Slaters' Funny Farm

This post is a little different from most that I post here, but it is a way to share the many things that I try to keep up with here on the farm. I have two children, a stepson that I feel is more like me than my girls. and a grandchild. I have many photos of each of them, and I have started scrapbooks for them, but it seems that the scrapbooks never get worked on due to so many other things going on here. I would love to have a marathon scrapbooking event, but I just seem to never have the time. My oldest two., as there is only three months difference in age between my oldest and my stepson, are 25 years old this year and I still do not have theirs finished. Each summer I think that I will get them done for Christmas, but it never happens. Part of the reason is that I do not have a space that I can put a table and my scrapbooking supplies and leave them in order to work when it is convenient. Our kitchen table is an important part of our lives and we actually eat there, so I can...

While I am sitting writing this, I am thinking of those affected by the major snowstorm that is hitting some of the southern states and most of the eastern United States. I am seeing blizzard warnings in and around the Washington D.C. area and hearing reports that are saying that it could be the storm of the century and the worst in history. The reports are saying to be prepared with food and water to last several days and up to a week in some areas. Ice and snow will be making the areas affected almost impossible for travel. I am thankful that we are not being hit by this storm but I am also praying for those that are. I am thankful that the weather here is actually improving some this weekend with temperatures around 30. I am glad to see some warming and glad we still have snow on the ground, but not getting more. I am thankful to not have the ice as well. I am thankful that we have a generator that we could use if the power was out for an extended period of time. I am also tha...

15 bean soup is on the menu tonight as well as cornbread and it is the perfect type of day for it. The high was at about 8 a.m. today and it was 29 degrees Fahrenheit. An Artic cold front has since moved in and the wind is a bitter cold that almost tears you in two when it is blowing. I am thankful that I am inside and do not have to be out much today. The lows tonight are to be around zero and wind chills are to be around 15-20 below zero. That is cold! Frigid is the word that I would use to describe the weather when the wind chills and temps are like that. A light layer of snow has fallen and only makes the air seem colder. I was able to go out earlier and tend to the animals some. Our outside dog, Bandit now has plenty of hay in his house to keep him warm and the ducks and rabbits are able to get in out of the cold as well. We use hay in the buildings just to be sure that they have something to protect them from the weather. We have hay, usually in abundance, so we use it for the ...

On this cold,snowy day,my husband and I will celebrate our 21st anniversary. We are not going to dinner as it seems that our daughter is cooking dinner for us. It's nice that she has plans although no one asked us if we had plans. The weather was awful when I decided to get married but it was a last minute decision. The weather is almost always bad on our anniversary as well. I guess it's my sign from God that our love can weather any storm. The years have brought many ups and downs. Many arguments have never been settled and many times I have thought about leaving. Many times considered that marriage was too hard and that we were not for each other,but I have learned that he loves me unconditionally and I love him the same. Last year we became first time grandparents and life has changed for us as we look to the future with a new plan. I pray that our next 20 are just as much fun!

Snow!! It finally snowed on the farm. It seemed as though winter might never bring cold and snow to us but it had all came at once.  We reached our high temp at 5 a.m. of a whooping 25 degree Fahrenheit. If I can figure how to add photos to this post, I will.  I can't get on my home computer today as the power was out last night and now the video card is acting crazy!  I am attempting to post from my phone so I don't get behind. I will be going out later to check for a new monitor and if it comes home, I will post from there. I am thinking about a warm, comforting meal for dinner. Whenever you are and whatever you are doing, I pray that you make the most of the day!  Praise God that you woke up today.!

Today I will be helping a dear friend of my daughter finish moving her items from a home she shared with her ex. I am not aware of all the details, but I do believe that she was a victim of domestic violence. The words send chills up my spine as I lived it in my childhood. My parents were married 18 years and I can't count the number of times that my mother was hospitalized with injuries at the hands of a man that supposedly loved her. I can't imagine what it must feel like when they first hit you and why anyone would stay. I know the lines of I love him, he said he won't do it again, etc. but it always happens again and how can you love someone that beats you? I realize that years ago there was not as much attention brought to it as there is now and I realize that there must be a shame that goes along with admitting that you have been mistreated, but could that possibly be worse than the beatings? I don't imagine that it could be. I know low self esteem has a lot t...

I don't know why I felt the need to write this post, but I do. I have actually started a social media and work calendar to set aside time to be sure that all my posts , tweets, sales, etc. go out on a timely basis as I have one blog that I am thrilled to be doing that I never truly worked on last year at all and yet it is the one that I feel is closest to what is in my heart. However, this post is truly a unique idea that I just feel the need to do today.                                                                                          ...

2016 is bringing about some changes in my life and I am determined that I am also bringing about some changes of my own. I am determined that I am going to make sure that my grandchild has the absolute best life that she can and we are going to learn together. I worked when my youngest was little and I am going to make sure that I can make sure the grandbaby never knows some of the harsh words that I used with my daughter from being tired and stressed with work. I have since apologized, but I see that they did harm her self esteem. I want to avoid as many temper tantrums as possible as well. Yes, I know she can't be spoiled to the point of getting anything she wants, but I also know it is possible to raise children that do not yell and scream inside the store if they are told no or not this time. I believe that a calm and loving home is the perfect environment for the beginning of the child's time learning what they can and can't do. I have been reading about using the ...

2015 was a year that brought many changes to the farm, some good and some not so good. The best part was becoming first time grandparents and how that has changed our lives. The family dynamic has changed forever as my baby is now a mommy herself. My baby also turned 19 this year so she truly is a grown young lady now. Her and the grandbaby live with us and that is fine as I do not feel that she is ready to be a wife, mom, etc. and I know for sure that her boyfriend is not ready for the responsibility that it takes to provide for a family and take care of them like he should. It has certainly changed the way that I feel about life as well. Another thing that has changed is that we will not be a 4H family this year and half of our spring and summer will not be fixated on getting ready for the county fair. I will certainly miss those days and I will be looking for ways to help with the fair and the horse shows since we won't be as involved this year. That makes me sad, but I know t...