My 22 Goals for 2019
Goal #1 — Spend More Time Doing What I Love
The HH and I spent about 4 hours each day in the garden this past week clearing beds, moving rocks and raking up the 10 million leaves that made their way into our backyard this winter. At this point, I’d say we are about 20% of the way finished with our garden prep duties.
The goal is to get all the hard and not so fun tasks done and totally out of the way by the end of April. Things like prepping all the garden beds {with mulch or extra garden soil} trimming all the trees, repairing the fence so Lucy doesn’t escape, clearing the pumpkin patch, installing raspberry, strawberry and asparagus beds, pulling up a gazillion vines and a whole bunch of other boring tasks.
My theory is, if we can get all the hard stuff done this month, the rest of the summer will just be spent on maintenance mode because all the heavy lifting stuff will be done. The HH can mow the lawn, and I’ll get to plant and harvest the vegetables {which is my favorite part about gardening}.
Goal #2 — Garden, Garden, Garden
The chickens are helping out too… About twice a day I add another wheelbarrow of leaves or garden clippings to their run so they can search for bugs and break everything down. Recently we’ve had a hawk circling their coop area on an almost daily basis so we have’t been able to let them out to roam around lately so we are keeping them locked up in their run right now. Luckily though, the run is 16 feet long so there is plenty of room for them to play.
Goal #3 — Plant an Orchard
What is it about walking around a greenhouse on a chilly day that makes you never want to leave? Since we were in the area, we popped by Snug Harbor Farm to see if their Meyer Lemon Trees were in yet and ended up walking around the greenhouses admiring the topiaries and potted succulents.
Wouldn’t it be dreamy to have a greenhouse {or even a sun room} filled with potted plants and succulents?
Goal #4 — Gussy Up the Potting Shed Done!
I absolutely love the potting bench the HH made. I think I might need one more. đ
Goal #5 — Grow Enough Extra Vegetables, Eggs and Flowers to Earn $1500Â at my little roadside vegetable stand.
Yesterday I planted an entire flat of basil, a flat of snap dragons, sage, statice and chard. On my planting list for today is a flat of shasta daises, and a few 6-packs of cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.
Goal #6 — Finish Every Single Unfinished Rug Hooking Project in My Pattern Bin + 10 Things from back Issues of Magazines/Books I’ve Been Meaning to Make.Â
This past week I hooked 2 more rugs for my next Etsy Shop update on May, 3rd and I’ve also been plugging away at a larger piece as well. I also finished 6 flowers.
I started the year off with:
- 73 rugs {now down to 55}
- 183 hooked flowers {finished 61, now down to 110}
- 10 “things” from back issues of magazines {finished 0}
Goal #7 — Create 12 New Rug Hooking Patterns {with at least half of them being large ones}
6 down, 6 to go!
New Rug Hooking Patterns I’ve Created And Added to My Etsy Shop This Year:
Goal #8 — Split and Stack 2 Cords of Wood for Next WinterÂ
Nothing to report.
Goal #9 — Do Something with the 5,002 Photos on My Phone
I still have 8 months, right?
Goal #10 –Lose the Muffin Top
Working theory: Muffy will just fall off during gardening season.
Goal #11 — Run, Walk or Crawl a 5k, 10k, Half Marathon and Marathon
I found a 5k race for May. Also, I wish I didn’t make this one of my goals for this year.
Goal #12 — Read or Listen to 26 New Books
I started listening to The Alice Network last night and so far so good. đ
I am waiting my turn on the library wait list for the following audio books:
- The Shape of Mercy
- The Long Winter
- Walden
- The Four Tendencies
- Before We Were Yours
- The Coddling of the American MindÂ
- 12 Rules for Life
Books I’ve Read or Listened to So Far This Year:
- Secrets of a Charmed Life #2
- Where’d You Go, Bernadette #3Â
- Carnegieâs Maid #4Â
- Marilla of Green Gables #1 Favorite
- Finder’s Keepers
- Delicious!
- Will’s Red Coat.
- Following Atticus
Goal #13 — Try 52 New Recipes.
9 down, 43 recipes to go.
The HH and his smoker…. BBQ may be the only thing we’ll be eating this summer. Oh well, at least it means I don’t have to cook, right? đ
Goal #14 — Clean Up 52 Old Recipes on the Blog
Seven recipes down, 45 to go. I need to get going on this goal. I thought I would have been at the half way point by now.
