At the time I now write of, Father Mapple was in the hardy winter of a healthy old age; that sort of old age which seems merging into a second flowering youth, for among all the fissures of his wrinkles, there shone certain mild gleams of a newly developing bloom–the spring verdure peeping forth even beneath February’s snow.
Moby Dick, the White Whale by Herman Melville
I could frequently distinguish the word YAHOO, which was repeated by each of them several times: and although it was impossible for me to conjecture what it meant, yet while the two horses were busy in conversation, I endeavoured to practise this word upon my tongue;
and as soon as they were silent, I boldly pronounced YAHOO in a loud voice, imitating at the same time, as near as I could, the neighing of a horse;
at which they were both visibly surprised; and the gray repeated the same word twice, as if he meant to teach me the right accent;
wherein I spoke after him as well as I could, and found myself perceivably to improve every time, though very far from any degree of perfection.
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Jules Travernier painting was inspired during the year he spent crossing America, sketching the scenes he encountered while lost in his thoughts.
There are three things which are real: God, human folly, and laughter. Since the first two pass our comprehension, we must do what we can with the third.
Aubrey Menen
Stay tuned for more about this drawing and its story, including the artists name, as it becomes available.
For human beings, motion is life. Our bodies are made to move. By exercising modestly on a regular basis, we can change the rate of our aging on a biochemical level. Regular exercise also improves mood, boosts energy levels, and builds self-confidence.
Art & Science of Aging Well by Mark E. Williams, M.D.
In a dark sea of centuries wherein nothing seemed to flow, a lifetime was only a brief eddy, even for the man who lived it. There was a tedium of repeated days and repeated seasons; then there were aches and pains, and finally Extreme Unction.
And a moment of blackness at the end – or at the beginning, rather.
For then the small shivering soul who had endured the tedium, endured it badly or well, would find itself in a place of light, find itself absorbed in the burning gaze of infinitely compassionate eyes as it stood before the Just One. It would be hard to believe differently.
A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959) by Walter Miller
Thought: concept, cogitation, consideration, deliberation, estimation, idea, imagination, reflection, consideration, speculation, supposition.
Think: ponder; muse; cogitate, deliberate, esteem, imagine, reason, reflect, seriously consider; speculate, suppose.