dual personalities

Yesterday was a beautiful day, starting with a lovely sunrise. (The sky was much pinker than this iPhone photo shows.)

After my morning Bible reading and desk work, I got busy switching out my summer clothes for my fall turtlenecks and sweaters. I know I am no doubt jumping the gun, but I was in the mood. Of course, since I re-organized everything last spring, I couldn’t find anything. I made quite a mess tearing various closets apart, which I am sorry to say, I have yet to put back, but c’est dommage.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the day the great Herman Melville died in 1891 and we like to note that.

“I turn my body from the sun. What ho, Tashtego! Let me hear thy hammer. Oh! ye three unsurrendered spires of mine; thou uncracked keel; and only god-bullied hull; thou firm deck, and haughty helm, and Pole pointed prow, death glorious ship! must ye then perish, and without me? Am I cut off from the last fond pride of meanest shipwrecked captains? Oh, lonely death on lonely life! Oh, now I feel my topmost greatness lies in my topmost grief. Ho, ho! from all your furthest bounds, pour ye now in, ye bold billows of my whole foregone life, and top this one piled comber of my death! Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee. Sink all coffins and all hearses to one common pool! and since neither can be mine, let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee, thou damned whale! Thus, I give up the spear!”

Today we also note the passing of Winslow Homer in 1910. He has always been a favorite of mine since childhood.

So a toast to Herman Melville! A toast to Winslow Homer!