Goal #15 — Fill 100 Canning Jars
4 down, 96 to go.
So far this year I’ve I canned 4 jars of Almond Pears.
Goal #16 — Finish Furnishing Our House
We didn’t come across any furniture we wanted to buy this week but I told the HH we are due to circle back to our favorite local antique store for another look to see if anything exciting has come in. Finding good, solid furniture can be tricky, and unless you want to pay full price, you kind of have to play the waiting game.
Furniture pieces I’m still on the hunt for:
Coffee table for the family room- Console, cupboard or sideboard for the one and only tv in our house which is in the family room. I could totally live without a television, but my husband says the tv stays.
Long rectangular table for the craft room.- Table for the formal dining room {We moved the kitchen table to the dining room and so mow we are looking for a table for the kitchen/keeping room area}.
- 2 wing back chairs for the family room.
- I’d also like to decorate the mantel in the keeping room as well as put up some sort of decoration above the other 3 fireplaces in the house. I’m not one for a lot of things on the walls, but it would be nice to throw up a little pilgrim bling on the plaster.
Goal #17 – 52 Dates with the HH {11 down, 41 to go}
Last week the HH and wandered around Perkin’s Cove and the Walker’s Point area in Kennebunkport, Maine. We stopped and visited the George Bush memorial, the Anchor to Winward and drove down a few of the back roads in the area. If you have never been to Kennebunkport, it is gorgeous!!
A few days later, we went to Newburyport, MA to check out the Custom House Maritime Museum. I didn’t realize the museum was only open on the weekends during the “winter months” though and so we ended up just walking around town for a few hours. I keep forgetting that things don’t really get hopping around these parts until May. đ
Goal #18 — Take One Adult Education ClassÂ
I have signed up for 2 adult educations classes that I’ll be taking in May. One I’m keeping a secret for now {I’m taking that one with a neighbor} and the other class is a wooden spoon carving class that my buddy Heather from Massachusetts and I are going to take.
Goal #19 — Secret {for now} Holiday ProjectÂ
Still a secret. I suspect I’ll get started on my new idea sometime in May.
Goal #20 — Create 12 Wowie Zowie Party Platters
3 down 9 to go. Looking forward to my Easter party platter {and all the candy!}.
Goal #21 — Visit 12 General Stores
2 down 10 to go.
So far this year we’ve visited:
- Dan and Whit’s in Norwich, Vermont
- Hussey’s General Store in Windsor, Maine
Goal #22 — Compete with Carole….. Get on My Front Door Game On
The HH pruned the pussy willow tree a few days ago and now I have a boatload of branches sitting on the desk in the sun room that I need to do something with. I think I’ll make a pussy willow wreath for the front door {to tied me over until hanging basket season} and then put the rest into little bundles to sell at the vegetable stand when we put it at the end of our road next month.
Front Door Bling I’ve Made So Far This Year to Compete with Carole:
- Late January : Valentine Heart
- Late February : Shamrock
- Late March : Giant Carrot
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How about YOU? What are your goals for 2019? If you told us about them HERE, check in! We want to know how you are doing. Because seriously, it’s so much easier to get those goals checked off your list when you have people rooting for you! đ
♥ Mavis
You can read more about my 22 goals for 2019 HERE.
Christa Hayden says
Week 14 of 52:
1. Establish our farm- well we finally got internet Friday. Our neighbor is moving and had two phone lines so we were able to get one of hers since there were no more available for our neighborhood. DSL is only 5 Mbps but hey, I can use my computer and stream Netflix again so thatâs great! We watched a movie last night for the first time in 2 months. The hidden pantry door went in yesterday and looks great. Now the kitchen is fully complete. Most of the boxes are unpacked. I need to add labels to all of the storage bins/boxes in the closets. Only a few things left to do with the house. Our indoor cats love being here since there is a screened porch for them to sit out on and outdoor things to watch. I need to put out some hummingbird feeders near a window.
2. Decide upon side hustles for farm money- now I am thinking of things I can grow without a fence that the deer donât eat and that my fellow teachers at school might want to buy. Thinking of things that are not permanent since beds have not been planned out in the gardens. Ideas?
