My 14 Goals For 2024 – Week 39 of 52

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Late summer and fall makes for some seriously delicious fruits and vegetables here in Maine and this year is no different. Squash will play an important part on our linner menu this winter, that’s for sure. 😉 

I roasted the first butternut squash of the season the other day and am looking forward to making a batch of butternut squash lasagna next.

Visit 24 {new} Bakeries / Coffee Shops

My in-laws love dinners… I have a feeling we’ll be going to a lot of them this winter. 😉

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

• The Cookie Jar Pastry Shop
• Fortnum and Mason
• 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

Contribute to 12 Free Little Libraries. {7 town down, 5 to go}

I need to get going on my goal of donating to 12 different free little libraries! The days are flying by this year and it’s getting harder and harder to squeeze things in.

Towns I’ve donated books to:

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

Spend More Time At The Beach

Although Lucy and I went to the beach twice this past week to hunt for baby crabs {one of her favorite snacks}, this time of year though she really likes rolling in the leaves.

Every single time we pass a big patch of leaves she does a little fainting routine and rolls around in them. It’s super cute. 🙂

Read or Listen to 24 Books {8 down, 16 to go}

I started The Girl With A Pearl Earring and made it about 45 minutes before returning the audiobook. The narration was slow, and sort of awkward in my opinion.

The book had good reviews… So maybe I’ll try reading it in book form. We’ll see.

Books I’ve Read or Listened To This Year: 

• Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service by Gary Sinise. 10/10
• The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron 9/10
• 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 

The HH stained the top of the new deck {twice} and I got 2 coats of white stain on the sides. Now we just need to figure out the rails. 

We were thinking about doing a wood and cable railing system, but now the HH isn’t so sure about that. I like the idea of being able to see more of the backyard with the wire cables, but a wood might fit with the house a bit more. 

Paintings I’ve finished this year:

• 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.

It’s supposed to rain ALL DAY on Monday.. Translation: Pajama Day!!!! I plan to finish the turkey table runner.

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 {4 down 2 to go}

I still need to visit 2 greenhouses this year so I can check this goal off my list. I already know what one of them will be but I’m on the hunt for another. Anyone know of any cool greenhouses in Vermont? I’ve been wanting to take a road trip up that way. 

Grow Baby Grow

The local garden center was having a 60% off sale so I snatched up a few plants for next summers perennial beds. Walking onions, coneflowers, bell flowers and a few dwarf Little Lime hydrangeas. 

Pinks, white and purples are my favorite flower colors. 🙂 At 60% off, I couldn’t resist.

Donate to 12 Different Organizations in Maine

So Far This Year I’ve Donated To:

• Grammy Rose Dog Rescue
• 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

Go On An Adventure DONE

I’d say that spending over a week in England totally counts as an adventure. I didn’t start the year thinking I’d go… But hey, you just never know what’s just around the corner now do you.

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