Slaters' Funny Farm

 For some reason, I can't get my Goodreads reviews to post from that site to here, so I am going to do my own copy and paste from there. I don't want to write two reviews for each book so if anyone can help please do! Let me know how to do the post from there to here. Purchase Here Christmas in Mustang Creek (The Brides of Bliss County, #4) by   Linda Lael Miller   (Goodreads Author) Carol Slater 's review Dec 31, 2023   ·    edit it was amazing What a delightful Christmas read! I truly enjoyed this book. I felt as though Linda Lael Miller had created a story that I was actually a part of. The characters were more like friends than just characters in a book. Mrs. Klozz, a rather mysterious woman that seems to know everything that is happening in town and in the relationship between Charlotte and Jaxon, is such a pleasant addition to the story. Charlotte has returned to her childhood home to help care for her great aunt, who raised her most of her life....

 The final day of 2023 is upon us and as I sit here and reflect on what the year has been for us, I feel blessed. We welcomed our first grandson into our family, my mother recovered from another near-death experience, my husband and I survived a tough year in our marriage, and my best friend has battled cancer. Many bad things have come our way, but I am thankful to say that God has brought us through them and has made a way for me to still see the blessings He has for me and my family.  The farm has changed quite a bit this year and we have lost some dear animals to us, but we still have plenty to care for and love and many will find their way into our hearts again this spring. Lessons have been learned about what direction we intend to go with the farm and I know many ways I want to change the way we do things in the next year. I learned to can this year and I must say that I greatly enjoyed it and will be doing more of it in the future. With food costs constantly rising, it...

 As I sit here deciding what I should write about, I look out our window and see snow. Now, it is simply a burst of snow flurries that is falling as it was raining just a few minutes ago when I let the dog out. It is at the freezing mark outside and so that is why it is now flurries. The temperature is to be around 42 degrees Fahrenheit today, so no chance of slick roads. That all said, I don't mind these snow flurries as they are short lived.  As we move closer to January, the snow becomes more frequent, and the gloomy skies become even more frequent. This can lead to many struggling with seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder.  I find myself struggling more when we go several days without sunshine. Our bodies need sunshine; we need vitamin D.  Here is a well written article on this  disorder . I highly recommend reading it if you struggle in the wintertime with the loss of sunlight. Being on the farm and having early morning feedings and other chor...

 We have arrived at the last Friday of the year. Do you have New Years' Eve plans? We do not. We will be home as usual and I might be in bed before the midnight hour if I am not feeling better than I do currently. I have seasonal allergies and I must say that with the crazy weather we are having, it has not been a good day or two. As we are approaching the end of the year, we reflect upon the past year and many of us may wish things could have been different. This year has brought a health crisis for my mother and my best friend that I am thankful are coming to an end. I pray that each of you will have good health going into 2024. I am thankful that my physical was today and that all looks well for the most part.  I have chosen a word of the year for next year. I have also made a decision that life is going to be much more peaceful for the new year. My word is going to be FOCUS! I am going to focus on myself and what makes me happy and brings peace to my life. I am going to ge...

 I wasn't sure what I planned to write about today as there is not much happening currently here other than typical farm chores. As I was searching for a different photo, I found this amazing sunset photo from Sept. 2021 when I was on a short trip with a friend of mine.  It is an amazing sunset over a lake and the colors were just outstanding. The pink and blue were just so peaceful at the time and still are as I sit and look at it today. We were on the balcony of our hotel, looking over the lake and it just happened to be that we were there at the right time to see this perfect sunset and the artwork that God has given us daily if we just stop and see it. It is a reminder to me to slow down and smell the roses as well as to see the sunrises and sunsets.  Do you stop and enjoy the beauty that God has given us, or do you hurry through the day to realize that you have missed the small moments that are the most important?

 

  The most loved day of the year has come to a close and now we all anxiously await the New Year. Life on the farm is the same today and it was yesterday and the day before Christmas, but much quieter.  Two of the three kids and their families were here for Christmas morning and all three grandkids were here, but our son had to work so we will see him in January. Many gifts were exchanged, and I got some nice gifts from the children. My husband bought a computer for us as ours had quit working and I needed a new farm coat, so that was Christmas. Of course, it seems we always get socks and all the necessary clothing as well.  My two best gifts were having the grands here and I got a blanket that has all three grands picture on it. What a beauty! I also got tickets to go see The Booth Brothers in concert in March and as many of you know, my friend sings with them so I am really looking forward to that. It will be a real treat to see them and chat with my friend again. ...

