24 June 26

Today's tie was chosen by my nibling Nolan Huizenga for his birthday!. He said the Saturn rocket helps "celebrate the Artemis 2 mission that brought 'moon joy' to so much of our planet, along with amazing photos and science observations. No one had traveled to the moon since I was five years old, and finally we went back! This year I also turn the same age as my dad was when he died, so I’m thinking a lot about family history and the gift of being loved by him and many others as I was growing up and figuring out life." 

The Saturn rocket was the basic design for all of the launch vehicles for the Mercury-Gemini-Apollo missions and Skylab (1961-1973). 

Nolan pastors Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, KY.

21 June 26

In my tie collection I have about two dozen ties that have been Father's Day gifts. This one, starring leaping orcas, was from Ben and Amanda in 2014. With help from (niece) Carter Beatty I learned that World Orca Day is on 14 July, so I'm celebrating three weeks early.

19 June 26

Today we're meeting Joel Kleppinger's family to celebrate his birthday! A few weeks ago he got a special baseball at a Reds-Rockies game, and so I'm wearing my tie that shows a baseball in a glove!

17 June 26

Today I'm celebrating the 128th birthday of graphic artist M. C. Escher (1898-1972). His artwork is most famous for his use of reversals, reflections and multiple perspectives. My tie's design is based on the tilted architecture in "Another World II." You can view a collection of Escher's most popular works at this site. 

14 June 26

I think this tie has great potential for celebrating electricity -- I see the dots as electrons and the stripes as wires or charged plates. I'm currently honoring the birthdays of James Clerk Maxwell (yesterday) and Charles-Augustin de Coulomb (today). 

James Clerk Maxwell FRSE FRS (1831–1879) was a Scottish scientist in the field of mathematical physics. His most notable achievement was to formulate the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, bringing together for the first time electricity, magnetism, and light as different manifestations of the same phenomenon. Maxwell's equations for electromagnetism have been called the 'second great unification in physics' where the first one had been realized by Isaac Newton. (Wikipedia). 

Charles-Augustin de Coulomb (1736-1806), for whom the unit of electrical charge is named, was a French physicist who wrote Coulomb's Law of electrical charges and invented the torsion balance. 

I might also mention the shocking event on 10 June 1752 when Benjamin Franklin used a kite to demonstrate that lightning is, in fact, electricity.

12 June 26

My tie today shows a Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass window, from the Howell Hinds house, designed around 1900. Dr. Gary Kuhnhenn gave me this tie from his collection, and his birthday arrives on 17 June. He got to see me and the tie this morning at our "online donuts" Zoom meeting. Happy Birthday, Gary!

10 June 26

Happy Birthday, Fred Shannon! When I was an entering freshman chemistry major at Houghton College (now University) in 1971, Dr. Shannon was the first faculty member I met in the class registration line. When he looked at my papers he instantly asked me if I wanted a job in the chemistry stockroom! (I accepted right away.) He was a wonderful instructor in General Chemistry and later mentored me for several research projects. He retired from academia in the 1990s and now lives in Bridgeport, WV. 

I asked him to help choose my tie for today, and he said "As an organic chemist my favorite element would have to be carbon." So my tie shows all sorts of organic molecules, along with many kinds of lab equipment.

9 June 26

Happy belated birthday (3 June), Amy Graham! Amy worked with me in Information Technology at EKU from the 1990s through my retirement at the end of 2023. She is the Manager for Administrative Support. She gave me this tie in 2022; it originally belonged to her airplane-loving father, Gary Kearns.

I'm also recognizing the birthday (on 31 May) of Charles Woolum, my EKU comrade in Blackboard-land for several years. Charles now works in information technology for University of Kentucky Health Care. Two special notes regarding him: (1) Charles was a student in my first "Honors Rhetoric" class at EKU, and (2) he is responsible for gifting me several ties in my collection. I'm including a photo of my Duct Tape tie, a Christmas present from 2010.

One more special note: Today is National Forklift Safety Day! If you use one, please do it safely, today and every day.

7 June 26

International Clothesline Week begins on the first Saturday in June. I used our clothesline yesterday for sheets and towels! I've worn this homemade tie annually since 2012 for this occasion, except last year, when (I guess) it was a washout.

5 June 26

My niece Kirsten (Huizenga) Caminiti celebrates her birthday every 5 June. This time she asked me to wear my woodland birds tie, to "represent my and Joseph’s love of birds and the soundscape they offer us—so much more interesting than it would be without that. We’ve been geeked out about having a few incessantly serenading Swainson’s Thrushes just a few yards from our home this year!"

The birds on my tie include a European waxwing, song thrush, bullfinch, European goldfinch and European robin.

4 June 26

As requested by (nephew) Nolan Huizenga and Aimee Moiso, the colors on my tie and shirt recall the wonderful celebration of their wedding ten years ago today! Nolan pastors Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, KY, and Aimee is the manager for Social Policy Witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA). I've known Nolan his whole life!

31 Mat 26

Closing out the month of May with a floral tie that I haven't worn since 2022. And I'm including a video of some baby tree swallows that just hatched in our Birdfy nest.

24 May 26

Wearing my red paisley tie today for Pentecost! It was a gift from a student at the end of the last class I taught at EKU, in December 2023. Today is special for our family -- we celebrate Soup Sunday on 24 May to honor the birthday of Beth's dad, Robert Wollenweber (1925-2016). We made cheesy corn chowder and Ben made loaded baked potato soup.

22 May 26

Today is the International Day for Biodiversity, created by the United Nations. My tie shows diverse animals amid rose window medallions. Our family recognizes biodiversity in part by sponsoring Bob, a vervet monkey living at the Primate Rescue Center near Nicholasville, KY. Today is special for Bob because it marks the 17th anniversary of his rescue from "pet" ownership and relocation to PRC.

18 May 26

I have no special occasion today, except to note that Rhode Island became the first state to outlaw slavery, on 18 May 1652. Beth recently joined a local knitting group called Slow Stitch, needlecrafting together on Monday afternoons. She knitted this tie for me in 2013. I've worn it mostly around Christmas but I think it's worth showing any time.