My 22 Goals for 2019
Goal #1 — Spend More Time Doing What I Love – Hanging out with Lucy.
This dog! Lucy is convinced that 1. All the presents under the tree are for her and 2. They all contain treats. For her.
Goal #2 — Garden, Garden, Garden Done for the year!
Because I know there are so many other projects I need to focus on right now, I’m trying really hard not to think about next year’s garden. But it’s so hard to keep the switch in the off position. The fact that the ground is covered in snow and frozen solid helps, but still.
Goal #3 — Plant an Orchard {Calling it Quits on this one.}
Well, I gave Miss Lemon’s leaves a bath and now she has more lemons than leaves and I’m convinced she is the saddest looking Meyer lemon tree on the planet earth.
On the upside though, we went to a small gathering last week and met another set of neighbors WHO JUST HAPPEN to have a greenhouse in their backyard. They said they don’t even use it anymore and that I was more than welcome to come over and check it out and put some plants in it if I wanted to. Nice!!! I should take them up on their offer, don’t you think?
Also, another neighbor of ours offered to cook anything I grow. So now, not only can I walk to the bakery, but I have a greenhouse I can use, a beach I can comb for treasures, and place to bring all my extra produce AND GET FED TOO. Hot dog! Maybe this place is the one. At this rate, we may never leave.
Goal #4 — Gussy Up the Potting Shed Done!
And already dreaming of next summers “big project.” {I’m not even sure what it is yet, but it will be good!}
Goal #5 — Grow Enough Extra Vegetables, Eggs and Flowers to Earn $1500 at my little roadside vegetable stand.
It was totally my intention to grow a ton of fruits and vegetables to sell at the farm-stand when I made my list of goals for 2019 last winter, but then we moved. So, that whole goal was sort of a bust. I do miss the vegetable stand.
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.
Yes, well, this goal was a TOTAL bust last week. I had all my projects lined up, ready to work on and then got totally distracted and finished NOTHING. I do believe I have entered the shinny object syndrome phase of life. The art of getting excited about the next project before the one in front of me is done has taken hold and wont let go.
Case in point: Yesterday I had 7 solid hours to myself and my one and only goal was to clean up the kitchen nook area {that is currently cover with projects, leaving us no where to sit down and eat}. The plan was to get everything in that spot put away so I could paint the walls today so you know, we’d have somewhere to sit down for Christmas dinner {like normal people}.
And well, I honestly don’t know what happened because the next thing I knew I was dragging the area rug from the bedroom down the stairs and moving the furniture out of my husband’s office space into the kitchen. And before I knew it I had stolen the chair from The Girl’s room, laid the rug down on the floor, brought a blanket in from the living room, hung a picture on the wall and completely TOOK OVER my husbands office.
I even added a Yankee candle {coconut and vanilla bean in case you were curious}. And so now, I have an office. And hey, that room is done. My poor husband though. 😉
- 73 rugs in my pattern bin {now down to 16} <– SO CLOSE!
- 183 hooked flowers {finished 150, now down to 33}
- 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}
So far this year I’ve added 12 new rug hooking patterns and 14 beginner rug hooking kits to my Etsy shop.
New rug hooking patterns I’ve created and added to My Etsy Shop this year:
- Santa and Rudy 1892
- Tullia and Thomas Turkey
- Double Nantucket Whale Runner
- Miss Henny and Penny
- Miss Penny
- Simple Kitty
- Primitive Flowers
- 2 Fat Cats
- Annabell’s Big Day
- Old Fashioned Double Tulip
- Fat Brown Hen
- Busy Little Bee
- Queen Bee
Rug Hooking Kits
- Busy Little Bee {in 2 different colors}
- Folk Art Heart
- Small Nantucket Whale
- Primitive Crow
- Miss Robin {in 2 different colors}
- Simple Kitty
- Primitive Flowers
- Sunflowers
- A Basket of Spring Posies
- Fat Brown Hen
- Chicky’s Garden
Goal #8 — Split and Stack 2 Cords of Wood for Next Winter
All that firewood! We sold it. 😉
Goal #9 — Do Something with the 5,002 Photos on My Phone
Back up to 2214 pictures. The problem is, I use my phone as sort of one giant to do list. I would say that at least 90% of the photos on my phone are for future projects I want to do/make/create in sort of a way or another. I blame the internet for this 100%.
