“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
My goals for 2018
Goal #1 – Write Like No One is Reading.
“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” ~ Barbara Kingsolver
Goal #2 – Slow Down
On Friday we met up with my friend Heather from Massachusetts and her husband for lunch at a lobster shack and to check out the “camp” they’ve been staying at this past week. Apparently what we would call a “cabin” in the Northwest is called a “camp” here in New England. The best part was that the camp was on it’s own private island and that you had to take a boat out on the water to get to it. No lookey loos, no neighbors, NO TICKS, nothing but pure privacy.
One owner, two camps and about 300 yards of shoreline on either side. Ummmm HELLO… This type of property is like a dream come true. To me anyway. The only downside to the whole place {and I wouldn’t consider it a downside but the HH does} is that the lake freezes over in the wintertime and the island becomes inaccessible.
Goal #3 – Shop Small
This week’s finds from the local recycle center. Giddy up!
Goal # 4 – Have a Designated Meal Prep Day – It’s Not For Us
I threw in the towel early on this one. Meal prep, and cooking in mass quantities is just not for my family at this stage in our lives. Although with the addition of a new freezer, I may have to whip up some new freezer meals. We’ll see.
Goal #5 – Install a Vegetable Garden Done!
Goal #6 – Clear Land for a Chicken Coop and Future Raised Garden Bed Area
The chicken coop is almost done! The HH just needs to add the last row of shingles to the nesting box and then it’s ready to paint. It has rained nearly every single day this past week {and been crazy hot and humid} so the whole chicken coop building process has gone a little slower than planned.
That, and the fact that every time the HH came into the house for something he would pause in front of the tv and watch about 20 minutes of The Walton’s before heading back outside. 😉 Husbands, they’re a funny bunch.
Goal #7 – Grow 500 Pounds of Vegetables
I am a horrible, horrible person. I didn’t go near the veg patch ONCE in the last 5 days. I just couldn’t drag myself out there fully dressed {to protect myself from mosquitoes} to check on things. I won’t have a choice this week though because I know there are things to harvest {blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, beets}.
Goal #8 – Hook 100 Rugs
Only 28 more rugs to go before I can check this goal off my list! This past week I finished that giant chicken rug I had started way back in March when we started our journey across the United States. It’s the biggest rug I’ve ever hooked and although it took me a while to finish it, I just love the way it turned out.
I also updated my Etsy shop last night with new listings {some of which have been snatched up already} and I am looking forward to making my way though another stack of hooked rugs, pillows and other needful items for my next shop listing on August 25th.
Hobbies that pay for themselves…. you cant beat that. Interested in learning how to hook rugs? Here’s a few links to help you get started: https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/category/rug-hooking/
Goal #9 – Make a Set of Dolls
I plan to make a set {or two} of primitive dolls later this year after the garden has been put to bed.
Goal #10 – Make a Sampler, Frame it and Hang it on the Wall Done!
Although I’ve already finished my sampler for this year, I have collected another 3 frames over the past few months and plan to make more samplers this winter.
Goal #11 – Visit 22 Bakeries
I have so many to tell you about it’s not even funny.
Goal #12 – Start a Collection
I’m still on the hunt for antique wooden butter molds.
Goal #13 – Read {or listen to} 26 Books
The past few days I’ve been listening to The Egg and I on audiobook and so far so good. 😉 There was even a movie made about the book way back in 1947 so maybe when I finished with the book, I’ll rent the movie. Earlier this week I also listened to Calypso by David Sedaris and enjoyed about 80% of the book {the other 20% I could do without. But it seems to be that way with all his books for me}. He’s a funny writer, and his observations about people and situations are hilarious.
Goal #14 – Try 12 New Canning Recipes
I would imagine I’ll be canning something with blueberries this week.
So far this year I’ve canned:
- Pickled Beets {without the funky spices}
- Cherry Almond Jam {freakin’ AWESOME}
- Susan’s Lilac Blossom Jelly
Goal #15 – Secret {for now} Holiday Project
I made another breakthrough this week and let me tell you Bob, hanging out in the cool basement to work on my secret project this summer has been wonderful. Each week I’m getting closer to a better “finished” item and my hope is to share all about sometime in early to mid September.
How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2018? How are they coming along?
~Mavis
Read About My 2018 Goals HERE.
Mama Cook says
That chicken coop is darling!!! Great job to the HH! And I love the chicken rug…Wow! That’s all I can say, Wow!
Mavis Butterfield says
I really wanted one like yours…. But it was above our skill level. Ha!
Mim says
Forgive a stupid question. I’d love to buy one of your hooked pieces from the Etsy shop, but what do you do with a 10” x 10” rug? Is it meant to be framed? In my ignorance, I expected these to be actual rugs for the floor….
And yes, kudos to the HH for persevering in the hot sun to create something lovely and obviously very high quality. He deserves a day of bingeing on Waltons or whatever suits his fancy!
Mavis Butterfield says
I do make larger rugs that people set on the floor but more often than not, people display the larger ones on a wall like a piece of art. The smaller {mini} rugs are used as decorative pieces {table runners, coasters, hung on the wall, displayed on a shelf etc.}.
