Chicago

I have often found myself glued to the TV whenever I come across a few shows. I made a list of some of these shows and promised myself that I would definitely binge on some of them. One of the shows that seem to intrigue me is Chicago. Maybe it’s because of my appetite for good eye candy. Chicago sure has enough of that. The drama is really entertaining too though. I have gathered a little information about the show and I thought I should share.

Chicago Fire, Med and Pd

In 2012, creators Derek Haas, Dick Wolf and Michael Brandt came together to create a media franchise.  The trio created a franchise known as Chicago. This franchise consists of different programs which focus on public services in Chicago; The Chicago Fire service, Chicago Police Department and The Chicago Medical service.

All about The franchise:

  • Chicago fire – The Chicago fire television series was first aired on the 10th of October, 2012. The show has aired for 10 seasons and continues to be on air till date.  It consists of a total number of 217 episodes. This television series is the first of the franchise and depicts the personal and professional lives of the staff and team of the Chicago fire department at Firehouse 51. These staff and team include the fire fighters, paramedics and rescue personnel. 
  • Chicago P.D – The Chicago P.D series was added to the franchise when it first aired on the 8th of January, 2014. The series is focused on the professional as well as the private lives of the intelligence unit and the uniformed officers of the fictional 21st district of the police department.  The series has been aired for 9 seasons with a total of 186 episodes in total.
  • Chicago Med – The third addition to the franchise is the medical drama; Chicago med.  It was first aired on the 17th of November, 2017 and has been on air for 7 seasons. The series has a total number of 141 episodes.  The drama revolves around the personal and professional lives of the nurses and doctors of the emergency department a fictional hospital called Gaffney Chicago medical center.

More of the franchise

Chicago Justice – this drama series is the fourth of the Chicago franchise. It was created to add a picture of the justice services as relates with the activities of the police department, fire department and medical department of the Chicago franchise. It was aired for only one season and canceled thereafter. The series had 13 episodes in total.

The three drama series consist of a total of 557 episodes. A few times, when these dramas cross each other, it may seem a bit confusing especially since they all seem to be running concurrently and certain persons and places are related in all 3 shows.

Whether you plan to binge or just follow it at your pace, you need to keep it in an order to get the most out of it. The show can be enjoyed separately as well, so don’t let that stop you.

Are you already a fan? Which is your favourite?

The share button

I showed one of my young friends a couple of photos that had popped up as memories on my phone. She went through them with a ‘wow’ for every photo. When she was done she said to me: “You have so many lovely photos and you have never posted them”.

My uncle Charles had so many photos. He would take photos every time. He always had a camera on him. It didn’t matter where he was or what he was doing, he would pause to take a photo if he wanted to. He knew how to capture a moment and keep it alive. I remember one trip I and a few other family members took with him, I was 12 years old then. That trip will always remain alive for me now because I stumbled upon some photos he had taken from that trip many years later and I kept one of them.

I have a bag of photos from when pictures were physical, I have lost a few of them due to bad handling and it is the reason I am grateful for digital pictures.

Last month, my friend Nguwa turned 41 and early in the morning on her birthday, I sent her some videos I had recorded at her 40th. She was ecstatic. It was like she was reliving that day again.

Every now and again I get pop up messages from google photos, reminding me of lovely moments I had captured in the past. Some of these memories make me smile, some make me ponder, others make me sad. Whatever emotion the memories evoke, I enjoy the feeling of being taken back in time.

One beautiful thing I have enjoyed from all the many photos I have taken and kept is how I get to see all the lovely moments I captured of my son in his 9 years.

You don’t always have to use the share button when you take photos or make videos. Save them to keep the memories alive.

Love-hate relationships

Love is the greatest thing in the world. I base this declaration on my own personal life experiences and on 1 Corinthians 13. Love allows us to be free. Love allows us to feel. It also allows us to express ourselves. Often where love exists, every other thing seems to be unimportant.

Hate is a very strong feeling. It has a way of eating us inside and outside too. Where hate exits, everything tends to go wrong.

