Author Archives: John Swinburn

About John Swinburn

"Love not what you are but what you may become."― Miguel de Cervantes

Good Day

Posted on June 16, 2013 by John Swinburn

So, Tuesday the real estate photographer comes to visit.  And we sign the papers to engage the real estate agent.  And we continue to prepare…to get the house ready…to sell. The idea is that the agent will not put the … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Housiing, Moving | Leave a comment

Sell Now or No?

Posted on June 13, 2013 by John Swinburn

One of the real estate agents we talked to recently is telling us we really need to get our house on the market before the “pre-school-year-buying-frenzy” ends sometime around mid-July.  And he says the market has heated up considerably in … Continue reading →

Posted in Housiing, Travel, Where to Live | 3 Comments

It’s All About the Flavor Experience

Posted on June 12, 2013 by John Swinburn

On the one hand I find it appalling that, in a country that already consumes too much meat  we would import “exotic” meats simply to satisfy our culinary curiosity, but on the other I am nothing if not deeply curious. … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Leave a comment

Pausing Regret

Posted on June 10, 2013 by John Swinburn

There is no room for regret in one’s life.  Choices, whether conscious or not, and their outcomes create that vessel we call our life.  Those choices, and the things thrust upon us, fill the vessel with memories.  The memories may … Continue reading →

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Helpful Happiness

Posted on June 8, 2013 by John Swinburn

A sentence I read in an online article triggered some questions. Actually the entire article provoked a good bit of thought about the human condition. The specific sentence that prompted me to write this post is this: “There is a good deal of research showing … Continue reading →

Posted in Happiness | 3 Comments

BBQ Bridge

Posted on June 7, 2013 by John Swinburn

My intent was to get a picture of the Jeep at the lower left in this photo, but the gravitational pull of the bridge was such that I could not keep the camera pointed at the Jeep. The bridge in … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Food | 6 Comments

Shades of Gray

Posted on June 6, 2013 by John Swinburn

I lied.  There, I said it.  I prevaricate.  I fabricated a tale and spoke it as if it were truth.  But it was an unintentional lie.  I had planned for it to be true.  Really.  I didn’t mean to lie. … Continue reading →

Posted in Lies/disinformation, Painting, Philosophy | Leave a comment

A Gallon of Gold, Dripping with Impatience

Posted on June 3, 2013 by John Swinburn

The sheetrock guys have done what I’ve asked them to do, and then some, so now the walls and ceilings are ready for paint.  The last time I bought paint for these walls, the color did not match.  Maybe it … Continue reading →

Posted in Painting | Leave a comment

Beer Journey

Posted on June 1, 2013 by John Swinburn

I have enjoyed beer for all of my adult life…and for some of my not-yet-adult life.  But for many of those years, my enjoyment of beer was limited to what I now consider pretty dull and lifeless stuff…mostly light domestic … Continue reading →

Posted in Beer | 3 Comments

Smoke

Posted on May 26, 2013 by John Swinburn

Today, finally, after months of delay and procrastinating about getting firewood, I will use my smoker.  I will smoke baby back ribs.  And they will be good. If I were honest about my doubts about my ability to build a … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Leave a comment

Breakout

Posted on May 22, 2013 by John Swinburn

This short story is fiction, but it’s based (very, very loosely) on real people who might…or might not…have bizarre fantasy lives. For many, many reasons, the names have been changed to protect those people. And myself. Mardina has spent much … Continue reading →

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House Repairs and Indian Slums

Posted on May 22, 2013 by John Swinburn

Week before last, I had the broken ceiling joist above the garage repaired. In the process, pieces of sheet rock broke off, leaving gaping holes and cracks in the garage ceiling. So, today, I have guys in to replace the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Change, Moving | 3 Comments

In Praise of Scallops

Posted on May 19, 2013 by John Swinburn

Last night, I cooked a dinner of seared sea scallops over wilted spinach and parmesan risotto.  It was the second or third time I’ve made the dish and my love for it has only grown with each time.  It is … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Leave a comment

West Texas Road Trip

Posted on May 18, 2013 by John Swinburn

It was a whirlwind trip, mostly driving with very little in the way of stopping to take pictures.  But taking pictures wasn’t really what it was about, anyway.  It was about giving my older brother an opportunity to get out … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Travel | Leave a comment

Couchsurfing Guests

Posted on May 11, 2013 by John Swinburn

Our visitors, couchsurfers, from New Zealand arrived on Thursday afternoon, having traveled on a big BMW motorcycle from Odessa, Texas where they stayed the night before.  The guy, Neil, had bought the motorcycle online some time ago, in preparation for … Continue reading →

Posted in Couch Surfing, Friendship | 3 Comments

Envy

Posted on May 8, 2013 by John Swinburn

I envy writers and sculptors.  Poets, especially.  Well, good ones. I don’t envy those whose ill-conceived and half-hearted attempts to communicate concepts and emotions simply spill spoiled ink on the page or shards of broken rock onto the ground. You … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Painting | Leave a comment

Twenty-One Hours

Posted on May 5, 2013 by John Swinburn

Twenty-one hours after I woke up, I’m still awake.  But not for long.  I’m ready to try to sleep…I hope I can.  Normally, after being up 21 hours, it would be no problem.  But early today I did something, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Insomnia | Leave a comment

Early Bird

Posted on May 5, 2013 by John Swinburn

For reasons unknown, I’d awakened at around 2:20 a.m.; wide awake with no chance of going back to sleep.  I futzed about for a while, then decided to go out for a middle-of-the-night breakfast. My wife is away for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Leave a comment

Shadows of Liberty

Posted on May 3, 2013 by John Swinburn

I try to avoid being manipulated.  I try to avoid being led by people whose leadership is geared toward advancing their own agendas, meant only to serve their own self interests. I try.  But I cannot always tell whether I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Television, Television series | 2 Comments

Don’t Wait for God

Posted on May 3, 2013 by John Swinburn

We all learn and appreciate and applaud important messages we read and hear.  But do they change our lives?  Do we change our behaviors because a message really hits home with us?  For some, yes.  For others, no.  Something I … Continue reading →

Posted in Love, Philosophy, Religion | 2 Comments

Memoir

Posted on May 2, 2013 by John Swinburn

It went something like this…but this is almost certainly not precisely what I read…”You are never too young, nor too old, to begin to write your memoir. But you will never be old enough to finish the last one.” I … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Philosophy | Leave a comment

Old Bones and Buddha and Searching for Home

Posted on May 1, 2013 by John Swinburn

One of my brothers lives in the country.  Not “in the country” on a manicured estate, not on a horse farm with beautifully painted barns and well-maintained pipe fences outlining lush fields of grass.  No, he lives in the country … Continue reading →

Posted in Change, Philosophy, Serenity, Wisdom | 2 Comments

Sad Sleeper

Posted on April 30, 2013 by John Swinburn

Not me, the sleeper sofa.  It’s been on Craigslist for well over a month, its price dropping precipitously week by week, only to be generally ignored.  There have been a few emails, more than half from inept scammers who are … Continue reading →

Posted in Unwanted Furniture | 2 Comments

Kneeblood

Posted on April 29, 2013 by John Swinburn

The following paragraphs arose from my on-again off-again effort to write about a fictional character, James Kneeblood.  I conceived of him a few years ago and have written quite a lot about him, but my writing has never been satisfactory. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction | Leave a comment

Searching, Searching

Posted on April 28, 2013 by John Swinburn

“Kathy, I’m lost, I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why.”  Paul Simon wrote the anthem of young idealists exploring their world, looking for meaning, for fulfillment, for …something.  Many others have written of the awkward search by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Wisdom | 4 Comments