Just Make the Coffee is a life mantra. It’s about greeting each day and putting one foot in front of the other. It’s about savoring the good, mellowing the bad, and flourishing in every experience. I believe we are to encourage each other and lift each other up. We should strive to breathe deeply of this too-short life, savor the ordinary, and find beauty in the everyday.
Living a creative life artist farmer dreamer
I’ve got 80 pounds to lose.
Content Strategy and Content Creation
An urban homesteading family move to the country; still a story of trial and error...a lot of error!
finding the extraordinary in the ordinary
Recipes showing step by step directions with pictures and a printable recipe card.
Family of five on five acres in Cantrall, Illinois
"Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to the soul" -John Muir
Just breathe...And trust that you are right where you need to be.
Stories from intrepid reporters attending the Illinois Press Foundation Journalism Workshop at Eastern Illinois University
The diary and musings of an Alberta ranch wife.
Chesapeake Bay's Nature & Wildlife Beauty Through My Lens
My continuing adventures in North Alabama!
Coopworth Fiber, LaMancha Dairy Goats and Cheese on the Coast of Maine!
Misadventures in homesteading, sustainable living, and subsistence farming in New Hampshire. Horses, Boer Goats, Chickens, Muscovy Ducks, and Produce.
Julie's garden ramblings ...
Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary.
Megan Bugg's journey through cancer as told by her father.
A place to relax and reflect.
Raising crops and cattle in northern Illinois
Sharing the often fun, sometimes tragic but always fabulous life in the country!
Keeping it Interesting!
Stop in and see what's happening during these days of mine
A place to relax and reflect.
Capture Life
random thoughts about yesterday, today and tomorrow ...
and random targets
Sustainable. Self Sufficient. Loving the Land. Join Us
Life on a Colorado Farm (All Rights Reserved)
A place to relax and reflect.
Just Make the Coffee 
I’m so glad you stopped by The Empty Nest Mom. Sounds like you or someone you love is dealing with cancer (?). I hate that and other nasty diseases too. And I admire anyone who comes to any challenge in life from a place of strength. And laughter. Good for you. Your three coping tools are also in my toolbox. They’ve chased many a bad day away.
You are correct; my first husband died of brain cancer. It is what it is … and we deal the best we can.
Sorry to hear this; but glad you know how to take care of yourself. Laughter, walking, and writing=a great prescription.
I appreciate your kindness.
You have a great blog and I was pretty sure I was following. BUT, I guess i wasn’t. SO, now I am and I will be looking forward to more great posts. I need to come back and catch up, too!
Thank you so much! I enjoy yours greatly.
Thanks for following over at beartrackfarm.net! We’re glad to have you, and it looks like we’ve got some of the same animals–Boer goats and Berkshires, at least! Looking forward to reading through your posts 🙂
Welcome! I look forward to more of your posts as well.
Marla,
I sent you an email. I would like to nominate you for the Versatile Blogger Award.
Hi Marla, you have a beautiful blog. I’ve read through several of your post and have enjoyed them lots! I especially like your most recent one with the calf running around. He or she is just the cutest!:) And I agree with what you said about being a Glioblastoma Multiforme Hater.;) I’ll be looking forward to reading more. Hugs hugs!!
Thank you! I appreciate you reading and commenting. I’m sorry to read that you must be familiar with Glioblastoma…
Thanks for stopping by and following my blog!!!! It looks like we have a few friends in common! So great to meet you!
Hi Marla, greetings from a fellow Illinois resident!
Hi and welcome to the blog! I bet you are as tired of Illinois winter as I am. 😉
Actually, it’s not so bad – I haven’t lived around this much snow since I lived in Milwaukee in the 60s (for 3 years) lol
I found your blog through A Rural Journal’s Rural Blogger Coop and as I was reading a few of your posts about the weather I thought to myself ‘that sure looks like what we got!’… Sure enough, after some snooping around, we’re practically neighbors! In that country sense. I work in Monticello, IL and live about 30 minutes North. It’s nice to find another Illinois blogger! PS-The goat yoga pictures are adorable!!
So nice to “meet” you! Thank you for introducing yourself. I have visited the State Park (Lodge?) several times when my sons ran cross-country. Beautiful!!
Marla, do you sell goat meat? I only ask because John keeps going on about milking goats but to get the milk you get the kids and this would mean meat. But I have never tasted goat or drunk goats milk for that matter! Any ideas? c
The Boer goats we have started raising are meat-only goats. I believe they cross well with dairy goats … so you could probably have meat and milk. We will sell ours for meat. The largest market seems to be focused around certain religious holidays, Muslim in nature. We are definitely on the short end of the learning curve and just getting our toes wet. We wanted to make sure we enjoyed them (Yes!) before getting too many.
Aw….I came to your “About” page after reading today’s post. So sad about your first husband, but glad that you’re happy again with your Pig Farmer!
Thank you Dianna. I’ve been blessed. It hasn’t always felt that way – but it is true.
I absolutely love the name of your blog! Looking forward to reading more.
-Lori
Thank you for reading! I am happy you commented … it led me to your blog. 😉 Happy Spring!
And thank you to you too! 🙂
Very interesting blog and lovely photos – I look forward to reading more
Thank you for stopping by! I hope you make more visits. 🙂
LOL This is a “Happy Ass Farm” too, Marla. 🙂
I like your coping tools.
My Farmer has a home office and travels for the job that pays.
Looking forward to following along and finding out more we have in common.
Best, Emily Grace
I enjoy your blog, too! Thank you for visiting mine. 🙂
!! You have goats! I love you already.
Thank you for documenting and sharing life on your farm!
Thank you for visiting!