Life is a Beautiful Journey

I am sitting here in NC as my mom is healing from back surgery. The boys, my husband and the lovely Miss Bear have come to keep her company. 

We come in and out heading for exercising, retreating back in to sit around the table, gathering around to talk and eat.

My parents -I should include are suffering a bit at meals, they don't know what to make of all these vegetables, strange grains and lots of fish. My mother has announced she needs real food. She wants a piece of meat attached to a bone to gnaw on. Me- I just don't get how they have made no move towards eating well and exercising. It is hard to watch their bodies deteriorate, knowing it is not the way it needs to be. I have learned though to say little, it is not going to change.

I just am so grateful my sons are so into their health. At the moment they are watching the cross fit competitions while eating bowls of quinoa my son Michael cooked up. Yesterday my son Kevin and I were running and he is asking me whether Caesar salad dressing is too high in fat, and what I thought about steal cut vs rolled oat oatmeal. I am so in awe of how well they get it.

I am on the porch of my folks house reading the NY Times, there is an article on the restaurant Delancey, which is opening in Seattle. The owner Molly Wizenberg is under contract to write about her experiences in opening the restaurant. It gave me an idea to start telling my ginnybakes story. Who knows where it will lead, but it has been quite the ride so far. 

I want to tell my experiences and write them as they go, so I never forget. 

ginnybakes began as a journey, a continuation on a path of proving to myself I can stay a course while following a passion. Have I had my moments where I have felt so lost-absolutely. Have I giggled with such joy and pride in others, absolutely. I have lost 7 pounds from stress, gained another 10 from stress and having to taste test ginnybakes products all the time. I have  had great bouts of acne like those I had as a kid. I now have a permanent Wednesday 4 pm appointment with Dr Dan Nevel, ( my acupuncturist) who has been a saving grace to my physical and mental well being. He straightened out the digestion issues, has me sleeping again, and in balance.

Am I happier than I was before this all began. Sometimes...depends whether my yoga practice, acupuncture, and exercise are in place. I know the minute that goes stress comes tearing back in, and my world as I know it, is not running the way it should. If my life is in balance I am so filled with gratitude at the journey I am following.

I have so much to share with you.   

xo ginny

My New Client

You know how some people you just feel you are connected to. I had this feeling with a new client of mine. She has just started 3 weeks ago. I opened the door to a warm, beautiful smile, but a face that also looked weary and drawn. The glow I always check for was absent. The whites in the eyes which is also part of my preliminary check were not a crisp, sharp, clear white. And yet I recognized so the look of a mom who is giving too much of her physical and soul over to her kids and husband.

This is just so common in mothers who believe that motherhood means giving up the person they were before. I try and teach my clients that selfishness is when you lose yourself. When the sparkle and sensuality are gone, when we become lost in routine, no one around us is better for it. When we as moms are taking time to exercise, take care of ourselves and just have our moments to breath and reflect  the world around us seems so enthralling. When we take care of ourselves, we are so better equipped to care, and better yet hug tight and laugh deeply with our families and friends.

My client had done like many of us have before her, she stayed home nibbled on food all day, gained weight, stopped exercising and lost her way. She felt trapped and couldn't see her way out.

It is week 3, she has changed every aspect of her eating, lost 7 pounds and we set up a great exercise routine that she can manage while still working and caring for her two young daughters. She showed up this week in her exercise clothes, entering into the community I wanted her to feel a part of- the health conscious. She is happy, the glow is there and the whites are crisp. She is on her path and I am so grateful to be a part of the transformation. Makes a mom feel good to be helping another.
xo ginny

Thinking of Sunday Morning...

I am flying home at this moment somewhere in the sky between Dallas and Miami.
I have had a great week. I'm feeling restored, and anxious for my two boys waiting at home, the lovely Miss Bear, a great yoga class, to turn on beautiful music, and be in my kitchen creating the homey feeling that tells my boys all is right in the world, and that we are all together again. 

I know exactly what I will cook first. I want my boys to wake to this new recipe I indulged on while I was away.

Thank you to the incredible staff at Amangiri resort for sharing this recipe as well as a couple of more treasured ones which I will share in future blogs. Don't let the fact that this is a gluten- free recipe turn you off, if you are not a convert yet... it is so delicious!!


Here's to the beautiful smells of baking, morning papers, pjs, a weekly treat of a latte, a few dishes in the sink and Sundays. May it be a beautiful one.  xo ginny



Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
**Note can use carrot, banana, or pumpkin instead of zucchini
Ingredients
1  1/2C shredded zucchini
1 C chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1  1/2 C gluten free flour mix
1/2 C olive oil
2 eggs
1 C sugar
1 vanilla Bean

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt
2. In another bowl combine oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients
4. Add in zucchini and walnuts
5. Pour batter into greased loaf pan
6. Bake at 350*F for about 1 hour (until knife comes out clean)

**remember always bake in a preheated oven

The End of the Story

I have never had as many people comment to me as I did on my last blog. See, the one prior  I was so caught off guard. I thought there was a lot of others that were more soulful, but that was the one I heard most about in a long time. It was about letting go and letting yourself be loved, held and taken care of. So I wanted to bring you up to date...

