26 December 25

Today's mushrooms tie was chosen by Amanda, who has worked at the front desk of Silver Creek Animal Hospital. Tomorrow is her birthday! When she told me about her choice she added that "I have a large mushroom tattoo on my right shoulder."

25 December 25

For Christmas Day I'm wearing wreaths and bells that say Merry Christmas!

24 December 25

Today's tie for Christmas Eve continues a longstanding personal tradition . . . celebrating the message of the angels to the shepherds . . . 

23 December 25

This is the 23rd day of National Tie Month. I'm wearing my snowman tie that chirps "Jingle Bells" in hopes that we might see some snow soon, but that's very unlikely. We had snow two weeks ago but our weather has been very warm and will probably be so for the rest of the year!

22 December 25

Surprise! I'm wearing this tie for a second time this month, because I just uncovered the fact that colored Christmas lights were invented around this date (22 December) in 1882. Edward Johnson, an associate of Thomas Edison ,at the Edison Light Company, hand-wired 80 red, white, and blue light bulbs and strung them together around a tree in front of the street-side window of his parlor. A generator powered the lights and the tree’s revolving pedestal. Within a few years colored lights became a holiday tradition.

21 December 25

On the Fourth Sunday in Advent we are helping Mom Wilma Wollenweber with her Christmas tree. My tie with a big tree lit with candles originally belonged to Dad Bob Wollenweber, and the tree in my photo has been decorated at their homes in Brevard, NC and Richmond, KY. Ornaments will be added soon!

20 December 25

This is a remarkable day in New Orleans history. On 20 December 1803, the French flag was lowered in New Orleans to signify the formal transfer of the Louisiana Purchase from France to the United States, purchased for $15 million. I bought this tie in New Orleans six years ago.

19 December 25

Continuing my observance of National Tie Month . . . This tie in red, green and white was knitted for me by Beth, 12 years ago!

18 December 25

Today (18 December) is recognized by onthisdate.com as the date in 1849 for the first photograph (a daguerrreotype) of the moon through a telescope, attributed to William Cranch Bond (1789-1859). Other sources put the date for this event in 1850. My moonscape tie was a Christmas present in 2016 from nephew Matt Lang.

17 December 25

On this date in 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first experience in human air flight. My special tie shows the building plan for the Wright Brothers Flyer. It was a Christmas gift to me in 2022 from nephew Matt Lang.

16 December 25

I'm breaking the pattern of Advent/Christmas/winter ties to recall the Boston Tea Party, on the night of 16 December 1773. I bought this tie showing a map of Old Boston seven years ago, from the gift shop associated with the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, where I also bought some "official" Boston Tea Party Blend Tea. (I am sure that these tea leaves were not actually part of the cargo that was dumped into Boston Harbor.)

15 December 25

We are midway through National Tie Month. Today it's exceptionally cold for central Kentucky, with morning temperatures in the single digits F. I'm quite sure my happy penguins are used to frigid land and air! 

Today is also National Cupcake Day. The cupcake was originally known as the 1-2-3-4 cake because the recipe called for 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour, 4 eggs, and also 1 cup of milk, and 1 spoonful of baking soda.

14 December 25

This is the Third Sunday in Advent 2025, and the traditional theme is JOY! So here's a very happy snowman, with tiny sparkling lights.

13 December 25

It's a rare Saturday when I choose to wear a tie for no good reason, but I'm taking the chance to observe the 13th day of National Tie Month with a tie featuring "postage-stamp snowmen." They are shown as built in Cairo (made of pyramids), 16th century England (decapitated), Honolulu (made of pineapples), Pisa (leaning over), Florida (a puddle), and New York City (covered with graffiti). We got about 4 inches of snow recently; it's melting today but there should be more tonight/tomorrow.

12 December 25

Today's tie helps celebrate National Poinsettia Day! It was created by Congress in 2002. The flower was introduced from Mexico into the United States around 1828 by diplomat Robert Poinsett (1779-1851). It soon became a popular decoration and was named in Poinsett's honor. I chose my shirt with an embroidered laptop because we are Zooming for our standard Friday morning doughnuts meeting.