Welcome to new visitors, thanks to returning readers

I'm thankful for the many loyal readers who visit Lincoln Buff 2. Lately, I've been a bit lax in doing fresh new blog posts as I've worked to catch up on some other obligations. I'm back...

Bursting with Lincoln lore
When I started this blog, it was because I was learning so much about Lincoln that I just knew I'd explode if I couldn't share all of this great knowledge. I also wanted to help spread enthusiasm about the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln in celebration of the bicentennial of his birth.

As I took a Lincoln course at Heartland College, attended lectures at the McLean County Museum of History, the Lincoln Colloquium at Knox College, Bicentennial events in Springfield and the Illinois History Symposium in Jacksonville, I shared stories about the things I learned and the people I met who knew so much more about Lincoln than I do.

I also wrote about Lincoln books, Lincoln productions and Lincoln sites. Watch for more of the same.

Fun stuff to come
I'll soon be sharing stories about Washington, D.C. sites with connections to Lincoln, helping you to experience just a little of the enthusiasm I feel as I visit these sites. Later, I'll also have more for you as I share what I learn at scholarly events.

Tweeting bits of Lincoln every day
Until I can get some blog posts written, please look for me on Twitter. I watch for and retweet things others are posting about Lincoln, the Civil War and our nation's history during the 19th century. I also tweet links to articles I find about Lincoln events or new Lincoln books and I try to let you know of as many Virtual Book Signings at the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago as I can.

On Twitter, you'll also find a little of me - my strong belief in lifelong learning and a positive attitude. You'll see an occassional tweet about a few musician patriots I follow, like the Oak Ridge Boys and Lee Greenwood. Once in a while, I'll retweet a tweet about communication or social media, because I believe so strongly these are keys to keeping history alive for a new generation of learners and mature learners who love being connected as much as I do. And besides, Lincoln was the great communicator, wasn't he?

For the most part, my tweets are about Lincoln, but once in a while, I just may have to retweet something that has nothing to do with Abe, but which will make you smile. I don't think the storyteller who charmed the prairie would mind at all, do you?

Watch for Lincoln Buff 2 on YouTube
One of my favorite non-Lincoln-related tweeters is Mark Ragan, CEO of Ragan Communications. Thanks to a cool little video clip he did recently, I bought myself a flip camera, with which I'm supposed to be able to easily film and upload videos to YouTube. I've built my YouTube channel and have lots of ideas. As I see sites, when I can, I'll try to capture a few minutes of the experience so you'll feel as if you've been there, too. Keep your fingers crossed and please overlook crooked camera angles. We'll see how this next venture goes.

In the meantime, try to learn something new about Lincoln everyday. Check out my left-hand sidebars for lots of ways you can do that. And, whenever you can, spread a little of this Lincoln enthusiasm yourself. You'd be surprised how often people really do want to learn more about Lincoln, but just haven't taken time to do it themselves. With a little prompting, you can get many people to pick up a Lincoln book or watch a piece about Lincoln online.

Thanks for visiting. Come back often.

Ann