Ideas for 2018

To start the new year, I will not resort to the cliché of calling these resolutions, but I thought it might be a good idea to post ideas of some things I would like to accomplish about this blog and my interest in the Civil War in 2018. It still seems surreal that I have been doing this blog thing since 2009. So much has happened and changed since then, but I plan to keep on plugging away here. How many, if any, of these will happen this year, I do not know, but i do like at least having a list of items in writing.

1. Read more books. I have done pretty well at this in the last half of 2017, at least until my most recent cataract surgery a couple of weeks ago, but I want to do more. I have a few that I have not read yet, and a couple of those stand  out as ones I want to read first. 

2. Rearrange my bookshelves This might help the first one, but I would like to re-arrange my books so that they are in some sort of logical order. I did recently create a shelf for my Civil War books dealing with Kentucky, Cincinnati and “local” books (though there is one more I know I have, but I cannot find it and it is making me CRAZY!) but I need to do this with more books. I have a couple shelves semi-organized, but need to do more, though deciding how and what topics to use will be tough. At least one or two will be for Lincoln, and I think I will probably use “biographies” for another, instead of more specific ideas like “generals.” Perhaps an actual “to be read” pile or shelf would be nice as well 

3. Travel. I will not be a globetrotter, but I need to see a couple of places in Kentucky for the first time  (Richmond, Mill Springs, Wildcat Mountain) and revisit other places such as Perryville, Bardstown and Hodgenville. I will visit Cynthiana again and perhaps take one out-of-state trip, possibly to Springfield, Illinois. I would like to see Lincoln’s Home, the Lincoln Presidential Library, his tomb and whatever other Lincoln attractions are located there. I have thought about that for a while and think it would be fun, though a long drive. I do need to go to other battlefields like Shiloh, Franklin, Chickamsuga or back to Gettysburg or Antietam, but I don’t see those happening this upcoming year.

4. Post more often I’d like at least a couple of posts every month, though I can’t promise it. I look at my blogroll and a lot of blogs I started following a few years ago are now gone or inactive. I suppose podcasts are the current hot thing, but that does not interest me. I’ll keep on blogging as I enjoy it, especially when I come up with a good or fun idea for a post. Researching, writing, and editing/proofreading these remains fun for me and I do think it helps keep my mind sharp and learn new things about the war and about how to express my thoughts. It is a good creative outlet for me, no matter how many page views I do or do not get. 

5. Redesign this blog? I really like the current look, with all the blue coloration, but part of me is getting the itch to make some changes. It has had this same look for several years now and I kind of want to make changes, but every time I look at it and try to think of how to change it, I just do not come up with any ideas. I simply like how it looks. It’s a bit of a conundrum, but not a big deal in the long run. 

6. Get involved in re-enacting or living history? I have purchased a Union infantry private’s frock cost and have ordered some pants which will need hemming. I still need other garments - a shirt, suspenders, socks, brogans and a kepi at least - but have started the process. I suppose i am not sure I want to re-enact, but probably have more interest in living history to represent the museum where I volunteer. Perhaps I will try both, but the living history is what I have been interested in and why I have looked into these purchases for a couple of years. I think wearing a uniform will improve my perspective on the soldiers who fought, especially if I do re-enact and will let me communicate it better as well. 

That seems like a good list, at least to ponder and to try to conquer. I guess now it is time that will tell how man6 of these I attack or accomplish. 

Happy New Year, everyone!