My last goal post of 2021!!!
Stay Healthy!
This year I did all the things I was supposed to do that were in my control. I went to all the appointments, did all the check ups, and went to the vampire’s office every 6 weeks for blood draws.
I got poked and prodded and have been taking my levothyroxine everyday since they stole my thyroid. And even though my TSH levels still are not where they’re supposed to be and we haven’t gotten my dosage dialed in yet, {100, 125, 112, 100, 88, 88/100, on alternating days, 100 and now at 112} I’m hopeful it will get sorted soon.
What can I say? You can only control the things you can. And the sooner you accept that, the calmer and more easy life becomes.
Oh, and I got back to my fighting weight too. How cool is that? 🙂
Weigh What I Weighed When We Got Married {128 pounds} DONE!
Weigh-ins are the first Sunday of each month.
- My December 31st weigh in was 127.6
- My December 5th weigh in was 129.9
- My November 7th weigh in was 130.7
- 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
It was a very successful year in the keeping the HH busy department this year. My list of honey do projects was pretty big, and my favorite thing he tackled {other than putting up with me} was the hall bathroom.
The HH’s Honey Do List {so far} for 2021
He didn’t get to the stairs {but we’ll put that on the list for next year} and we decided to hold off on installing a border around the driveway until we finish the landscaping out front.
We also decided to nix the whole turn the basement into a wool dyeing studio because well, we sort of ran out of room with all the wool and rug hooking supplies and the shipping area that’s already down there.
Basically, we need a new plan. And so rather than do something we’d probably be un-doing in a year or two, we are going to have to re-think the whole “studio space” idea.
This year’s honey do list:
- Build a new set of stairs down to the water. The old set… it’s not exactly useable.
Pull up floating dock and ramp{Done!}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{Done!}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
The most exciting thing we bought in 2021 was the dinghy.
We used it this past summer on ice cream and mail runs, for afternoon cruises and to buy lobsters off the dock from the locals.
Plus, we were able to explore a ton of new areas, places we would have never been able to see from the road. It was a fun purchase and worth every penny in it’s entertainment value.
I think the only thing I was a little disappointed that we didn’t buy, was a new washer and dryer set. Ours still works fine, and even though it’s insanely small I suppose waiting a little while longer until we find exactly what we’re looking for isn’t going to really matter in the long run.
A dinghyClothesline- Archery Set {We tried archery, and decided it wasn’t something we wanted to invest in after all}
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} DONE!
Another big accomplishment this year was unplugging.
I ditched Facebook {a total time suck} and getting rid of Amazon Prime was not only a HUGE money saver {I only made a handful of purchases from Amazon this year and almost all were business related} but a time saver as well.
When you’re not constantly looking for deals {or buying stuff} it’s amazing how quickly you realize you DIDN’T REALLY NEED IT in the first place.
- 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 $69.99 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!
I’ve shared 37 new recipes this year, including one for hearty cheeseburger soup. It was way more than I had planned on trying, but with so many places opening up late or closing early this year, it was a great year to try new recipes.
New recipes I’ve made this year:
- Steak and Potato Soup
- Cinnamon Peach Crisp
- The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Rocky Road Brownies
- Smooth and Creamy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Ham and Potato Puff Pastry Tart
- Peaches and Cream Cheese Puff Pastry
- Cranberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- 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
- Chicken and Roasted Butternut Casserole
- 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
- Roasted Potatoes with Sausage
- Grilled Steak Tips with Garlic Butter
- Seville Orange Marmalade
- Jalapeno Cheddar No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
- Hearty Cheeseburger Soup
- Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots
Read {or Listen to} 12 New Books about Maine {or written by Maine Authors} DONE!
My favorite book of the year was The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah.
Books I’ve Enjoyed This Year:
- American Country South by Mary Emmerling
- Remodelista by Julie Carlson
- The New England Colonial
- 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
- Christina’s World
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}
- The King’s Speech by Mark Logue
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} DONE!
I ended the year with just 897 photos on my phone and exactly ZERO that I felt the need to print out. 🙂 HA HA HA. And of those 897 remaining, I’d say 2/3rd of them are of Miss Lucy.
Clean Out My Closet DONE!
This was probably the most boring goal on my list this year because I basically were the same clothes {dark jeans, GAP long sleeve t-shirt} every single day.
But, in the end I did get rid of 12 pieces of clothing that I no longer wore {mostly stripes and plaids and one ugly pullover that I didn’t really like to begin with} so it was a success.
My House Projects For This Year
It was a great year in the house project department, even if I never did figure out a better solution than the dumb blinds we {still} have hanging on the back windows. Who knows, maybe it will come to me once we get the kitchen remodeled.
I painted inside, I painted outside, I painted a barn, a picket fence, 3 sides of our house and more doors and trim work than I care to remember.
And believe it or not… there are STILL rooms to paint! 😉
- Figure out new window treatments for the back of the house
Come up with a game plan for the kitchen remodel{for 2022} {Done!}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
Hands down the best garden project this year was installing the little kitchen garden in front of our house. I absolutely LOVE it’s size and that Lucy can roam freely around it.
