For her birthday today, my sister Faith Lang chose my "flags of many nations" tie. She has been thinking a lot about world peace! Four nations that are much in the current news but which are not represented on my tie are Denmark, Nicaragua, Iran and Palestine. Denmark's flag is especially noteworthy because the "Dannebrog" is widely recognized as the world's oldest national flag still in continuous use, with legendary origins dating to 1219.
I claim (with no other evidence at all) that I am the best-dressed resident of Berea, KY, to be clearing his driveway entrance of 4 to 6 inches of snow and ice. My tie was chosen by Beth to celebrate her six-dozenth birthday today, because she loves (Diet) Coke and polar bears. I have given her some flowers, Twix frozen treats, and mini donuts, and I will be cooking up an instant chocolate muffin which will be festooned with a candle.
Happy Birthday, Melanie Givan! We met around 1995 as coworkers in "technology" at Eastern Kentucky University. At that time Melanie had a storage-closet office in the back of a computer lab classroom in the Memorial Sciences Building and I was working from a cubicle in the Academic Computing Services offices in Combs Classroom Building. We were both responsible for faculty computer support, in different realms of EKU. Our old work environments have been completely repurposed (several times).
We are now retired, but Melanie and I and others still meet regularly for Friday morning donuts, mostly in person but by Zoom when necessary. She asked me to wear my dragonflies tie (based on a stained-glass design by Louis Comfort Tiffany) because she has always loved dragonflies!
National Handwriting Day is celebrated annually on 23 January. It is scripted to honor the birthday of John Hancock, famous for signing the Declaration of Independence in very large letters. One story, possibly apocryphal, is that he wanted the King of England to be able to read his signature without his spectacles. My tie shows the examples of handwriting I saw on the walls of my third grade classroom at Lincoln Elementary School, where Miss Welch made me practice a lot!
When someone gives you a Tabasco® tie, you have to learn about National Hot Sauce Day, on 22 January. Then you must get some Tabasco sauce and find out how to use it! I tried a few drops with some hash browns from McDonald's and it was good! Do you have a favorite way to use hot sauce? (Thanks to Rachel, David and Jamison Haskins for the tie!)
Today is a rather special day for us: we are setting up a too-long-delayed gathering on Zoom with my sister Gloria and two of her "kids," who all live in Louisville! Gloria (retired organist/piano teacher) moved from near Philadelphia (PA) to Louisville in September. My nephew Nolan is pastor at Highland Presbyterian Church. Niece Kirsten works in graphics design. I chose to wear my Psalm 150:6 tie because it celebrates our family's deep faith and love for music, and because the G clef always reminds me of Gloria as my first piano teacher (when I was 5 years old).
National Popcorn Day is celebrated annually on 19 January. It's one day later, but I am wearing my popcorn tie, and there shall be popcorn popped and eaten!
It's National Winnie the Pooh Day! Author A. A. Milne was born on 18 January 1882. The first Pooh book, When We Were Very Young, was published in 1924. In terms of commercial value, only Mickey Mouse is more valuable than Winnie-the-Pooh. My tie shows the Disney images of Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit and Eeyore. I think Christopher Robin and Piglet are off to a picnic.
Happy Birthday, Ben Kleppinger! At his birth (forty years ago) we were glad that he "waited" until 12:27 a.m. to appear, so that he would have his own special day apart from Martin Luther King, Jr. Ben is the Community Engagement Coordinator at CASA of Lexington. He asked me to wear my Dalí Time Warp tie, and I'm happy to think of the years melting away. We are very proud of our son!
The official holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is on Monday, 19 January 2026. My tie today celebrates his birthday on 15 January 1929. The tie came from the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia. It shows photos from his life and statements about many events, including the "I have a dream" passage from his speech at the Lincoln Memorial, 28 August 1963.
When you have a rubber ducky bow tie you must celebrate National Rubber Ducky Day on 13 January. As usual, Beth helped me with the bow-tieing! And my shirt is adorned with a plenitude of bow ties.
My tie shows a repeating image of Maine's Portland Head Light, on Cape Elizabeth, which was first lit on 10 January 1791. It is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. "In 1787, the General Court of Massachusetts (the Massachusetts legislature) provided $750 to begin construction of a lighthouse. In 1790, when the United States Government took over the responsibility of all lighthouses, Congress appropriated $1,500 for its completion. The original tower measured 72' from base to lantern deck and was lit with 16 whale oil lamps. It was first lit on January 10, 1791."
I needed a tie to wear to our usual Friday morning donuts. The Campbell's Soup brand was trademarked on 9 January 1906. My favorite for the last few years has been tomato bisque, prepared with milk and enhanced with several tablespoons of salsa.
Happy Birthday, Carter Rae Beatty! Carter and Matt Lang (my nephew) live in Asheville, NC, where they survived the monthslong disaster in 2025 following massive flooding. Carter works at Southern Highland Craft Guild, on the Blue Ridge Parkway. She asked me to wear my constellations tie!
I wore a tie every day in December for National Tie Month, Advent and Christmas. January is my Happy-Birthday-est month of the year, and I've started off with six on seven days!
My tie today shows children dressed for games. It was given to me by my Mom and Dad thirty years ago. Today (6 January, Epiphany) my mother Ethel Howland (York) Kleppinger would be 110 years old! As shown in the photo from ~1959 (when she was 43 and I was about 5) we got along quite well.
