Today we celebrate the lives of two presidents -- which is your favorite? Like every American, I admire George Washington. During an election year, I often reflect on the reason we invest so many powers in the presidential office -- because of our exceptional first president. But I will admit to … [Read more...] about The Lincoln Hutch, on this Presidents Day
The Real vs. The Idyll
idyll |?noun --?an extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque episode or scene, typically an idealized or unsustainable one. Do you prefer the real thing? Or do you get attached to your idea of what ought to be real, in other words, the idyll? The push and pull between these two applies to our … [Read more...] about The Real vs. The Idyll
A Lincoln Roundup for the Gettysburg Anniversary
On this anniversary of Lincoln's delivery of the Gettysburg address, I thought it would be fun to revisit some of my blogposts about Lincoln. He's been a favorite subject of mine through the years . . . . My husband and I spent a rainy, cold birthday visiting Gettysburg, so I pontificate a bit … [Read more...] about A Lincoln Roundup for the Gettysburg Anniversary
Battlefield Birthday
We spent the weekend celebrating my husband's birthday on a battlefield. We walked the hallowed ground of Gettysburg, where a 3-day battle culminated in the famous Pickett's Charge that ended with 7,000 dead soldiers. I'm feeling very irritated at Robert E. Lee right now. I felt sorry for the … [Read more...] about Battlefield Birthday
A Downtown Day
Today the stars collided and all of our family members were free, so we went downtown. The first stop was the National Archives, which we hadn't seen for a decade. It has hugely upgraded in the meantime. Our reason for going was a traveling exhibit on the Civil War, told through documents. I was … [Read more...] about A Downtown Day
Four of My Favorite Guys
My husband and I played tourist today, visiting "Lincoln's Summer Cottage" in northwest DC. ?This is actually a lovely home on the grounds of the Soldiers' Rest, a site about 3 miles north of the White House. It has been privately restored, and is available for guided tour, about an hour in length. … [Read more...] about Four of My Favorite Guys
Lincoln’s Melancholy: Did It Fuel His Sense of Purpose?
Just before our trip to New Mexico, I picked up an old issue of the Atlantic Monthly?(Oct 05) to read on the plane. ?I don't remember how the magazine landed in my hands, but I noticed a cover story on a (then new) book: Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His … [Read more...] about Lincoln’s Melancholy: Did It Fuel His Sense of Purpose?