Long days and short nights pay dividends

There are some days when you go, "Wow! Maybe what I'm doing is worth it." This was one of them.

The Journal is my friend
When I read my favorite newspaper, The State Journal-Register, this morning and visited fellow Lincoln blogger Mike Kienzler's Abraham Lincoln Observer blog on the paper's website, I learned Mike had included mine in a list of blogs and websites in his early morning post today. The day was off to a good start. I was pretty excited to be mentioned in the paper of which Lincoln said in 1864, "The Journal paper was always my friend; and of course its editors the same."

Thanks, Mike. You and the SJ-R are my friends, too. Not as impressive as having Lincoln as a friend, though, huh?

So is 21st Century Abe
Later in the day, I learned Kathy Haas of the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia had mentioned my blog in her post on the museum's 21st Century Abe blog. I didn't even know this one existed. Watch the list of blogs I follow (at the bottom of the home page). I'll be adding 21st Century Abe there. Thanks to you, too, Kathy.

Found online
This was plenty of recognition for one day, and more than this blogger felt she deserved. It would have been enough to keep me beaming for weeks, but the day got even better. I went to the McLean County Museum of History to hear Dan Guillory read from his great little book, "Lincoln Poems." I was reminding my friend, Jeff, at the museum to be sure to watch the blog for information about the bicentennial. He asked me to show him the blog on his computer. When I did, he said, "Wait, someone sent us a link to this today. It was Dan."

It was pretty exciting to know that the speaker had found my blog post. That's what it's all about - promoting the legacy of Lincoln, recognizing those who do the same and promoting events and others who share the passion.

Doing what I do - because...
If I've done that, I'm achieving my goal. What does it take to do this blog? It’s late nights, early mornings and Lincoln spinning endlessly through my head. It’s attending lectures, taking classes, reading books and newspapers and online articles. It’s writing research papers in the second half-century of my life. It’s spending the entire week of Lincoln’s birthday in Springfield savoring every event I can attend – and even doing some volunteering. It’s spending nearly all of my vacation time this year attending Lincoln symposiums – and even dragging my husband and best friends along for the ride. It’s driving my family, co-workers and friends nuts as I talk Lincoln incessantly.

And, it’s all worth it. (Except maybe the part about driving all my loved ones nuts . You'll have to ask them about that.) I hope you’re enjoying visiting the blog as much as I’m enjoying writing it. I’m still trying to determine how best to share the excitement of the bicentennial events. I’ve got some ideas, but they’re still percolating. I should have some news for you on that in about a week.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to get to some Lincoln events near you, okay?

Ann