Holidays, California trip provide new blog topics

Thanks, Lincoln buffs, for your patience as I left my blog unattended recently. Although I wasn’t writing about Lincoln regularly, he was with me much of the time. I already had a long list of blog topics planned in anticipation of the February 12, 2009 bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth. The holidays and a long-awaited trip to California gave me even more things to write about.

Wantin' nothin' but Lincoln for Christmas
In lieu of Christmas gifts this year, I asked for and received the opportunity to attend a number of Lincoln-related scholarly events in the coming year. I've got plans beginning in Springfield in February and ending with The Lincoln Forum at Gettysburg in November. What a gift that keeps on giving – not only for me, but for what I can share with you.

I also received Michael Burlingame’s two-volume biography, Abraham Lincoln: A Life. Later in the year I’ll share my thoughts on that monumental piece of Lincoln scholarship. Due to the bicentennial and an industry course I’ll be taking for my real job, I fear Burlingame will remain unread for a few months.

Watch for these topics soon
Travel time and a totally unscheduled day did provide some reading time on my vacation, though. Watch for my thoughts on Harold Holzer’s Lincoln President-Elect before long. I’m closing in on the end of it.

Here are some of the other vacation-related Lincoln items I wish to share with you in the coming days:

• Lincoln’s role in returning California missions to the Catholic Church
• Squashed pennies
• Lincoln images at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
• Lincoln memorabilia at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace
• A Lincoln sighting in a Chicago suburb

I also got to go to the pier at Huntington Beach, the Tournament of Roses Parade and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Unfortunately, I couldn't find Lincoln connections for any of those, but they were all sure a lot of fun! If only I could say that for California traffic...

Lincoln celebrations across the land
As I followed the Lincoln world during my time off work, I did learn of bicentennial events throughout the country. Believe me, there will be no shortage of things to blog about in the coming weeks. It will be a juggling act to find time to share all I’d like and still complete my industry course.

If you stop to visit the blog and find I haven’t updated it, please return. I’ll try to get to it as often as I can.

Thanks for sharing my passion
Several of you have let me know that you visit the blog regularly and enjoy it. Thanks for your kind words and encouragement. I’m hoping we’ll all learn a lot about Lincoln in 2009. It’s nice to have you along for the journey.

Happy New Year and Happy Bicentennial Year!
Ann