Still left on the list:
Install a simple flower bed border in front of the house{Done}Start a lasagna gardenInstallMake a boatload of birdhouses/feeders in the side yard {I settled for 2, Done}Transplant evergreen saplings to the side of property for a privacy border{Done}Clean up and prune the area that faces the road{Done}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{Done}
Reach 10,000 Sales on Etsy {as of this morning I’ve made 9434 sales on Etsy}.
On January 1st of this year I had racked up 5918 of all time sales on Etsy and by the end of the year {this morning} I reached 9434 all time sales on Esty for a grand total of 3,516 sales this year.
Not to shabby!
And while I didn’t meet my goal of 10,000 sales, I did increase my Etsy revenue by 20% year over year and so if you ask me, this past year was a HUGE success.
Create 12 New Rug Hooking Patterns or Kits {15 so far this year!} DONE!
I created 15 new rug hooking patterns and kits, and had a blast doing so!
New Rug Hooking Kits or Patterns I’ve Created This Year:
- The Pumpkin Ladye & Her Deare Companion
- Olde Heritage Turkey
- October Stroll
- Double Olde Salem Cats Runner
- Olde Salem Cat
- Olde Winter Woodstock
- 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
- When Snowflakes Fall
- Winter Woodland Friends.
Create 12 New Ornaments for 2021 Done!
I was also able to add 15 new ornaments to the ornament section of my Etsy shop this year {the loon was my favorite}.
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
- #14 Angels
- #15 Simple White Trees
2021 Garlands I’ve Made So Far
Discover 12 Made in Maine Products and Share Them on the Blog DONE!
Made in Maine Products I’ve Discovered in 2021: {My favorite was the little Dinghy from Ash Cove Pottery}
- Maine Made Wood Bowls Bags
- Casco Bay Soap Company
- Seawicks Candle Company
- 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
- Maine Rope Mats
- Raye’s Mustard in Eastport, Maine
- Maine Grains
- Port City Pretzels
- Sew Fetch Dog Company
Visit 6 Lighthouses in Maine
4 down, 2 to go! DONE!
I still need to tell you about the 2 new lighthouses we visited!
Lighthouses We’ve Visited So Far This Year:
- Dyce Head Lighthouse in Castine, Maine
- Fort Point Lighthouse in Stockton Springs, Maine
- 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 – Cushing, Maine
- McLoons Lobster Shack
So that’s it. It was a great year for making goals and hitting targets.
How did YOU do this year? Did you accomplish all those goals you were were hoping to in 2021? Have some near misses? Ditch something a month into the New Year?
And what will you be doing to keep yourself on track for next year? We want to know. 🙂
~Mavis
Deborah says
What a busy year! expect a 6-8 month wait when ordering the washer & dryer thats what my wait was anyway.
Happy New Year
D
Pj says
I love reading your goals and progress every week. I on the other hand, made a mental 2022 list of things that need to be accomplished. Then I found my 2019 list, which had many of the same items on it. I had a good chuckle over that, then noticed I had accomplished two of the items from 2019 by the end of 2021 and felt good for having done so.
Danielle says
It’s always a joy to watch your goals get ticked off one by one. Thanks for taking us along in the journey!
Diana says
Happy New Year, Mavis. Looking forward to your goals and posts for next year.
I wish you and your family a HEALTHY, prosperous and fun filled new year.
Joely says
Congratulations on completing your goals. I get a success by association feeling after reading them! Thanks for the motivation. Happy 2022!
Jennifer says
Great job on your goals! I didn’t really set anything specific so I plan to do better this year. #1 is taking care of my health and I do have an appt for the GYN for the first time in 16 years after a trip to the ER with some issues. #2 is figure out a plan for saving the money to pay the bulk of having 3 kids in college next year.
Catherine says
I was never able to get regulated on the generic thyroid medication so I ended up using the name brand, Synthroid and have been stable for several years. Of course Medicare doesn’t cover it, but you can get it from the manufacture through Eagle Pharmacy for $25 a month. Something to keep in the back of your mind. Thank you for the update on your goals this year. Congratulations!
Sue says
Happy New Year!
I take that same med every morn for Thyroid.
I’v had surgery twice, not complaining doing great!
Your goals are the greatest, your a Super go getter.
Waiting for the new plan tomorrow.
tia in boise says
Mind
Say what you mean; mean what you say–I think I have improved in speaking my mind, but this will be something I continue to strive for!
Read 50 books–I completed the 50 books for my library’s challenge and read at least 7 more than that. Looking forward to next year’s book challenge and trying to complete (overlapping wherever possible) a challenge for my library and my school district.
Spirit
Plan one fun outing a month–This was meant to get me out more with friends. (Continues to be a struggle with Covid, though.) I didn’t get out each month (mmmmm…maybe I did….) Mostly went on walks with friends–but got out for at least 16 meet-ups with friends!
Have one date a month with DH–This one didn’t go as well–but it has made me realize that our dating life used to be based on going out to eat and going to the movies. It’s easier to find things to do in the spring, summer, and early fall….but we got out at least 8 times this year. This will be a continued goal (even if not a hard-and-fast written one).