Sabrina says
I drive by the “Egg & I Rd” every day which is located in Chimacum, Wa where Betty lived and based the book loosely on.
Mona says
I was there this week coming home from Fort Flagler. 🙂
Laura says
I was just gonna say this since we took my daughter to XC camp at Ft Flagler State Park. I noticed the name of that road and thought it was kinda odd. When you posted this about the book, I realized they must be connected, but I didn’t realize that the book was based on the area. Cool connection, thanks for sharing Sabrina!
Mona says
My son was at XC camp too! What a small world!
I highly recommend all of Betty MacDonald books. They chronicle her life in Puget Sound living I the Chimacum area, Laurelhurst and Vashon Island. Her personal story is fascinating and describes the era of her young adulthood so well.
Richelle says
Agree! Her stories of acclimating to country life after living in an upper-class neighborhood in Seattle are a hoot.
Mable says
Looking for Betty MacDonald by Paula Becker is a detailed bio of Betty that will make readers think a lot differently about what she endured.
Laura says
So my daughter wanted to know your son’s name Mona. She is Katherine from Bellevue. I told her this small world story and, after a short eye roll, she was interested in knowing who you drove to camp (in case she knows him). If you read this, feel free to reply here!
Mona Swanson says
Hi Laura.
My son’s name is Garrett from Bainbridge Island.
Wendy Clark says
Your hubby did a terrific job! So cute and useful!
Nancy D says
The chicken rug is a work of art! Congratulation!
Leslie J Honcoop says
I didn’t know there were so many bug issues in the NE. Over here in the PNW, we always blame bug outbreaks on a mild winter…That can’t be the reason in the NE! Wonder why…and kind of a bummer.
Carolina says
I noticed in one of the photos that your sunflowers are coming along nicely. While you are waiting for them to bloom, you might want to take a date-day to Coppal House Farm 118 North River Road Route 155) Lee, NH. From 7/28 to 08/05, they are having their annual Sunflower Festival—acres and acres of blooming sunflowers. They also sell their own, homemade sunflower oil. There is an admission fee, ($8) but the proceeds go to the Make A Wish Foundation for child cancer patients.
Kristen says
Miss Mavis,
You’re kind of killing me by not dropping more hints about the secret project. As a devoted blog stalker, I just need to know it all!
Kudos on the coop. Ours is in disrepair and we are contemplating a complete system overhaul. More of a Joel Salatin traveling motel. Or a rickshaw coop on wheels. Sigh. Frozen in decision making process.
Thanks for the posts.
Em says
The big rug looks fantastic! I’m going to have to check out _The Egg and I_.
Not one photo of Lucy here! Tell her I said hello. 🙂
Teri says
Love the chicken coop. Your HH is doing a fab job, especially with the hot, buggy summer you are having. Have you had much luck finding more butter molds at thrift shops or ebay maybe?
Pam says
Hey Mavis,
Love the new coop…am envious, but we bought a motorhome last year and don’t want something else to keep us from “being away”! Your huge rug is amazing, does the date relate to your new house? Are you going to actually use it as a rug on the floor in front of your sink? I have a 4 x 6 wool rug same place in my kitchen, love it but it cost $80 to have it cleaned….think I wiil use your rug machine on the driveway method in the future.
Mavis Butterfield says
I decided to sell the rug! 🙂 In the end, for me the JOY really comes out of hand dying wool, and hooking the different colored strips into a rug. Weird, I know, but I already have a couple of rugs I made on the floor already so I wanted to offer the rug up to someone else. As for the date, I typically hook dates into my rugs ranging from the 1700’s – 1800’s and choose whatever number combinations work well.
Pam says
Hey Mavis, just thought of something when you mentioned spending time in that cool basement…..did you have a radon check done when you bought your house? I dont know what the likelyhood of it in your area is but it is worth checking or knowing……it seems to come with rocky areas, we had it in the mountains in virginia. Long term exposure is serious, but there is a reasonable remedy if found.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes, we had it checked. 🙂
Torry says
It is very hot here in Tacoma (for our area) and so I’m proud of myself for doing the little bit of sewing that I’ve done. Our granddaughter’s quilt top is pieced and I plan to sew on the last of the pockets this week . Then I will investigate having it quilted by someone else as it is large and bulky, so my home sewing machine probably won’t be able to do it. One sewing related thing that I’ve been doing is going through all of the magazines and books having to do with sewing/quilting and deciding which ones can go out of the house. I hope to get the horrible stack of sewing related reading material out of our living room by the end of summer.
Points to all who pointed out our state’s connection to Betty MacDonald. For those who don’t know, she is also the author of the Mrs. Piggley Wiggley books for children.
nancy from mass says
So I have a question (as someone who kind-of grew up on Lake Winnipesaukee)…if the lake freezes over, why can’t they get to the island? X ctry skis, snowshoes, snowmobile, skates…. or is it such a small lake that the ice can’t support anyone?
We spent almost every weekend at the ‘Camp’ and almost all summer. There’s nothing like seeing the water reflection on the ceiling with the sunrise. I still miss that.
Liz says
Love the rugs. Thanks for thereminder of The Egg and I, will have to reread 🙂