family's behalf to him to please come home,We are desperately missing him and would appreciate him coming home back to us as we consider him an important part of our family.We don't even mind paying the increase in salary demanded by his mother.

We love and miss him,and will do anything to have him back. If found, please contact me on this blog. Handsome Reward awaits Founder.

Thank you

Postal Issues

How have you been?

Some of the books I ordered finally came and through the post office.My books were shipped from the US on the 10th Feb and I was told it will take 2-3weeks and local Naija babe that I am I equated shipping with cargo and was expecting my goods at my door.(I did pay through my nose/ it cost me an arm and leg)
Imagine my surprise, When books did not arrive aafter 5 weeks and after several frantic emails,I was told that the shipping company has sent it to Nigeriaand I should check with my local post office and there was no way of tracking it.
Knowing our postal system over here, I panicked and nearly had a heart attack.I took my fate in my hands and went to my local post office.
NIPOST really impressed me, One of my 3 packages had arrived and I was told I did not get a delivery slip because there was no one to receive it when the postman came and you can imagine my fears concerning the remaining 2 packages,I was reassured by the staff and was told to leave my phone number.
I got a call as early as 7.30am on monday to come pick up the other 2 packages intact. I am happy right now and am looking forward to getting other packages through the new Improved Nipost

LAGOS is definitely Working

B'Day

Bamise was 8 yesterday and we had a party in church today for his classmates as he is going to a new class.

It seems just like yesterday when I woke up in the middle of the night to pee and it seems as if a tap was turned on and when it finally stopped and I checked znd found out I was Bleeding at 35weeks - I had Placenta Previa and had an emergency CS My baby was in a hurry to come and he was strong though was so skinny and is still skinny according to Mum and Dad.

We love you, Francis Oluwabamise Odusote, You will live and not die , you will live to declare the Glory of God.May you have the heart to be a man after God's own heart with all humility and fear of God. You will continue to be a source of Joy and Laughter to all in Jesus name.

Amen

My prayers are also for my older son, Oluwatunmise,my comforter and joy.

One Year Of Blogging

It has been a year of being a part of the Blogville Family and I have been Inspired, Informed, Educated and Entertained.

To think that I have never visited a blog until last year, don't get me wrong, I knew about blogs but was just not interested until I stumbled on 'The dairy of a desperate Naija Woman' and 'Myne Whitman writes' and I became hooked and decided to start a blog as well.
I have been inspired to follow my dreams of opening a Bookshop, after reading books by Nigerian Authors I found online and growing my kinky hair,informed on the going ons in Naija and the diaspora, I have been educated on care of natural hair etc and lots of entertainment.
Thank you to all my followers and all who have read my blog and made comments.

My Passions for reading and doing more for others are coming true.

My Dreams are of a better Nigeria where we can live free and fair,a country where we the citizens will not not all be seen as criminals but where we can conduct our business in a legitimate manner.
My life is in the Lord's hands and I see his faithfulness daily to me and mine.
Thanks and God's Blessings to you and yours.
Here is to My PASSIONS, DREAMS and LIFE.

Busy...ness

It's been a while and I have missed you guys but life has been busy for me and writing has been challenging though, I still blog hop and read.
It has not been easy trying to start a business in Lagos or is it Nigeria as a whole?
Especially, as I have to import most of the books for the bookshop

Banks are not helpful, they send you to the black market to get the forex you need but they will help you transfer and collect multiple charges both on your domicilary and current accounts.
Shipping is another matter entirely, as most companies don't ship to Nigeria even if the claim to ship anywhere in the world and if they do, the cost of shipping is more than the cost of the books......na waah.
Finally found a credible(I hope) Naija cargo company. that can receive my goods and cargo to me at a reasonable cost, so I am moving ahead.
I truly admire all you business people out there and say WELL DONE.


PS.......

My bog will be a year old this month and I just might have a GIVEAWAY to one lucky follower. So, follow my blog and you might just be lucky.......Lol

Naija4life Launches the "Give a Book" Campaign

The Give a Book campaign aims to collect educational books which will be sent to Nigeria. The chief driver is Naija4life, the blogger behind A Pen and a Heart, a teacher and someone with a deep passion for education. Education has made a huge difference in his life and he says he will regard his life’s journey as unfulfilled if he fails to give back to society in any way he can. According to him, "we can be quite critical about the many wrongs in our society and most times rightly so. But I also believe we can take action by making small contributions that can only help improve our society. I’m a firm believer that whatever change we seek will only happen if we take action to accomplish them."

