Author Archives: John Swinburn

A couple of weeks ago, I was introduced to a definition of a word I had known by a different definition. The definition, new to me, was “of, relating to, or resembling twilight; dim; indistinct.” The definition I had known … Continue reading →

Cod. I like it. Its firm flesh has both the texture and the taste I like in a white fish. Yesterday, I thawed a piece of cod for last night’s dinner. I seasoned it with Italian seasoning, pepper, salt, garlic … Continue reading →

As usual, I opened my little anthology of Zen quotations this morning to a random page and read the quote aloud. When I read it, I suspected the Universe had been listening in on my thoughts and was offering advice … Continue reading →

My mind has been occupied, during many evenings the last few weeks, by watching a Flemish-language/English subtitled crime series called Undercover, a Netflix crime drama set primarily in Belgium. Much of the current season’s action is set on a country … Continue reading →

Significant tension exists between living in the here and now and planning for the future. Living for today tends to reduce worry, but potentially sets the stage for avoidable problems in the future. Planning for the future—and attempting to circumvent … Continue reading →

Contemplating the clear moon Reflecting a mind empty as the open sky — Drawn by its beauty, I lose myself In the shadow it casts. ~ Dogen ~ There is something about the simple, thought-provoking quotes I find in my … Continue reading →

I believe there is a market for RV rentals—a market that does not require renters to drive or drag miniature homes along the world’s highways. While the market would require renters to drive to the markets, at least the damage … Continue reading →

At the moment, the BBC.com website makes available several intriguing video-shorts on various subjects. One of them, entitled Why Extroverts Have Their Own Extreme Language, would be especially interesting  to people with an interest in language and its relationship with … Continue reading →

Though the number of people who read my blog is quite small, I do not know who comprises those who regularly view my blog posts. I know a few people who frequently view my posts, but I do not know … Continue reading →

A simple question asked of the wrong person can trigger unhinged fury. I know this from personal experience. Lesson learned. Do not give an irrational person possessed of an incoherent animosity even the slightest opportunity to twist reality to suit … Continue reading →

Yesterday, a woman friend with whom I am secretly and passionately in love (I guess the secret is out), suggested in a text message that I exhibit signs of “existential depression.” I had never heard the term before, so I … Continue reading →

Those moments when the vastness and wonder of Nature fill me up are the moments I wish I could share with others. But I think such experiences are uniquely solitary. They cannot be shared. The circumstances in which I am … Continue reading →

Yesterday began as a magnificent day and continued along that course. I joined three friends in a jaunt to North Little Rock, where we had lunch at Brood & Barley, an extraordinary restaurant. The menu is remarkable; everything on it … Continue reading →

Wasps occasionally alight on the outside of panes of glass in the big windows along the back wall of my living area. When they land, the wasps tend to stay on the glass, unmoving, for several minutes at a time. … Continue reading →

Some people tend to view their experiences in metaphorical terms, looking at their lives as chapters in a book. That is a reasonable metaphor, I think, but our lives might just as easily be collections of short stories. Chapters of … Continue reading →

During a phone call from my sister and oldest brother yesterday, a book was recommended to me: The Code Breaker, by Walter Isaacson. Subtitled, Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race, descriptions of the book make … Continue reading →

This morning, I have a follow-up appointment with a respiratory APN. She will ask me questions about my breathing, wheezing, shortness of breath, etc. And I suspect she will suggest alternates for the daily two-puff inhaler she last prescribed (and … Continue reading →

Coffee tastes awful this morning, angry at filling a cup when it could have stayed comfortably unbrewed. Yet, still I drink it. It’s a habit, a ritual. I think, for a moment, that I rarely pay much attention to the … Continue reading →

Late yesterday afternoon and again this morning, I watched and listened to the YouTube replay of yesterday’s Sunday service for my church. The theme and topic of the minister’s sermon was “tenderness.” The woman who introduced the day’s service, always … Continue reading →

This is post number 3600. I wrote the first post for this blog roughly eight years and eight months ago, which translates into an average of roughly a shade more than thirty-four posts a month. Some months have been far … Continue reading →

Restlessness. That’s what it is, right? It’s not necessarily a permanent change of heart. It’s not necessarily a signal that it’s time to move on. But the “seven-year-itch” seems to infect  many aspects of our lives. In years past, I … Continue reading →

I ate too much last night. The evening’s leftovers remain in the refrigerator, begging to be eaten. But I refuse to be manipulated by what was advertised as potato “skins” that, in reality, are whole potatoes, cut in half lengthwise, … Continue reading →

At 2:00 a.m., the NOAA Weather Radio screamed me awake, alerting me to the latest tornado watch, which is in effect until 8 a.m. I would have been more forgiving of the howling screech if the alert had been for … Continue reading →

Another bizarre dream last night. I bought a car from a friend, Craig (who does not sell cars), with a loan made available through an insurance program created to help a Missouri town recover from a devastating flood. Craig used … Continue reading →

A few nights ago, I decided to forego my usual practice of bringing in the hummingbird feeders because of rain. Surely, I told myself, masked bandits would not risk falling to their deaths while attempting to slurp hummingbird nectar from … Continue reading →