Hadrian and Abraham Lincoln

Left: Bust of Hadrian in Military Gear, 117-118 CE; Right: Photograph of Abraham Lincoln, ca. 1860-1865 (National Archives)

This past month my book group read Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I haven't had a chance to read the book (I've been on the library's waiting list for weeks!), but I have enjoyed following the discussion on our book group blog. Someone brought up the interesting point that a young eleven year-old girl, Grace Bedell, was the person who convinced Abraham Lincoln to grow a beard. In October 1860, Bedell wrote this letter to Lincoln:

Hon A B Lincoln...

Dear Sir

My father has just home from the fair and brought home your picture and Mr. Hamlin's. I am a little girl only 11 years old, but want you should be President of the United States very much so I hope you wont think me very bold to write to such a great man as you are. Have you any little girls about as large as I am if so give them my love and tell her to write to me if you cannot answer this letter. I have yet got four brothers and part of them will vote for you any way and if you let your whiskers grow I will try and get the rest of them to vote for you you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President. My father is going to vote for you and if I was a man I would vote for you to but I will try to get every one to vote for you that I can I think that rail fence around your picture makes it look very pretty I have got a little baby sister she is nine weeks old and is just as cunning as can be. When you direct your letter direct to Grace Bedell Westfield Chautauqua County New York.

I must not write any more answer this letter right off Good bye

Grace Bedell

Lincoln responded to this little girl's letter a few days later (you can read his response HERE). Although he expressed some hesitation at growing "whiskers," within a month Lincoln began to sport a beard. About six months later, Lincoln traveled to the speak in Westfield, New York and asked to meet Grace. When she was pulled from the crowd and brought forward, he pointed out to her that he had been growing whiskers at her suggestion.

I think this is a really interesting story to consider, especially since Abraham Lincoln was the first American president to ever have a beard. The ancient Roman senators and early emperors didn't have beards - which makes me wonder if there was some Neoclassical trend in the 18th and early 19th centuries that either consciously or subconsciously connected American presidents back to the Romans. Maybe the beardless trend was a good way for the first several presidents to visually-align themselves with classical ideals? Anyhow, the first Roman emperor to bring the beard back into style was Hadrian. There are some interesting parallels between Lincoln and Hadrian too, and not just the beard: Hadrian helped to make the Roman legal code more humane, which in turn ended the torture of ancient Roman slaves.

Slow Days

Things have slowed down for us over the past two days. Sam woke up two nights ago with a fever and nausea. Yesterday he and I spent almost the whole day at home on our living room couch. The poor guy just felt like snuggling, watching movies, and reading books. And I was happy to comply. Although I don't like it when Sam gets sick, I love that he is more interested in snuggling than usual. A lot of old Disney cartoons have become available for online streaming too, which made the time pass more pleasantly.

Sam and I held hands on the couch and snuggled up close for several hours. We read several books, but when I was halfway through a story about Eeyore, he turned to his side and closed his eyes. My gloomy "Eeyore voice" is soporific, I guess.

When Sam was awake, I would stroke his hair and we would have little chats when he felt up to it. One time he asked, "Mom, are you glad that you grew a baby in your tummy?" I said, "Of course! Who would be with me during the day and be my special friend if I didn't grow you in my tummy? Who would read books with me and play games with me while Dad is at work?" Sam smiled at that.

Today he's feeling much better. We ventured off of the couch this afternoon, but we are still taking things rather slow. He still has a little bit of a fever (you can see in the picture that his cheeks are still a bit flushed). He's much more cheerful, though, and even mustered a smile when he noticed I was taking a picture of him.

Even though I go back to teaching on Monday (and I have plenty of things do to before school starts), I'm glad for these slow days. The work will somehow get done. I would rather snuggle with my warmie-warm boy.

7 Years of Experiences

J and I just went out to celebrate our anniversary - we've been married for seven years! One evening, a few nights ago, we sat down and thought about all of the changes that we have experienced in the last seven years. We wrote down a pretty long list, but I thought I would put down a couple of major things here (listed in terms of numerical value, not importance):

• 9 cellphones (Although realize that J gets some phones because of his job!)
• 7 seasons of LOST
• 7 international trips (4 of those were undertaken together)  
• 7 therapy sessions for me
• 7 jobs for me 
• 6 jobs for J
• 5 family funerals
• 5 computers
• 4 houses
• 3 cars
• 3 college degrees received
• 2 pet fish (which lasted about two weeks)
• 2 paradigm shifts
• 2 gym memberships
• 1 robbery
• 1 trip to the emergency room
• 1 temporary apartment in NYC
• 1 child

J planned a really special date for us. We went to a fancy French restaurant for a four-course dinner. (A variant of our pre-set menu is available online.) We had the ahi tuna and scallops, lobster and leeks, NY strip steak, a cheese course, and orange/pistachio streusel. The food was very good, especially the dessert (see above). It was this really fantastic combinations of flavors and textures, from the crunchy sugary candies to the blood orange "glass" shards.

Then we walked over to the symphonic hall for a concert and New Year's countdown. When we walked into the concert, we noticed that a bandstand and dance floor had been set up in the foyer for after the concert. J and I tried to guess what dance music would be played for the New Year's celebration, which was slated to begin after the concert ended. J guessed disco, but it actually ended up being big band music - which makes sense, since most of the symphony concert goers are old people! We had fun dancing to the music of a Frank Sinatra-esque singer and his band. There were all of these old couples dancing around us; the floor was rather crowded so we had to work hard to not bump into the people. The whole environment (i.e. old people bumping into each other on a crowded dance floor, accompanied with big band music) made me think of the audience dance numbers that used to be on the Lawrence Welk show.

 
And, surprisingly, I stayed awake until midnight! J teases me that I have never stayed awake until midnight for the whole time that we have been married. I was determined to stay up, although I immediately suggested that we leave after the New Year countdown took place. We spent the night at a really nice hotel, which served a really phenomenal breakfast in the morning at their restaurant, The Georgian (see above). I could still taste hints of vanilla and maple syrup in my mouth when we drove away. We enjoyed looking at a perfect blue sky and snow-capped mountains as we drove to pick up Sam. What a great way to start the new year.