Goal #10 –-Lose the Muffin Top Done!
Sweet digity! And I did it while eating pastries too!
Goal #11 — Run, Walk or Crawl a 5k, 10k, Half Marathon and Marathon DONE!
Mark my words… I am done with half and full marathons.
Goal #12 — Read or Listen to 26 New Books {21 down, 5 to go}
I started Call your Daughter Home but stopped somewhere around the 2:30 mark because I knew where the book was headed and just didn’t want to listen anymore. I seem to have a low tolerance for certain stories/situations these days, and rather than sit there and listen to it, I just hit the delete button.
In other news, I requested Marilla of Green Gables to read/listen to again and I am next in the queue.
Books I’ve Read or Listened to So Far This Year:
- Marilla of Green Gables #1 Still my favorite
- The Great Alone #2
- The Aviator’s Wife #3
- Before We Were Yours #4
- Secrets of a Charmed Life #5
- Where’d You Go, Bernadette #6
- Carnegie’s Maid #7
- The Gown #8
- Unbroken #9
- Drama#10
- The Alice Network #11
- The Shape of Mercy #12
- Will’s Red Coat #13
- Big Little Lies #14
- Mr. Churchill’s Secretary
- Born to Run
- I Feel Bad About My Neck
- Bunny Mellon {Doesn’t count because it was my second time}
- On Writing {Doesn’t count because it was my third time}
- Walden
- Finder’s Keepers
- Delicious!
- 50 Things to Do in Maine Before You Die
- Following Atticus
Goal #13 — Try 52 New Recipes.
42 down, 10 recipes to go. This past week we tried a new scone recipe {which had a 4.6 star rating but was HORRIBLE and a new pasta salad recipe {which I’ll post in the New Year}.
Goal #14 — Clean Up 52 Old Recipes on the Blog
9 down, 44 to go. I despise this goal. Wish I never made it.
Goal #15 — Fill 100 Canning Jars 81 down, 19 to go.
So far this year I’ve I canned:
- 18 Jars of Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly
- 6 jars Christmas Jam
- 7 jars Spiced Pomegranate Jelly
- 7 jars Peach Jam
- 7 jars of Strawberry Jam
- 15 jars of Carrot Cake Jam
- 15 jars of Spiced Pear Jam
- 4 jars of Almond Pears.
Goal #16 — Finish Furnishing Our House
Putting this chair on the curb today… I wonder how long it will take for it to disappear. I LOVE this chair, and it’s super comfortable, but we don’t have the room for it {at all!} and it doesn’t go with anything in this house.
Hopefully someone will drive by and be like …. Hey now… Merry Christmas to me and be as excited as I was about it when I found it at the thrift store for $25 last year.
Goal #17 – 52 Dates with the HH {46 down, 6 to go}
Nothing to report.
Goal #18 — Take One Adult Education Class Done {I’ve taken 3!}
Nothing to report.
- Block Printing Class with my neighbor.
- Spoon Carving Class with Heather.
- Mini pottery lesson {I loved it! and now I want to sign up for a full class}
Goal #19 — Secret Holiday Project{s}
- Block print towels
- Seed packet wreaths
- Tea Bag Trees My favorite! ♥
Goal #20 — Create 12 Wowie Zowie Party Platters
9 down, 3 to go.
The HH and I had ourselves a little feast the other night {and plenty of leftovers too}.
I had planned on making a children’s pickety bits platter loaded with cookies and Christmas candy for a family Christmas party on Saturday but the selection at Hannaford was so dismal. I stopped by CVS thinking they might have a nice selection of candy but as I stood there trying to figure out the price on a single bags of candy and every single thing having had a buy 1 get 1 free tag or a must by 3 to get this price sticker on it I just ended up leaving empty handed and made a pear tart for the party instead.
Dear Stores:
Save us all some time {and your advertising dollars} because I have ZERO interest in signing up for your shopper card just to get a so called deal. If I wanted to go home with 15 bags of candy, I would go to Costco. Also, I don’t want a coupon for X amount of dollars off my next purchase {that I’d probably just loose anyway} if I spend whatever it is you want me to spend. I don’t want to JUMP THROUGH HOOPS. I just want to buy something at a reasonable price.
