Stay Healthy!
I went on what was supposed to be a half mile hike {that ended up being more like 3 miles} so I think that totally counts as exercising for the whole week. Hiking is totally different from walking, that’s for sure. š
Weigh What I Weighed When We Got Married {128 pounds}
Weigh-ins are the first Sunday of each month.
- My October 3rd weigh in was 131.5
- My September 5th weigh in was 131.4
- 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
This past week the HH reseeded the area where he removed 2 trees and cleared a large section of brush along the side of the kitchen garden and house. Next year the plan is to mulch the area heavily and plant sunflowers for the bees.
We never really figure out what the previous owners had planted in that spot {alongside the house}, but we know we don’t want it growing there again so I’m glad the HH removed it.
The HH’s Honey Do List {so far} for 2021
All that’s left on the HH’s original honey do list of the year are all things I don’t think he’s going to get to this year {except maybe the birdhouses}. Not because he doesn’t have the time, but because he was so busy with other projects this year that just seemed to pop up and were more of a priority for us this year.
Some years are like that. Ad you just have to go with the flow.
- 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
We stopped by Home Depot to look at washer and dryers again, but didn’t see anything spectacular. I need to find a place that sells Speed Queen washer and dryers so we can go in and take a look at them.
A dinghyClothesline- Archery Set {every camp should have archery!}
Kitchen table and chairsSideboardBench 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 is cool….
I spent more time working in the garden or rug hooking this week that I did looking at a screen. It was pretty rad. And I highly recommend it. So what if it takes me a little longer to reply to emails. Remember when we didn’t even have emails, or texting? It makes me wonder how much more productive {and happier} we probably were.
- 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} DONE!
This week I posted a recipe for baked potato casserole with bacon and chives. Make it as a side dish or the main meal. Just make it!
I have shared 29 new recipes this year! Wahoo.
New recipes I’ve made this year:
- Steak and Potato Soup
- Cinnamon Peach Crisp
- The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Smooth and Creamy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Ham and Potato Puff Pastry Tart
- Chicken Noodle Soup made with Costco Canned Chicken
- Pickled Red Onions
- Savory Tomato Jam
- Chicken Enchiladas with Costco Canned Chicken
- Baked Potato Casserole with Bacon and Chives
- 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 had my driver take me to a garage sale on Saturday and found 4 new hardcover books {$1 each!} for my winter reading:
- American Country South by Mary Emmerling
- Remodelista by Julie Carlson
- The New England Colonial by
- Living the Country Life by Better Homes and Gardens
Books about Maine {or written by Maine authors} I’ve read this year:
- Christina Olson Her World Beyond the Canvas
- Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life
- Finding Freedom
- Maine’s Favorite Birds
- At First Light: Two Centuries of Maine Artists, Their Homes and Studios
- Bernard Langlais at the Colby College Museum of Art
- The 3,000 Mile Garden
- Becoming Teddy Roosevelt
- Here On The Island
- The Lobster Coast
- A Small Farm in Maine
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 Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy {9.5/10}
- 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
Head Tide Oven is closed for the season but my adventures there were fun while they lasted.
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}
At the yard sale I also picked up a {not so} chocolate bunny, and 2 party trays all for $2 each and a little bag of eggs for $1.
A nice gathering basket for $5.
And a wire wall hanging basket for $3 {which will be lovely in the garden with flowers overflowing from it next summer}.
*I currently have 1282 photos on my phone.
Clean Out My Closet
The LL Bean catalog came in the mail last week and I thought this navy puffer vest was pretty cute and kind of retro. I’m not sure if I’m a vest person though. I don’t think I’ve over owned one as an adult. Wouldn’t my arms get cold? Would the heat from my core keep the rest of me warm enough?
Where would I even where a vest? I hardly ever even leave the house. Being a semi hermit has it’s perks. And having to buy less clothes is one of them.