 A week? We are a week away from Christmas Eve and I am so unprepared this year. Why? The farm has needed so much extra attention lately with a sick goat and I lost my beautiful Winter, my lamb. The weather has been so warm for this time of year. My grand doll is struggling in school, and we are looking for tutoring that we can afford, and Mom wants to come home and doesn't understand why I don't feel comfortable with that decision. My husband's work has slowed due to the economy and car parts being so ridiculous in price.  December is one of my favorite months of the year due to the holiday season, but I just feel that I have not been able to enjoy it this year. I have listened to very little music, and I have only been to see lights once. I have very little shopping done for stockings and that is usually all I have left to do at this point but realized today that my husband and I have not purchased a gift for our parents yet. Will I get it all done? yes, of course, but go...

 As I was looking through my posts today, I see that I have failed my readers. Many of you were aware that my other daughter was pregnant and going to deliver in July, I am sure those of you that knew are wondering why I never posted about that and I must say that life has just gotten in the way, and I thought that I had written a post. Since I know I did not, I will now! He came when Mamaw was out of town! Can you believe that? He actually had the nerve to do something so ridiculous as to come while I was at the Pink Zebra reunion (our annual conference). I was with four of my best friends when we got the announcement that he was here! I was so happy that I was able to share that news with them before anyone else. Of course, the leaders of the company were there and anxious to hear how she was doing as well.  Deliver went fairly smooth, but she was in labor for quite a while. I am not sure on hours, but I think about 6 hours. There were some issues with my daughter following ...

 Here's another poem that I have read that I want to share with you.  LET THEM KNOW Written by Grace Easley Let somebody know you're caring Take the time to listen to What they want so much to tell you, For the gentle folks are few You are not so high and mighty, That you cannot spare a smile. For you never know when you might Need somebody after-while. Let somebody know they matter, Do not turn and look away, You will someday have to answer, For the things you do today. Never be in such a hurry, That you have no time to do A kindly deed, else someday God ... Might not have time for you.  Read this and think about these words. How many times are we guilty of being too busy or too stressed, mad, sad, etc. to say a kind word to a stranger or smile at someone. Do you often forget to say "Have a nice day" to that kind (or unkind) cashier, waitress, young mother with a screaming child? We are all guilty of it, but do we ever not want God to have time for us. 

 Here is a poem by Ruth Scarbrough that I found in a small poetry book that I want to share today.  Today Tomorrow may bring sorrow or care For things can happen Most anywhere; But don't fret what might be Just savor this day; It's God's gift to you to use as you ay.  Be happy, be helpful, Be prayerful, be strong God is walking beside you  All the day long.

  Happy Monday! Make it a great day to start your new day, week and achieve some goals. 

 This farm girl is taking a break from the busy life here on the farm and heading to Ohio to the Pink Zebra Convention. It will be 2 full days of fun, training, new products, and all of the fun that I can possibly have. I have three friends going with me that I travel with quite often and I am very excited to be going! I will make new friends, catch up with old friends, get to talk with Tom and Kelly (the founders of the company) and experience a lot of true fun times. The trainings are usually fun and yet we learn a lot from them. I will use my time wisely as I want to see some sites while I am there as well.  I have been busy with the animals and garden here at home. I have learned to can and I have canned many pints of green beans, squash, zucchini, and carrots this year. I hope to can some beets when I get home and my potatoes should be ready for me to pick when I return home.  These precious little ones were hatched from our own eggs in our incubator. I adore the mid...

