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Across the Fence:  who has been your all-time most favorite ...  |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
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GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 18 2008 : 3:03:24 PM
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tasha, i'm reading lots of writings on him .. especially william herndon (his law partner and closest confidant) .. and the 'proofs' offered by those that feel that Lincoln was a homosexual .. have big holes in them from what i've read from quite a few reliable sources. he was shy and had been teased much of his youth because he was tall and gangly and not very good looking. he had several women in his life .. he proposed to two of them (twice each!) i do believe he loved mary todd .. but was also miserable with her. much of what i've read says that ann rutledge was the 'love of his life'. JUST finished reading some of his quotes on women and marriage.
this is from a letter he wrote to Mary Owens (one of our very own Green County, Kentucky residents): "Whatever woman may cast her lot with mine, should any ever do so, it is my intention to do all in my power to make her happy and contented; and there is nothing I can imagine that would make me more unhappy than to fail in that effort.
he later wrote Mary Owens another letter: "If you feel yourself in any degree bound to me, I am now willing to release you, provided you wish it; while, on the other hand, I am willing, and even anxious, to bind you faster, if i can be convinced that it will, in any considerable degree, add to your happiness. This, indeed, is the whole question with me. Nothing would make me more miserable than to believe you miserable .. nothing more unhappy than to know you were so."
AND HE writes TO HIS FRIEND Mrs. Eliza Browning .. upon his failed engagement to Mary Owens:
"Others have been made fools of by the girls; but this can never with truth be said of me. I most emphatically, in this instance, made a fool of myself. I have now come to the conclusion never again to think of marrying, and for this reason; I can never be satisfied with anyone who would be block-headed enough to have me."
he writes to John T. Stuart (later) on his broken engagement with Mary Todd (who, of course, later, became his wife): "i am now the most miserable man living. If what i feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on the earth".
Soon after Lincoln's marriage to Mary Todd .. he wrote to another friend: "Nothing new here, except my marrying, which to me is a matter of profound wonder."
he wrote to Mary Todd: "In this troublesome world, we are never quite satisfied. When you were here, I thought you hindered me some in attending to business; but now, having nothing but business .. no variety .. it has grown exceedingly tasteless to me. I hate to sit down and direct documents, and I hate to stay in ths old room by myself".
He also wrote this to a pretty little actress: "so this is the little lady that all us folks in Washington like so much. Don't you ever come 'round here asking me to do some of those impossible things you women always ask for, for I would have to do it, and then I'd get into trouble'!!
HA! wonder if Mary Todd ever saw THAT letter!!!
this is a remark Lincoln made to his friends, on his wife Mary's having had her way in an argument:
"If you knew how little harm it does me and how much good it does her, you wouldn't wonder that I am meek".
Most of what i have read tells that the Lincoln's mostly did not have a very happy marriage .. they were both victims of depression .. and losing their two sons had a profound sad affect on both of them .. after lincoln's assassination .. mary todd went into an asylum for several years.
it was a 'different' time .. a tumultuous time during his presidency and the civil war. mary todd was quite bossy and made him unhappy for much of their relationship. but i do believe they loved each other.
i'm also reading the book: The Women in Lincoln's Life. How the sixteenth american president was shaped by fascinating women who loved, hated, helped, charmed and deceived him.
There are some events in Lincoln's life where some historians might come to believe he was homosexual .. but further readings point to the fact that he was much rejected by girls in his youth. Mostly when he made advances he was either spurned or made fun of because of his awkwardness and homely looks. That i believe would even send a heterosexual teenage boy of TODAY into a spell of not liking girls! But homosexuality is something one is genetically born with .. and you don't bounce back and forth being shy of girls and loving them dearly and sexually if homosexuality is your life. (at least those are my profound beliefs .. and seems to be the consensus of most biographers of Lincoln's life.)
