Get Back To The Basics + Learning to Unplug
It was another fantastic week in the unglugged department.
I painted, I hooked, I gardened and all without any background noise. It was lovely. I’m going to miss hanging out in the barn once the weather turns. It’s been a good, productive summer.
P.S. The birds. They love us. 🙂 The HH is going to have to build them some winter housing.
In The Kitchen
We’ve been pretty much eating the same things every single day for the past month. Cheese, fruit, vegetables and sometimes bacon. Keep it simple. That’s my motto.
Kitchen Goals For This Year
- Master the pear frangipane tart from Standard Baking Company.
- Put my Weck jars to use. Working on it!!
- Use two bins of beans {Working on it}
Rug Hooking
I mad a few more pieces and listed them on Etsy last night. I am officially on turkey mode now. Gobble Gobble.
Rug Hooking Goals For This Year
Finish drawing out all my patterns, making kits, dyeing wool by March 31st.- Release 10 new rug hooking patterns/kits. {4 down 6 to go}
- Hook 27 of the patterns from the “someday I’ll hook these” bin. {12 down 15 to go}
Go New Places – See New Things
I told the HH that I want to go to P.E.I. and Nova Scotia this fall. According to all of you, it’s the best time of year to go. Plus, I really want to see the Maud Lewis house at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
If we did that, we could also check out some new parts of Maine and I could get both my travel goals checked off my list for this year. Sounds like a solid plan if you ask me.
Travel Goals For This Year
- Travel someplace {internationally} that I’ve never been before.
- Travel somewhere in Maine {overnight} that I haven’t been before.
Places I’ve Been So Far This Year
- Boston {Birthday getaway}
- NYC {Girls getaway}
- John Mellencamp Concert + Stockbridge, MA
Walk And Stretch More
We walked, we stretched but apparently not enough because I keep getting cramps in my right leg that wake me up in the middle of the night. I drink lots of water, eat the right fruits and vegetables, use a heating pad etc.
P.S. I’m almost ready for a new pair of sneakers. I’ll probably get another pair of Altra shoes because they fit the best. I just wish they had better color choices.
Walking/Stretching Goals For This Year
- Get into some sort of stretching routine
- Fast walk a 5K, 10K, and
Half Marathon
Garden
We’re knee deep in tomato season over here. We are getting this amount of tomatoes every couple of days. It’s bonkers. But kind of cool, too.
Garden Goals For This Year
Rework the driveway and garden areas{DONE!}Go crazy and plant a ridiculous amount of flowers{DONE!}Step out of my comfort zone and plant some flowers I’ve never planted before{DONE!}
Paint
And last but not least, the HH mentioned sanding the rest of the floors at Bird Cottage for his September project. Oh boy. That’s going to take some effort because he’ll also have to sand stairs.
All I can say is THANK GOODNESS sanding the floor isn’t my “department”. I think I would rather eat snails. Okay, so probably not. I’d choose sanding stairs over eating snails. But still. No thanks.
Hey! It’s Monday. I hope you have a great one.
~Mavis
Painting Goals For This Year
- The Van Gogh wall
- The gallery wall down stairs
- The captains wall in the hall
- Trim and walls
Juliep says
Tomatoes, great isn’t it, we are picking about the same amount selling some on the stall, giving bags away to friends, eating loads and preserving the rest! I’ll be sad when we have to buy fresh tomatoes from the store again. Your goals are going well and Nova Scotia is somewhere I’d like to see but getting my DH on an aeroplane is unlikely. He doesn’t mind where we go if he can drive there. The sanded and non sanded floor what a difference, we got a man in to do ours 20+ years after we had it laid and sanded it ourselves. It was a chore. We were pleased with what the guy did. He trained sanding ballroom dance floors in the uk and on cruise ships. His work was beyond stellar! So I’m with you, I’m never sanding floors again eurgh! You have a good day too 🙂
Tracy says
If you are having cramps at night you may be low on Magnesium. My husband used to get cramps a lot at night and I had him start taking Magnesium supplements. He still occasionally gets them but it is much better. You can also get topical sprays to help with the cramps in the moment.
