Coffee Talk: The Art of Doing it All

  

People often ask me how I get so much done everyday, managing the farm and family and seeing to all the things produced on our farm. I stare back at at them, wide eyed, over the brim of a steaming cup of coffee and shrug innocently. Seriously, nothing makes you feel like you can conquer the world like a fantastic cup of gourmet brew!

Awhile back we were caught up in micro-roasting green coffee beans. If you were up around 4:00am any given morning and happened to drive by our farm the robust smell of freshly roasted coffee beans would completely overtake you. We loved roasting coffee but after awhile it was more of an effort than a passion so we went back to store-bought coffee beans. Now, when we are really pressed for time, we'll have a Starbucks Via. Whoever thought I could love instant coffee. You just have to let go of some things for awhile to make room for something else. I truly believe that I can do it all, I just know that I can't do it all at once.

My friend asked what I do in a typical day. Inspired by the poem, Mama's Mama in the beginning of Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living, this is what I did today.

I milked the goats and gave them hay,
I chased some chickens that got away,
I brought in the milk as sweet as you please
And turned it into a wheel of cheese,
I ground some grain and baked a few loaves,
I fed baby goats that came at me in droves,
I boiled some eggs that were piling up high,
I cooked and I cleaned with nary a sigh,
I gave my children some lessons for school,
I made two batches of soap that turned out really cool,
I gave kisses and hugs
And identified bugs,
At the end of the day when the house was still
I sat down here, my blog to fill.