My House Projects For This Year
My main project for the year {the garden} is nearly wrapped up. So now I guess it’s time to hone in on the plans for the kitchen remodel and figure out the window treatment situation.
- Figure out new window treatments for the back of the house
- Come up with a game plan for the kitchen remodel {for 2022} {working on it!}
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 barnand add a new fixturePaint the hallway bathroom{DONE!}
My List of Garden Projects For This Year I want to Accomplish
The garlic has been planted, {most of} the brush has been cleared and so now I just have to wait for my bulb order to arrive and to pick the last 2 butternuts in the garden.
I think Tuesday might be picking day because according to the forecast, Tuesday night the temps are supposed to dip down to 37 degrees.
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{Done}- 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
Reach 10,000 Sales on Etsy {as of this morning I’ve made 8591 sales on Etsy}. Only 1409 to go.
That means I’ll have to sell 18.54 items a day until the end of the year to hit my goal. I believe in miracles. š Later today I’ll be listing some wool bundles, and in a day or two, releasing a new pattern. Wahoo!
Create 12 New Rug Hooking Patterns or Kits {11 down 1 to go}
Last week I released 3 new rug hooking patterns {and rug hooking kits} on Etsy.
I am so excited about these latest designs as I have recently teamed up with Vermont Folk Artist Doreen Frost and will be bringing her beautiful artwork to life in a new series of finished rugs, patterns and rug hooking kits this winter.
New Rug Hooking Kits or Patterns I’ve Created This Year:
- October Stroll
- Double Olde Salem Cats Runner
- Olde Salem Cat
- Betty’s Big Chicken
- 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!
The ornament section of my Etsy shop is fully stocked and ready for the holiday rush.
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
Discover 12 Made in Maine Products and Share Them on the Blog
I have discovered several more Maine products this year but since I plan on doing a few “Maine” giveaways later this year I don’t want to spoil the surprise so I’ll wait and share them then.
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
4 down, 2 to go!
Lighthouses We’ve Visited So Far This Year:
- Southern Island Light in Tenants Harbor, Maine
- Doubling Point Lighthouse in Arrowsic, Maine
- West Quoddy Lighthouse in Lubec, Maine
- Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol, Maine
Lighthouses I’ve Been to in Maine Before 2021:
Other places in Maine We’ve Been to This Year Are:
- Moose Crossing Garden Center Waldoboro, Maine
- Lil’s Cafe
- The Farnsworth Art Museum
- Moody’s Diner in Waldoboro, Maine
- 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 ā 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
Jo says
It might be worthwhile to read the Wirecutter article on Speed Queen. We bought a set before reading this article and were baffled by how our clothing was never clean after washing. We spent months experimenting with soap, the controls, the content of the loadā¦we gave up. Expensive mistake.
Rita says
We love our top loading Speed Queen washer! No issues at all! And the best part is the the heavy duty (longest load) setting only takes 33 minutes from start to finish! Would definitely buy it again. Like you all…we’re waiting for our old dryer to die before we up grade to a Speed Queen.
Nancy Settel says
first off I ADORE your rugs. I used to do folk art shows and oh my these would have sold out right away “back in the day” (but you would have to leave the house to do them. LOL.) Anyway about the vest. I have probably 5 of them there seemed to be a time when I kept buying them. Do I wear them? No because my arms freeze. I guess if you had a really heavy sweater underneath or a heavy sweatshirt on top it would work, but I do love the look. Also trying to clear out cloths that I don’t use.
MamaHen says
I finally got my big shopping trip done. Six stores in one day. I’m beat. But I should not have to go to the grocery store for a loonnnng time. I got the cold stuff put up yesterday and today I’ll do the pantry items. Then divide the meats up and I’ll be done. I hope. š
Diane says
I love my down vest! When working outside I appreciate having unrestricted movement in my shoulders. So many times during the year, layering is the way to go for me.