I'll write more of his love for Anne Rutlidge later. xo
True Friends * Frannie
HEAR MY STORIES
come, visit my:
"GATHERING ROOM" ..
http://freedomvalleyfarm.blogspot.com
adopt a 'rag-chile'
http://sistermercysfoundlinhome.blogspot.com
treasures .. new and olde .. up for adoption:
http://mudpiemanormercantile.blogspot.com
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JessieMae
True Blue Farmgirl
702 Posts
Jessie
Raleigh
North Carolina
USA
702 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2008 : 3:07:02 PM
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| Jimmy Carter. I think he was our last "honest" President. Other Presidents retire and run dude ranches and command tens of thousands of dollars per speaking engagement. Brother Carter builds houses for poor people, brokers peace between warring countries, and runs a center for international diplomacy. |
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Peanut
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jennifer
Waverly
Virginia
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2008 : 3:43:29 PM
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Before my time? Andrew Jackson. But truly, that's mostly because his love story with his wife, Rachel practically mirrors that of mine and my husband. Also, he seemed to have quite the personality.
Since I've been born? Reagan. I'm not quite as conservative as he was, but close.
"What is a farm but a mute gospel?"
Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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laluna
True Blue Farmgirl
295 Posts
New York
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2008 : 4:23:37 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by JessieMae
Jimmy Carter. I think he was our last "honest" President. Other Presidents retire and run dude ranches and command tens of thousands of dollars per speaking engagement. Brother Carter builds houses for poor people, brokers peace between warring countries, and runs a center for international diplomacy.
I'll second this! I also think that his "honesty" is part of the reason he wasn't re-elected. I'd almost have to say he was too good for the world of politics.
"I believe in God, only I spell it Nature." -- Frank Lloyd Wright |
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frannie
True Blue Farmgirl
2246 Posts
fran
bonham
texas
USA
2246 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2008 : 4:50:14 PM
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my favoriet would also have to be president jimmy. we love him here, and i also think he was too good for politics, but his ideas were way ahead of his time. if we had listened maybe we would be in a different spot in many ways.
i have to admit too, that i also loved president kennedy.
i think it is because he was really the first president i was aware of and i was irish, (or at least i thought i was!) and catholic, and it was very exciting for a 10 year old to see the first irish catholic president if thats what your family was.
i would love to say who is my least favorite president  ,
but i will try to be good and not get controversial. 
love
fran
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/) |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2008 : 5:20:08 PM
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Jimmy Carter for sure. I really love him still, and admire his honesty--he tells it like it is--still.
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
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Past Blessings
True Blue Farmgirl
1083 Posts
Brenda
Orchard Prairie
WA
USA
1083 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2008 : 5:31:07 PM
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I have to admit I have always had a soft spot for Lincoln too and quite frankly the speculation on his "sexual orientation over 150 years later makes me irritated. I think part of my draw to Lincoln, is that we are actually direct decendents of Mary Todd Lincoln. In fact, since the last name Todd is no longer in my direct line (though there are great uncles, etc. still around) we used it as a middle name for our youngest son. Bragging on being related to Mary Tood Lincoln is rather odd, as she was considered mentally unstable, but if you look at the amount of loss the poor woman suffered, back in a day there were no "Dr. Phils" to turn to, I can hardly blame her. I love studying Abe's history and have a great book that is over 100 years old that was written on mother's of Presidents and it is very impressive the wonderful parenting these great leaders had.
As for a president that was of my time, I would probably go with Ronald Reagan. Yes, he made errors, but he also had integrity and was one of the best ever with foreign policy. I was in highschool when he was shot and still remember sitting in class watching it on TV.
It seems finding presidents with integrity to the levels of the past, is rare. But then, finding many people with integrity of the past is also rare these days.
