16 March 26

Today is Lips Appreciation Day, created by Tom and Ruth Roy of Wellcat Herbals and Wellcat Holidays. It's simply a day to pay attention to our lips! "Coming in different shapes and sizes — thin, thick, pouty, and plump — the human lips are the two dainty fleshy folds of tissue surrounding the mouth and covering the teeth. The lips are naturally mobile and play a role in eating, sucking, whistling, and the articulation of sound and speech. Particularly in humans, the lips are a pinkish, hypersensitive sensory organ that forms an integral part of facial gestures like pouting, smiling, scoffing, and grimacing. Thanks to their suppleness, the lips are also used for erogenous and intimate acts like kissing." Three bits of historical trivia: Cleopatra (ca. 40 BCE) used beeswax and olive oil for lip and skin care; in 1650, the British Parliament proposed banning lipstick; and around 2018, companies began offering lipsticks enhanced with cannabis.

14 February 25

On Valentine's Day 1975 (50 years ago, also a Friday), Beth Wollenweber and I sat together in the student lounge at Houghton College (NY). As we cuddled I turned to her and said "I want you to marry me." Her initial response was "What?!" -- but she maintains that she was only trying to make sure she had heard me correctly. She quickly agreed with my "proposal"! And then we called our parents and told them that we were engaged -- and they were not surprised but very, very happy. In our excitement the following day we forgot our duty to monitor the still for triple-distilled water in a chemistry lab, bur the faculty accepted our apology. Around this time we arranged for our senior yearbook photo, where we sat together in a chemistry lab hood reading a "book" we titled "Chemistry Made Simple by W. T. Pooh." Our clothes were fashionable for 1975! We've had a wonderful 50 years since then.

9 August 23

 On this date in 1975, a bunch of people at College Church in Wheaton, Illinois witnessed a wonderful ceremony where Beth and I promised to keep loving each other forever. We kissed then and frequently ever since! I did not have a tie like this to wear -- just the standard 1975 tuxedo with black bow tie and fancy ruffled shirt.

14 February 22

Happy Valentines' Day! One of my recent Christmas presents was this kissy-lips tie, probably intended as a challenge for me to find an appropriate occasion to wear it. Beth quickly decided it should be for Valentines' Day. (This is the 47th anniversary of the evening when I said "I want you to marry me!" and when Beth responded "What?") One of my office associates is this red dog Rudy who greeted me on this date some twelve years ago.