3 February 26

Today (3 February) marks the birthday of our friend Mary Lou Stephens. When I asked her which tie I should wear she had no special choice but she mentioned that her birthstone (for February)) is amethyst. So I decided to show my lavender-lilac tie, which is the best I have for purple! My tie bar says "Walkabout Expert," and the reverse side says "References Available On Request." Our Richmond grandchildren are with us today and we will play in the snow, walking about in our neighborhood!

14 April 22

Tomorrow (15 April) is Lilac Day (26 Germinal, Lilas) on the French Republican Calendar. I have another special tie for tomorrow, so I'm wearing lilac-lavender today. The color shows best on the full photo.

10 April 20

Today's tie is lavender-lilac to match the color of the blooms on our lilac bushes. Walt Whitman wrote "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" in the summer of 1865, as an elegy for Abraham Lincoln's death. I'm also wearing a safety pin, to honor the patent awarded on this date in 1849 to Walter Hunt of New York City.

19 April 18

Today's tie celebrates Lilac Day, on the French Republican Calendar. It was a few days ago (on Sunday), but the nice color lasts quite a while.

5 March 17

Today is the first Sunday in Lent 2017, so I'm wearing liturgical purple (with my lavender tie on a dark purple shirt). This is also the season for the saintly tournament known as Lent Madness. Last week I "voted" for Stephen, Henry Beard Delany, and Mechtild of Magdeburg, all winners of their contests. Tomorrow, John Wycliffe faces Moses the Black. It's a very interesting way to learn about the lives and work of honorable Christians through the ages.

10 September 15

A second day to celebrate my Aunt Grace's 102nd birthday (on Tuesday). She told me she would like me to wear this lavender/violet tie!

17 August 15

Some very thoughtful people celebrate August 17 as "Meaning of 'Is' Day." To help you meditate on the meaning of existence I'm wearing a solid-color lavender tie on a striped lavender-and-white shirt. To get started, think about the fact that what you call "solid" does not actually exist -- what you claim to touch 'is' really almost completely empty space. Or you could consider the question "What is lavender (the color)?" You might also notice that my tie knot 'is' a Trinity -- what a very strange description of reality.

30 November 14

First Sunday in Advent -- wearing purple!

15 April 13

Today = Lilac on the French Republican Calendar.

2 July 12

Happy Lavender Day! Celebrate the color or the plant or the fragrance or all three. The lavender plant was selected for the 14th day of Messidor (the month celebrating harvest) on the calendar for the French Republic.

16 April 12

When lilacs last in the door-yard bloom’d,
And the great star early droop’d in the western sky in the night,
I mourn’d—and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.

--Lines from Walt Whitman, reflecting in 1865 on the death of Abraham Lincoln on April 15 that same year. Lilacs are also very appropriate for April 15/16 each year because it is Lilac Day on the French Republican Calendar. Our own lilacs are particularly bright this year.

08 May 11

For Mother's Day I asked Beth to choose a tie, and she selected (no surprise) these bears. At lunch she received grateful greetings from our children, from me, from our (one) dog and from our (three) cats.














Note for Saturday, May 7: We attended EKU's commencement celebration for David Anderson and Silas Burris. I wore my solid lilac tie on a deep purple shirt. A photo may be shown soon.

28 June 10

I know of no historic occasion for today, so I'm taking the opportunity to celebrate this Friday's association with Lavender, on the French Republican Calendar.

09 August 09

For our 34th wedding anniversary today, both Beth and I wore "passionate purple." This tie was a birthday gift (last week) from David Anderson.