A love-hate relationship exists when the two emotions occur simultaneously. You find yourself feeling so much love with uncontrollable abandon and then the next moment you completely feel hate. This kind of relationship is really toxic and can cause a person to feel a lot of mental tension.

I have a love-hate relationship with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are so sweet to my tongue. I particularly love rice. I love beans too and I used to assume it was more protein than anything until I found out that it contains more carbohydrates than rice. The carb content of 100g of rice is 28g while beans sit at 63g.

I hate what carbohydrates do to my body. Whenever I decide to stay off carbs, one week is just enough to get my skin glowing, my waist line showing and my body to stop aching. One day back on carbs and I lose all the progress I made in the whole week. This cycle has left me sad and depressed in some seasons of my life.

I am not so sad about it right now but I am not happy either. One thing I am not confused about is how I feel about this love-hate relationship;

I HATE IT.

Questions

I used to hate questions. Especially when I didn’t have the answers. I would freeze, recoil or do anything to prevent me from facing the shame I felt. To me, it ranked really high among some of the worst things in the world.

Now, I love questions. Interesting and intelligent questions. Especially when I don’t have the answers. They help me think. They make me ask questions and the more awareness I get from the answers, the more excited I get.

I am not certain how this change occurred.

I have been really wondering about this. I found myself listening to an old message by Pastor Steven Furtick. I have listened to this message atleast 3 times in 2 years. In the sermon he spoke about the source of his sermons. He said every sermon often began with a question and in trying to answer the question, a lot of things would begin to unravel and be revealed.

I think the sermon may have influenced how I feel about questions.

A few weeks ago my husband asked me a question. I was not certain about the answer but i did hazard a guess. In my usual new pattern, I began to ask the necessary questions. I used my guess as a basis for my research. It turned out that the guess was actually like a  champagne cork to the answer to his enquiry. All the answers came gushing out and it gave me a lot of good things to think about.

I love questions. They make me wiser.

blogtober

I created a WordPress blog page in 2009, I was excited because I had been yearning to find a place to write down and also share with others all the ideas I always had in my head.

I have no idea what happened. I want to say procrastination; I also want to say that I was afraid I wouldn’t know how to express my thoughts properly. You see, I have never been a fluent orator; and so I assumed my writing would not be so fluent as well. I didn’t get to write any word on my blog till February 2021, 12 years later.

It was the same year I heard of blogtober. I asked myself if I thought I could make an attempt. The answer was a flat out NO.

What is blogtober?

This is a worldwide event amongst bloggers. The aim is to click the publish button every day in the month of October. This does not require just clicking the publish button with empty content. Readers will definitely expect to get interesting information, tips, stories and lots more from you.

There’s no price or award for participating or completing a blogtober challenge. There is no competition. It is more or less a personal challenge.

Am I ready for blogtober in 2022? Oh YES. This year, I have lots of ideas and thoughts penned down to share and I hope they interest you as much as they interest me.

So this is my introductory blog for the month of October.

I would like you to hang in here.

Click the follow button to receive notifications daily.

#blogtober #ilovewriting #writerschallenge #october #blogging

Hurting with Hope

A couple of months ago, I started a Bible reading plan with 4 amazing women. It was a 6 day plan that was meant to run from June 4th through June 9th. Some how, I didn’t go along with them. I decided to catch up some days ago.

It turned out that I really needed the words from the plan in this point of my life. I am sharing a word from day two and I am hoping someone needs it as much as I needed it.

Day 2: The Invisible World

At any given moment, there’s always more going on than what we can see with the naked eye. If you’ve ever spent any time stargazing, you know this is true. On a cloudless, dark night, when you are far from civilization, it’s possible to see as many as five thousand stars. But on a cloudy night you might not see hardly any. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there—there are always stars in the sky—you just can’t always see them. So it is spiritually. You must not rely on the naked eye. Faith is the telescope that allows us to see the spiritual realities at play all around us.

The apostle Paul taught about this in one of his letters:

We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Every moment of every day, you are in an invisible battle that rages on—as real as the ancient ones you read about in history class and as current as the clips shown on the evening news. This is the war: every moment of every day, we must make the all-important choice of whether we will rely on the naked eye.

