With not much promise of good weather today, I was left with choices of either baking or cooking, fixing the closet, finishing the job list I was assigned by Philip for our tax project for the Board, or simply bumming around. Overly optimistic, our handyman Luis fixed the broken handle of my garden rake this morning and assured me that the soil will be ready for tilling soon. Not so fast, my friend, the scene from my window is a mix of snow and rain. It took just one second for me to abandon any thoughts of doing any of the above, so I grabbed that book Team of Rivals and decided to continue where I left off.What is it about Lincoln that's so fascinating? Much has been written about him but many consider him the most eloquent President the country has ever had, as exemplified in his immortal Gettysburg Address. As plain as he appeared, he surprised everyone with his words both spoken and penned. He guided the country through the most devastating experience of the Civil War and at a time when slavery was widespread, he began the process which abolished slavery in this nation.
I found that the first 30 pages of this book which I've read so far, proved to be a very stimulating introduction to the life of this man of humble origins. Definitely not a history buff, in this bicentennial celebration of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln, I chose to reward myself with this book, written by the scholarly Doris Kearns Goodwin, that I may gain more knowledge about a great statesman and President.
"You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time". Abraham Lincoln
