My 14 Goals For 2024 – Week 45 of 52

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

It was a good week for fruits and veggies. Butternut squash, broccoli, brussels sprouts, potatoes and dried fruit come to mind. I wish I would have bought a cabbage though. I’ve been craving a heaping serving of colcannon. Maybe Santa will bring me one for Christmas?

Visit 24 {new} Bakeries / Coffee Shops

It seems like I’m a little behind on this goal, but in reality I don’t think I am. I just don’t think I’ve had the time to tell you about all the cool bakeries I went to while we were in England. 

I’ll try and share one of our favorite ones this week.

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

• Mike’s All Day Breakfast
• 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
• Fika

Contribute to 12 Free Little Libraries. {9 down down, 3 to go}

We found the cutest free little library in Portland this past week. It even matched the house it was in front of!! I donated 3 books and took one.

Seriously, how cute is that!? I think I’m going to see if the HH will build one for me. 

Towns I’ve donated books to:

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

Spend More Time At The Beach

I love the beach this time of year. Have I told you that? It’s so peaceful and quiet and Lucy and I usually have the place to ourselves. I love it!

I also like walking up and down the beach this time of year because some seriously strange things wash ashore. So far though I’ve only found rope, two lobster tags and some heart shaped rocks.

Read or Listen to 24 Books {12 down, 12 to go}

I’m still listening to White House By The Sea by Kate Storey. I’m about halfway through. It’s okay. Not spectacular, not bad either. 

Books I’ve Read or Listened To This Year: 

• Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service by Gary Sinise. 10/10
• My Girls by Todd Fissher 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 8/10
• Family Reins by Billy Busch 7/10
• Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz 9.5/10
• Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict 10/10
• White House By The Sea by Kate Storey

Paint 

I’m currently painting mini cat and mini whale ornaments for my Etsy shop. I just need to add some eyes and then glaze them. 

After I do that, I’ll be able to fire them in the kiln and list them in my Etsy shop. Meow!

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.

I was hoping to have my Chicken Stroll rug by Crow Creek Farm finished by now but I got busy with other things and wasn’t able to hook for a few days. 

I’m hoping to finish it in the next few days and then start on my last big rug of the year. I feel like I haven’t gotten in a lot of hooking time this year. I’m hoping I’ll have more time next year though. Especially now that most of the garden is in and things are settling down again.

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

Visit 6 Greenhouses {4 down 2 to go}

No greenhouses this week. 

Grow Baby Grow

Not a whole lot is growing in my yard these days but I did see a nice pop of red {berries} on my walk yesterday and had to stop to admire them. I have no idea what they are, but I thought the color sure was pretty. 

Donate to 12 Different Organizations in Maine

This past week we dontated to the Pink Feather Foundation. The Pink Feather Foundation works to improve the lives of students by partnering with teachers to confidentially provide clothing and accessories at no cost.​ HOW COOL IS THAT!?

You can find out more about the program and how to help HERE. 

So Far This Year I’ve Donated To:

• Sarah’s House
• 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
• The Dempsey Center
• Pink Feather Foundation

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 went to England and had a jolly good time. And I can’t wait to go back!

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