Will you trust what we can see is there or believe what God says is there?

Hurting with Hope – Levi Lusko

I shared it with my sister and she had this to say:

“I always want to believe and choose to believe that everything is working for my good even though I don’t see it.

That there’s a plan, a carefully laid out process that I’m being led through by God to get to where he’s taking me.
… but the journey with God, from my own experience hasn’t been straightforward. It’s been hard, I know, for all of us here but I’ve come to see that it’s part of the process of building us into the person he wants us to be”.

My mother

I recently read the poem ‘My Mother’ by Ann Taylor. As I read the lines about the things mother did when she was an infant, I wondered about my own mother. Did she sit and watch my infant head while I slept? I don’t know. Did she have sleepless nights and gaze upon my heavy eye when I was sick and in pain? I don’t know. Did she sing me a lullaby and rock me in her arms when I cried? I don’t know.

I don’t know. I was too little to know. I know a mother would most definitely do all that and a lot more but I would only guess that she did.

What do I know? My mind recalls most of the things she did from my first day at school onward. I know that she really did pay attention to all I had to say, She also told nice stories. I know she taught me to pray. I know she guided me in the ways of the Lord.

I know she cared and I know she still does. Even as a wife and a mother, she calls me to know if I am okay. She wonders if my household had a good night/day and if everything is alright… She wants to know if she can help in one way or the other.

Sometimes I feel horrible and tell myself it should be the reverse but I realise it’s just the mother in her over-shadowing the daughter in me.

My mother.

Conversations

I love conversations. I think they are very interesting and underrated. I love conversations so much that I am often drawn to movies that have excellent conversations. The before trilogy (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight) is a good choice if you want to see any movie with good conversations. What really gets me going in a conversation is the Intelligent back and forth. When this is lacking, it makes me want to shut down. Without the back and forth, there is no conversation.

If you are like me and you enjoy a good back and forth discussion then one person you may not want to get into a conversation with is a conversational narcissist. These people unconsciously or consciously make the conversation one sided. They grab hold of the discussion and dominate it. It doesn’t matter how long it’s going to be, they are going to be doing the talking and they very well expect you to listen. They will most likely strip it of its initial content and take it to something they are knowledgeable about.

Some of us talk to each other but we do not have conversations. We drop our words and that’s that. Maybe we do not know how to proceed from there or perhaps we are not really interested in making conversation. If the latter is the case, then, that’s out of my scope. However, if you appreciate a good conversation and you would love to have a few good ones, then, I may have a few helpful tips for you.

A few things you may want to note;

  • A conversation is a sharing of thoughts and ideas between two or more people.
  • Not everyone wants to have a conversation. When you are around such people, don’t force it.
  • There must be back and forth. You talk, they listen and respond. They talk, you listen and respond.
  • An argument is not a conversation.

Tips For Having A Good Conversation

  • Listen: The easiest way to get a conversation going is in the listening. When we listen to each other, we are able to ask meaningful and relatable questions that get the conversation going.
  • Pay attention to details: sometimes a little detail can give meaning to other bigger details.
  • Make and maintain eye contact: This is one reason i do not like phone conversations. Maintaining eye contact often shows interest. Growing up, I had eye contact anxiety and I am still working on it, but I realised over the years that I enjoy my conversations when I make reasonable eye contact. This allows me assess your concentration and interest in the conversation.
  • Ask questions and listen to the response: it is one thing to ask a question and it is another thing to actually listen to the response. When you ask a question, listen to the response without interrupting. You can note your comment down and do so after they may have finished speaking. It is always good to ask open ended questions to allow the person you are conversing with go beyond a yes or no response.
  • Don’t force your ideas and opinions on others: Conversations are an avenue to learn new things and also unlearn some. What is known and acceptable to you may not be the same for others. Give room for difference in opinions.

Whether it is an online or physical meeting, text or a phone call, if you want to enjoy good conversations, it would be nice to note and try out the tips above. I have been trying them too and I like how things are going so far.