Hugs & blessings,
Brenda
Past Blessings . . . Celebrating Life as it used to be . . . when people loved God, loved their families and loved their country. |
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Farmtopia
True Blue Farmgirl
1465 Posts
Zan
New York
New York
USA
1465 Posts |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
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sissysquilts
True Blue Farmgirl
368 Posts
sissy
wa
USA
368 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2008 : 6:17:36 PM
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President Carter! *~* Brilliant, selfless, honest and true of heart *~*
Sissy
Farmgirl Sister #117
"The good stars met in your horoscope. Made you of spirit,fire and dew"
Robert Browning |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2008 : 6:45:26 PM
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As a writer, gardener, and all around explorer of the world around me...I have to say Jefferson. He was interested in everything he saw and made detailed notes on many of his thoughts and ideas. He would have been a facinating man to just sit down and toss ideas around with. I don't believe he would have found any serious thought to be beneith exploration.
What we write today slipped into our souls some other day when we were alone and doing nothing.
-Brenda Ueland
http://quilandneedle.blogspot.com/ |
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CountryBorn
True Blue Farmgirl
1545 Posts
Mary Jane
New York
USA
1545 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2008 : 06:43:34 AM
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Before my time Lincoln. Even though I know he did a nasty in the White House, I have to say Clinton. Oh, I just know I am going to get backlash on this one. But, I am honest, give me credit for that girls!!! LOL! I just have to say one thing before I sign off, just remember how good things were during hid presidentcy, everyone was much better off finacially and we had no huge deficeit. As for the nasty thing, as much as we love JFK, he paraded the women in and out like an assembly line so did many others. Ok I'm ready.
MJ
There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. Freya Stark |
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Jeanna
True Blue Farmgirl
267 Posts
Jeanna
Franklin
NC
USA
267 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2008 : 06:44:04 AM
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I'M with everyone else--President Carter. I think if they would have untied his hands he could have accomplished so much more.
Jeanna
Farmgirl Sister #41
If both of our troubles were hung on a line--You would take yours and I would take mine. |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2008 : 06:56:22 AM
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mary jane .. o.k. gurlz .. i, too, believe that much good was accomplished during clinton years (although, i was not necessarily a big fan of his) .. he did accomplish some good for our country during his tenure .. i have visited the white house on several occasions .. and shortly after his 'monica' thing! and i do not stand in judgement of his 'affairs' .. but i was VERY .. ohhhh ... o.k. ANGRY .. as i stood in the doorway and knew this sacred American icon of a room had been the place of his sexual escapades! That room belongs to WE THE PEOPLE .. and goodness knows it may not be the first (or last) time it was used this way ... but we KNOW of this time!
Jimmy Carter is and was a good man .. but i've heard many in Washington say he was not an especially 'effective' President. not sure how his hands were tied any more so than any other president. HA! i'll ask my 'history guru' .. hank. He might enlighten me.
remember girls .. religion and politics can be passionate subjects .. we are all giving our personal favorites for our personal reasons .. and (i firmly believe) there is no one 'truth' in either of those two subjects. pleeeeeze don't anyone take anyone's opionion too strongly .. this is jus' a fun, personal conversation about our favs. xoxoxo
True Friends * Frannie
HEAR MY STORIES
come, visit my:
"GATHERING ROOM" ..
http://freedomvalleyfarm.blogspot.com
adopt a 'rag-chile'
http://sistermercysfoundlinhome.blogspot.com
treasures .. new and olde .. up for adoption:
http://mudpiemanormercantile.blogspot.com
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2008 : 06:57:47 AM
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I've always liked Roosevelt. I always thought he was a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is kind of man. I also found him to be very inspiring because he never let his disability hinder him. It never stopped him from what he wanted to do.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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CountryBorn
True Blue Farmgirl
1545 Posts
Mary Jane
New York
USA
1545 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2008 : 07:10:28 AM
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Honestly Frannie, I was very disappointed in him myself. Like you I didn't judge his personal affairs, but I was very angry with him for doing such a stupid thing and otherwise ruining his good record, he could of gone down in history for all the really good things he did, instead a lot of people just remember that.I felt that was truly a shame. Thanks for knowing what I meant by him being a good president.
MJ
There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. Freya Stark |
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Across the Fence: who has been your all-time most favorite ... |
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who has been your all-time most favorite ...