What is the purpose of this campaign?
Education remainss the key that will unlock Nigeria’s future. Good education can only be possible with access to books, something that many Nigerian children are denied.

How will this campaign work?
This campaign will involve awareness and invite people to donate old or used books they no longer need or are quite happy to give which are in fairly good condition. They can range from academic books, for primary and secondary school age, fiction, non-fiction etc.

Who can get involved?
This campaign is open to all. You can kindly donate a book or several books.

How can you get involved?
You can get involved by help spreading the word via your blogs, websites, through friends, family etc. This campaign is about the ordinary Nigerian children who have limited access to books and whom this campaign will benefit eventually. You can also get involved by choosing to become a co-facilitator of this campaign and be actively involved in its operations.

How long will this campaign last?
It will last for at least 6 months, up to the summer to enable the initial target of 1000 books.

Who will benefit from this campaign?
The plan is to partner with at least 3 schools especially in deprived areas in Nigeria in the first instance. The intention is to ensure that the books are donated for use in each school’s library for use by all students. Where a school library doesn’t exist then we can encourage them to set up one to enable students borrow or use these books for study. Do you know of any school that could benefit from this campaign? If so please get in touch and let me know how you can be of help in making the necessary contacts needed to get things started.

How will this campaign be funded?
This will be a 100% charitable campaign. They are not asking for money, only for publicity, and donations of old or used books for primary and secondary age or any book that will benefit young people. They'll also be soliciting for logistic support to send these books to Nigeria at the appropriate time. All books collected will be accounted for. At the end of the campaign, details of the schools where these books have been donated to will be made available. Regular updates will be made available on http://www.apenandaheart.blogspot.com/.

How can I send my book donations?
If you live in the UK or Ireland, please email me at: nnaija4life@yahoo.com or giveabooksaveourfuture@yahoo.com and you’ll be provided with the address where donations can be sent to. If you live in the US, Canada, or other parts of Europe, perhaps you may want to lead this campaign where you are which will be quite awesome if you can. Those in Nigeria, we would even rely on your massive support in recommending schools and mobilising where you are.

At the present, they've already collected about 100 ICT books which will be of immense benefit to Nigerian young people whose access to books is somewhat limited.

How can I get updates about the work of this campaign?
Naija4life will provide regular updates to show how much books have been donated and by who. Pseudo names can be used for those who don’t want their real identities revealed. He has contacted a media outlet in the UK (BenTv) and is currently in discussion to see how they may help get the word out to the Nigerian community and even others. He's also in the process of contacting VoxAfrica, another UK based media outlet for Diaspora people.

In whatever way you want to support, please feel free to send an email to nnaija4life@yahoo.com. Also please feel free to ask any questions you may have here as Naija4life will be coming over to answer them. He welcomes advice and constructive criticisms too.

OCCUPYING MY SPACE

This protest on removal of fuel subsidy na waah...... More and more people are on the streets daily and more are speaking out about the corruption and what the gorvernment consume.
The protest has gone beyond subsidy and am all for it even though I have lost a week's pay so far but this fight must be fought once and for all. Imagine my car now needs about N9000.00 to fill my tank and I use a full tank per week for schoolruns,work and need to buy extra if I more errands to run.... Abaah,how much is my salary? Don't forget my petrol generator also needs fuel, no power as I write.

Fellow Nigerians, It is time to call our leaders to Responsible Leadership and Accountability, they should be serving us and not us serving and feeding them.
I know the subsidy will eventually be removed but in phases after things like power supply,good transport etc are in place and the corrupt cabal is brought to justice.

So, wherever you are, Occupy your space and join in taking back our country. Remember that some people have lost their lives so far, do not let them die in vain

Remember, this our great country, our leaders and the protesters in your prayers

On the fun side. I am enjoying the time spent with hubby and kids. Quality family time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year, my friends.
Welcome to a year of God's abundant Blessings and Happiness

May this new year bring us all joy, good health, peace of mind and prosperity.
May all our dreams and heart desires come true in 2012.

If you can

....HELP somebody as you pass along.
....CHEER somebody with a word or a song.
....SHOW somebody when she is traveling wrong.
....BRING back beauty to a world up wrought.
....SPREAD love's message the Master taught.....

THEN YOUR LIVING SHALL NOT BE IN VAIN

Have A Happy and Prosperous New Year.