This is why more and more people are ditching your stores and shopping online for shampoo and other small purchases. People don’t want to be asked for their phone number or email address or whatever else you make your employees ask while they are just there to buy a pack of gum. #RantOver
Goal #21 — Visit 12 General Stores
10 down 2 to go. {I still have one I need to tell you about}
- H.B. Provisions in Kennebunk, Maine
- Chase’s Daily {I think it should count}
- Squam Lake Marketplace
- Harrisville General Store
- Dodge’s Store in New Boston, New Hampshire
- Zeb’s General Store in North Conway, New Hampshire
- 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
Only 4 days to go until I can pack up the leg lamp!
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
- May: White wave petunia hanging basket
- June/July: Tin Star and Flag Bunting
- August : Sunflower
- September: Indian corn and pumpkins
- October: Pumpkins and spinner do hickeys
- November: Indian corn and big pumpkins
- December: Leg lamp and nutcrackers in the window and giant Christmas balls on the porch
**************
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! 🙂
Have a great day everyone,
♥ Mavis
You can read more about my 22 goals for 2019 HERE.
Linda says
Your rant is the carbon copy of mine. I have become so tired of the answer ten or 15 questions before I check you out. Do you want our credit card? You’ll get 30% off this order, do you want a bag, paper receipt or sent to your email, what is your zip code, etc. Thanks for the rant.
Jeni says
Ditto on the Rant!
Carole says
TOTES on the rant, just let me know the darn price already so I can either get it or not. Total online shopper most of the time for the same reasons. Also I can’t stand brain dead shoppers who completely block an aisle while either on their phone or some other planet!!
Vicki says
I’m with you on this. I just want to get what I need and get out. Too many times I follow a shopper up an aisle, they are on the phone in the middle of the aisle. You say excuse me and are met with a blank stare. Then the checkout line horror. It’s easier to shop online and several grocery stores here now deliver.
chickengrandma says
What I want to know is what did HH say when he got home and his office was gone ??!! I was thinking of you when we split and stacked firewood yesterday. Looking at your goals list for 2019, you are slowing down a bit- no firewood, no big garden. We are doing the same at our house- smaller garden, wood burning only for power being out emergency.
Merry Christmas.
Mavis Butterfield says
He said the carpet looked nice in there…. 😉 But that was about it. I was going to do some sort of house plant set up at the back of the house since it’s such a sunny spot… But now, I think it will be the HH’s new office space. Hey man, that’s what happens when you leave your wife home alone for 7 hours. She moves your stuff.
Chris says
Simple transparent pricing…why is it so hard? I don’t want to do mental gymnastics to see if I am getting a “deal.” I love your platters! I need visual inspiration. Have you seen Meg on Instagram? She also has a webpage. https://ainttooproudtomeg.com
Mel says
Between breaking my finger and Christmas rapidly approaching, I decided to postpone the final quilting touches on my Christmas tree skirt. It’s otherwise done and usable, so it’s under the tree and looks great The broken finger is super frustrating, so I’m trying to focus on everything I got done this year (goal or not) and everything I want to do next year (so many things) instead of the couple of goals I couldn’t quite wrap up.
For your photos, if they’re mostly future projects, can you just organize them into albums (Future Gardening Projects, Future House Projects, etc.), back them up, and call it good?
For the cleaning up of recipes, I wonder if that’s something readers could help with next year. Since so many people make your recipes, maybe they could send in new pictures as they go if you noted which recipes needed refreshing. This is assuming the recipes themselves are fine but just need new or more images.
Kim says
Are the candy canes on the door yours? That is such a cute alternative to a wreath and I want to steal it for next year.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes! I picked it up at the recycle center for free this summer and love them.
Diann Fuller says
Where did you get the rug? I love it
Mavis Butterfield says
Amazon, but I wouldn’t have bought it if I saw it in person. Not super high quality, but okay for a space that is not going to get a lot of traffic. Here is the link: https://amzn.to/34QOlJ7
Kari says
As for goal #14, if you despise it, you should refer it back to goal #1. Spend your time doing what you love! All goals should refer back to this one. I say drop it if it doesn’t bring you joy. Just a piece of my unsolicited advice.
Cheryl says
Amen to the Rear Store letter
Cheryl says
Read Store. – I need to be sure to proof read!
