Lincoln Bicentennial in 2009

Here's the famous sculpture on Abraham Lincoln's grave monument in Springfield, IL. Probably every last person who visited the gravesite has rubbed Lincoln's nose to make it so shiny. This is a likeness of Lincoln that I love. You can see the sadness and compassion in that beautiful homely face.

Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809. On Feb. 11, the night before his 200th birthday, PBS will show "Looking for Lincoln," a documentary hosted by noted Harvard scholar, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. You can see lots more about the year-long celebrations at the Lincoln Bicentennial website, including details of the release in 2009 of new Lincoln pennies with 4 different designs for the reverse sides.

I never tire of reading about Lincoln. There are more books published about him every year, so I'll never run out of possibilities. The more I read about him, a man both reviled and loved, the more I admire his deep understanding of people and all their foibles. He was probably one of the most emotionally intelligent people who ever lived. Nonetheless, his profound humanity did not prevent his willingness to subject the country to the horrors of war in order to preserve the United States first, and end slavery second. This makes for an endless supply of literary assessments! I'm giving myself a break from Lincoln biographies for a little while, but there'll be plenty to think about this next year, even if it's not from a book.

Walking in the Air

Thanks to Daughter #1 who reminded me today of one of my all-time favorite songs, "Walking in the Air" by Howard Blake. Her daughter has been learning the song from the video version of Raymond Briggs' The Snowman, for which Blake wrote the music. It's lovely and haunting - and you can see and hear it on YouTube.

YouTube has many other versions of the song, and the Choirboys cover is pretty good, but the original is still the best.

Poisoned Politics and Paranoia

Is there anyone in the world who doesn't know that the esteemed governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich (we all learned how to say and spell that one years ago), is in the hot seat for allegedly attempting to auction off the vacant Senate seat of the President-elect? People I know tell me that their friends and relatives from around the world (!) have been asking them about it this week. How come my distant family and friends are all strangely silent? The local family members have been heehawing and congratulating each other that the end is in sight!

All the talk of wiretaps and secret surveillance have added to my paranoia, however. Especially after I read this post on the Top 10 Tips for Avoiding ID Theft. I do use "remember me" on my library account login, but who cares? I don't do it on the important stuff. And I certainly don't walk around with my S.S. card. But who would have thought that you should keep your hotel key card and shred it when you get home? Or remove and destroy an old computer's hard drive - not just erase it? Take a look.

Historical Fiction on Film

I'm just about finished reading Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman, one of a trilogy she's written about Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitane, and Thomas Becket. Her writing got me to completely accept her version of the medieval way of life and thought, passion and intrigue. These people had such an amazing history that it's no wonder that they have inspired many authors, including Shakespeare.

I'm now ready to compare Penman's story with the two film versions of James Goldman's play, The Lion in Winter. The first from 1968 with Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor, and Peter O'Toole as Henry; the second from 2003 with the formidable Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart. Luckily, the two films were both popular and award-winning, so my library has both!

Retailers Running Scared

Today's paper has the headline,"Stores Offer Steep Discounts To Lure Skittish Shoppers." I can attest to that after my husband's trip to buy a new winter jacket yesterday. Trying to get him to buy any new clothes in the first place calls for a major campaign, but the fact that he failed to find an acceptable replacement for his old jacket last year gave me some added ammunition in getting him to shop early for one this year.

So I had cut out the big full page Macy's ad for 50% off all men's winter jackets and taped it to our kitchen phone last Sunday. When he picked me up from work yesterday, he gleefully told me how he had bought a new jacket for one-third the original price! I was immediately suspicious that, being a clueless shopper, he had been suckered into buying a total reject jacket. But when we got home and he showed me a what appeared to be a stunning Calvin Klein black leather jacket, I was speechless!

In addition to the 50% off from the original price of $240 (which I thought was low for Calvin Klein and leather, but I postponed my skeptical comments), the sales clerk told him that there was an additional one-day $100 promotion on that jacket. On top of that, my husband had noticed signs in the store saying that Macy's cardholders could get an additional 20% off any purchase during the sale. He didn't have his old card with him, but asked if he could still get that discount too. Well, I had cancelled our credit card account there when Marshall Field's changed to Macy's some years ago - but that didn't matter! The clerk checked to see if they had records of our account, pronounced it still available, and gave him another $20 off. So the final bill was $80 plus tax!

An additional happy surprise was that, after he tried it on for me and duly accepted my compliments on his choice, we looked at the fabric label and discovered it is NOT leather! That explains the original low price, but not how they can make polyester look just exactly like weathered black leather. I was really fooled! This jacket is completely washable - do not dry clean - ha ha ha ha ha!

So, I have new repect for my husband's shopping abilities and bargaining smarts - and a realization that if you need to buy ANYTHING, do it now! Forget waiting until the after Christmas sales at 75% off - the stores are doing that now. Doesn't that make you wonder what their profit margin is on a $240 jacket - like $200!!! Sigh.

Elder Brother

I'm the oldest in my family of 7 siblings, and I've read my share of "birth order" studies, but I never expected to learn something about my position in the family from a book called The Prodigal God (see side bar). The author quotes a line from Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor (one of my favorite writers), "...there was a deep, black wordless conviction in him that the way to avoid Jesus was to avoid sin."

The elder brother has an attitude toward parents/society/God that has him saying, in effect, "Since I am obedient and respectful, you owe me. I am my own savior." This conformist has allowed herself a certain superiority. Much to think about.

Amazing Recipe: 3 Ingredients + 3 Minutes!

I just finished reading the cookbook, The Food You Crave, by Ellie Krieger. I found a half dozen recipes worth copying, but one was perfect: Maple-Glazed Walnuts. I made some for a friend who gave me a ride to a weekend seminar. We ate them there, and when several people asked, I was able to rattle off the recipe without looking - so simple!

2 cups walnut halves (no chopping!)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/8 t. salt

Cook walnuts, salt, and maple syrup in a heavy skillet over med. high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the syrup bubbles and is almost all absorbed by the nuts. Turn out onto some waxed paper, breaking up any clumps. Cool and serve or store in an air-tight container. Eat as is, or sprinkle on salads, mashed sweet potatoes, etc. This has Christmas gift written all over it!