3. Build a chicken coop- doubt will happen this year.
4. Establish my bee/butterfly garden- needs a fence and dirt. Trying to talk dh into completing this now rather than the fall. I took apart my two beehives yesterday, cleaned them, and once dried I will paint them Sherwin Williams Alabaster which is a white shade to match the farmhouse. I am also going to move the apiary a few feet over from where it is now. I have about 15 frames with honey from one of the hives but not all of the frames are full. I bought a 2-frame electric honey extractor from Amazon and plan to do that next week during school spring break. I ordered 2 more bee packages that I need to pick up Friday and then install. I havenât done this myself before so I hope I do it right.
5. Plan the fruit/vegetable/herb garden- needs a fence and compost. Thinking of burning some of the weeds growing in that area since they are small right now. Pokeberry was growing all over in the area last year. I wore gloves and pulled out as much as I could. I recently found some random violets so I think I will move them to a safe spot that will not get tilled up.
6. Grow broomcorn and mammoth sunflowers- bought seeds.
7. Create a bee lawn on the west side of the house- bought seeds.
8. Start a fruit orchard- need to go back to the State Farmerâs Market to look at bushes and trees.
9. Create a sitting area near the beaver dam- found a spot but not sure what to do about the ticks that are coming out since I wonât use poisons near the water. Ideas?
10. Begin a wish/prayer tree on the path to the beaver dam- still waiting for leaves to come in to decide which tree it will be. I think decorating it will be fun for my young relatives and neighbor kids that stop by.
11. Water bath can at least 10 items- summer plans when I am off school for 2 months.
12. Learn to use the pressure canner- summer plans.
13. Ferment at least 10 items- summer plans.
14. Try at least 10 new recipes- 3 of 10 done; since we moved to the country, we arenât going to Chuyâs TexMex restaurant anymore and I miss their fresh salsa and jalapeno ranch dressing. I tried to recreate both and they came out great- no recipe since I just put stuff together until it tasted right.
15. Find and make a good Vietnamese beef pho recipe- summer plans.
16. Get new pantry very organized- DONE!
17. Organize art supplies/paint glass jar lids- almost done. Bought some Sherwin Williams black paint and some calcium carbonate from Amazon to make my own chalk paint. Iâm planning to paint some of my art room furniture so it all matches. Once itâs done I can finish organizing.
18. Hang art on the walls- bought hooks and anchors. One painting is up and more are going up today.
19. Inventory all my cookbooks so I know what I have- they are organized by topic or author but the inventory wonât happen until summer.
20. Make Christmas ornaments and garland- summer plans but I have bags of dried skinny pinecones with white tips.
21. Make potpourri from foraged and garden items- summer plans.
22. Finish at least 2 embroidery projects- summer plans.
23. Make at least three paintings- bought canvases and am deciding what colors to use.
24. Find furniture for the screened porch- still looking for plain, modern, white, squared off legs/arms, black or grey plain cushions.
25. Get my Instagram up and running again- soon.
Pam Favorite says
As for “Goal 11”, I’d readjust and ditch it. You’re going to be so much more busier in the gardens you’re creating. Replace it with more walks with Lucy. That way you can see what your neighbors and their plants are doing.
What’s the verdict? Poison ivy or no. Nasty stuff!
Mavis Butterfield says
Poison ivy. đ Arms are super red. I’m trying not to itch.
suzanne says
I second Pam’s idea. I’d hate to have that hanging over my head. Sorry about the rash. I didn’t know you could get that through your tees. That sucks so bad.
Lolly says
I agree….if a goal isn’t working, then it’s ok to chuck it. Sometimes we need the goals to keep us moving forward…and sometimes we need to give ourselves grace and not push.
Pam T says
I’m just curious. Who is winning the front door competition..you or Carol.
Mavis Butterfield says
Right now… I am. đ But I don’t suspect I will be for long.
Mel says
I expect to be far too busy with spring chores the next few weeks to work on goals. I need to move out of my office (they’re renovating), plan an office party, plant our garden (including establishing 4 new beds), and deal with our 24 baby chicks. I’m in way over my head with the last two–I had to order more grow lights, and we were only supposed to get 10 chicks but the hatch was unusually successful.
Speaking of chicks, does anyone happen to know when you can reliably tell when black copper marans chicks are roosters or hens? We were told four months, and I really don’t know what we’re going to do with 24 birds if we have to keep them that long to find out.
Mavis Butterfield says
24 chicks!!!
