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.

11 December 25

We are gradually getting our house decorated for Christmas. Window candles, inside garland, the small tree for the "bears' window" and other things are in place. Next up -- the stockings on the stairway and then the main tree! The lights shown on this tie are like the ones my parents had, which were much hotter to touch than our LEDs.

29 December 24

I'm showing bright colors for the Fifth Day of Christmas 2024.

7 December 23

The fifth day of Advent 2023 is also the opening of Hanukkah (25 Kislev), the "season of lights" in Judaism. It commemorates the events in the second century BCE when a Jewish rebellion against the Greek King Antiochus IV succeeded, and as they proceeded to rebuild the Temple, the sacred candle continued burning miraculously for eight days. So the menorah for Hanukkah has eight candles, one lit each day. I don't have a Hanukkah tie, but the Christmas lights on this tie also represent the celebration of light coming into the world.

28 November 22

 This is the first workday of Advent 2022! I'm wearing my Christmas lights tie and my shirt is purple for Advent.

5 December 12

 For the Second Sunday in Advent 21, I'm wearing my Christmas-lights tie. It does not light up but the colors are bright! Today I finished adding lights and green garland to our front porch. This evening I am returning to Telford Terrace (nursing home) to visit with the residents with a brief "service" of Bible stories, hymns and hymn stories. I had done that almost every Sunday from October 2000 through March 2020, so it's very special to be able to do it again!

15 December 20

For the 17th day of Advent 2020 (and the last work day for EKU this year) I'm wearing my Christmas lights tie (which does not light up). And it's also a special family day as we celebrate Jack Lang's 22nd birthday! Jack is my sister (-in-law) Faith's son who lives in Cincinnati with Emily Carr and their almost-one-year-old son Leo.

2 December 19

For the second day of Advent 2019 I'm wearing my "Christmas lights" tie. For our second-last class in Honors Freshman Seminar we're meeting with EKU President Benson, to learn about "the President's view" of the university. This is the fourth time I've ended the course this way, and the students (and I) have found his perspective very engaging and enlightening!

18 December 18

Christmas lights! (No, this tie does not light up. But it's an inspiration today to finish decorating our house for the season!)

14 December 17

This is the last Christmas tie for the week, on an Advent-purple shirt! Today is also the anniversary of the song "Frosty the Snowman" in 1950, and the animated TV special in 1969.

18 December 16

For the fourth Sunday in Advent I chose my Christmas-lights tie. In churches that use an Advent wreath, the fourth candle is often associated with celebrating the power of love. The traditional color for Advent is purple, but blue is now an "approved" alternate, and it makes a very nice background for the "lights" on my tie.

30 November 15

Time for Advent/Christmas lights!

16 December 14

Bright lights (that don't light up) for the holiday season and for Ludwig van Beethoven's 244th birthday!

1 December 13

First Sunday in Advent 2013

2 December 12

It's the first Sunday in Advent 2012! My shirt is deep purple, despite the maroon hue captured in the detail photo.

28 November 11

Today is the first weekday of Advent. We have some candles in our windows but the tree lights must wait until after our classes are over.

05 December 10

Second Sunday in Advent . . . the shirt is truly green, despite the appearance on the detail photo.

20 December 09

Fourth Sunday in Advent, also called Christmas Sunday.

14 December 08

I am singing with the choir in a Christmas cantata this morning at Nicholasville Presbyterian Church. My tie sings about the joy of Christmas lights.

25 June 08

This may be a little lame, but today is Half-Christmas, on the same level as everyone's half-birthday. I know that there's more history for "Christmas in July." Maybe we'll celebrate that, too.