Author Archives: John Swinburn

The exhaustion of readying for a move has taken its toll on our television habits. Rather than seeking out series that will keep our attention for multiple evenings, we have attempted to find brief injections of entertainment that require no … Continue reading →

Many, maybe most, of my clothes will be discarded today. Discarded is not the right word; donated is more appropriate. They are too small for me now. Or, rather, I am too big for them. I have allowed myself to … Continue reading →

Last night, on the recommendation of a friend, I watched an educational, interesting, insightful, and disturbing 2014 documentary film. Watching Cowspiracy helped to reignite my growing interest in exploring a plant-based diet. It also helped amplify my skepticism of the … Continue reading →

The human mind is too complex—too unpredictable—to be reliably molded into a state of perpetual satisfaction. Religions have attempted to manipulate the minds of the masses for millennia. Simultaneously, psychologists and their predecessors have tried to harness the power of … Continue reading →

A distant friend, Tara—formerly a Californian but now a Coloradan—unknowingly introduced me to Shunryu Suzuki-Roshi by quoting him in the header of her now-dormant blog. The header included these words: You are Perfect as you are and you could use … Continue reading →

Too many things on my mind have the potential of turning a blog post into an unpleasant diatribe. Two hours of writing this morning proved that. So I will turn my attention to packing. Maybe doing what caused my mood … Continue reading →

I feel the stress. It is of course a mental, emotional sensation, but it also is physical. Repeatedly, I am reminded that I have experienced several of life’s major stressors—death of a loved one, the emergence of a romantic relationship, … Continue reading →

Except for the pressure of time, I would spend the morning cooking. I am in the mood to make a rich, spicy lamb stew; something reminiscent of the sort of meal one might find in coastal north Africa. Though I … Continue reading →

Somewhere—perhaps in the deepest, distant reaches of places no one else wants to go—is an isolation so spectacularly alone and so excruciatingly desolate it makes me sob in reverence. I have seen such a place, but only in passing. I … Continue reading →

Ah, what a splendid day! Thanks to the generosity of my girlfriend’s ex-husband (who lent us his pickup) and my late wife’s sister (who provided both physical labor and an SUV she loaded with “stuff”), we got a tremendous amount … Continue reading →

The day started like most other days, albeit a tad later than most. By the time I had taken my morning regiment of what seems like one hundred pills (but is far less), it was around 5:30. Before I made … Continue reading →

Suddenly, yesterday, it hit me: the urgency of reducing the volume of food stored in two refrigerators and two freezers. When the time comes to move, just a week and a half hence, that volume must be considerably less. In … Continue reading →

J’ai une âme solitaire. I listen to what I presume is an artificial voice—sounding like a woman’s voice—speak that French phrase. Google Translate is the source of the voice. The sound of her voice is matter-of-fact; inappropriately so, given the … Continue reading →

A visit to my doctor’s office yesterday led, circuitously, to an x-ray of my right knee. The x-ray revealed that I am a degenerate. “Degenerative joint disease is seen with some osteophyte in the medial compartment and superior patella.” It … Continue reading →

Temperatures should hover between the upper sixties and the lower-to-mid-seventies through Friday. In spite of the rain and accompanying high humidity, this feels close to ideal to me. If money (or the insufficiency thereof) posed no limits on me, I … Continue reading →

This morning’s drenching rains and rumbling thunder are not entirely welcome. But watching rivers of yellow pollen flow away from the house and off the deck lessens the burden of a sullen, wet, grey day. This morning, the buyer’s inspection … Continue reading →

Generally, we do not bother exploring in depth the world at our fingertips.  It seems we take certain elements of our lives for granted, assuming there is nothing much to know about them other than that they are “there.” I … Continue reading →

My sister-in-law (my late wife’s sister) bought a new pair of “readers” the other day. When she dropped by for an early-morning visit yesterday, on a whim I decided to put them on. I was surprised when I looked at … Continue reading →

Sometimes, one finds it necessary to take unnecessary risks. That is, exposing oneself voluntarily to circumstances that friends and family would label irresponsible and dangerous is required for one’s sense of happiness and sanity. Those instances when one feels compelled … Continue reading →

Another short, one-finger post. Here I sit in Bentonville, Arkansas, watching dawn race to spray light over the motel parking lot outside my window. Last night’s presentation by Alice Walton et al was interesting and informative, but I am ready … Continue reading →

You can lead a horticulture but you can’t make her think. ~ Dorothy Parker ~ (When challenged by columnist Franklin P. Adams to use the word “horticulture” in a sentence). I always have appreciated the wit of Dorothy Parker. I … Continue reading →

If I had a way to do it, I would like to unobtrusively slip inside a person’s head so I could read or listen to or see the thoughts that reside there. Of course, that action would expose me to … Continue reading →

Spring returned late yesterday, after leaving in a huff a few days earlier. Summer slipped in during Spring’s absence, arriving with a vengeful blast of heat that wilted blossoms and steadfast resolve. His fiery breath baked new-fallen pollen onto the … Continue reading →

If all goes according to plan, the sale of my house will close on May 27. I got an offer less than 22 hours after the listing went live just after midnight on Friday. Despite quite a lot of interest, … Continue reading →

The transition from winter to summer occurred in the pre-dawn hours yesterday. Or so it seemed. Various seasons, rarely appropriate to the calendar, have come and gone during the past month or so. Frigid periods took place, followed by days … Continue reading →