Cheryl says
I did proof read that time. Sometimes I hate auto correct!
LaToya says
Merry Christmas, Miss Mavis!
My goals all turned to poo. Every last one of them.
I broke my leg … the husband lost his job … just …. the wheels fell off the cart.
Meh.
I got close on 2 of them, I think … thank goodness there’s a new year with new possibilities comin’ up quick!
xo
Peg says
Once the reveal was made on your most recent move, you consistently seem happier then you ever did at the last house. We’ve made a couple dumb moves (same town but out to the country and a later move a thousand miles away), and once we admitted how dumb we were (it’s sometimes hard to admit when we realize we made a HUGE mistake, speaking for myself only), we fixed it best we could. And I agree 100% on the hoops retailers like to create for us to jump through. It’s just dumb
E in Upstate NY says
Opened a store credit card to get HUGE reduction in prices on clothing items I NEEDED. Segway a year or two later, figure I’d use it again to purchase needed underwear. I got really sick and didn’t pay the bill on time. [Always pay total amount due.] Just received another bill from said retailer $40 for being late due to being really sick. It’s getting cancelled for sure when I pay it.
Ultimately will go to only 1 credit card and use it only when appropriate. Have some upcoming travel and all those bills will be on the card.
Thanx for my vent.
Mable says
I don’t know where you guys shop, but I have not been asked any questions when I shop since I don’t remember when.
Ramona says
Perhaps we should all send copies of Mavis’s rant to stores corporate offices. I have complained to management at stores when their APPS don’t work right to get a sale price. I had this discussion just a few days ago when people were venting about our local store. I usually drive 30 miles so I can shop at Winco where I don’t have to buy 10 of something to get a good price.
Lace Faerie says
I worked for a financial institution before I retired and often heard our clients lament paying higher prices because they didn’t want to provide their personal information. I’ll tell you what I told them, don’t give them YOUR info. Give them A name, AN address, email or phone number. Make something up! BEAT THEM AT THEIR OWN GAME!
I stopped shopping at Safeway because of their must buy 3, 4, ….. 10, to get the special pricing. I also stop shopping at stores that turn their check out lines into cattle chutes with 6-8 feet of racks before the conveyor belt. Can’t get past anyone so guess what, your stuck! (Yes, I am claustrophobic) And I let the managers know, too.
Complain to managers! And I also let them know I really don’t appreciate being interrogated as to my plans for the day before I can pay for my ___________ (insert product here)!
Tracy T says
What are the cool looking unwrapped items under your tree?
Mavis Butterfield says
Snow shoes. 🙂
Terena says
Totally agree with your rant!
And the books thing: I used to think that even if I disliked a book, I SHOULD finish it (expand my reading horizons, etc.). Now, not so much. I’m in my fifties and figure that there are more important things to do with my remaining time! So (shock and horror!!!) I’ve occasionally even left unfinished a pick of my Book Club.
Amy says
Hahaha! Same here. I stop reading immediately when a book is not interesting or awful. Too many other good books to read
Frances Lengenfelder says
We are a small family of two. I resent having to pay $3.49 for a pack of rootbeer when it would be $1.69 each if I bought six. A lifetime supply for the one person in our family that drinks it. Thank you Safeway! Would shop somewhere else if I could. I see Fred Meyer is starting to do this too.
Lindi Turnipseed says
Mavis, what happened with the kitchen update? Did I miss the post? Did you go all in???? I am with the hubby on DO IT ALL! LOL I hope you had a Merry Christmas and a super wonderful New Year!
Molly Jo says
Agree with you on audiobooks. I can tell after a few minutes if I will enjoy it (usually it is the narrators voice). I also really enjoyed your favorite book too, Marilla of Green Gables.
I do have a recommendation on a book for you. “The Cactus” by Sarah Haywood. Based in London and read by a woman with a wonderful lilting classic English accent. Loved it!
Caprice says
Mavis, thinking of trying tug hooking. I am a crafting junkie. Where do I look for the things I need that don’t come in your Etsy kits?
Thanks! Caprice
Mavis Butterfield says
I would start with a simple embroidery hoop which can be found at any craft store and the Joan Moshimer “coarse” rug hook which you can find here: https://wcushing.com/product/joan-moshimer-hooks/