à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Starting Over
Backpack On, Backpack Off
Boots on. Boots off. Lights on. Lights off. I have been on the Camino for just a week yet it feels much longer, perhaps because in some ways, each full day is the same. At the hostels, the lights go on at 6:30-7:00am, we repack our rucksacks, put our boots and packs back on and … Continue reading
Dental Chair Delight: Is it Possible?
Mostly, I take good care of myself. I meditate almost every day, exercise several times a week, eat a diet heavy on greens, beans, and grains. I don’t smoke or drink (coffee or alcohol). Yet, when it comes to my teeth, I can be a bit of a slacker. Perhaps this is because, despite a … Continue reading
Learning “Swimese”…or is it “Swimish”?
I love languages. I delight in discovering that, in some other tongues, nouns are gendered, reflexive verbs romp through the vernacular, and tenses (other than past, present and future) abound. Pronouncing vowels differently exercises my jaw and lips. Mastering syntax and grammar challenges my brain, and encountering nuanced concepts expands my mind. Having even basic … Continue reading
Past, Present, Future. Where to live, where to look?
But Lot’s wife looked back from behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt. – Genesis 19:26 If you’re unfamiliar with this Old Testament story, God spares Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah but instructs them to not look back as they are fleeing. Lot’s wife, curious and/or … Continue reading
Declaring Independence: Would You?
For some Americans, July 4th has become a caricature, a complicated and courageous moment distilled to a day of beer, BBQ and fireworks or, less benignly, jingoistic expression. We celebrate independence, and freedom, but what do these words really mean on a societal level if, as individuals, not everyone is independent or free? Here is … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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