One Hundred Dollars a Month

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” ~ Oprah Winfrey 

My goals for 2018

Goal #1 – Write Like No One is Reading.

“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” ~  Barbara Kingsolver

Goal #2 – Slow Down

Darrrrrling, the blooms are amazing these days. Yesterday I picked a nice big bouquet of lilacs {so far I’ve counted 4 different varieties on the property} and double bridal wreath spirea and now our kitchen area smells like a floral shop. Holy cow lilacs are overpowering.

Maybe one of my new goals should be to see if I can create a fresh bouquet of flowers for the kitchen table each week. That would be fun.

Goal #3 – Shop Small

We went to Wisacsset, Maine to eat at a lobster shack so the HH could get his seafood fix as well as visit 2 local stove shops to check out different models and get prices on Jotul wood stoves. We didn’t buy a stove though. Because you know, I’m sure my husband will have to research them for another 4 months before he orders one and then at the last minute he will choose something else. Not that I can see into the future or anything…. But you know, husbands can be funny like that.

Goal # 4 – Have a Designated Meal Prep Day Eh, It’s Not For Us

I threw in the towel early on this one. Meal prep, and cooking in mass quantities is just not for my family at this stage in our lives.

Goal #5 – Install a Vegetable Garden

The peppers are in and the zucchini seeds will be planted this afternoon. I would have thought it was too early to set out peppers but since they’ve been hardening off on the back porch for the past 2 weeks, and not a single plant keeled over, I guess it was time. I did buy a giant package of fabric row covering just in case though.

Goal #6 – Clear Land for a Chicken Coop and Future Raised Garden Bed Area 

I moved the chicken coop yesterday to make room for the peppers, and I’ll probably be moving it again in another week when the sweet potato slips arrive. It’s hard to see but the HH has been working on thinning out the wooded area behind the fence so the vegetable garden area can get some more sunshine.

The goal is to clear the land about 20 feet back from the fence line this summer so we can install a proper chicken yard/coop and expand the {vegetable} garden area. Flower, tree and shrub wise, other than a few boxwoods at the front of the house and a handful of fruit trees, I can’t imagine needing to buy anything else for our yard. In fact, I’m trying to thin out the plantings along the back of the property and hope to have a more “formal” vegetable plot by the end of the summer. Luckily I’ve got my friend Heather to pass the plantings on to.

Lucy’s babies have been living outside in their little Eglu coop since they’ve been 4 weeks old and are having a good old time scratching and pecking for their food. I throw a worm or two in around lunchtime everyday and it’s fun to watch them go after it.

The coop and it’s 6 foot run is designed to hold 4 full grown chickens {16 weeks old} but for now, it’s just the right size to keep the 5 1/2 week old babies warm at night {the coop is filled with pine shavings and straw}. If it was any bigger, I don’t think I would have been able to keep them outside without some sort of warming lamp in the evenings.

Goal #7 – Grow 500 Pounds of Vegetables

I’d say we have about 30% of the future corn/squash/dried bean patch cleared. Some days I feel like battling the thorny blackberry bushes, and other days I find other patches of garden to work on. The goal is to get this area cleared, composted and tilled by June 1st. So ya know, I better get crackin’ if it’s going to be ready in time.

Goal #8 – Hook 100 Rugs

This week I finished a chicken pillow which means I have 56 rugs left to hook until I can check this goal off my list for the year. This past week in the evenings I worked on bouquets of hooked flowers, a few whale pieces my big double trouble chicken rug {because really, why would I start and finish one project at a time? Who does that?}. I added a bunch of goodies to my Etsy shop at the first of the month and I’ve decided that going forward, I’ll be updating my shop the first weekend of each month to help simplify things around here.

Goal #9 – Make a Set of Dolls

I plan to make a set {or two} of primitive dolls later this year after the garden has been put to bed.  The dolls above are ones I made The Girl about 20 years ago…. without a pattern. I think it will be fun to see what I can come up with after a 20 years hiatus from doll making.

Goal #10 – Make a Sampler, Frame it and Hang it on the Wall Done!

Goal #11 – Visit 22 Bakeries

I’ll have a new bakery to share with you on Tuesday!

Goal #12 – Start a Collection

Linda from Upstate New York sent me a beautiful antique wooden butter mold {I think it’s an olive} and some Greek sweet red squash seeds to start my collection. I highly doubt I’ll find any molds at the local thrift shops but I’m hoping to come across a few during the fall and winter months when things slow down around here and we go antiquing to get out of the house.

Goal #13 – Read {or listen to} 26 Books

I LOVE audiobooks!  I’m still finishing up ‘Tis by Frank McCourt and up next is Sister’s First. I’ve had to wait nearly 3 months for Sister’s First so I hope it’s good.

Goal #14 – Try 12 New Canning Recipes

The lilac blooms are finally ready and I am looking forward to trying out Susan’s Lilac Jelly recipe this afternoon.

Goal #15 – Secret {for now} Holiday Project

I’m hoping I’ve only got 3 weeks to go before my “secret” project arrives. Yeeeeee! I am so excited about this one!

How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2018? How are they coming along?

~Mavis

Read About My 2018 Goals HERE.