The very adored husband of mine never left me. He just rebooked his trip, this time including me. He figured it was in his best interest. He sprung it on me by saying, "Guess what Honey? We are going to Vegas!" He was so excited- like a kid in a candy store. So happy to have solved his problem by making sure he put me on that plane to Vegas with him. It would have been perfect, but in his excitement he forgot that our second oldest boy was home from college in Chicago and would not be leaving until Sunday. And he booked us to fly out the Saturday before...Oh well.  I love my husband with all of my heart- but just try and take me away from a full house of our boys these days is well...impossible. Long story short- though he rebooked me to fly out on Sunday (him still leaving on Saturday) but he came to his senses. So he tried to change his flight to leave Sunday with me- but the flights were sold out. So actually this was perfect this way anyway- because I get to spend the last few hours with all four of my boys under one roof and he gets to gamble on March madness. We both win.

I felt like the true winner though- as I was climbing the stairs to bed and I heard him give his last words of goodbye to his four sons. "Take care of your mom, make sure she is ok til I see her tomorrow night in Vegas." These are the same words he has given our boys since they were probably waist high.  He tells them and they honor him. He has taught these boys, who are now men in fact- about the importance of love and honor of family, and the old fashioned 'chauvinistic' responsibility of caring for their mother and important women in their lives. I know whoever they marry will be so cherished and will feel the same joy that I feel knowing that I am loved hard and deeply, completely surrounded by my men. Thank you to my husband for being the light of my life and the gift of strength to my sons.

I smiled to myself and tears came to my eyes as I brushed passed him. And came to my computer to express this warm feeling of deep love on this blog. I am so blessed. Do I deserve it?  I don't know. But all I can say is that I live each day understanding that in this lifetime I am so utterly blessed and grateful and realize it with every breath I take.

So, goodnight sweet husband of mine. I will say the same words I have said to you the last twenty-six years of my life when you fly without me, "Come home safe to me."

Home, being wherever we happen to find ourselves.   xo ginny

To be or not to be...Strong.

I pride myself on living a life that is filled with optimism. I grow impatient with whining, as I believe in the strength in oneself. My father, taught me from a young age- right or wrong. He taught me that people don't want to hear your woes.

He once asked me how I slept. Since I didn't have a great night's sleep, I told him so and he responded, "I didn't really want to know, I was being polite, just answer me great and move on."  I have always remembered his words. It became a life lesson that I carried with me.

So I smile a lot, love to be happy and yet when something is really bothering me, only those closest to me know. I guess I feel it is my privacy, and I am one of the lucky ones, I see beauty and joy, almost every where I walk. Sadness does not have a strong hold on me, but I do feel for those it grips. Yet there are moments in my life that things really rattle me, but as I get older I am getting more comfortable letting down my defenses and saying, "no, I am not ok".  It happened this past week.

Spring break was fast approaching and it seemed as though my family was taking off in all different directions and I would be alone over the spring break. One boy back to college, one not in yet, one off to lacrosse camp and my husband decided to take off with another son to Vegas and Utah. ginnybakes is taking off in a million different directions and it just wasn't the time to let go of the reins. I was feeling scared and proud of the growth of my baby company, yet feeling so very overwhelmed.  I love making dreams happen. I have an ambitious, entrepreneurial side that has been hiding just underneath the surface all of these years and yet dealing with the paper work side of the business makes me feel like a three year old. I cannot seem to grasp or focus on it. I think it could actually give me hives! So I hinted to my husband I thought it might be better if he stayed in town. He didn't seem to hear me. Vegas and Utah skiing are his heaven. To get the man's attention especially during March Madness would require screaming. But I don't scream. It makes me cringe. Instead, I retreat and retreat.

I told him that if he left, I would not appease him with pleasant goodbyes and words of comfort but that he had to make his own decision. I have to tell you that there are moments in your life where you need your partner with you to just be there, hold your hand and offer perhaps nothing more than their presence.

He was due to leave at 6:30 am Tuesday morning. At 4:30 he got out of bed and told our son the trip was off. Do I own him as my male friends tease? No, does he own my heart strings? Yes. I needed him and he came through. Does the sun shine a little brighter this week, for me? Absolutely. Why did he stay home? Because I needed him, and though sometimes we need to listen, hear, and be strong- we also sometimes need to babied and looked after. And that's ok too, I am learning.

