Author Archives: John Swinburn

Yesterday, Janine was under the weather (suffering from allergies, I should say), so our plans went to hell in a handbasket. I spend most of the day hanging around the house, trying to be quiet so she could sleep, which … Continue reading →

The divide between progressives and conservatives isn’t entirely a schism of opposing principles. While I believe plenty of conservatives do, indeed, live in a parallel universe in which my “bad” is their “good” and vice versa, that’s not true of … Continue reading →

When, after a full meal, a taste of dessert whets an insatiable appetite for a month of meals, one regrets dessert. Well, not always. We spent half the day and the evening yesterday with friends in Franklin, Tennessee. The “full … Continue reading →

The time fast approaches for our tamalada, the tamale party we offered to our church auction. The offering garnered three winning bids, so we’ll have three couples joining us on Cinco de Mayo (cheesy cultural appropriation, I know, but it’s … Continue reading →

We spent much of the day wandering toward Tupelo, Mississippi, mostly on back roads in Arkansas and Mississippi. Except for the occasional spawn of satan (let me go on record that I do not believe in satan, but I do … Continue reading →

I spent the majority of the day yesterday undertaking what I expected to be a one or two hour job to repair to the wood floor in the master bath. The job is not complete, nor will it be complete … Continue reading →

Our Meatless Tuesday is here again, earlier this month because it changed from the fourth to the third Tuesday. This was our first time hosting the group and this Tuesday also represents the last day of my wife’s volunteer tax preparation … Continue reading →

Have you ever wondered, after learning of reactions to something you said or wrote, whether you came across as unlikable? Or that, maybe, what you said or wrote didn’t come across as you intended? Or that your attempts to be … Continue reading →

I’ve never been a big sports fan. I can’t explain why. My folks watched football and baseball on television (after we finally got television), and some of my siblings were big fans of team sports. But I’ve never been a … Continue reading →

We had grand plans. Dinner at Bones Chophouse, a new place said to be an old-fashioned steak house that sears prime-and-better beef on steel heated to sixteen hundred degrees. I’ve seen photos of their rib-eye steaks that made my mouth … Continue reading →

I wasn’t finished. Apparently I hit “post” too early. So, I’m finishing my thoughts and posting for the second time this morning. Yesterday afternoon, I attended an artists’ reception at which the winning entries for an art show were announced. … Continue reading →

Today is our thirty-eighth anniversary. We lived together before we got married, but neither of us remembers for just how long. So, we’re celebrating thirty-eight years, but it could be forty or more. I’m grateful that we’ve “clicked” for so … Continue reading →

Mundane days appeal to me sometimes. Those days that just rock along at a comfortable pace without dragging or spinning into chaos—they are the ones responsible for helping smooth my numerous rough edges. Yesterday was one such day, though I … Continue reading →

My wife is, by far, the more rational of the two of us. She’s compassionate, but rational about compassion. I’m rational, but compassion swallows my rationality and digests it in less than the time it takes my heart to complete … Continue reading →

If I weren’t involved in a thirty-eight-year-long marital relationship, when I awoke this morning just after 4 a.m. I might have thrown a few clothes in a bag, tossed the bag in the car, and headed west. That’s what I … Continue reading →