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

love your life!

My clients come to see me initially about food, and yet food frequently is just the beginning of our discussions. I am so frequently asked what about cravings... a craving is frequently your soul talking to you, perhaps you are lonely, bored, too stressed, tired or angry.

Try to start to look into yourself to understand why you crave. Perhaps if it happens everyday at the 4pm slump, your nutrient profile is not keeping up with your physical needs. I do not mean your calorie intake, but rather the quality of your food.

Maybe your relationships need adjustments. If you are a female,  has your identity been overtaken by the label wife and mom? Who are you? Do you have enough in your life just for you? I will tell you something from my own life, at times when my 4 boys were young it could be very overwhelming. They were six years apart top to bottom and life at moments was too much. I used to believe I had to be perfect, that was who I expected myself to be and was brought up to always show a proper facade. I lived up to that til the day I fell down a dozen stairs in the house rushing to make dinner. I was never so relieved not to have a baby in my arms at that moment.   I finally learned in an awakening moment that perhaps pizza and pajama nights have a great place in life.

Not only did I discover pizza nights, I also learned each of us needs a place to crawl into that no one in our daily lives has to be part of. For me it was a hovel of a yoga studio with a master teacher. It was my oasis, my home for an hour each morning, my sanity. It didn't make me less of a wife and mom, instead it gave my family and myself the gift of a strong impassioned woman who adored herself and her family and could give more because I saved some for myself.

A marriage like everything else needs major tune ups as do our jobs.
Are you passionate, happy? It is the start of the year, a beautiful time to reevaluate.

For myself my 21 day challenge has me re-looking at everything going on in my life. I am questioning mysef more, feeling more radiant and full of blessings. I feel strong, cravings are not part of my life lately and life has a feeling of wellbeing. Good nutrition and introspection does that, throw in the exercise and what bliss. xo ginny