Thank you to the beautiful man that looked after me this week.  I owe you, and the payback will be such fun, I am sure.  xo ginny

Life with Elvia

Elvia is my gatekeeper, my person, the spoiler of my children, the Lovely Miss Bear and Sam our cat. She treats me like a little beloved girl when I come home and just want to feel like someone's little girl. She makes me tea, questions what's wrong on the rare morning I make a cup of coffee, understanding that is a signal something is keeping me up. She worries about my Dad, who, she thinks is just sensational.

She has something to say on every subject. She doesn't like the acne on one of the boy's faces, tells me I must tell my other son to shave his beard, lets us know when she doesn't care for a beloved family member's boyfriend. Opinionated beyond description.  Is she generally right? Yes.

When I buy new clothes her eyes light up, rumbling in the bag excited for me and pleased that I will look pretty in something new, she takes personal pride in that. Loving when I am out of my exercise clothes and in something elegant or sexy. She tells me I am beautiful.

I love organizing my closet with her- my feminine escape in a house of boys. She tells me I have too many boots (yes, i am a confessed boot fetishist!) so I actually hide new boots from her and put them away when she is not here. I cannot believe as a grown woman, the matriarch of all my boys, that I have to hide my boot purchases from her, an yet I do. All futile though- as she unearths them, showing them to me next day asking, "Ginny why?" and then we both giggle.

I am adored by her as are all of my men. She calls the four boys her babies, and you better believe her friends who meet them for the first time are shocked as they all tower over her. She has a special ring tone for them because she doesn't like to answer her phone on Sundays, but doesn't ever want to miss their calls should they need her. (They always seem to need her for something, a lost key, shoe or sporting apparel) They have dinner dates with her, Argentinean Steak. She plans and they pay- just like the way my boys know it better be. My husband and I are never included when she takes out the boys, it is their time.

She taught my younger two to drive as sure as my husband and I did. My husband, she believes, is perfect, and that I am just so lucky to have him. She is right of course.

She came to us not knowing how to cook and only eating beef, and thought organics were silly. She now buys all of our stuff for the house through Melaleuca, so proud of herself. She eats fish, knows all about quinoa. When formulating our juice detox recipes- Elvia's hands are as involved as mine as we work side by side blending fruits and juices, tasting every one of them to make sure they are perfect. She organizes the juices with care.

Last year when I was so bereft when my 2nd son left for college she was the one that let me be and gave me time and space until she determined it was enough. She clapped her hands at me saying, "Ok, now it's time to be happy- soon the grandchildren will come. So let's relax and enjoy the quiet for awhile." I listened. She is truly a woman who is oh so wise.

So now you're asking who is Elvia? She is family. The dearest friend to me, who also comes with the title of caretaker of the Simon Family. Sometimes people walk into your life and you know they were supposed to always be a part of it. I love this woman so much, and yet understand that if I was caught up with boundaries, I would have missed out on one of the greatest relationships in my world.

Mindfulness is also about understanding that people are so much more than the titles they carry, as they begin their journey with you. I am honored she chose us to love, my life has been incredibly richer since she entered it. Love you Elvia, mi amiga.  xo ginny

Here is Elvia's favorite recipe.  En espanol, of course!

4 personas

1 tasa de arroz

1 lata de frijoles, rojos o negros

2 chuletas de cerdo cosinadas previamente

2 pechugas de pollo cosinadas previamente

1 cebolla blanca cortada en trositos

4 hajos bien picados

2 cucharadas de aceite estra virgen

Se pone el aceite a calentar luego la cebolla ,luego el hajo

cuando esta suabe le pone el pollo y la chuleta vien picaditas en trositos

dejar 5 minutos a medio juego luego pones los frijoles

despues el arroz

remober contantemente pones un poquito de pimienta al gusto y salsa soya

puedes agregar chile picante un poquito si lo desea

servir a caliente

The Family that Asanas Together, Stays Together

I cannot express the joy and pride I feel when I enter a Yoga studio with two of my boys and husband in tow.  I feel so incredibly blessed as I waited a long time for this to happen. And though I have been practicing for many years now, there was a time in my life where I was searching for some answers.

I went to see my Rabbi, who thought I should start Karate. He felt I needed more secure boundaries because I wasn't reserving enough of ‘me’ for me.  Instead, I walked into a Yoga studio and never looked back.

Yoga became my refuge, where I went alone each morning and practiced in a very small group, doing Mysore. Everyone in their own space, movements and pace.  Peace. Silence.  Then heading home afterwards to a very young and busy household of 4 young babes, feeling ready and so happy to be back in the fold of the action.  I thrived on this contrast. Yoga does that for you, gives you clarity and the understanding of your place in the world.