Tracie H says
I came here to say the same thing. I take a supplement. I’ve also heard good things about magnesium lotion, but I’ve never tried it.
Barb says
Magnesium lotion or spray at bedtime, or a bath with magnesium flakes. Can also take a swig or two of pickle juice when you get the cramp.
Cindy R says
A teaspoon of mustard or a sip of pickle juice helps with the muscle cramps.
Em says
You move so much in the day, please add on the To Do list:
Stretch legs including calves morning and night-
(Speaking from experience)
Deb from Ohio says
Wow your tomatoes look delicious! Ours aren’t doing the best, prob too much rain. I was going to mention magnesium also for the leg cramps. BTW, I tried the Duke’s mayonnaise, it’s a winner!!
Pam says
I used to get cramps at night when we stayed at my sister in laws to take care of of grandma, while they went on vacation. They had all hardwood floors, me barefoot. When you get one go eat a spoonful of yellow mustard, I swear it works!
Michelle says
One more comment on leg cramps – I was having terrible foot and leg cramps at night and I tried taking a magnesium supplement but for some reason I didn’t tolerate it very well. My doctor said to try taking Pedialyte. It worked! You can get little powder packets online. I used one a day for a while and then backed off to half a packet a few times a week.
Susan Williams says
Add a pinch of sea salt or mineral salt to a glass of water to add some sodium (electrolyte) which may help with the cramping. We can drink a ton of water, but without balanced minerals, it’s not as hydrating as it could be! I’ve also heard magnesium is helpful too.
Also, yellow mustard when you cramp will instantly stop it. My whole hiking group all carry mustard packets in our backpacks.
Peg says
Altra is my favorite too. Hoka is a hard no, especially after seeing first hand how it has altered my husband’s gait. He has some substantial mobility and balance issues, so I’m concerned how they may contribute to a fall.
Lynn says
I agree with the comments about magnesium. I was getting cramps in the arches of my feet every night. My podiatrist told me to take magnesium and, specifically, magnesium glycinate. Cramps completely vanished! p.s. love the bat rug!
Melinda says
I do extra leg stretches right before bed, and anytime I get up in the middle of the night. Just a quick calf stretch. I also keep magnesium lotion on my nightstand for any cramps that do happen, or if my calf muscles feel twitchy before bed.
Carla says
I love hearing all the comments about the leg cramps. I came on to say I was told that a calcium deficiency can be responsible for the cramps too. I drink a ton of milk, and I can always tell when I’m a little low as I get leg cramps!
sandy says
You guys are wonderful! I love all of the leg cramp solutions. I am going to pack mustard and spray magnesium in my pack for UK! Thanks kids!
Mavis Butterfield says
Where are you going Sandy? Curious minds want to know.
Annette says
What’s the long cracker and smear next to your avocado?
Mavis Butterfield says
Fire Hook crackers. The best! https://firehook.com/collections
Cathy says
I was a volleyball coach for twenty years and doctors always told us cramps were caused by a lack of sodium. Cramps happen especially when you sweat a lot. Add some salt to your diet and the cramps should stop. Some energy drinks also contain a lot of sodium so they could help too.
Linda from Florida says
What are you doing with all those tomatoes? Between those & all the beautiful flowers you are growing right now, you should be able to fill your roadside cart! Too hot for tomatoes here right now, waiting til mid Sept to begin again.
Katherine says
Potassium for the leg cramps.
Cute birds but you might want to ID them. They look like house sparrows, and they are an invasive species that kills our native birds.
Julie says
Ok……leg cramps…. I agree with all of the above, but you might want to try a bar of soap under your sheet, down near your legs…. My mother absolutely is cured when she has it there…. And I have heard of others with the same result! Let us know if you try it…and if it works!!