Slaters' Funny Farm

Readers unite and learn what new books have made the best seller list this week.  Many readers will tell you that the New York Times Bestseller List is the list to use when it comes to choosing your next book. Many times, when I am searching for a book, I will take a look at the list and that is what led me to write this. Books come and go from this list and many last many months or even over a year, but many last just a few days or weeks.  As I was looking at the list today, I figured I would share with my readers what books are new on the list for this week. Maybe you will find just what you are looking to read from this post. I have already added some of these to my Good Reads want to read list. Let me know if you add them to your want to read list.   1. Murder At Holly House - written by Denzil Myrick         When a dead stranger is found in a Yorkshire chimney around the holidays in 1952, Inspector Frank Grasby gets assigned the case.  2. ...

 It's almost that time of the year again- the day we know as Thanksgiving. A day typically spent with family, friends, loved ones gathered around a table to share a meal that makes everyone want to nap following the massive dinner. Thanksgiving is not just a holiday, but a full- contact sport featuring gravy boats, stretchy pants, and some of the best comfort foods known to mankind While families all have their own traditions, we know many of the same foods show up in homes all across America year after year. Ready to plan your menu? Here are the 10 most non-negotiable foods that will hit most tables this year.  These make a truly traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  1.Turkey -       It would not be Thanksgiving without the main attraction. Smoked, roasted, or deep-fried, the turkey is the centerpiece of the meal. Turkey is the symbol of Thanksgiving for a reason. Whether it is deliciously juicy or dry enough to fall apart, it anchors the meal and allows the s...

HAPPY NOVEMBER   November is a month that brings many changes to Indiana. We start to see many frosty mornings, gets dark much earlier and colder weather moves in at a much faster pace. The month brings many bright colors of leaves but also brings many leaves off the trees leading us to the darker and colder months of winter.  November brings thoughts of Christmas as we realize that the year will soon be over and Santa is on his way. November brings families together for the Thanksgiving season. Turkey, dressing, and all the fixings as well as pumpkin pies and pumpkin spice is almost more items that you could image at the stores.  November brings Veterans Day to the United States as well. A day set aside to honor all of those that have served and protected our country and given us the freedom to celebrate the holidays and worship God in our way and to publicly worship if we want. Can you imagine living in a world where you had to hide to read your Bible? I can not!  ...

 October is upon us and being the second "ber" month that means that we are officially in the midst of fall. Crisp mornings, colorful trees and falling leaves, football games, and bonfires are all great reminders that we are in the season before the cold and snow will begin. October also brings the creepy decorations, scary movies, and little trick or treaters to many of us as Halloween is the serious holiday of the month.  Living in a county known for tourism this time of the year, I can't say that I look forward to the traffic and people that the changing leaves bring into our area, but I will say that the scenery can be amazing and breathtaking for sure. Many visitors come to our state park each October to leaf watch. Seems silly to me as we know the leaves changes colors everywhere in Indiana: I assume our leaves are just prettier as the park allows them to see a more open view of the colors of fall.  Fall foliage season will peak in our area in about a week or two an...

 Hello readers! I am back. It's been a while since I connected with you here and I will say that I sure have missed you all. There is so much that has happened in life, but the most recent was another surgery on my left foot. UGH! I am happy to say that recovery has been much easier than in the past.  As many of you know, I had bunion surgery a couple of years ago, but following the surgery on my left foot, the hardware was coming loose, and it required another surgery shortly after. This was a massive reconstruction of my left foot. All seemed good for a bit other than the pain truly never went away. Finally, when it felt as though my toes were being smashed, I made another trip to the podiatrist, and he informed me that he knew we would get to this point and surgery was needed. I hesitated-seriously, number 4 on that foot alone! Why if he knew we would get to this point was it not fixed to begin with? After explaining that my risk for infection alone the last time was great ...

The Yada Yada Prayer Group (The Yada Yada Prayer Group #1) by   Neta Jackson Carol Slater 's review Jun 05, 2025   ·    edit it was amazing Neta Jackson was a new author to me, but I must say she is a master storyteller and an author that keeps you engaged in the story and threw a twist into this story that I never expected at all. As Jodi is preparing to go to the Chicago Women's Conference with the principal of the school she works for, she is unsure that she even wants to attend- after all, how can she possibly enjoy being thrown into a room full of women isn't her idea of fun. She cares enough about her friend, Avis to go. Once they arrive, the discover that they have an unexpected extra roommate, a stranger. Florida "Flo" Hickman. It's obvious by looking at Flo with the scar on her face that her life has not been an easy one. Not liking the idea of sharing a suite with a stranger makes Jodi even more unsure of this entire conference. Along with this stran...

