Happy 2nd Anniversary!

October 13, 2015October 13, 2015Vonita 36 Comments

It has been two years since I was encouraged to start a blog. I knew nothing about blogging. A google search brought up WordPress, and I registered a domain. What to call a blog? I was struggling with depression, and felt like I was living in a constant, black hole. Move towards the light, Vonita. Okay, I will! I wrote a poem ‘The Light‘, and posted as my first post. Happy two years blogging to me!

And thank you to all who have read, commented, liked and encouraged along the way! Very grateful for the wonderful souls I’ve met!

❤

Classic Quote of the Day #4

September 29, 2015September 29, 2015Vonita 9 Comments

Nothing is working as it should.

Just restart it.

Poet by Night

September 23, 2015Vonita 16 Comments

I’m presenting an Analytics presentation this evening. Especially for the occasion I put on a touch of lipstick and black heels. Viva Polka Dot black dress and black jacket.

So anyway, as I entered the room, I got told I don’t look like an IT Engineer. *I turned heads* 😉 What do I look like then? We don’t know, just not an IT Engineer.

I’m a poet by night?

Highs and Lows

September 19, 2015September 19, 2015 Leave a comment

Describe a time when you quickly switched from feeling at the top of the world to sinking all the way down (or vice versa). Did you learn anything about yourself in the process?

Thank you for suggesting this prompt, rollingblogger!

I went through an experience like this during the past week. Being pressured to reach a deadline, non-stop go, loving the work, just about to build something of substance, and then told to down tools (#politics). Excuse me? I’m busy. Running a test. It’s NB. I continued. Because passion. Until instructed, “Immediately, STOP”. I stopped.

Being super-busy one minute, nothing to do the next, and it does my head in. From being on a pressure-driven outcome-focused high, to then having it snatched away sends me on a free-fall to the lowest valley.

Yay for blogs and writing!

“Mountaintops and Valleys.”

Retrospectively Funny

September 10, 2015September 10, 2015 16 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Retrospectively Funny.”

Being serenaded on arrival at the airport

I forgot about a fresh apple in my bag as we went through customs on our Castaway Island holiday. So after receiving a customs fine, and not having enough cash on hand to pay it, I quickly went to the nearest atm in sight to withdraw money. But, being in a panic at being stopped at customs I completely forgot my pin. Total mind blank. And after the first failed attempt I was too nervous to do another one in case my pin got blocked. My husband had already withdrawn his daily limit.
It was agreed that I could pay the fine when I returned to the airport which would be in 8 days time. However, the fine clearly stated it needed to be paid in 7 days failing which you would have to appear in the magistrates court at a set time.
At the airport the following Saturday we went to pay the fine. At the security office I noticed there was an envelope with my name on it. Why was there an envelope with my name on it? We paid and went to go through passport control. Only to find out my passport was blocked. Do not allow to leave the country. My heart started racing. We were ushered into an office and told to wait. From the window I could see the airplane and there wasn’t much time before it started to board. No-one seemed to want to make a decision on my passport, and being a Saturday made it worse with decision-makers not being at work etc. I was entertaining visions of missing my flight, and being held back to appear in a magistrates office, and being alone in a foreign country etc, my mind raced ahead and my heart was beating so fast I felt like I was going to have a heart-attack there and then. Please let me go! After what felt like an eternity an official came into the room, interviewed a very nervous me, eventually stamped my passport, and said I could go! Still in time for the flight home.

Bowl-Licking Good

September 7, 2015September 7, 2015 6 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Mouth Drop.”

My jaw dropped on the evening I gave my husband-to-be a bowl of ice-cream, and he enjoyed it so much he licked the bowl (we were still in the getting-to-know-each-other phase). And then all was explained when we visited his mother a few days later (bless her!), and she did the same! I was so shocked and horrified I couldn’t stop laughing, and I’ve never seen them do that again. It’s a big joke now between my husband and I.

How good is this ice-cream? Bowl-licking good? bwahahahahaha 🙂

Blogger Recognition Award

September 6, 2015September 6, 2015Vonita 16 Comments

Lovely Beth at Designer Sophisticate surprised me yesterday with this award. Beth’s blog was one of the first few I started reading when I started the Daily Prompts a year ago. The Daily Prompts were so helpful to me, and really helped me to write. There are so many wonderful writers I used to read on a daily basis, but I and a few others fell off the grid this year due to the repeat prompts that were being posted. I really miss the community feel and those I used to read daily. So when I was surprised by Beth yesterday, I felt that I would like to honor her nomination and participate in this award. I will be doing so on a no-obligation basis, but thought I would like to share the blogs I used to enjoy as part of the Daily Prompt, and please forgive me for leaving anyone off the list.

The Rules for the Blogger Recognition Award:

1. Select fifteen other blogs you want to give the award to (I will limit to ten)
2. You cannot nominate yourself or the person who has nominated you
3. Write a post to show your award
4. Give a brief story of how your blog started
5. Give a piece of advice or two to new bloggers
6. Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog
7. Attach the award to the post (right-click and save, then upload)
8. Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them
9. Provide a link to the award post you created

My blog was created at the end of October 2013 for a few months (movingtowardsthelight), and then became dormant (because I didn’t know what or how to write). I revived it in September last year as a means of therapy. And I started doing the daily prompts every night. I would stay up until midnight for the daily prompt to be released (my time AEST), and then challenge myself to write something within half an hour so I could go to sleep. I did this religiously until the beginning of this year when WordPress started recycling the prompts. And since then I have been trying to prompt myself.

The advice I would give to new bloggers is to be authentic and true to yourself. Every person has their own unique voice, so allow that voice to be heard.

Here are a few blogs I started reading in September last year (in addition to Designer Sophisticate). Some of the blogs are award-free blogs, so I will be listing them here, and if the author would like to participate, please feel free to do so. (I took these from the grid today, a year from when I started reading they are still on the grid, it is so encouraging!)

Pepper Connection
lifelessons
Just Writing!
From Balderdash to Epiphany
The happy Quitter!
No Talent For Certainty
Flowers and Breezes
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss
Vexing Point
Serendipity

To all the wonderful WordPress writers, thank you for your help, encouragement and friendship in the past year!

Falling off Chairs

August 24, 2015August 24, 2015Vonita 14 Comments

This evening I fell off a chair.

I was in my class (wk 6 of 10) when the lecturer nearly tripped over my umbrella.

So I leaned over (as one does) to move the umbrella.

The rather flimsy chair gave way and toppled over.

Placing me unceremoniously on the floor.

With a sprained thumb.

Kiss Me

August 11, 2015August 11, 2015Vonita 17 Comments

I have this song playing in my mind. I tried to google the lyrics, but they don’t seem to be listed anywhere. So I will share this song with you. It really transports me home. I just *love* the voice of this South African artist!! Your thoughts?