Mel says
Yes. It’s absolute mayhem!
Susan H says
Talking of canning…have you seen amber Ball canning jars? Our local Tractor Supply had them in half gallon and quart size. According to the box,the amber color blocks UV light and extends the quality of the contents up to 18 months. Pricey though!
Mavis Butterfield says
No, I haven’t seen those yet. I feel like the “designer” jars are as thick or as well made as the old fashioned ones. Maybe it’s just me.
Molly says
I wish I was down the road from you. Iâd buy from your Farmstand!
Look forward to your Daily Posts.
Heidi P says
Reading your goals update is one of my weekly highlights. So much goes on in your world on a weekly basis!
How do you know what you’re putting into your chicken coop isn’t poisonous? I’d love to throw some trimmings into our chicken run but fear my choices might not be good for them.
Your pussy willows remind me of my childhood. We had trees growing up and I still love them. You’ve reminded me that I need to plant one or two.
Your potting shed is a dream. Love the potting bench. Your husband is so handy. I’ve had plans drawn to build one myself and still haven’t gotten around to it. I need to move it to the top of my list!
Mavis Butterfield says
It never occurred to me that what I am putting in their run could be poisonous. Chickens are pretty smart when it comes to stuff like that though. I have never had a chicken die from eating leaves.
Debra A Beeuwsaert says
So for my goals list: I plan on retiring end of this month. The director asked me to work on a contractual basis after that 2x/week, so will do that. I’ve worked since high school for companies so I can get acclimated to not working all of the time.
Garden – still have snow on the ground here and there is an a prediction of snow coming on Thursday – up to 2-1/2″ during the day and another 4″ in the evening, so no plans on planting quite yet outside. I do have some seeds planted in pots in the house, though. Nothing pushing through the potting soil yet, though.
Purchased some more blackberry and raspberry canes. May get more yet. Need to get some more blueberry bushes established — I have 2 honeyberry bushes but they haven’t produced any berries yet (had for 2 years). It may be that the garter snake resident is eating the berries. Yes, a nice huge hole at the side of the hill mound and have watched the two go in and out the last 2 years.
Plant more fruit trees — have not done this yet due to the weather.
I have some old dead trees on the property, and I’m letting my friend and her husband cut them down for firewood for themselves. I do have a fireplace, but rarely use it as smoke can cause my asthma to flare-up. I would use it as a back-up source if I lost power too long.
Have read the 1 book per month as I had planned and have kept up with the free magazine subscriptions. This month I am reading “Everything Is Possible” by Jen Bricker.
worked on straightening out part of the basement. Will prep it soon for scrubbing down the walls and re-waterproofing it. They say this needs to be done every 30 years. The previous owner built this house in 1948, and I don’t know when and if he put weatherproofing on. I have no water on the wall issues, but I want to stay good on that. I sit up on a hill compared to most of the neighbors, so no water in the basement either.
Weight loss — have not been able to lose any more, but anticipate to make up for it come gardening time. Well even maybe if I have to go out and shovel more snow on Thursday!!
Lolly says
Crazy past two weeks…dh worked nights, so our days were flip-flopped, and I never know what kind of fun he has planned until he says, “let’s go”….so trying to do normal days does NOT work. Also, I cook our big meal at lunchtime when he is home, so we can all eat as a family (our kids school at home), so my days are so much more nuts when he works nights! So my normal was nowhere to be found!!
I got some sewing started the first week he worked nights, but then last week I ended up doing extra stuff most nights….and so either I was gone or I was so tired, that I didn’t WANT to sew. I did work on a few things this past Sat….maybe for 40 min.
I need to work on the bills….I *think* we should be ok with our savings. We had unexpected repairs on our two lawn mowers.
No walking.
I did some batch freezer meals on friday….3 taco bakes are in the freezer, if I need to take any meals sometime soon.
I’ve failed at keeping the laundry folded each day, lol. Eek. But I’ve not been too far off.
Living life vs hiding….mostly it’s been living. đ We’ve been crazy-busy with going and doing.
My other goals were to not put on makeup in the car while driving….made that! To not get soooo anxious behind people when driving….and that has mostly been good. Today I just wandered in my thoughts while driving….and didn’t pay attn that we were going 5mph+ UNDER the speed limit. Lol. And also…to get places on time….I did that! Both weeks! Barely, but I did it, lol!