I like the one you picked. The first thing I thought of, is that it would be great to wear walking my dogs, especially during dawn or dusk. This one has added visibility aspects without being obnoxious.
Have a Great Week!
tia in boise says
About to cross a BIG GOAL off my list!
One of my goals for the year was to run a 5k (done several), a 10k (had never run one–too long–“accidentally” did THREE, a half-marathon (completed in May), and a marathon. That goal sound familiar? *FWIW: these have all been virtual.
I’ll be ticking off the marathon on Friday (after student/parent conferences Wednesday evening and all day/night Thursday). I think the timing will be perfect–I’ll have the entire weekend to recover–the athletic complex should be mostly people/dog-free during the work day, the temp will be 70–not too cold or hot….I haven’t trained properly, but I’m excited to get it over with!
Kathy says
I have had a top loading Speed Queen washer for several years and I am happy with it. I always think vests look cute but I donāt wear them as my arms are always cold.
Pj Truman says
I LOVE October Stroll! ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø Iād love to see it done in a midnight blue background with the sun as a moon. Simply Gorgeous!
Julie says
I love a vest!!! I have a The North Face black one that I wear all fall and winter. If it’s not too cold, I wear it as outerwear. I also wear it inside when it’s really cold (we keep our heat pretty low). Very versatile, get it!!
Jennifer says
I wear vests inside as an extra layer. My arms are too cold to wear them outside.
Mel says
I have one vest that I really love but don’t wear too often. The weather has to be just right. I think they’re best for outdoor activities where you’re moving around enough to keep your arms warm but still benefit from an extra layer.
I’ve been slowly getting back to my original goals for this year, so the past week I did better with eating veggies, got in two runs, and caught up on my cleaning schedule. Oddly, getting stocked up on freezer meals seems to be the thing that really made the other stuff possible because I can spend more time making veggie side dishes if the entree is done, can spend more time running if I don’t have to grocery shop and cook, etc.
Gigi says
What an interesting observation. It seems like the freezer meals can be the hardest to achieve and yet it makes the rest of life easier.
Mel says
I know! I kind of knew that in the back of my mind, but it’s been two years since I’ve stocked our freezer since pandemic shopping and work from home changed our setup, so I’d sort of forgotten. Normally it’s not hard to get it stocked, but I did it while working full time since I wasn’t off for the summer, so it took me a bit longer. Really does make life easier though.
LaToya says
My work gives us a (monogrammed) fleece vest every year and I rarely wear it. It serves no purpose. I feel like it’s just for style really. Occasionally, when it’s cold enough, I’ll wear a long sleeve turtleneck (or mock) with it and it looks cute enough. But it surely doesn’t keep me warm. I think they’re lame – lol – more like a clothing accessory.
Gigi says
You must work with mostly men. Iāve heard physiologically, men have a cold torso and more blood is pumped to their appendages. Whereas womenās bodies conserve heat in their torsos for child bearing and therefore their appendages are colder. Thatās certainly true for me.
Becka says
I’ve had a top loading Speed Queen for several years now and have really enjoyed it. I did learn that if the power flickers or goes out you have to unplug it and then plug it in a few minutes later because it’s computerized.
Sue in SoCal says
I really love vests. Don’t know why I don’t wear them more. My arms don’t get cold, but I suppose it depends on where you live. My winters don’t compare to yours.
Hail says
I love vests and have several. Keeping my core body warm means my arms are also warm (unless itās very cold) and I have more unrestricted arm movement. If I need a heavier coat, I can wear it over the vest.
Heather says
Good luck with the speed queen, I’ve been looking too. They make them about an hour from me and they are out everywhere. My washer is broken so I’m doing laundry for 6 by hand. How fun is that!
Mavis Butterfield says
Not fun at all! š
Christie says
Iām pretty sure SpeedQueen isnāt sold in the big chains like Loweās & Home Depot. You can go to their website and put in your zip code and it will tell you the closest appliance store that carries their product.