Happy Birthday to me! Given that I have upwards of 370 ties, the set of those I haven't worn for several years keeps growing! About forty haven't seen daylight for three years or more. My choice for today from that set is covered with beach chairs and umbrellas, because during this retirement summer we've spent a good number of days relaxing near our small pool while our grandchildren play in the water! And yes, it is a little weird to be wearing a tie while enjoying my hammock.
Today we are celebrating Evelyn's birthday (yesterday). She asked me to wear these pink and purple shiny stripes and diamonds, and she also asked us to have a plate of cheesecakes (in six flavors) for dessert. My own birthday is tomorrow, so we decorated the cheesecake plate with the appropriate numerical candles -- I am TWELVE TIMES Evelyn's age!
Tonight I attended a celebration of the life of Dr. Patrick Nnoromele (1954-2025). I wore this brilliantly colorful tie to suit the family's request for bright colors to match their "traditional Nigerian fashion." Patrick and I were comrades in the EKU Philosophy Department, but I knew him better through his teaching Sunday School at Richmond First United Methodist Church.
When Patrick was the University Chaplain, his office was in the basement of the university's chapel. Those rooms routinely flooded with every rainstorm, prompting calls to our Information Technology staff -- which were assigned to me as the resident Macintosh computer supporter.
At one point Patrick consulted with me about creating an email list for alumni of his alma mater ECWA Theological Seminary Aba (in Nigeria), so he could communicate with them and arrange for an alumni reunion!
For his birthday today, Jonathan chose my tie using some convoluted arithmetic: He noted that he was 733 days old when I turned 37 (in 1988), so he studied my tie blog to find the tie I wore 733 days before his 37rh birthday (which takes us back to 30 July 2023). I'm very glad to show these white tigers! The tiger's white coat is rarer than orange because it results from a recessive gene. International Tiger Day is celebrated annually on 29 July.
Happy Birthday, Jonathan!
National Father-in-Law Day is celebrated annually on 30 July. My FIL Robert Wollenweber (1925-2016) was a wonderful example of love and happiness in our lives. I'm wearing one of his ties, where Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet and Tigger and Eeyore are peering out through giant paisleys. The extra photo is from August 1975, where Dad and I are checking the marriage certificate to make sure the "deed" is done. Haha.
Almost every year I celebrate Watering Can Day by wearing this awesome tie. This time it was especially appropriate because our cherry tomato plants really needed water in 96-100 degree weather! The designers of the French Republican Calendar designated each day of the year to honor a crop, a farm animal or a farm tool. July 28 became 10 Thermidor (the hot month!) and was named Arrosoir for the watering can.
For her half-birthday Beth asked me to wear this coffee beans tie! She is clearly an everyday addict, but she stops drinking the stuff before suppertime so she will be able to sleep well. We have about 50 mugs on hooks in the kitchen, and another fifteen stored for Christmas. One mug decorated with Boynton bears never gets hung up because it has the very special purpose of being set up every night for the first cup in the morning!
Today (25 July) marks the birthday of John Wade, a good friend from Friday morning donuts! John is a past dean of Arts and Sciences at EKU (2007-2016). He asked me to wear this blue-and-white combination to celebrate his alma mater Washington and Lee University. He is especially important to me because he spearheaded the 2008 drive to improve the pay rate for part-time faculty! We went from something like $2500 to $3200 for a 3-hour course, which was wonderful. John recently moved to Louisville, and so he joins us through Zoom for our donuts time!
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Yesterday (21 July) was the birthday of Mary Cox-Sweet, one of my favorite fans of my ties! She "likes" each of my new posts. We know Mary from Richmond First United Methodist Church, where she is frequently on duty at the doorway to the sanctuary, always smiling as she hands out the weekly bulletins. She asked me to wear this bright pink tie to celebrate her birthday! I'm including a photo of one our birthday bears.
It's National Pennsylvania Day! I was born there! There is no historical significance for 20 July, but the keepers of the National Day Calendar site started a tradition in 2017 to celebrate one state of the USA every week (well, almost). They designed the annual sequence to begin soon after 4 July and continue in the order of the states' admissions. As the second state, Pennsylvania's National Day falls on 20 July. The letters "PA" stand over a background of the official state seal, while the main colors of the tie match the seal's colors. I keep a copy of the state seal on the back of the tie!
I have no special reason to wear this wonderful Starry Night tie today, except that it's been out of sight for two and a half years! You night note today's date math, 7 plus 18 equals 25, and you might also want to know that Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918. He died in 2013.
Today's tie is simply children playing games. I'm wearing it (briefly) because we are hosting our Richmond grandchildren (as usual) to play at our home in Berea! My lanyard announces that I am Papa Seeds, Full Service Grandfather. Historical trivium: On this date in 1439, kissing was banned in England (to stop the spread of the Black Death).
Eight years ago (for my August birthday) Ben and Amanda gave me this tie, challenging me to find occasions to wear it! Today's Wimbledon final round gives me the advantage to score my sixth chance to show it. I am not a tennis fan but I'm happy to celebrate great moments. We have a few tennis balls that serve as toys for our cats and dog.
It was on July 11, 1914 that "Babe" Ruth first appeared in major league baseball, pitching for the Boston Red Sox. He went on to fame primarily as a hitter, holding the record for career home runs from 1935 until 1974. Charlie Brown was famous in Peanuts® as the pitcher who was always tumbled over by flying baseballs. Snoopy could hit, but he was also a great fielder who caught balls in his mouth.
On this date in 2013 I became a grandfather! When they were teenagers my sons gave me the nickname "Seeds," and so it was determined that my grandchildren would call me Papa Seeds. This tie celebrates the birth of Mallie, featuring an image of me holding my newborn granddaughter.
