It's Cucumber Day! Larry the Cucumber, and Bob the Tomato, from VeggieTales®, are here to celebrate. My tie shows the guys from "Larry's Lagoon," a VT episode that parodies "Gilligan's Island." Cucumber Day (aka Concombre) traces back to the French Republican Calendar, where they set the 7th day of Messidor to honor the long green vegetable.
My tie also honors the birthdays of Phil Vischer (16 June) and Mike Nawrocki (8 July), the co-creators of VeggieTales®.
In 1893 the Supreme Court rendered a judgment in a case involving tariffs on fruits and vegetables. The central issue was the classification of tomatoes, and on 10 May, the Court decided that the tomato counted as a vegetable, not a fruit! My tie celebrates Bob the Tomato, from Veggie Tales.
About ten days ago I discovered the fact that I have been missing Polka Dot Day, back on 22 January. So, one month later, here's Polka Bob the Tomato, of Veggie Tales® fame. I am also sporting my polka dot socks. On this date (2/22) in 2022 I had great fun celebrating "Twosday," wearing a pair of ties at once.
Once again we have reached Pea Day, on the French Republican Calendar (Pois, 13 Prairial). I''m happy to show the grinning French Peas and Junior Carrot on this Veggie Tales® tie. I hope you have visited the French Republican Calendar to see which crop, animal or farm tool they honored on your birthday or other special days!
Five random trivia for 16 February, to go along with this randomly chosen Veggie Tales tie!
1. In 600, Pope Gregory I decreed saying "God bless you" is the correct response to a sneeze.
2. In 1890, my grandfather Frank Albert Kleppinger was one day old.
3. In 1923, Howard Carter opened the inner burial chamber of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen's tomb and found the famous sarcophagus.
4. In 1925, the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association of America was formed.
5. In 1937, DuPont Corporation patented nylon, developed by employee Wallace Carothers.
Christian churches worldwide celebrate the "birthday of the church" on the feast day called Pentecost. Its date annually falls 49 days (7 weeks) after Easter. The traditional liturgical color for Pentecost is red, and many churches encourage worshippers to wear RED! My own choice is often Bob the Tomato, from VeggieTales.
The creators of the French Republican Calendar showed appreciation for the tomato (Tomate) on the day we call 19 October. Here's Bob the Tomato's great smile to make you happy!
On 26 September 1964 (59 years ago) the world was treated to the premiere of "Gilligan's Island"! The show's theme song may stir up many memories of the castaways for you. VeggieTales created its parody, "Larry's Lagoon," in 1994. My tie shows Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber in their shipmate costumes.
On the French Republican Calendar (observed 1793-1805), our date of 1 June was honored as Pea Day (Pois, 13 Prairial). It gives me a good chance to wear my VeggieTales® tie featuring the French Peas and Junior Carrot! In that animated series the French Peas were the soldiers guarding the wall of Jericho (before it fell to the marching Israelites).
Today's tie was chosen by our son (-by-inclusion) David Haskins, to celebrate his birthday! He says that he and our nephew (-by-inclusion) Jamison have been laughing a lot with the singing vegetables in VeggieTales®. So here's "Silly Songs with Larry" again!
Nine years ago (yesterday) I became a grandfather for the first time! Mallie asked me to wear a RED tie to honor her namesake great-grandmother Mallie (Sizemore) Asher (1928-2014), because Granny Mallie's favorite color was red. She chose Bob the Tomato for today! I am also sporting my special tie bar with one square cut from a medallion of Mallie's initials. Happy Birthday, Mallie!
Today is the birthday (in 1966) of Mike Nawrocki, co-creator of the VeggieTales® cartoon series. Nawrocki was the voice of Larry the Cucumber! So my tie celebrates the wonderful segments of Silly Songs with Larry, such as "Oh, Where is My Hairbrush?," "The Water Buffalo Song," "The Song of the Cebu," and "His Cheeseburger."
Tomorrow (16 June) is the birthday of Veggie Tales® co-creator Phil Vischer (1966). He was the voice of Bob the Tomato, so maybe you can hear him talking and singing all over this Polka Bob tie! You can see images of more than 40 characters played by Bob at his page in the Veggiepedia Wiki.
It's Pea Day on the old French Republican Calendar! So here are some French peas (and Junior Carrot) from Veggie Tales®. Today is also International Dinosaur Day, Wear a Dress Day, National Olive Day and National Nail Polish Day.
And so, once again it's Tomato Day! And here's Bob the Tomato (from VeggieTales®) to smile at you. Tomate, 28 Vendémiaire, was the first date I celebrated according to the French Republican Calendar, when I uncovered that wonderful resource back in 2008. Since then I've worn either this giant smile or my "Polka Bob" tie for many Tomato Days.
Today is the birthday (in 1966) of Phil Vischer, one of the creators of VeggieTales®! Sing some Silly Songs with Larry -- like "The Water Buffalo Song"!
The first of June on our calendars was designated Pea Day (Pois, 13th day of Prairial) on the French Republican Calendar. So here are the French Peas from VeggieTales® to help celebrate! I also learned that today is National Heimlich Maneuver Day.
Polka-Bob the Tomato is here to celebrate the historic Supreme Court decision (known as Nix v. Hedden) in 1893, declaring that the tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit. The distinction was important for customs declarations and import taxes. Justice Horace Gray, delivering the unanimous decision, wrote: “Botanically speaking, tomatoes are the fruit of a vine, just as are cucumbers, squashes, beans, and peas. But in the common language of the people, whether sellers or consumers of provisions, all these are vegetables which are grown in kitchen gardens, and which, whether eaten cooked or raw, are, like potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, and lettuce, usually served at dinner in, with, or after the soup, fish, or meats which constitute the principal part of the repast, and not, like fruits generally, as dessert.” Thus, the Court concluded, a tomato was a vegetable. (I'm quoting from the kentlaw.iit.edu Web site.)
