My Big List of Things I’m Going to Do in 2021 – Week 35 of 52

Stay Healthy! 

Lucy and I got our vitamin D this past week collecting seaweed on the shore and out on the water checking for loose buoys and watching the seagulls and loons. 

Weigh What I Weighed When We Got Married  {128 pounds}

Weigh-ins are the first Sunday of each month.

• My August 1st weight in was 131.4
• My July 4th weigh in was 129.0
• My June 6th weigh in was 129.6
• My May 2nd weigh in was 131.0
• My April 18th weigh in was 129.9 {after 18 days of being on the low iodine diet}
• My April 4th weigh in was 133.4 
• My March 7th weigh in was 135.6
• My February 7th weigh in was 137.3
• My January 3rd weigh in was 140.7

Keep My Husband Busy 

Project clothesline is done… now what? The prices for wood are still sky high so I think we may wait until next spring to build a new set of steps down to the water. Also, fall {and freezing temps} are just around the corner so I suppose we’d better use the next 6 weeks to work on clearing the rest of the property of the overgrown areas and making mulch. 

The HH’s Honey Do List {so far} for 2021 

• Build a new set of stairs down to the water. The old set… it’s not exactly useable.
• Build a firepit near the edge of the property. {DONE!}
• Build a picnic table near the birch trees for summer lunches {Done!}
• Build 4 or 6 garden boxes for his little lady {we did raised beds this year instead}}
• Build a boatload of birdhouses for the {soon to be} bird sanctuary 
• Create a garden path/walkway for the front garden {DONE!}
• Remodel the bathroom in the hallway {DONE!}
• Install some sort of driveway border
• Install a workspace for me in the basement for dying wool
• Install a fence in the front for Lucy {DONE!}
• Build a set of 3 bookshelves in the dining room for me {DONE!}
• Install a trailer hitch on the car {DONE!}

Things We’d Like to Buy

There isn’t much left on my original list… {a washer and dryer set which we’ve decided to hold off on and an archery set}. But hey, I did go to the eye doctor this week and ordered a new pair of glasses. 

• A dinghy 
• Clothesline
• Archery Set {every camp should have archery!}
• Kitchen table and chairs 
• Sideboard 
• Bench for the entryway 
• A full size washer and dryer set {the house came with a small stackable w/d set} 
• Deck chairs and a patio table set {Going the picnic table route instead}
• A set of 4 Adirondack chairs for the fire pit area  {I LOVE these chairs!}
• BBQ {He bought a Blackstone Griddle instead!}
• 2 More Kayaks

Unplug As Much As Possible {but still keep the blog, FB and Instagram}

Unplugging this week included visiting our old neighbors {Kiln Guy and the Chef} at their new place {they moved to the water as well} and stealing all the acorns out of their yard. 

Remember his glass kiln? Check out his latest project. I told him he needs to make some ornaments {or nightlights, or sun catchers} and sell them on Etsy!!

Unplugging is cool…. 

• Goodbye Facebook {Done!}
• Goodbye Amazon Prime {Done!} $119 a year
• Goodbye Hulu {Done!} $54.99 a month *
• Goodbye Netflix {Done!} $7.99 a month
• Goodbye PicMonkey {Done!} $50 a year
• Goodbye keeping my cell phone in my back pocket and checking it constantly {so far so good}
• Limit time online to 3 hours a day {for writing, working, and Etsy} 

* Hulu is actually now $64.99 a month for the live tv version {live sports, live news}. You can get it for $5.99 a month but all that does is play tv shows and old movies {with ads}.