 Good Morning and Happy Monday! Several bloggers will be writing and linking up to the Happy Homemaker over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom today and I hope that you will visit and read each of the blog posts that they have taken the time to write for you. It is a special post each week that is written to share the amazing work that each lady does for her family and her home.  THE WEATHER IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS: Finally, it looks as though we may have some warmer weather ahead of us, but with daily chances of rain.  I am thankful for the warmer weather, but tired of the rain. It looks as though we may be looking at temperatures closer to summer than spring. I won't complain as I truly do not mind. I want to be able to sit outside and spend some time enjoying nature and the world around me. These are things that make me happy being able to be outside working or just sitting around a fire, reading a book on the porch, etc.  BOOK THAT I AM READING:   I finished t...

  As I was searching Google for an image to post here today, I knew it needed farm animals in it, so this was one of the ones I found. After all, who can resist a cute farm animal? I know it is hard for me. I think goats are some of the cutest animals ever!! I want to wish all of my readers here the happiest of mothers' days - whether you are a mother or not, I pray you have a nice day. Many people do not wish to celebrate the day, as they no longer have their mother with them. Many mothers have lost their child/children as well.  I understand that, although it is not fair to expect others not to want to share the day with their moms or children. My husband is struggling this year as it is the first mothers' day without his mom and I truly understand, but our children and grands are coming over to celebrate with me. I told him we can simply treat it like a normal Sunday dinner with the kids. I just felt very hurt when he said he would rather us not do anything. Sorry, but my k...

 Every day of the week brings more items on the to - do list than I ever seem to mark off. Finally, the weather is to be a bit nicer today and it will be a little dryer so I have decided that once preschool is finished with my grandbaby, it is out the door to play and work. Farm chores never seem to end here either and just as with housework, a daily routine can be quite an asset to keep things running smoothly.  Starting the morning with a cup of fresh brewed coffee and my Bible study is always best. It sets my mind and spirit where it needs to be. I like to wake up before my husband and start my morning in the quiet of the day. He likes to watch the news, etc. and the grandbabies are here by the time he's moving. There is no quiet then.  Once I drop the oldest off at school, then it is home to start the load of laundry for the day and make sure dinner is planned for the most part. I look at my calendar and I look at the daily cleaning charts that I keep and decide how I...

  May is really here! It seems to be a cold start here as our temperatures are in the upper 40's this morning and we have had rain all weekend, but it will get better! I do have the garden planted and our flower bed is beginning to look quite ready for the summer. Lilacs are blooming here, and the hobby farm smells nice when you are near them. I love LILACS!!!! Anyway, let's get started with our Happy Homemaker and if you want to join hope over to  Diary of a Stay at Home Mom  and link up with Sandra and all the others that write these posts on Monday. Be sure to read the other entries and comment on them. Let's all share the love we have for our homes and the hard-working moms out there. Motherhood can be tough. THE WEATHER IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS:  Cool and rainy! I believe the high temperature for the day is to be around 52 degrees. Cold for this time of the year, but it is so wet from all the rain. April showers bring May mud, THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: My grandb...

 Many of us that plant gardens know that there is a perfect time or highly recommended time to plant certain plants. Most of the information is based on the cycle of the moon, as many older farmers and Native American's used the moon as their guide to doing many aspects of their lives.  As May approaches, many farmers will work endless hours to prepare the fields and get their plants into the ground. A good farmer is well aware of the schedule that they must keep in order for the harvest to be successful and earn them the best money that they can. Many weather aspects worry farmers in the spring, but they are fully aware that the risks are there. Being aware of when the seeds need to be planted and being aware of how spring might be where they live are all good information that they will tell you they need.  May is a good month for many small gardeners to begin to ramp up their spring planting or do all of it. Many vegetables can do well when planted in May and many need ...

 The long-awaited day has arrived. Our oldest has successfully brought twins into the world. They were a little less traditional as her struggle to have children has been a journey, but we have twin boy and girl babies currently. Both are doing well, even though baby boy had to go to NICU for a bit.  I don't know what they weigh yet, as dad is not good with sending details. I know that they are healthy, and that mom is okay as well. It does look as though they are a good size considering that the baby girl was labeled as failure to thrive early on in the pregnancy. I believe that they both are going to be fine! I won't give out names, so we will call them Baby L (girl) and baby R (boy), Names are unique and I think that they will enjoy knowing a bit of time went into the names. 