Work
Work 1 hour/day to plan, prep, grade–totally forgot this was a goal! This was a tough first semester with my teaching partner out for most of it, so I’ll cut myself some slack on this one. Will redo this goal for next year.
Home
Put away the thing–NOW–been getting better at this!
Complete 1 cleaning/organizing project/month–oops, only did 3 projects, stopping back in March.
Create and implement cleaning schedule–2 years running this hasn’t happened. Getting the sense that house projects are NOT my thing?
Try out 1 new recipe/month–I wrote down 7 recipes I tried (including cooking a turkey for the first time ever!), but I’m pretty sure I actually made at least 9 new things…
Decrease credit card debt (1) by 33.3%–Very excited to say that THIS goal was accomplished! I will work to pay off half of it (which would be another 1/3) next year–while keeping the amount owed on the 2nd card from increasing, as well. Within 5 years, I hope to be out of credit card debt! (I could probably do this sooner, but I like to have a bit in savings for emergencies…)
Health
Lose 20 pounds–Well, this did NOT happen. I did lose the 5 pounds I had gained back after losing 20 the year before…I haven’t stepped on a scale since before Thanksgiving, so it may be ugly.
Always have water–Did well with this for the first half of the year, but not so much during this first part of school year. Need to make a concerted effort
Run a 5k, 10k, half, and marathon–Did it! Participated in several (virtual) 5ks, a few 10ks, one half (in May) and a marathon that I set up myself at a local park–had many friends/family/colleagues come out and cheer me on–even a few ran a couple miles with me. Pumped to have completed this goal–will never do a marathon again.
Track daily exercise–I thought both of these goals would be fun to do so I could see how many days in a row I could check off and be motivated by not wanting to break a streak–turns out I don’t like to mark things off on a daily basis (when I have to sort through a logbook to find a page–even when I have pretty markers to use). I did a great job of running in the snow and ice last winter and the heat of the summer–not quite sure what happened the last few weeks….
Track desserts–see above
Not a goal, but something I do every year: track found money–the average is between $7 and $8. This year I wrecked the average by finding a 20 dollar bill (in a parking lot–where I find most of the money). I end the year with having found $27.08!
I’m still working on goals for next year–I’d like to have fewer and more interesting/fun and some that are one-and-done….
J in OH-IO says
Tia,
Way to go on your goals! Fun goal of finding money! $$ Cool that you keep track of it! Way to crush your reading book goals, running goals, and decreasing debt goals!
Mavis, Way to go on your goals – what a wonderful year of accomplishments! You are super, super motivating and so much fun to read about your adventures, projects, and goals! Thankful for your blog, all the people who post, and the great community here. Happy, Healthy New Year, Everybody~ Many blessings and joy to you all!
Tammy says
You’ve gotten a lot accomplished this year! These posts are my favorite that you do, and I kept waiting for this last one! I thought I missed it on Sunday.
Clara E Yori says
Before I even read the rest of your post I HAVE to say read Stop The Thyroid Madness. Book, website, and a separate FB group called Adrenal Fatigue and Thyroid Care. I can already tell from your experience that that doctor is not going to get you feeling better! Doctors who chase TSH are useless. TSH is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, it doesn’t tell you anything about what’s circulating in your body for use. Also, you don’t have a Thyroid so why would your body need to stimulate anything. You need a full replacement dose of meds, including T3 meds, NOT just levothyroxine (T4). Phew. That was the least I could say while getting my point across, but I could go on for a while. I care!
Jeanie says
I had thyroid cancer and had my thyroid and parathyroids removed seventeen years ago. I have never been able to take the generic thyroid medicine. The only medicine that would work for me and keep me stable was the formulary Synthroid. It’s expensive but Good RX and shopping around helps.
Good luck!
LaToya says
I can’t believe you hit your weight loss goal the last week of the year! I was like no way, Christmas, there’s no way she’s going to do it. WOW! – congrats!
BTW I’m 17-years post thyroid cancer/surgery and still have some blips with the levothyroxine. Weight effects it too. Meh.
Marcia says
You did great! Losing 13 lbs in a year is no small feat! Plus all those house projects. I’m truly impressed.
I didn’t have goals, but I kept the kids alive, didn’t gain weight, read 51 books and ran 532 miles.
Tina Parham says
Hello Mavis,
I’ve been following you for years and still enjoy seeing your post so very much. Thank you!
When I was 29 yrs old I was diagnosed with Graves Disease. I’m now almost 55 yrs young.
I was forced to go the radio active iodine route to remove my thyroid due my allergy to beta blockers and my endocrinologist’s fear of me bleeding to death on the operating table to remove my thyroid. Go figure..lol.
In my almost 26 years of dealing with no thyroid I have found the best thyroid medicine to keep myself as balanced as possible has been Armour Thyroid. Yes, it is dehydrated pig thyroid but I’ve tried both the name brand and the synthetic, neither of which could keep my numbers consistent.
Just wanted to share this little bit in hopes it might help.
Also, random question, which audio book app do you use?
Happy New Year and may 2022 be better than all the previous years!
Mavis Butterfield says
I’m old school and listen to audiobooks on cd’s these days. 🙂