Try 24 New Recipes {and remember to link them here} {23 down, 1 to go!}

A few days ago I shared a recipe for canning pickled red onions. Being able to grow something in the garden, and then have on the pantry shelf to grab during the cold winter months, is pretty rad. 🙂 

New recipes I’ve made this year:

• Pickled Red Onions
• Savory Tomato Jam
• Chicken Enchiladas with Costco Canned Chicken
• Easy Zucchini Puff Pastry Tart
• Meatballs and Brown Gravy
• Savory Bacon Cheese and Onion Scones
• Banoffee Pie
• Chicken Salad with Costco Canned Chicken
• Classic Strawberry Jam Recipe
• Lobster Mac and Cheese Recipe
• Rhubarb Pineapple Pie
• Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
• Chicken and Green Bean Casserole 
• Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookies
• Lemon Meringue Pie
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples
• White Beans and Ham
• Colcannon
• Tuna Wiggle 
• Grilled Steak Tips with Garlic Butter
• Seville Orange Marmalade
• Jalapeno Cheddar No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
• Hearty Cheeseburger Soup

 

Read {or Listen to} 12 New Books about Maine {or written by Maine Authors}

I am currently listening to an audiobook which has promise and thumbing through Saltwater Foodways, a cookbook about New Englanders and their food. One of the cookie recipes in the books calls for 1 cup of bacon grease. Eeek! I might have to try it. 🙂 

Books about Maine {or written by Maine authors} I’ve read this year:

1. Christina Olson Her World Beyond the Canvas
2. Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life
3. Finding Freedom
4. Maine’s Favorite Birds
5. At First Light: Two Centuries of Maine Artists, Their Homes and Studios
6. Bernard Langlais at the Colby College Museum of Art
7. The 3,000 Mile Garden
8. Becoming Teddy Roosevelt 
9. Here On The Island
10. The Lobster Coast 

Audiobooks I’ve listened to {or attempted to listen to} this year: 

• The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah {I give it a 10/10}
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig {I’d give it a 7/10}
• Wintering by Katherine May {Hit the return button after 7 minutes}

Get 24 Stories Off My Phone and onto the Blog  ** SEE NEW GOAL BELOW **

Try Everything That Head Tide Oven Offers This Summer

We didn’t make it to Head Tide Oven this week {I’m waiting for the apple pies to be offered} but we did stop by the Amish lady’s house in Whitefield to buy some hand pies {which we gobbled up in the car} and a loaf of her fresh bread and some peaches. 😉

Items I’ve Tried From Head Tide Oven in Damariscotta, Maine this summer:

Breads

• Dark Rye Sourdough Bread
• Light Rye Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Kalamata Olive Bread
• Sourdough Green Olive Bread
• Sourdough Bread 
• Flat Sourdough Bread
• Baguette 
• Walnut Raisin Sourdough Bread
• Vollkornbrot Sourdough Bread

Cookies/Bars

• Raspberry Jam Bar
• Ginger Cookie x2
• Swedish Cookie
• Almond Bar 
• Anise Sesame Biscotti
• Pan Forte x2

Pies and Cakes

• Chocolate Cake with a chocolate ganache 
• Peach Pie
• Lemon Thyme Pie x2
• Blueberry Pie
• Cherry Pie
• Cherry Rhubarb Pie
• Blueberry Hand Pie
• Lemon Hand Pie

Get the Photos on My Phone Down to Less Than 1,000 {started the year with 2863 photos}

*I am down to 1252 photos! 

Clean Out My Closet

Working on it.

My House Projects For This Year

Cooler temps are FINALLY back on the horizon which means I can get back to painting the outside of the house. I pretty much melt at anything over 75 these days so it will be nice to finish up the painting outside.

After that, mid September through early October will be all about finishing up garden chores: the lasagna garden, clearing up the rest of the brush, prepping the garden for winter and planting flower bulbs. 

• Figure out new window treatments for the back of the house
• Come up with a game plan for the kitchen remodel {for 2022} 
• Paint the family room walls and trim {DONE!}
• Paint the entryway trim and doors {DONE!}
• Paint the dining room walls and trim {DONE!}
• Paint the master bedroom walls and trim {DONE!}
• Paint the barn and add a new fixture 
• Paint the hallway bathroom {DONE!}

My List of Garden Projects For This Year I want to Accomplish

I am still working on my bulb order from Van Engelen. I’m having a hard time deciding if I want to edge the walkway to the front door with mini daffodils or tulips. I’m leaning towards the delicate daffodils though as they would pop up sooner than tulips. 

