Slaters' Funny Farm

Reality has hit me hard this week as I have struggled with the loss of two friends this week.  Last week on Friday, I was able to make a drive to Lexington, KY to visit one of them in the hospital as he was losing his battle with cancer and got to share some stories as well as visit with his parents and sister. Watching him as he laid in that bed, knowing that the doctors were just keeping him comfortable was a horrible feeling. He was the same age as my brother and he grew up with us as he lived next door to my granny for many years so any time we visited, we spent time with him and his sister. We also visited with his parents and his grandma many times in my childhood. Mikey was always a sweet guy who radiated laughter and fun wherever he was. I don't think he ever knew a stranger and he was loved by many. God took a good one! He will certainly be missed!! The same day that I learned of his death, I learned of the death of another childhood friend, Gina. Her family lived ...

For those of you that have been reading my blog for long, you are fully aware that my granddoll is very important to me and that her diagnosis of Blount's Disease was a scary time for myself and well as the rest of the family. She had another surgery about 3 months ago and I am happy to say that the doctor says her legs are doing good. The right leg is completely straight and doing well. We still have a way to go with her left, but it is much straighter than it was before this journey began almost over 2 years ago. We return to the doctor in another three months to see how she is improving and I am hoping at that time, we get a true timeline as to when her last surgery will be. I would like this ordeal to be finished before she starts school. It has been a challenging road, but I am thrilled with the surgeon and the progress that we have had so far. For anyone that does not know what Blount's Disease is, it is a growth disorder of the tibia that causes the lower leg to a...

Oh my, I just looked and was amazed that a week has gone by since I wrote my last post, but nothing else has really changed because it is still raining here. Last Saturday, 10 confirmed tornados touched down in Indiana. Thankfully, we did not have any damage near us. The rains have been relentless. I believe it has rained 12 out of 19 days of this month. UGH! Areas near us have seen flash flooding and we are seeing roads that have washed away with the force of the water.  Brown County State Park in Nashville, IN is closed due to the high water they are experiencing at Ogle Lake. The water for the park is filtered through the area near the lake and the high water is making it impossible to provide safe water for the park due to the large amount of dirt and stuff because of the flooded lake. They have been closed for a few days and will continue to be throughout the weekend. We have heard that the saddle barn there was flooded as well, but that all livestock are okay. We know the g...

What is wrong with Mother Nature? What has upset her so much? Can we fix it? All of these questions have ran through my mind due to the many crazy weather reports we have gotten this year all across the country. It seems as though Mother Nature is upset with all of us and we can't seem to fix it. Midwest farmers are struggling to get the crops in the fields. Corn production is not expected to be good at all due to all of the rain and flooding that they have suffered this year. Around us, it has been the rain more than the flooding that has caused planting season to not take place. Thankfully, the past week we have had some dry time that has allowed farmers to work many, many late nights to get the planting finished or partially done. Weather forecasts for the next week do not look promising though. Rain, rain, rain is predicted to be the biggest factor in our weather. Also, cooler than normal temperatures is all that we seem to be seeing. It is only forecast to be in the 60...

As I sit here this morning, I am reminded of the wonderful world around us by nothing more than the window. My computer sits by a window that faces the east and due to the cool mornings that we are having, I am able to open it to allow fresh air in each morning. As I set down here this morning, I just looked and listened a few minutes. I see my granddolls' swing set and bicycle and it reminds me of the innocence that children have and how much I would like to never allow her to experience anything bad. It reminds me that we all need to play a little more and work a little less. Enjoy life instead of life controlling us. I see a beautiful pink hue to the sky as the sun begins to peek from behind the trees and just above the horizon. How thankful we have been for sunny days lately and specifically, the many farmers near us that have needed a break in the rain to get their planting done. However, it also reminds me of the prayers that need to be sent up for those farmers in Ok...