My 14 Goals For 2024 – Week 31 of 52

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

It was another great week in the fruits and vegetable department. We’ve been eating a lot of salads {it’s too hot to cook!} and it’s been nice.

Visit 24 {new} Bakeries / Coffee Shops

We checked out When Pigs Fly bakery and pizzeria in Kittery, Maine this past week. 🙂 I wrote about it HERE.

New Bakeries / Coffee Shops I’ve Been To This Year {That I liked}

• The Cookie Jar Pastry Shop
• Ritual Bakehouse and Patisserie
• Caramel Patisserie
• Standard Baking Co. 
• Saltwater Farm Cafe
• Coffee Roasters of the Kennebunks
• Farine Bakery and Cafe
• Night Moves Bread
• Cape Porpoise Kitchen

Go On An Adventure

I am looking forward to my upcoming trip to London and the Cotswolds! I have about 50% of that part of our vacation planned so far. 

Now I’m on the hunt for things to do when my friend Jen comes to stay at our place before we head off on our trip.

As a former school teacher she’s up for anything. And she can go all day, and survive off of tea and pastries for days on end. Which in my book is the perfect kind of travel companion.

Contribute to 12 Free Little Libraries. {6 town down, 6 to go}

I didn’t contribute to any Free Little libraries this past week but I did contribute to the world of free but putting the oversized slipcovered loveseat that came with the house out on the curb. 

A young lady and her father swooped it up and she was SO HAPPY! Which made me happy.

Towns I’ve donated books to:

• Gardiner, Maine
• Nobleboro, Maine
• Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, Maine
• Cape Elizabeth, Maine
• Raymond, Maine
• Bellevue, Washington

Spend More Time At The Beach

Overflowing trash cans are a common sight at the beach these days… And it makes me crazy. Also, I’ll be happy when the tourist season is over. Only another month to go!

Read or Listen to 24 Books {7 down, 17 to go}

I didn’t read any new books this past week but we did read the manual that came with the new a/c units!!! Yes, we finally have a/c. 

We tried and tried to get someone to come out and install some mini splits but after calling a few places {and basically getting NO RESPONSE because everyone is so busy} we gave up and installed some simple window units instead. 

This is the first time we’ve had air conditioning since we’ve moved to the east coast and let me tell you Bob it is WONDERFUL. I don’t even care anymore that they are window units. It’s just nice to have some relief.

Books I’ve Read or Listened To This Year: 

• Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service by Gary Sinise. 10/10
• Elizabeth The Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith 9/10
• Wait Till Next Year by Dorris Kearns Goodwin 8/10
• George VI and Elizabet:by Sally Bedell Smith 9/10
• Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson 9/10
• These Precious Days by Ann Pachett 9.5/10
• Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Paint 

I am gearing up to paint the guest room next. Hopefully before my friend Jen comes to visit. But first I have to clear out the 1 {small} closet in the house and get a few more things done in that room before I can paint. 

Living in a small house is super tricky. In order to work in one room, you have to move everything into another room and it’s a bit chaotic. I figure by this time next year everything will be done and I won’t have to worry about that part anymore.

So far I’ve finished:

• Portrait of Joseph Roulin 
• Red Boats at Argenteuil
• Regattas at Argenteuil
• Vase with Cornflowers and Poppies 
• Sunflowers
• Garden Path with Chickens
• Goldfish

Hook 6 “Big” Rugs.

No hooking this past week. But I had fun packing up orders. 🙂 

Large Rugs I’ve Hooked This Year

• Three Roosters
• Hidden In The Garden 
• Yankee Doodle
• Double Nantucket Whale Runner with the American flag

Visit 6 Greenhouses {1 down 5 to go}

There was no time to visit any greenhouses this past week… But we were finally able to get an appointment with an electrician to come out and install a bunch of outlets. 

Once those get installed in a few weeks I’ll be able to set up my studio space and get back to creating. I don’t think I’ve shown you my new studio space yet… Well, it’s an interesting one, that’s for sure. Ha! I’ll have to take some pictures and show you.

Grow Baby Grow

We can’t really put in a garden until the fence is installed but I am enjoying all the hydrangeas in the yard. I’m planning on having a flower stand next summer and it’s nice to know that I’ll have plenty of hydrangea bouquets to offer. 

I’m also thinking about planting a boatload of dahlias too. I don’t have any experience growing those though… So any tips would be appreciated.

Donate to 12 Different Organizations in Maine

So Far This Year I’ve Donated To:

• Cleaning Up My Local Beach
• New Hope MidCoast {50 pairs of new socks}
• Humane Society {180 trays of cat food}
• Travis Mills Foundation
• Camp Sunshine
• Honor Flight Maine

So how are YOUR goals for 2024 coming along? I’d love to hear about them. 

~Mavis

Goals I’ve Already Completed This Year

In Stock and Ready to Ship by March 15th/ March 30th Now April 15th DONE!

I finally finished up all the major wool dyeing and pattern/kit making I had hoped too. All the “extra” wool is tucked away in bins so if I run out of wool in my Etsy shop I can whip up some more bundles in a jiffy. A summer off from dyeing wool… It’s going to be pretty rad.

Tidy Up / Clean Out / Purge DONE

We cleaned the whole house, inside and out. And then we sold it. Yee-Haw!

• Barn
• Garage
• Closets 
• Dresser drawers
• Kitchen 
• Sideboard
• DVD collection