Understandably, I wanted to share this with my family, but my four sons and very athletic husband met me with strong resistance, not understanding that Yoga isn't about how much weight you lift or how many push ups you can do, but instead about the total package, mind, body and spirit. Not to mention that the body strengthens itself quite beautifully with Yoga.

It took my youngest son's Lacrosse coach calling me and telling me my son needed Yoga. That the stretching would strengthen and lengthen his muscles- so that when he came into LAX season after completing basketball, his injuries would lessen. They wanted him performing hard. And when the coach speaks versus the mom, things happen. And so- Kevin was sold, and one of his older brothers became interested as well (insert glorious choir chant here!).  I called on my long time friend and beloved Green Monkey instructor- Amy Rabin to work with my boys. To make them fall in love with Yoga. And she succeeded. I have no idea how she managed it so quickly and so thoroughly but they are true Yogis now. Kevin now wants, when his schedule allows, to become a certified Yoga instructor and now I see Michael opening up to a more spiritual side of life.  Now you'll see them around the Green Monkey Treehouse regularly during school and sport season breaks.

So please know that when they walk in with me my heart is feeling so full, and I am so filled with love. My husband- seeing us all with mats in hand, raring to go- threw in the towel and now joins us. And now each time he comes along, I am so grateful and bursting with an increased love for this man that I adore.  So on this coming Valentine’s Day I pay tribute to my Yoga studio, to Amy, my fellow Yogis and mostly to these gorgeous men I get to claim as my own. And my family- stronger, spiritually synchronized and beautifully aligned. I am blessed.

The Boy Drives Off

Today, I watched the baby just pull out of the driveway and head off alone in a car for the very first time.

My feelings?  So many at once...a little sick to my stomach mixed with gratefulness that all went well, that he passed and  actually came home with the license. Sadness and relief,  that we won't be running down each night to pick him up from practice an hour haul round trip.

What is the boy, our treasured baby like? He is one of those people you come across in life that you just want to get to know better. He believes he has a strong place in this world. He takes up space, he is big and athletic with a very rugged appeal. When he enters the house, the door flies open with a sudden burst, he yells his arrival. Miss Bear always charges him with a rough and tough greeting she saves for her adored master.

When he comes into the kitchen, his hand is always reaching for food. The body always hungering. When he shuts his door he does it soundly, never a quiet click.
He puts in his all into whatever he is working on.

At times when he was younger, it could drive me crazy, he was so hard on himself, and now I see that was how he worked into the confidence he carries with him everyday. He understands within himself that he creates his world by how much he puts in.

He has me completely wrapped around his finger, though I try to convince him otherwise. When I do something that really pleases him he wraps his arms around me, squeezes my shoulders and with that deep voice says "great job Mom, I love you" I answer with "of course you do, you just got your way".

Inside though, I am swollen with joy.

This was the child that I decided to quietly create. Yes, of course I had a partner in my husband, he just wasn't quite aware of how I was hungering for this fourth child. After having three beautiful boys- I wanted my girl, I wanted my daughter who I would dress in pink,  play with her shiny dark hair, and take to ballet instead of basketball.  She would have a button nose and a spunk to her. I couldn't wait to begin the process of her creation, and so I didn't.  I started when my 3rd was just a tiny infant. (Yes there are moments in my life where I definitely feel that like Lucy in I Love Lucy: I leap forward, and worry later.)

The fourth pregnancy came immediately, I put on a front of shock like everyone else, and honestly felt so overwhelmed at my lack of planning- just good old fashioned emotional hungering.
For my husband wanted 2 kids and possibly one dog, if that.

I still remember clearly the night I told him of Kevin's pregnancy- the house full, upstairs a sleeping 5 yr old, 3 yr old and infant. We were watching Seinfeld, and every commercial I would gather myself to tell my husband, then recede back into myself, overwhelmed at the prospect of what was ahead of us. When I did tell my him,  I laid it out and let my false bravado slip away. His answer...I will never forget, "we will raise these kids to be really decent people, that we want to spend our time with."

Kevin of course is as far as can be from my delicate, shiny haired wanna be daughter. He came out with the blondest of hair and bluest of eyes. He was a wild infant in utero, and came out in the same style. I looked at him and fell so in love, laughed in relief that I finally felt complete. I knew immediately I had been waiting for him, that he would complete our family and quietly put my daughter dreams aside  and fell wildly, crazily in love with our last. Our baby.

We treasure our boys, love them and respect them. And expect that and more back from each of them. Ours is not a democracy, though as the boys are becoming wonderful men and the hammering days have gone, and we instead now quietly chisel and mold our boys,  I can see how we are becoming more like board members, advising in the backdrop to their lives- rather than the focus.

That is how it should be and so yes, as he drove out this morning so many thoughts, and yet the understanding this is what we hope and pray for everyday of their lives.  That they go forth.

 Safe traveling, my baby boy, love you always and forever. xo Mom