3 May 26

On this date in 1830: First regular steam train passenger service in the U.S. starts in South Carolina, with U.S.-built locomotive “The Best Friend of Charleston." My tie shows steam locomotives, circa ??

3 September 23

Today (3 September) marks the annual birthday celebration for Clyde David Burberry! CDB is Beth's "adopted  brother" and is known in our family as Uncle Bubba. He asked me to wear this steam locomotives tie because he grew up with trains running close to his home -- his father was a station master at Centerville, KY, for the Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad. CDB remembers his mother frequently dashing to the clothesline to pull in the clothes before the soot from an oncoming train reached their house!

13 October 22

Today is the birthday of my nephew Matt Lang. To put things mildly, Matt is a railroad enthusiast. As a boy he played endless hours with Thomas the Tank Engine (and Percy and the rest). He has worked as an engineer and conductor for several railroad excursion companies. He has a large collection of all things for model railroading, and he tracks and chases trains all over North Carolina and neighboring states. He has chosen my steam locomotives tie many times for me to wear for his birthday!

13 October 21

My nephew Matt Lang is celebrating his birthday today! Matt has been a railroad enthusiast since forever, and is now working for the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. Their tours through the Smokies are powered by steam engine #1702!

24 May 21

 Ninety-six years ago today, Robert F. Wollenweber (1925-2016) was born. He would eventually become my father-in-law! He had many other claims to fame as a pastor, missionary radio engineer/director, office manager, and Prison Fellowship state director. He loved trains and gave me this tie for my birthday a few months before he died. I'm happy to wear it in his honor!

13 October 19

Today my train-loving nephew Matt Lang turns 28! So I'm wearing steam locomotives for him. Today is also known as Train Your Brain Day! In the world of international standards, on this date in 1967, the modern definition of the second was established as "the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the cesium-133 atom." It's still one-3600th of an hour.

13-14 October 18

My nephew Matt Lang turned 27 years old on Saturday! His lifelong hobby/obsession is "trains," of all dimensions, ages and purposes. I am quite sure that no trip with Matt is ever complete without an off-road stop to photograph some engine parked on a siding or a maintenance machine at a crossing or an Amtrak train rushing through. My tie for Sunday features steam locomotives, which were a favorite of Beth's father Robert Wollenweber -- who gave me the tie!

12-13 October 17

Tomorrow (Friday, a no-tie day for me) is Matt Lang's 26th birthday! Matt is one of my favorite nephews, whose all-time favorite topic is TRAINS. He works as an electrician and conductor for the LM&M (Lebanon Mason Monroe) Railroad, offering scenic train rides through the southwestern Ohio countryside.

24 May 17

Today we're honoring the birthday of Robert Wollenweber, Beth's dad (1925-2016). He loved trains, and gave me this tie for my birthday last August! He also wore this shirt. We will be having lunch with Wilma Wollenweber today!


From 2014:

11-13 October 16

Woo-hoo! I'm debuting this wonderful steam locomotive tie to honor the birthday (on Thursday) of my nephew and railroad-super-enthusiast Matt Lang. He lives in Ohio but has been known to chase trains in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia and everywhere within reach of Rhode Island. I have to celebrate his birthday in advance because I'll be on vacation the rest of this week.