“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
Crisp, cool mornings, puffy coats, slippers, all wrapped in a blanket with a hot cup of tea. Does it get any better than that? We got a little taste of fall the other day…. And I kind of like it. 😉 Mrs. HB says I am TOTALLY delusional in thinking that winter is going to be my favorite season here in New England. I think she’s the nutty one. 😉
Goal #3 – Shop Small
Yesterday at the recycling center I picked up an old footstool {I’ll take the cover off it this winter and hook a rug especially for it} a National Geographic magazine for the HH and the 1896 edition of a Manual for Army Cooks cookbook.
I appears to have been gifted to someone but I guess they didn’t want it. Oh well, I think it will be fun to go through and maybe make a recipe or two.
Goal # 4 – Have a Designated Meal Prep Day
I think I’m going to try this out again and see if the HH and I can do this in October.
Goal #5 – Install a Vegetable Garden Done!
Goal #6 – Clear Land for a Chicken Coop and Future Raised Garden Bed Area
The HH has been hammering away at the new run for the chickens. He is working without a proper set of plans and the original idea was that the first 16 feet of the run would be covered with a cedar shake roof and the last 8 feet would have some sort of wire top. But now that the rafters are up, I’m not so sure. It might look like of goofy if the whole thing didn’t have a cedar shake roof, don’t you think?
Or, I suppose, we could put cedar shake straight across on the front of the run, and shake on the back 16 feet and wire on the last 8 feet so I could grow some sort of dangling vine over the top. I don’t know, what do you think?
Goal #7 – Grow 500 Pounds of Vegetables
My garden is overflowing with cucumbers this week. Not to self: next summer, only grow one kind of slicing cucumber and one kind of pickling cucumber. That’s it. One can only eat soooo many cucumbers! The results of our last weigh in are HERE.
Goal #8 – Hook 100 Rugs
Last night I updated my Etsy Shop with a bunch of new hooked rugs and an enormous stack of 1/4 cuts {bundles actually} of wool. People had been requesting the larger cuts so I dyed up a few batches.
I think the Robin’s Egg Blue bundle was my favorite this time around.
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!
Goal #11 – Visit 22 Bakeries
Today I’ll be taking Mrs. HB to Tatte Bakery for breakfast {and a London Fog!} and then on to Mike’s Pastry for some of their fig cookies before dropping her off at the airport for the nearly 6 hour flight home. I’ll tell you all about our adventures on Monday or Tuesday.
Goal #12 – Start a Collection
While Mrs. HB and I were out and about I picked up this little gingerbread cookie cutter. Isn’t it sweet? The antique was $4!
Goal #13 – Read {or listen to} 26 Books
Mrs. HB picked up the book Behind Her Eyes at the airport bookstore right before her trip and said she is going to leave it for me to read. It’s not the kind of book I normally read so we’ll how it goes.
Goal #14 – Try 12 New Canning Recipes
I didn’t try a new recipe this week but I did whip up a batch of Carrot Cake Jam for the vegetable stand. If you have never mad jam before…. This is an excellent one to start with and the taste is nothing short of AMAZING.
So far this year we’ve canned:
- Spiced Peach {Crazy good!!!}
- Blueberry Jam {without the mint}
- Pickled Beets {without the funky spices}
- Cherry Almond Jam {freakin’ AWESOME}
- Susan’s Lilac Blossom Jelly
Goal #15 – Secret {for now} Holiday Project
Although I didn’t make any progress on my secret holiday project this past week, Mrs. HB stumbled upon it and was impressed with one thing in particular…. so that was pretty exciting. It was nice to have the feedback.
How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2018? How are they coming along?
~Mavis
Read About My 2018 Goals HERE.
Claudette says
With the chicken coop, I’m not sure about the roof question, but I am wondering if you should turn it around. That way the side that juts out will be parallel with the side of the coop that juts out. Just a thought!
Wendy says
My Dad used to have two large enclosures on opposite sides of the chicken house. The chickens roamed on one side and he had a big garden in the other. Then when the harvest was done in early fall, he let the chickens into that side to clean up the garden and fertilize. They could roam around there until he was ready to plant in the spring. He had amazing vegetables there and the chickens would eat all the grubs in the soil so there were less pest insects.
libby says
Mavis do you know this weekend is the Saint Anthony’s Festival in the North End and it will be MOBBED. Fun! but lots of crowds. I think it is the biggest North End festival.
