2 August 24

 When I asked granddaughter Evelyn what tie I should wear for her birthday, she quickly said "the one that lights up and sparkles!" My photo shows just one of the many color and light patterns that show up on this white tie.

22 May 24

My granddaughter Evelyn asked me to "spin your ties" inside my closet, because she enjoys seeing my rotating tie racks -- all going at the same time. Then she said "Where's the one with the changing colors?" It hangs separately, and when I found it I decided to wear it for her the following day! It is pure white but has lighted strands that show red, green, blue, purple, pink and white, with options for solid colors or changing or flashing. She thought the solid green was very special and she asked me to take her picture when she wore the tie.

7 October 22

Happy National LED Light Day! On this date in 2014, the Nobel Prize committee awarded the prize in Physics to three electronics wizards who developed the blue LED in the early 1990s. The first LEDs, around 1972, were red, and other colors in the spectrum followed, but blue proved to be the most difficult to achieve. My sparkly LED tie has many bright colors and shifting patterns! Today's sparkles also honor the birthday (tomorrow) of Sallie Florence (Schappell) Kleppinger (1888-1969), my paternal grandmother!

9 August 20

 Today I'm wearing my special sparkling-lights tie, because we are having a family celebration for my birthday (five days ago)! And it's also the 45th anniversary of our wedding! The photos do not really capture the wonderful bright sparkles on my tie.

30 January 20

Today I'm helping Rachel Haskins celebrate her birthday (yesterday)! Rachel is our daughter-by-inclusion and is a public school music teacher in Lexington, KY. She and David and Jamison gave me this wonderful lighted tie for Christmas, and today it's showing bright green because that's Rachel's favorite color!

22 December 19

This is Christmas Sunday, the Fourth Sunday in Advent. Its traditional theme is Love. My celebratory tie was a loving gift (received last Sunday) from David and Rachel Haskins. It displays and flashes lights in many colors! And today it is set for steady PINK, to honor the birthday (on Tuesday, Christmas Eve) of Courtney (Tennill) Kleppinger! She asked for one of my pinkest ties, and we agreed that this was the right one!