Christmas Dress Challenge

Christmas Dress Challenge - final

Last week's wt.      159.8
This week's wt.      158.6
Difference                -1.2


Starting wt.            170.0
Ending wt.             158.6
Difference               -11.4

Not nearly the loss I was hoping for but still a loss! Now if I can just KEEP it off through the holiday season!

Follow Friday Four Fill in Blog Hop

Welcome to the 40th  weekly Follow Friday Four Fill-in Fun Blog Hop!

 Each week, Hilary over at Feeling Beechie lists four statements with a blank for you to fill in on your own blogs. This week’s the co-host is - wait for it - ME!  I came up with the last two statements. 


Hilary would LOVE it if you could please help her spread the word about this hop…. So, please tweet, FaceBook share, and add the linky to your post…

This week’s statements:


This week’s statements:
1.       When I ___ I feel that ___ paid off
2.       I just realized that____
3.       My _______ come from _______.
4.       If I had _____, I would ______.

My answers:

1.  When I see the people my children have become I feel that all the struggles of being a single mom have paid off.
2.  I just realized that I tend to talk about my children a lot!
3.  My values come from my dad.
4.  If I had the time and money, I would really like to travel to Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and of course ENGLAND.

Now don't forget to link up!

5 Question Friday

Time to head over to Mama M's for 5 question Friday!

Rules for 5QF: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then watch for the linky post to appear and LINK UP!

1. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

Reese bars -or maybe just decorated sugar cookies - or chocolate chip - wait - peanut butter - ok - I just like them all.

2. What's your favorite holiday movie & why?

It's a Wonderful Life - hands down - wouldn't be Christmas without that movie - I tend to watch it at least once in July - why do I like it so much? Not sure, I guess it just tells such a great story and reminds me of a much simpler life.

3. Is there a gift that you bought for your kids that you wish you hadnt after they opened it?

Lots! Usually the really noisy ones that they drove you crazy with.

4. What is the messiest room in your house right at this moment? 

The computer room - it always seems to be the place that Biz puts everything. I probably have about 20 drums in there right now with various drum paraphernalia scattered all around (if I haven't ever mentioned it before Biz is a drummer. He plays in a local band and "collects" drums of all sorts). 

5. What is the furthest you have driven for the holidays?

Down home - 749 miles - one way. 

Pondering With A Purpose

Thursday means it's time for Brenda's Pondering with a Purpose.

Her rules are really easy:

1. Grab the Pondering with a Purpose Badge (in her sidebar)
2. Look at the week's prompt
3. Post something on your blog that relates to the prompt - it can be a story, a poem, a picture -- anything you want it to be.
4. Go back here and add the URL from your post to the linky list on Brenda's.
5. Go check out the other bloggers who have added their links to the list.
6. AND most of all.... Have fun!

So this week the subject is:  Pondering

I've been doing a lot of thinking - pondering - about how lucky I truly am. At this time of the year, it's easy to get a little depressed about little things - for instance:
I'm broke!
There doesn't seem to be many presents under the tree yet.
I haven't seen my son in 2 years!
I miss the days when me and my bf would make Christmas candy all day long.

Then I think -
Who isn't broke at Christmas?
So I need to do some more shopping and I may have to get a little creative.
Bummer - but maybe this year - and a grandbaby too! - at least he's in a relatively safe place - there's a lot worse places the military could send him.
So start making candy - it may be too far to drive to her house to do it but I can do it by myself and maybe drive over next weekend and take her some!

Anyway - I've been "pondering" a lot about the homeless and the work that Brenda does. When I think of people living on the streets it makes my problems seem so trivial. I actually have it pretty good. Thanks Brenda for helping me to see that!

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch #20

 Time to go over to Patrice's at Everyday Ruralty for our weekly chat!

1. Have you ever had a blog slump?
2. What's your favorite way to serve hot chocolate (cocoa)? Marshmallows on top? Whipped Cream? A cinnamon stick?
3. How do you handle it when you see someone you think you know, but cannot place? Do you approach them and ask, shy away, or just go home and hope you don't think of it at 2am?
4. What was your position in your family? Were you the oldest, a middle child, the youngest or an only child?
5. How do you handle accumulated possessions (stuff)? Are you a pack-rat, a minimalist, or somewhere in between?

My answers:

1. Yep! Pretty much the whole year of 2010! Was all caught up with a new job.
2. I like hot chocolate but I don't love it. Usually if I do drink it, it will be mixed with my coffee!
3. I usually just ask them. A lot of the time they turn out to be people I have worked with in the past.
4. I was the baby of the family.
5. I'm not a pac-rat but definitely not a minimalist so I guess I'm somewhere in between. I have a friend that I would describe as a "semi-hoarder" - I honestly don't know how anyone could live like that. I would describe my house as being "lived in" but I can't handle things being out of place for long. How do people ever find anything when it's piled all over?