Karin Carson says
With the Snow you will get , shake the whole top of the run , we had our run covered and get a ton of snow in the winter, I live in the Okanagan of BC Canada, your girls will be happier and so will you .
Julia Wessels says
The only issue I see with a shake rook is depending on how much snow you get – will you damage it if you have to pull the snow off with a roof rake? Make sure it’s built to hold based on the snow load you get in your area. We used clear green house panels.
Mary G says
I’ve lived in southern New England for 18 years now, and winter is most definitely not my favorite season. It got less appealing for me a few years ago. There are still parts of it that I like, but the cold can be bone chilling at times. I’m not one to stay indoors all day, so my next stop might be somewhere a bit less wintry. My son was 2 when we moved here, and he really hates the winters. He’s going to college in the southeast, and I think it’s very unlikely that he’ll settle in New England. You may like the winters more than I do, but you won’t really know that after your first full winter–or even your second or third. Everyone is different, though. I’m a spring gal, although fall here is lovely, even if very brief.
Alison says
I think you should shake roof the whole thing. Is it a cost consideration, or is there another reason you want wire? The girls will like some sun in the winter, does it currently face to get a little bit without the wire?
Ali says
Well here in Scotland we regret not roofing the chicken run. The poor chickens got soaked every single time it rained as they were too dumb to go indoors!! We now have a tarp roof, not pretty but does the job. In our next house we’ll build one with a proper roof!!
Re meal prepping, I’ve started just batch cooking a bunch of single ingredients at the weekend and then using them in different combinations for lunches and evening meals as required through the week. Seems to work better for me than doing whole meals.
Lori SA in BC says
Re: meal prep, I do a similar thing. I have been buying a large quantity of ground beef, and cooking it up with diced onions, garlic, celery. Then I freeze into about 1 lb containers. Makes chilli, tacos, spaghetti sauces, etc. really quick.
Rita says
Will the chickens get enough sunlight if the whole run is covered with shake roof?
Jennifer says
i like the idea of the front being all covered while leaving the back 8 feet exposed to grow a vine in the summer. Can you pop some ply wood on that section that would easily removable in the spring but cover the whole run in the summer?
Angela D. says
I think this is a great idea! With three different flocks in the last 6 years, we have found that some of our “girls” will not put their feet in ANY snow, others will not go out if it’s raining, and yet others will go outside in any and all weather. It might be a wait-and-see type of situation.
Indio says
I started out trying the vine idea when I planted hops around the run. The chickens ate everything they could reach and every Fall there was ugly dried vine stems that had looped thru the fencing. I ended up planting fruit trees on the southern side for shade during the hottest part of the day. I only let the girls out to roam when I’m home. I have an automatic opener so I don’t have to worry about letting them out in the morning and a fan on a timer to keep the air moving when it’s really hot.
Erin says
You’re killing me Smalls! When are you going to tell us about your Holiday Project?
Mavis Butterfield says
When I have perfected it!!!! 🙂 🙂
Kipper says
Roof the whole thing, especially due to winter weather. By the way your chicken run is looking superb and much nicer than the one here. We did have an adventure here when a Cooper’s hawk tried to get in the run. The deer netting roof stopped Alice/Bradley, but the hens were really worried. . The hawk sat perched on a nearby arbor and gave me the stink eye for a few minutes.
Lisa says
My mom had that same footstool right down to the same cover. It brought back memories of her using it while she crocheted afghans during the winter while her dog rested her head on it while looking at her adoringly.
As far as winter, it’s not so bad but if you are experiencing a lot of humidity in the summer your winter will most likely still be damp. When I lived in CT it was so damp and just seemed to get right into your bones. The snow was wetter and therefore heavier & harder to move. Up here on the canadian border the air is not as damp so it actually feels not much different at 20 below here compared to 20 above zero in CT.
Nancy from mass says
I have the same doorstop also!! Same cover too! I bought it at a thrift store on the South shore (South of Boston) .