 Yesterday and today have been very cool days here on the farm and I must say that something that we don't recognize has been falling from the sky. It is wet and seems to be hanging around. IT is certainly what the ground needed as it seems to have soaked it up almost immediately. Rain, glorious rain!! The ducks are loving their pool and the rain, but I truly don't think that they are liking the cooler temperatures so much. I know I am not. I don't mind cool, but wearing my sweatshirt in June is not fun.  The white turkeys are enjoying the coop that my husband put together for them. We have 5 of them and two others. We won't be keeping all of the toms as we have too many.  Nesting boxes made of milk crates that we had lying around work well attached to the back wall.  Here is Tom. He is such a great boy, but he likes to show off. He gets along well with the chickens.  These are my Old English chickens. I like them as they are small and will never get much bigger...

 As promised, I am going to share some of our zoo photos with my readers here. It was a nice day at a small zoo, but each kid had fun as did the adults.  This past week, we visited  Columbian Park Zoo  in Lafayette, Indiana. It is a seasonal zoo and located right in town near a park and a water park that could easily allow a family to spend a whole day in the three areas and have a lot of fun without breaking the bank. The admission to the zoo for three adults and three kids was with a train ride and feed tickets for the goats was $16!!! This is in front of the farm area. Now, why do farm kids want to see the farm animals? I really don't understand, but it seems that is where they want to head first. Oh, maybe because the baby goats are there and the older goats are all over you and expect feed out of your hand.  These goats are very used to people feeding them and they knew we had feed in our hands. The grands were so excited and of course, my girls have been a...

Loving You  , Thinking of You, Don't Forget to Pray  by Jacqueline L. Jackson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr shares letters that his mother wrote to him while he was imprisoned for using campaign money for personal expenses in this book. I must say that Mrs. Jackson offers her son amazing advice throughout the book as well as attempts to keep him updated on friends, family, and the world news. Many of these letters are personal and many of them are filled with advice, but her most important words throughout the book are " don't forget to pray" and encouragement to remember that you are important even if incarcerated. The book is a true show of a mothers' love for her son. It also offers a glimpse into life of a loved one that has a son or daughter locked up. It is a nice read and an easy read.  This book was a nice break between the many other books I have been reading for the summer. I would recommend it as a quick read just to remind...

 There are so many changes and things happening here on the farm that I can't keep up. We have brought in several new chickens, turkeys, and ducks. I will be picking up three geese this week that my daughter was able to pick up for me yesterday. I will need to post pictures soon.  Our garden is finally starting to look like it has something in it. The lack of rain has made watering a chore and I don't care for that as I have enough to do without taking the time to water on a regular basis. My flower beds need some TLC and I can't seem to even find time for that at the moment. I am enjoying my citronella plant on the porch that has kept the mosquitos at bay for me to be able to sit on the porch most evenings as the weather has been great at night.  I am truly missing my camper, but I don't want to use it till I fix the refrigerator and that will be soon I hope. I need to be busy planning a trip with my granddoll and her mom and sister. We celebrated the coming of the new...

 Mother's Day can be such a beautiful day for many people, but I always think of the moms that have suffered losses of children, either in pregnancy, at birth, or at some point in the childs' life.  My heart breaks for them each year as they see others celebrating today. I want to wish each of you that are fortunate enough to have your children a Happy Mother's Day, but I also want those of you that have suffered the loss to know that our prayers are with you today.  I also wanted to share a poem that I read today.  Daily Thought Life cannot make me treasure weeds-- I love each moment's flower-- nor do I feed on future's needs but feast on present hour.  No fearful tear will ever last though hostile storms do glower because the clouds of shadowed past grow bright in new hope's power... as darkness is forever gone when earth has welcomed rising dawn. Eugene G. E. Botelho

 Hi! I'm hoping with this post I can catch you all up on life around the funny farm.  My mom is still battling the infection that sent her to the ER. Fights with insurance has been the norm here and since we could not keep her in the Rehab center, I had to admit her to the facility to be placed into skilled nursing. She can not safely come home and be here if she would be alone. I am hoping this is a temporary placing, but I truly am not sure.  The farm is busy. We have added some new chickens ( which is another story) and some more turkeys. We have built a turkey coop and we have made some rabbit hutches home to some new chickens for the time being. I have quail eggs and I am hoping to purchase an incubator that will allow me to raise some of my own and hopefully sell a few chickens as well.  The garden is planted and I am working on finding a spot that I feel comfortable having a compost bin. I am also planning to add some new wildflowers to the homestead and I am ...