My 14 Goals For 2024 – Week 29 of 52

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

It was a great week in the fruits and veggies department thanks to not one but TWO trips to Costco. Oddly enough, both times we were stopped by there were no rotisserie chickens to be had. 

Oh well. I suppose it’s too hot for homemade chicken noodle soup anyway.

Visit 24 {new} Bakeries / Coffee Shops

We didn’t check out any new bakeries or coffee shops this past week but I did whip up a batch of cookie dough to see how they’d turn out in our new {to us} oven. 

They aren’t quite as good as the ones that I baked in the AGA {even the HH agreed} but they were still pretty good. That AGA heat. You just can’t beat it. I miss it. 🙁

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

Our Oyster cards for the tube arrived!!! Even though we won’t be going to England until the end of summer, I’m trying to get all the “big stuff” done and out of the way.

So far I’ve booked the hotel, cottage, rental car and 2 tours. This week I think I’ll try and finalize the London leg of our trip and then next week I’ll figure out the Cotswolds.

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

I didn’t donate to any Free Little Libraries this past week but am planning on donating again soon. The next batch will probably be in the UK.

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

This is the second week in a row that we didn’t make it to the beach. Which seems really, really weird since it’s so close. There was however a quick trip to Long Island. More on that later. 😉 

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

I didn’t read or listen to any new books this past week but I DID get a library card! So hooray for that. I’ve also been collecting audiobooks {they’ve either been free or $1} to listen to this winter while I’m rug hooking. 

I don’t seem to have a lot of extra time right now {still unpacking, working on garden/house things, life in general} but I know that when things calm down in a few months and we’ll be indoors more, I’ll want those audiobooks to listen to.

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 

Our new bed frame and dresser arrived a few days ago and the new mattress should be here any day now. And you know, I’m pretty excited about that! 

Before we haul the new bed frame and dresser in through I wanted to make sure the room is painted. I tried really, REALLY hard to choose a light beige color but I ended up going with white for the bedroom. Shocking, I know. 

I LOVE the color white. Especially in a small space {and our bedroom is crazy small!}. I figure two coats ought to do the trick. After I finish painting, then I’ll have the HH move the furniture in.

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.

I think I pulled 3 wool strips through the linen last week. If only there were more hours in the day.

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}

No greenhouses this past week but the HH did get started on his contribution to an “art” project I have planned for later this fall. I would have cut the wood myself but he doesn’t want me using the saw. Which HELLO, is fine by me.

Grow Baby Grow

Because of the timing of the whole move and everything, I wasn’t able to get a vegetable garden in place for this summer’s growing season. 

I did buy a Sun Gold tomato plant about 6 weeks ago though and we’re getting pretty close to harvesting a tomato or two. 

Next summer. That’s what I keep telling myself. Next summer I’ll have a totally rad garden.

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