Well, it has taken awhile but I have finally finished the book that I got for Christmas by James Patterson and Dolly Parton. Here is the Goodreads review that I wrote.    Run, Rose, Run by   Dolly Parton ,   James Patterson   (Goodreads Author) Carol Slater 's review Apr 06, 2025   ·    edit it was amazing A story full of the mystery that James Patterson is known for and the style that Dolly is known for. Well written and a story that keeps you wondering just when all the secrets that AnnieLee keeps will suddenly come out and will she live long enough to explain any of them. From the moment AnnieLee walks into the Cat's Paw Saloon in downtown Nashville, the past that she is desperately trying to escape from is the very past that may kill her as she starts to be a successful singer in a town that sees much talent and many want-to-be's. AnnieLee has the talent that is needed in Nashville and someone takes notice, Ruthanna Ryder. Ruthanna is a s...

 This is a post that I like to share with all of my readers on Sunday mornings as a way to bring a smile to their faces. I find memes or funny photos of animals and share them here.  As I was looking for something to share this week, I came across this horse and thought that I had to share it. The picture may not bring a smile to your face, but the saying with it should. How many times I have heard this said on a commercial, but never with such an amazing model as this one.  I hope this makes your Sunday just a little happier. I am headed to our daughters' house shortly to sit with my grandson while mom and dad are at the hospital bringing his brother and sister into the world on Monday. It will be the longest I have ever kept him alone, so wish us well. I may be a very tired mammaw when we are finished with this sleepover. 

 Oh, the crazy spring weather we are having! After several days with rounds of severe storms that have included winds of 70+ mph, tornado threats and tornado touchdowns, hail, and all that spring storms bring, we are now dealing with rain and LOTS of it! Last night, the NWS had predicted us to get several inches of rain overnight and we sure did. At 11:30 last night, I heard what I thought was another strong windstorm moving into our area and got up to see if the grands were coming to our house as they live in a trailer next door. As I approached the living room window, I realized that my wind chimes were silent so what was the noise I was hearing, it was rain! Blinding rain to the point that I could not see our daughter's home and it is not that far from us. How could it possibly be raining that hard?  Upon daylight, it was still raining, and we had lots of water in our yard. I began to check to see what road conditions were like near us as I knew I needed to get out to get p...

 Hello! My granddaughter has decided that she wants to be an artist, and she wants to get started selling art that she is passionate about and working on daily, so we set up an Etsy page to help her learn how sales work and just what an amazing opportunity that the internet can offer her as she looks to increase sales.  We will add items on a weekly basis if not more often depending on the time she has to work on her art. I am hoping that she is quite successful with this adventure as she wants to go to Disney, and I am hoping she can see hard work pays off. We are fully aware that many young people these days truly do not understand that concept.  Her shop is Creativve Chaos! We felt that might just sound perfect due to the fact that many well-known artists seem to be rather chaotic, and many suffered from mental health issues. Maybe it is just the way that brain is wired that makes someone be such a great artist. Here is the link and I hope you will all take a look at i...

 Many of us hear this word homesteading, but are we truly aware of what that means and the lifestyle that comes along with it? Homesteading is a way of life that involves a person/persons living a life that is as self- sufficient as possible. A lifestyle that involves needing to know how to live off nature and your own skills as much as possible.  The word homesteading on Dictionary.com means " any dwelling with land and buildings where a family makes a home", but today's standards are more of a self-sufficient lifestyle.  What should you know before deciding to homestead? Number one, it is not an easy lifestyle. It takes work and hard work at that. Many people dream of homesteading but fail because they are unaware and unprepared to do the work that is involved. Some homesteaders want to live off grid, but that is not a necessity. Second, you need to know that there are many ideas as to what is involved in homesteading and decide what you can and can't or are and are...

  Good Morning and welcome to March! A new month and a bit closer to spring, which I know many of us are looking forward to following the cold and snowy weather that winter has brought to us. We struggled with a weekend that did not get temperatures that reached much higher than the 30's, but I know tomorrow we are forecasted to be in the 60's. Weather changes here in the Midwest seem to be rather large at times.  Oh well! Enough about that, let's get on with our Happy Homemaker Monday post and link up over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and check out the other amazing bloggers that write and link up there as well. Each of these ladies have wonderful and amazing words to share and are busy as you will read making sure their homes and families are cared for in such a nice way.  THE WEATHER IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS: We are to have decent weather this week with temperatures, but there are several days that we have good chances of rain. Temperatures will average 45-60 for dayt...