à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Gratitude
Goodbye, Gluttony! Dispatch from a Contemplative Thanksgiving
Despite my excitement at attending a contemplative, potluck Thanksgiving, anxiety hijacked my high spirits on Thursday as I loaded two pans of roasted vegetables and my folding meditation bench into my Subaru. In addition to garden variety worries about whether I’d enjoy the other people, I feared that the intention for a mindful gathering could … Continue reading
Turkey is Not a Synonym for Gratitude
I didn’t always dread Thanksgiving. Growing up in the 1970s and early 1980s, I looked forward to it. I loved the special dishes my mother prepared (sauteed mushrooms and onions being one). I enjoyed making relish, hand cranking cranberries and an orange, rind and all, through a metal meat grinder and watching it ooze red … Continue reading
Can a Mammogram be “Fun”?
Mammograms can be a real pain in the boob. Although recommended as a screening tool, they are not foolproof. Mammograms failed to detect cancerous tumors in at least two women I know, including a family member. Still, each fall I schedule my appointment, a cross between a medical and psychological ritual. Even if imperfect and … Continue reading
Flooded with Gratitude
The flooding in Boulder, CO and surrounding communities has killed a few people, ruined roads and displaced multitudes. Countless others bail water and dispose of sewage contaminated carpets and furnishings as the rain continues to fall. Being on a flood plain, many are uninsured for such a calamity, one that continues to unfold, whose final … Continue reading
Notes From the Potato Patch
While I’m terrible with houseplants and have never tried gardening, I’ve long had an unexplored curiosity about how food is brought from the earth. Traipsing through hundreds of miles of vineyards and other agricultural land in Spain last fall, along El Camino de Santiago, brought that interest closer to the surface. And now I’m living … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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