Z.A. Maxfield

Happily. Ever. After.

Downsizing

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As fall approaches in what could arguably be called A Most Difficult Year, I am downsizing to a new house. This is bittersweet for me because I love my old house so much. It’s the house where my kids grew up, the house that has their little handprints in the cement. There’s no real reason for me to feel so sentimental about a place, though, because I’ve lived in many houses, and if you’re lucky enough to be able to take the people you love with you, it’s all good.

My oldest son and daughter have graduated from college. Alexander lives in Escondido now–he’s healthy, happy, in a stable, long-term relationship, and has a great job. My daughter has a great job, but she prefers to live at home because she’s not stupid and rentals are ASTRONOMICAL here.

The twins are still in school so they too, still live at home. Maxfield wants to be an actuary, and Zachary is still undecided what he wants to do, but goes to school and works very hard. The important things will travel with us. Memories. Love. Laughter. Pictures. Films and DVDs of them on Christmas mornings and in talent shows.

No, it’s more that there’s another chapter of my life looming, and I’m not entirely sanguine about it–getting OLD. I feel old. Sometimes, I find myself acting old. I haven’t yet uttered the words, “‘Get off my lawn,” but I’ve been close once or twice.

To that end, I have decided to be like one of those countries in rampant inflation that simply lop off a zero from their money system. I plan to add a decade to my imaginary life span. I am downsizing in every way possible. Eating healthy. Exercising regularly. I plan to live simply, and find a way to bring health and happiness to others too, because that’s what I’ll be missing most from that middle part of my life–the chance to be the nurturer.

To be clear, my kids are in no position yet to have children, so my grandmother days are still ahead. I guess I’ll just have to look elsewhere to do good.

In the meantime:

Hawai’i Five Uh-oh will be out in November 13, 2018

Built To Love will be out in December 18, 2018

House on Fire should be ready by January 15, 2019

And stay tuned for Three Vlog Night, the third installation in the loosely related but in now way serial Plummet Series, and Hellion in the Making, part of the My Cowboy series, coming soon!

 

 

And the winners are…

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Winners of the “Ides of March” Drawing!

Congrats to Pam, Annie, and Mary, to whom I just sent copies of Marie Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up.”

It has become my passion to create a clutter-free organized, and dare I say it? Pleasant environment. I want to love where I work and cook and sleep.

We’re nowhere near that ideal yet, and, I doubt it will last, but in the meantime…

WIN THE DAY!

My Mendacious Biography…

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My bio is no longer true.

I did NOT give up housekeeping entirely to begin my writing career. It turns out–I only put it off.

My entire plan was: Once I become a bestselling author, I will have someone else clean my house.

And yay, right? I’ve sold some books. But it turns out that kids need dentistry and shoes and eventually college and I still don’t have a housekeeper.

Therefore I have been undertaking The Great Clean since the middle of last year. And no, I am not done. But I will tell you that I have decluttered the garage, the office, the kitchen, the laundry room, and my bedroom. The boys did theirs too, and I’m quite proud of them. They each have a system. We’re still a hot mess, but getting there.

I have been cleaning by location, which–DOESN’T WORK for a lot of reasons. Mostly because I have this terrible tendency to think, well, I’ll put that there, FOR NOW.

Yeah. So, then I got the book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo, and drumroll please…

It changed my life. 

Because it’s not about finding places for all the stuff you have; it’s about deciding what sparks joy and letting the rest go. It’s about knowing what’s going to be in a drawer before you open it, knowing the exact whereabouts of the thing you need and finding it and using it and thanking it and putting it back–which is so smugly woo-woo I think I threw up in my mouth a little just saying it, and yet…

Le sigh. Sometimes smugly woo-woo things work, even if you despise their very idea.

