The Big 2-0-0

Happy 200th Birthday President Lincoln! In celebration of his birthday, I went to his house. It was wild and crazy there. I'm sure that every elementary school kid in Springfield was there. The park rangers were serving birthday doughnut holes at the visitor center. I was able to talk with some of the rangers there about my upcoming employment, and I think it will be a great experience. It was really neat to be there on his Bicentennial birthday. After a visit to his house, I went over to the Old State Capitol to get some envelopes stamped with the special Bicentennial cancellation. There were about five billion people there, and I had to wait in line for two hours, but it was okay because now my collection of Abraham Lincoln postage memorabilia is complete. Early tomorrow morning Greg and I will head out for South Carolina--and it's the perfect time because a snow storm is supposed to blow into Illinois tomorrow afternoon. I'm finished with winter--so we'll head off to where the sun shines all the time. We're so excited to see the Agates!

Four Score

First off, I have some excellent news: I am going to be a park ranger at the Abraham Lincoln Home National Historic Site!!!! Ranger Tiff is back. The chief ranger called this evening to tell me the good news. I'll go sign some paperwork next week, then hopefully I can start working early in March. Hoooooray! I am very excited.

Speaking of Abraham Lincoln, on the eve of his 200th birthday, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is holding an overnight vigil in his honor. We're not crazy enough to go spend the night there, but we did go to the museum this evening to see the special Lincoln documents that will be on display until 8:00 tomorrow morning. It was soooooo cool! We got an up-close look at the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and the Thirteenth Amendment.














Abraham Lincoln signed the Thirteenth Amendment on February 1, 1865, but it did not become law until December 1865--eight months after Lincoln's death. There's something special about seeing the actual documents he wrote or signed. It establishes a certain connection with him. It was so cool to read the words in Lincoln's handwriting:

"That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave their last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that, government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY--Lincoln's 200th birthday. I plan to head to his house bright and early, then I'll go get some things stamped with the special Lincoln Bicentennial cancellation at the Old State Capitol. I'll have to try to be home before everything shuts down when King Obama arrives to steal Lincoln's spotlight tomorrow evening. Just kidding--I won't go there, though I have plenty to say about it :-)

Greg and I will be going to bed very early tomorrow evening because early early Friday morning we will embark on a fun Valentine's/President's Day trip to South Carolina to visit Sarah, Joel, and Eliza! We are so excited. We've got quite the fun trip out there planned--we'll stop at a number of Civil War battlefields including Stones River, Chickamauga and Chattanooga, and Kennesaw Mountain. We'll then spend three fun-filled days with the Agates and will drive home through Kentucky on Tuesday. We'll be sure to visit Abraham Lincoln's birthplace on the way home. We can't wait to see Sarah, Joel, and Eliza!

Speaking of Abraham Lincoln's birthplace, tomorrow a ceremony will take place there to officially launch the four new penny designs. The first penny--which will enter circulation tomorrow--features his Kentucky birthplace. Then throughout the rest of the year they will release the three other designs. So keep an eye out for the new pennies. Here's wishing you happy Lincoln dreams tonight!

Putting a Stamp on History

This is a great week. There is Lincoln stuff going on 24/7. It's pretty fun to be right in the middle of it. Yesterday morning I went to Springfield for the First Day Issue of the new Lincoln stamps. I was one of the first people to line up outside of the Old State Capitol Building, and at 9:00 they opened the gate and allowed the crowd to go inside and purchase items featuring the First Day Issue cancellation. Then it was time for the official stamp unveiling with the U. S. Postmaster General. My favorite part of the whole program was when the 114th Illinois Volunteers (a Civil War reenactment group) presented the colors. They started out downstairs at the Old State Capitol, and you could hear their drummer echoing through the whole building. Then they started playing "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" as they entered the House chamber. It was really cool. There were about a million people there, so I headed out as quickly as I could after the stamp unveiling. It was getting pretty warm (and smelly) in there with all of those people. After the stamp ceremony, I walked over to the Lincoln home, then I met with the director of a company called Springfield Tours. I am going to be a tour guide for them over the summer which should be very fun. The tour I'll be conducting is called "Mr. Lincoln's Springfield Bicentennial Walk." It will take place on Friday and Saturday evenings. It should be a fun way to earn some extra cash.

For the last two evenings Greg and I have been able to attend some special Bicentennial lectures at the Lincoln Museum. Last night we saw for the first time the totally awesome "Bicentennial Bike" which is on display in the museum lobby. It's so cool! Yes, that's solid copper on the wheels.

Last night we heard Richard Carwardine speak. He is from England and wrote the book Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power. He gave a very interesting presentation about Lincoln's perception of the world, and the world's perception of Lincoln. I even got a book signed by him! Tonight we heard a really cool lecture by Daniel Epstein who wrote the book Portrait of a Marriage about Abraham and Mary. It was very refreshing to hear a respected author talk about how much the Lincoln's loved each other. Lately it has seemed that everyone is talking about how Mary was crazy and made Abraham miserable and how he always wished that he had been able to marry Ann Rutledge. I've never bought into that idea, and I was glad to hear Epstein's presentation tonight. Greg is a good sport to go along with all of this Lincoln stuff ;-)

Lily just walked into the room dragging the belt from my bath robe. How did she get that? We had to buy some baby-proofing things for our doorknobs because somehow she's figured out how to open doors. She's so funny!