Nancy from mass says
Ugh!! Spell check changed FOOT S.T.O.O.L. to doorstop after I hit post. and it wouldn’t allow me to type S.T.O.O.L. without periods. Maybe I should reboot
Carolyn says
There’s a blog called Tilly’s Nest where you can see her chicken coop and the run (the coop looks very much like the one you guys built). And she lives in Cape Cod so the weather is probably similar to your own. It’s a very interesting blog with lots of photos – and she loves gardening and beekeeping.
https://www.tillysnest.com/2014/07/chicken-coop-tour-update-html/
Emily says
I hope you enjoy the winter, although I worry a bit if you’re already in the puffer now. Your wood stove should keep you toasty inside, but consider investing in a down coat if you haven’t already. It’s worth the extra money for the amount of warmth you get with less weight than synthetic. I never thought much about it until I moved to the Midwest. Now that we have serious winters nothing but down cuts it for me.
Tracy says
Since you’re asking for opinions, I would definitely roof the entire chicken run. AND I would put sides on at least the half of the run closest to the coop, as well. I still suspect you’re underestimating the snow and wind you’re going to have in this part of the country. When it snows, it will blow snow into the run, without sides, and your chickens can handle colder temps as long as they’re out of the worst of the wind. If they step outside and get slammed by ice cold wind, they’ll stay inside too much, and chickens cooped up all winter will get sick. I wouldn’t worry about the cedar shakes being damaged when you use a roof rake on it (and believe me, you will, so you might want to source one now, before winter). The rake, which really isn’t a rake at all, but more like a snow shovel turned upside down on a long arm, will slide over the snow and just remove the bulk, not right down to the shakes.
Mavis, winter is absolutely my favorite season, although fall is pretty fab, too. With a good down jacket, a lightweight pashmina scarf and gloves, I’m never cold and I just love all the fires, soups simmering, and coziness winter brings.
P.S. Cape Cod doesn’t get nearly as much snow as you will. Very occasionally, we have a winter that is light on snow, with only a few good storms per year, but most often, from Late December through March it’s pretty wild and wooly around here!
carol says
I picked up an identical footstool a few weeks ago at a yard sale for $2. My intention was to hook a new cover for it & I have been tossing various ideas around in my head. So I am eagerly waiting to see what you come up with & how it compares to mine. Happy hooking.
Mavis Butterfield says
I’ve never hooked a rug specifically for a footstool so it should be interesting. Isn’t that funny you picked up the same one.
Stephanie says
That robin’s egg blue batch is gorgeous!!!
I lived in southeastern Connecticut for five years, and oftentimes, we got more rain than snow, but I always LOVED the times we got slammed with snow. I’m a midwestern girl by birth, and I’ve fully embraced the snowy winter thing (I get disappointed when we don’t have much snow over the season). I hope you enjoy your first winter out there as much I enjoy the entire season!
Samantha says
Ahhhh! Don’t bother with that book. I was so disappointed in it. Behind Her Eyes was promoted with the hashtag #wtfending and it really is a WTF ending. I’m really good at guessing the twist of books and this one has one that is so dumb, it made me beyond annoyed, not because I didn’t guess it, but because THERE WAS NO WAY OF GUESSING IT. And therefore the end just didn’t seem believable (then again, this book has a bit of a magical realism theme so meh on believability BUT STILL).
andrea d says
I have no advice on the coop- though I am enjoying the photos and dreaming of my own some day.
Have you ever added lime to your blueberry jam? It is the best. Instead of the lemon juice, use lime juice plus add in some zest. For even better flavor, infuse some sugar with lime zest for a lime sugar, and use that in place of plain sugar.
Sharon says
Mavis, I enjoy Winter too! Last year we moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. People warned us against the Winters here in the UP but we survived 🙂 It is what you make of it, we have chosen to embrace Winter. It’s a great time to learn a new skill, a snow sport, try new cozy recipes, cuddle, etc. We have also enjoyed Winter Sports, and on our list to get are snowshoes and cross country skiis, maybe a snowmobile too! Make sure that you invest in good quality winter clothing. Like Emily mentioned above a good down coat, I say coat because you want to make sure you have warm buns 🙂 Good base layers, boots (Joan of Artic by Sorel), socks, gloves, headgear. Stock up on firewood and make sure that you have more cords than expected. Winter is so beautiful 🙂 So glad that you are blossoming in your new home 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
I have good boots and winter coats but need some snow pants… and then I’ll be ready.