One year celebration

July 25, 2014

By znjavid

I’m celebrating the completion of my blog’s first year! Please participate in the poll below, would love to hear from you! 🙂

Making an Effort

July 21, 2014

By znjavid

Here is what a little effort can do for your blog… 🙂

Thank you!

May 28, 2014

By znjavid

I take this opportunity to thank all those who read my blog and comment on my posts. As you may have noticed I always like to keep it short and meaningful and I thrive on the words of appreciation and encouragement I receive.

It’s been a slow couple of months on my blog since I started part time work (freelance writing) and I really admire those who manage to find time for their blog with full time jobs. It’s no easy task.

I’m happy to report that my son is now quite accustomed to my typing away on my laptop. I overheard him telling his Dad not to disturb me since I was “working” upstairs. He’s only 4 and he already realizes that Mom is not just a mother but needs to have her own space sometimes. My heart swells with happiness and pride whenever I look at him.

And so we continue this journey of “blogging” together. I hope to hear from you whenever you get time to visit. Thank you once again.

Field of Flowers Award

February 23, 2014

By znjavid

I was nominated for this beautiful award by the very talented Lita at litadoolan. A big thank you to her! She is new to WordPress but makes an impression straight away. She writes from the heart and even her comments are very thoughtfully laid out. Do check out her wonderful blog for some great reviews of art and architecture and much more!

All awards come with conditions with which to comply.

Rules

▪Thank the blogger who nominated you

▪Place the award on your blog

▪Nominate 7 other bloggers and write a little something about why you would give these bloggers

“A Field Of Flowers”

▪Let your nominees know that you nominated them

My nominees are all new discoveries for me. I’m sure you will enjoy these blogs as much as I have.

1. Pinstripes&Lipgloss: Taylor’s blog is upbeat and is sure to lift your spirits. She writes about her life as a college student and also about food and fashion.

2. Wanderlust: Dr AM is an aspiring young doctor and writes about her experiences and her desire to travel.

3. The Wandering Poet: Andy’s beautiful photography and wise thoughts are sure to inspire you.

4. The Writer’s Life: Karen’s short stories with vivid imagery are a joy to read. She transports you into another world with such skill, you feel the emotions of her characters and leaves you wanting more.

5. Alexandra’s blog: Alexandra’s photography is both beautiful and personal. She doesn’t care for too many words, she lets her photos do the talking.

6. peacefulblessedstar: This star has an inspirational story and a mission to spread happiness to those in rough times. She shines brightly and is a true blessing.

7. Love, Support, Educate, Advocate, Accept… Julie is an inspirational mom and a true angel. Her story is one of courage and strength and is sure to inspire you.

Congratulations to all the nominees and I hope you’ll accept this award. It is just a small thank you for being so wonderful! Keep writing and stay blessed.

http://litadoolan.net/2014/02/12/i-am-honoured-to-accept-field-of-flowers/

Blogger of good repute

January 17, 2014

By znjavid

There was once a blogger of good repute. He was honest and caring and always wrote close to life. He would answer each and every comment and thank others for reading and subscribing to his writing.

But there was one person who really annoyed him. This person would always leave a pingback but never comment or like his writing. Even though the blogger of good repute would in return read his posts and like them. This continued for several months. Now the blogger of good repute was a good fellow but he was running out of patience. He wrote and wrote in the hope that the gentleman who left the pingbacks would appreciate his writing also. But it never happened. Tired, the blogger of good repute left a message on the other gentleman’s blog:

“I’ve written great posts and good posts but all you do is leave a pingback. Why is it that you never like my writing? Couldn’t you comment and let me know how I could improve my writing if nothing else? Surely you’ve read all the comments I’ve left on your posts, how come you never reply to any of them? Are you some sort of a grump?”

He finally received a reply from the gentleman. A simple “Yes.”

This post is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to a person in the real blogosphere is purely coincidental.

Daily Prompt: Blogger of repute

Craving Appreciation

January 14, 2014

By znjavid

If you could have a guarantee that one, specific person was reading your blog, who would you want that person to be? Why? What do you want to say to them?

I would want my husband reading my blog. There I said it.

What would I want to say to him? It’s not what I want to say to him, if I wanted to say something to him I would say it the next time I met him. It’s what I want HIM to say.

Wouldn’t it be a dream if the next time we went out and we met someone he knew, he would introduce me as follows:

“This is my wife, she quit her job to look after our son and now she’s a brilliant writer!”

What can I say, I crave appreciation. And there’s no use telling him that I want to hear this because then it’s not the same, is it?

He does read what I write occasionally (sometimes I send him the link) and he does tell me it’s good but sorry that’s not good enough. He has to tell me it’s brilliant without my prompting him.

What is that you’re saying? Maybe I’m not brilliant after all? Well yes, that could be it 😦

But aren’t husbands SUPPOSED to say nice things about their wives?

So should I send him THIS link?