FATHER OF THE BRIDE

As a TV screen lover, I have a dislike for things I consider to be unnecessary sequels and repeated titles of movies and TV series. I hear you…asking what I mean by unnecessary sequels. I won’t explain, however, I will mention a few examples… Sex and the City 2, Dirty Dancing; Havana Nights and The Blues Brothers (2000).

As a huge Andy Garcia lover and fan, I jumped at the movie Father of the Bride 2022 the moment I saw the cast. Ordinarily, after seeing the “first” Father of the Bride and its sequel staring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton, my mind may have conditioned itself to be unreceptive to any other movie with that title because I would have assumed that nothing else could be better. I decided to do a little research about the brand new version and I was pretty surprised to find in my search that what I thought was the first ever ‘Father of the Bride’ was in fact the second film with the title.

The first ever was a 1950 film starring Elizabeth Taylor as the young bride. It was a film based on a novel of the same name, written by Edward Streeter. I immediately made a note to see this first edition and also read the novel. I have done the former and I loved it. The father of the bride (played by Spencer Tracey) made the film really interesting with his sense of humor and wit.

The second film was released in 1991 with Steve Martin Playing the role of the father of the bride. This particular production had a sequel in 1995 (Father of The Bride Part II). I learnt that it was a remake of the 1951 film; Father’s Little Dividend. Father’s Little Dividend is a sequel to The Father of Bride (1950).

In the latest film, Garcia plays a very reluctant and hesitant father who must come to terms with the fact that his daughter is not only getting married but is also moving away to Mexico. Although he is not as funny as the previous fathers of the bride, his character and charm will draw you into this film.

All three versions are beautiful and tell almost the same “father of the Bride” story and I must admit that I am undecided about picking my favourite. One thing is for sure, Garcia still has that charm in him and I really got a good laugh throughout this latest movie.

I would recommend all three any day.

2022
1991
1950

Story of my likes

Last week Tuesday, on the 23rd day of August 2022, I turned 40 years old. For this milestone, I baked for myself a four tier cake; one tier for every decade.

I had made at least three different sketches of what I wanted the cake to look like and on the fourth sketch, I had just what I wanted. The cake was meant to be a combination of the things that make me happy.

To determine the components and to properly plan this cake, I had to go through my mind to find out exactly what makes me happy. Coincidentally, my pastor thought it was the best time to take a few weeks to teach on happiness, a topic he has never taught on before. I decided I was on the right track. Praise God.

What did I find? I found that I was usually happy when I knew I was in the right place with Jesus. That place where you are certain He is smiling at you and giving you a pat on the back. I also found that I am really happy when I know that He is in control and I have nothing to worry about in my mind and soul. I found that my heart literally swells when I feel His presence. I didn’t know how to put that on a cake. That was the moment I decided I would spend that day telling of the goodness of God in my life at a breakfast prayer meeting. I did and I enjoyed it.

What did I put on the cake? On the cake, I decided I would put up things that keep me going in this busy and tedious world we live in. The things that keep me going when I am stuck or when I need a push. Things that help me relax after a long hard day. I found five things; coffee, wine, books, music and motion pictures.

The cake

The Base: On this tier, I made four roll ups of some of my favourite motion pictures (films and series) like Seinfeld, The Office, Downton Abbey, The Big Bang Theory, Mamma Mia and lots more. On the body of this tier, I placed screenshot images of songs by Dierks Bentley, Maverick City Music, Elevation Worship, Brett Young and so many other lovely musicians.

The Second Tier: This tier displayed a few of my favourite books to appear as though they were on a shelf. My favourite book is The Purpose Driven Life.

The Third Tier: I made this tier in the shape of a barrel. I love to have a good glass of wine or whiskey at the end of the day, especially a very hard day. I think it is one of the reasons I love Olivia Pope.

The Top Tier: This, I made in the shape of a Nescafe coffee cup. It is how I start a good number of my days.

This is the story of my likes, crowned by Grace from my God. These are the things that keep me happy.

What are your likes? What makes you happy?