"Had a letter from Gordon."

I am not afeard, my Heart's-delight," resumed the Captain. "There's been most uncommon bad weather in them latitudes, there's no denyin', and they have drove and drove and been beat off, may be t'other side the world. But the ship's a good ship, and the lad's a good lad; and it ain't easy, thank the Lord," the Captain made a little bow, "to break up hearts of oak, whether they're in brigs or buzzums.
~ Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens

The Nora Diary, Day 22

Still cloudy and damp.
A bit colder. Had a turkey
dinner at the cafeteria.
A regular feed. Stayed in
all the evening. May
came over after seven
and stayed about
an hour. We talked every
minute. Read a little
and nine o'clock found
me in bed. Had a letter
from Gordon. Expect him
to-morrow.

For the Record,
This day came in cool and sunny. It's been so dry that we have a high fire danger in our area. No winter snow melt and no rainy days for some time.

Nora's Gordon went to sea as a young lad like many of the boys from Machiasport. Sails and rigging first, surfboats and rescue next, then lighthouse tenders. In the '20s we find him as a First Officer on a coastal coal hauler, soon to become the Captain. In his later years he was anchored at sea, stationed on lightships off our rocky coast, the Relief, the Handkerchief and the Pollack Rip . The end of his career found him landlocked at the Chelsea Naval Yard. He spoke like and old salt with the whistling s's of his Downeast boyhood.

He loved his Nora. Grandpa celebrated her cooking and companionship in his daily diary jottings, finally home together in their later years in this very house.