Daily Prompt: Singular Sensation

Blogging Awards

January 6, 2014

By znjavid

I was nominated for a few awards some time back and I didn’t get to writing this post and on the way I got nominated for some more awards so I just decided to combine them into one post. I’m sure I must be breaking quite a few rules and I apologize for that but this will just have to do 🙂

On 23rd Dec 2013 (it’s just two weeks back) I was nominated by Randomly Abstract for three awards, the Versatile Blogger Award, the Reader Appreciation Award and the Terrific Writer Award. A big thank you to her and do check out her wonderful blog.

As I already have the Versatile Blogger Award I will be accepting the other two with a big smile!

On the same day I got nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by the lovely Victoria at My [Redacted] Journey. Another big thank you to her and do check out her wonderful blog for her writing as a mother and a teacher.

On 1st of Jan 2014 I was nominated for the Sunshine Award by shirlld over at Life as a country bumpkin … not a city girl. Thanks so much and do check out her writing about life in the country. Since I also have this award this post was just meant to say thanks.

To accept the Reader Appreciation Award and the Terrific Writer Award I have to share 7 things about myself. So here goes:

I love Mexican food
Even though I come from a city where we have subzero temperatures I feel more cold than other people. Believe me I’m even feeling cold in Dubai!
I never read my horoscope. It’s so general it could apply to anybody.
I had an arranged marriage which means I didn’t know my husband when I married him. Happily counting 10 years.
When I was in school, I was the shortest kid in class and used to stand at the front of the line in assembly
I don’t play any sports but I love watching a number of sports.
I love watching cooking shows (I’m not much of a cook though)

Now the nominees for the two awards mentioned above:

Reader Appreciation Award:

Terrific Writer Award:

Congratulations and thank you for being so wonderful. I really enjoy your writing. The rules for accepting the awards are to link back to this post, share some things about yourself and nominate your own nominees for the awards.

http://randomlyabstract.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/awards-2013/

http://vakunzmann.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/procrastinator-thy-name-is-victoria/

http://noncitygirl.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/blog-awards/

A Good Idea

December 30, 2013

By znjavid

The best idea I’ve had is to write down some of my son’s interesting anecdotes.

You know that moment when your child does or says something cute and funny or really smart and you feel proud and happy and can’t stop laughing? A few weeks pass by and you still remember that feeling but for the life of you, you can’t remember what exactly it was that your child said.

After that happened a few times to me I decided I would start writing it down.

I wrote my son’s anecdotes in the form of a story. Then I thought “What would my son think of his own stories if I read them to him? He might find them dull if it was just text and no pictures. So why not include some pictures.” That’s when I started illustrating the stories. When I compiled them together and read them to him he wanted to hear them again and again. That got me thinking, “Other children his age would like them too, wouldn’t they?” I found a publisher on the internet and wrote to them. I sent them my work and that’s how I got it published. I didn’t want to wait for a traditional publisher who would take years to publish my work, if at all. By that time my son would be much older and the moment would be lost.

One good idea led to another. My publisher suggested I start a blog. I did. And here I am writing to you all about how it started.

My books and my blog have kept me busy. I have worked for more than 10 years in a telecom company and I am used to being busy. And now that my son is older and going to school I had some time to myself which I didn’t know how to utilize. And so my good idea solved my problem.

Most of my good ideas come to me when I’m lying in bed at night. Everything has been done for the day and my mind is free to think. That’s when some sort of brainwave pops in. And then I have trouble sleeping as I’m planning out all the details and I can’t execute them till the next morning. When I finally do go to sleep, the excitement I feel when I get up in the morning is unmatched.

Daily Prompt: Brainwave

Determination

December 16, 2013

By znjavid

I have to give my son full marks for his resoluteness. At 1 yr+ he was trying to climb the bookshelf and at 4 years he’s still at it.

If only I could show the same determination in my writing maybe I’ll get somewhere (Freshly Pressed if nothing else?)

Blog of the Year 2013 Award

December 16, 2013

By znjavid

A big thank you to my friend Olga at Life is great for nominating me for my first Blog of the Year 2013 award. Do check out her wonderful blog with exciting posts from her life as a journalist.

I have nominated the following blogs:

1. The Jittery Goat

2. Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

3. JED’s Playhouse

4. This, that and the other thing

5. vic briggs

Congratulations and thank you for your inspirational writing!

The instructions for this award are simple:

1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2013’ Award

2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there are no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ the blog(s) with their award.

3 Let the blog(s) that you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the instructions with them – (please don’t alter the instructions or the badges!)

4 Come over and say hello to the originator of the ‘Blog of the Year 2013’ Award via this link – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/blog-awards-2/blog-of-the-year-2013-award/

5 You can now also join the ‘Blog of the Year’ Award Facebook page – click the link here https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlogoftheYear/ and share your blog posts with an even wider audience.

6 And as a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog … and start collecting stars…

Yes – that’s right – there are stars to collect!

Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different!

When you begin you will receive the ‘1 star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog – you can add another star!

There are a total of 6 stars to collect.

Which means that you can check out your favourite blogs – and even if they have already been given the award by someone else – you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!

‘Blog of the Year 2013’ Award Badges

Here are the six badges for you to collect – you can either ‘swop’ your badge for the next one each time you are given the award – or even proudly display all six badges if you are lucky enough to be presented with the award six times!