Monthly Archives: November 2013

On the Margins

Posted on November 30, 2013 by John Swinburn

I stand at the edge, on the margins, watching the flood, so close to the torrent, yet apart from the flow. There, where I’ve always stood on the margins, the rush beckons me, urges me to lunge. I could fall … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry | 9 Comments

Is Money an Appropriate Gift?

Posted on November 29, 2013 by John Swinburn

I was only half-listening to a radio or television program—I don’t know, it may have been news, maybe a documentary, I was distracted—when I half-heard a remark that struck me later, when it surfaced in memory.  Only later did my … Continue reading →

Posted in Cash Gifts | 15 Comments

About Thanksgiving…

Posted on November 28, 2013 by John Swinburn

Very probably, the majority of those who celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the United States identify it as a day to reflect on and give thanks or express appreciation for all the goodness and bounty in their lives, from their family … Continue reading →

Posted in Thanksgiving | 8 Comments

Hallucination

Posted on November 27, 2013 by John Swinburn

The only time I can recall having a hallucination was ten years ago.  That memory surfaced recently over lunch with a couple we’ve known for years.  He said he had hallucinated while in the hospital a few years ago, explaining … Continue reading →

Posted in Health | 7 Comments

Jalapeños

Posted on November 26, 2013 by John Swinburn

My wife decided she wanted to go out to lunch today.  After a bit of back and forth about where, we opted to go to Cuquita’s, a Mexican restaurant adjacent to one of the grocery stores we frequent, Fiesta.  The … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | 3 Comments

Looking for a New Neighborhood

Posted on November 25, 2013 by John Swinburn

It’s rare, but it happens: the advice offered in a “free e-newsletter” turns out to be valuable, thought-provoking advice. In the instance to which I am referring, it was nothing earth-shattering, but decent, well-conceived advice. I will give credit where … Continue reading →

Posted in Housiing, Philosophy, Population, Third Place | 6 Comments

Kitchen Travel

Posted on November 25, 2013 by John Swinburn

My experiment in doing without has evolved from the original plan.  I started and ended my absence from social media (except this blog) early and curtailed my month of meatlessness after three weeks or so.  I am returning to my … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Without, Food | 3 Comments

Taking Up Space

Posted on November 24, 2013 by John Swinburn

There are times I feel like I have a dependency, as if I have no control over things my brain craves in an almost physical sense. Facebook. Yes, Facebook.  I swore it off for a while and it was not … Continue reading →

Posted in Depression | 6 Comments

The Darkest Storm

Posted on November 23, 2013 by John Swinburn

A monstrous storm is approaching.  It is too big to avoid; no matter where or how fast you go, you cannot hope to escape.  Your home cannot possibly survive the coming storm, nor can public shelters hope to do better. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Philosophy | 4 Comments

A Part of the Main

Posted on November 22, 2013 by John Swinburn

There is no wider world.  We are it.  We are all we have. Our friends, our families, our communities, the people we see each day. We pretend to pledge allegiance to states or countries, even causes, but the reality is … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | Leave a comment

House Surgery

Posted on November 22, 2013 by John Swinburn

The guys came Tuesday to resurface the tops of the vanities in the guest bath and  the half bath, as well as the counter of the wet bar.  I had arranged with them to come Tuesday morning, thinking I would … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Housiing, Moving | Leave a comment

Melancholia

Posted on November 21, 2013 by John Swinburn

I wonder why melancholy sometimes overtakes us without warning?  No precipitating event, just a rush of sadness that paints everything with a wash of tears.  Vague regrets, unknown losses, and unspoken yet unmet hopes and dreams combine to fill the … Continue reading →

Posted in Depression | 2 Comments

Amethyst

Posted on November 21, 2013 by John Swinburn

This morning, I read a post on a National Public Radio (NPR) blog, entitled “Why We (Should) All Love The Stars.” The text was interesting, but not stunning.  The photograph above, though, was moving in ways words probably cannot express. … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature | 6 Comments

Incomprehensible Beauty

Posted on November 18, 2013 by John Swinburn

A field of flowers may be lovely, but a single bloom can be incomprehensively beautiful. When I look closely at just one blossom, ignoring everything around it, I am utterly awestruck. The subtle variations in color, the complexity of elaborate … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature | 3 Comments

What the World Should Look Like

Posted on November 17, 2013 by John Swinburn

This is the view from our friends’ back deck.  This is what the world should look like.  Not a crush of cars, neon lights, and shiny steel.

Posted in Nature | 4 Comments

Poems I Want to Read

Posted on November 17, 2013 by John Swinburn

During a recent visit with a couple who hosted us on a trip to explore where we might want to live, I learned of a book of poetry I want to read.  I want to know; have you read it? … Continue reading →

Posted in Friendship, Poetry | 3 Comments

Will it Take a Village?

Posted on November 17, 2013 by John Swinburn

          The photos show what we saw on our most recent trip. We left Dallas early Wednesday morning, bound for Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Some generous friends had offered to host us as we explored the … Continue reading →

Posted in Housiing, Moving | 1 Comment

Mythic Meals

Posted on November 12, 2013 by John Swinburn

I don’t believe in Unicorns but I like the way they taste. The flesh is rainbow flavored, with proper salt and baste. Now Centaur is my favorite food, much muscle in their middles, more flavor than the Cheshire cat, who … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry | 4 Comments

Ownership Apostasy

Posted on November 12, 2013 by John Swinburn

A friend’s comment in an email message to me this morning started the wheels turning. He suggested the possibility that posts on one’s blogs or on Facebook might be like property. I tried to wrap my mind around it. That’s where … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | 3 Comments

Secrets

Posted on November 11, 2013 by John Swinburn

Secrets are secret; some things, you don’t even tell yourself. Pretend the life you live is satisfying and soulful and your wishes are dreams. Don’t ask yourself questions if you can’t bear the answers. Don’t break your own heart by … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry | 6 Comments

Coffee and Control

Posted on November 10, 2013 by John Swinburn

I was on my third cup of coffee this morning, two more than is typical for me these days, when it struck me. I have no issue with coffee.  But it was when I was drinking that third cup that … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | 5 Comments

Foxy

Posted on November 9, 2013 by John Swinburn

When we were in Big Bend National Park a few weeks ago, this guy decided to rest next to the irrigation pipe (behind him), which was just below our balcony.  We took several photos with my wife’s phone; it’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel | 5 Comments

Molten Lava

Posted on November 8, 2013 by John Swinburn

A friend, who shares my passion for spicy food and good beer, sent me a message while he and his wife were away on a trip.  His message said something to the effect that “I found the hottest fuckin’ sauce; … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | 3 Comments

Population

Posted on November 6, 2013 by John Swinburn

According to some sources I found online (I don’t know if they’re reliable and don’t remember what they were), about 370.000 babies are born every day, worldwide.  And 155,000 people die every day, worldwide.  If those numbers are correct, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Population | 10 Comments

State of Being in Strange Streams of Consciousness

Posted on November 5, 2013 by John Swinburn

The good news: I sold the hammered dulcimer yesterday.  I got less than I paid for it in 1994, but we have more space in the house than before. I got a call yesterday morning from a woman who wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Dreams, Food, Language | 3 Comments