My gift to you? I will be giving away 3 copies of this book on the Ides of March. (That’s Thursday, March 15, 2018)

Just fill out the form below, and I will receive an email to let me know you want to enter the contest. You must be able to receive the book electronically from Amazon, I guess, I should mention that. I tested it, and I made it work. No newsletter signups will be involved. I hope this works everywhere you see this blog post, but if not, I won’t be offended if you sign up a couple times to make sure. It will definitely work from my website.

I’m doing this because I want you to feel the way I feel when I see the room I’m sitting in now, clothes neatly hung in the closet, floors clean, everything in it sparking joy like a badass motherf*cking, joy-sparking…joy sparker. I must pause and enjoy…

Be well, and spring forward into the best year possible. I am cheering you on!

Mocktail Mondays!

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Everybody loves a blue drink! This one is made from 3 oz. of chilled blue Hawaiian Punch, 2 oz. of chilled white cranberry juice, and seven up. Shake the Hawaiian Punch and white cranberry juice with ice in a cocktail shaker, pour into martini glass, add just a splash of seven up (so it sparkles). Garnish however you like. I prefer a cocktail sword with raspberries and a twist of lemon!

There’s always a reason to celebrate.

Of course, this mocktail will be the perfect accompaniment when you sit down to read Andi’s story, Honky Tonk Hellion, because while Andi enjoys her Fireball Whiskey, she knows that sometimes Moms have to stay on their toes.

A trip to the beach with Malcolm and Jonas calls for a pitcher of these! Andi’s story comes out TOMORROW. Grab your copy now!

Dreams or Family…?

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True Sad/Funny Story-

I will probably find myself the subject of hate mail as soon as this book comes out, because somehow, it got placed in the Christian category. I don’t know much about writing for that particular category but many, many of my friends are inspirational writers, and these books are not like theirs. So. First of all, be gentle cause it’s Andi’s story. I usually tell love stories about men, and she’s a very young, stubborn, and–some will say–spoiled woman so whooboy, this is a little different.

But second, don’t be afraid to review HTH, good or bad, on the story, because I’ll bet a lot of people who buy this book (unless we can figure out how to warn them) will be outraged if only because of the theme: “There are all kinds of awesome families.”

The Epic Saga Continues…

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I bought a vacuum cleaner as my prize for finishing my super secret project. It’s a canister vac with a HEPA filter. Part of the reason for this is–you may remember my decluttering? First we did the garage, then the office, then the kitchen?

We are not done. The first rule of declutter club is once you’ve figured out where something goes, you don’t rest until it’s there. But we were foolish, and old, and one can no longer work a twenty hour day. And now we have to regroup, rediscover what was in boxes we thought we marked, and go from there.

Unfortunately our 8-hour cleaning days (the only time we can afford to spend doing this) aren’t enough to finish a project. So there are things…making me crazy. On the other hand, we’ve unearthed closet floors we haven’t seen in ages. We’re getting a good look at what was underneath all that clutter and it’s not pretty. Why do things stick to the bottom of the game shelves? How long has that been leaking? Which long dead dog do you suppose left that half chewed rawhide bit…

It’s not like I was hoarding, or buried alive but I was living in a little bit of foolishness. That, “I’ll get around to that when I have time mindset” was taking over. Plus, nobody pays me to dust, just saying. With three kids in college last year? I was working!

My old upright vacuum, which seemed to worked for carpets, but not at all well on our wood floors, isn’t doing its job. It weighs a ton, plus, every time I vacuum I get a sinus infection.

I wanted a really expensive German deal. I got a Kenmore. I hope that people in America made it but I doubt they did. LET THAT NOT BE THE last sacrifice I make to common sense. Nobody needs an $1100.o0 vacuum cleaner. Even if it’s on sale.

So, today we will pull that out of the box. I have my eye on using it on the walls and floors and under all the furniture in our bedroom. Most people feel like doing their big cleaning in the spring, but I guess I’m kind of contrary. I want my house clean and warm and welcoming, with the fireplace going and a clean kitchen full of the vivid scents of stew and baking bread in the winter.

 

 

surprise

What she said…

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