The HH hasn’t built any of them yet, but that’s okay, there will be plenty of time this winter. 

Still left on the list:

• Install a simple flower bed border in front of the house {Done}
• Start a lasagna garden
• Install a boatload of birdhouses/feeders in the side yard {re-thinking this one}
• Transplant evergreen saplings to the side of property for a privacy border {fall project}
• Clean up and prune the area that faces the road {working on it}
• Install a vegetable garden {Done}
• Install a sunflower patch {decided for a row along the side of the barn instead}
• Plant 2,500 flower bulbs in the fall {Why 2,500? It seemed like a good number to start with}

Reach 10,000 Sales on Etsy {as of this morning I’ve made 8189 sales on Etsy}. Only 1811 to go! 

On Friday I added over 20 new items to my Etsy shop, including this Thanksgiving turkey rug. 🙂 I am sooooo totally looking forward to the cooler weather ahead {and staying inside all bundled up and warm by the woodstove} and working on more pieces. 

Create 12 New Rug Hooking Patterns or Kits {7 down 5 to go}

I also listed a new rug hooking kit; Tulia and Thomas Turkey, as well as the Spooky Pumpkin pattern in my Etsy shop. 

New Rug Hooking Kits or Patterns I’ve Created This Year:

• Tulia and Thomas Turkey
• Spooky Pumpkin
• Cape Cod 1829 New England Whale and Sailboat
• Nantucket Whale
• 1820 Flower Basket
• Bunny Love
• Old Mr. Squirrel

Create 12 New Ornaments for 2021 Done!

I listed a few brown chicken ornaments this week. 🙂 

2021 Ornaments I’ve Made So Far

• #1  Ladybug Heart 
• #2 Strawberry
• #3 Mr. Turkey
• #4 Whale Tails
• #5 Bee Skep
• #6 Loon
• #7 Simple White Cross
• #8 Miniature Candy Canes
• #9 Miniature Red Mittens
• #10 Sgraffito Owl
• #11 Penguin 
• #12 Pear
• #13 Brown Chicken

2021 Garlands I’ve Made So Far

• #1 Heart Garlands
• #2 Bunny Garlands
• #3 Strawberry Garlands
• #4 Whale Tail Garlands

Discover 12 Made in Maine Products and Share Them on the Blog

Part of me feels like I am slacking a little with this goal, but the other part of me knows I’m holding back a wee bit because I plan on doing a few “Maine” giveaways later this year and don’t want to spoil the surprise. 🙂 

Made in Maine Products I’ve Discovered in 2021:

• Hearth and Harrow Tea Towels in Rockport, Maine
• Royal Rose Syrups in Newcastle, Maine
• Ash Cove Pottery in Harpswell, Maine
• Uncas Farms Pure Maple Syrup

Visit 6 Lighthouses in Maine

2 down, 4 to go! 

Lighthouse adventures have been put on hold until the fall {when tourist season is over} and that’s fine by me. 🙂 

Lighthouses We’ve Visited So Far This Year:

• West Quoddy Lighthouse in Lubec, Maine
• Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol, Maine

Lighthouses I’ve Been to in Maine Before 2021:

• Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse
• Marshall Point Lighthouse
• Portland Head Light

Other places in Maine We’ve Been to This Year Are:

• Moose Crossing Garden Center Waldoboro, Maine
• Lil’s Cafe
• The Farnsworth Art Museum 
• Beth’s Farm Market
• Owl’s Head Transportation Museum 
• Owls Head General Store
• Hedgerow Market in Martinsville, Maine
• Longfellow’s Greenhouses and Nursery in Manchester, Maine
• Fresh Off The Farm in Rockport, Maine
• Wasses Hot Dogs in Rockland, Maine
• Langlais Sculpture Preserve – Cushing, Maine
• McLoons Lobster Shack

So that’s it. That’s my progress report for this past week. How about YOU? Did you make any goals for 2021? Have you checked any of them off your list yet? 

Have a great one, 

~Mavis