Armistice Day/Veterans Day/Diwali 2015

--I wish I could say that I did more for our armed forces than thanking them on social media, but yesterday, I did not.  No parades, no care packages, no letters of support, no donations to the USO.

--Of course, it's not too late.  While the fact that organizations like the USO are not likely to go out of business makes me sad, it's easy to donate.  Go here.  My parents, who have travelled with the military, can testify to the good work that they do.

--Yesterday we did more to celebrate Diwali, at least the aspect of Diwali that has people getting their houses clean and organized.  We took advantage of good weather on a day off to spray herbicide on the paver bricks that make up so much of our property, to trim shrubbery, and to spray insecticide where needed.  We sorted shelves of books and stacks of  paper.  We turned carrots, apples, lemons, and oranges into fresh juice--which left lots of material for our new compost tumbler, which my spouse put together yesterday.

--While he assembled the compost tumbler, I did a mock work-up of our taxes so that we could make plans for tax-deductible donations before the end of this tax year.

--And yes, it was Nov. 11, and we took a swim in the pool.

--We ended the day by taking a sunset ride around the neighborhood.  It likely wasn't the festival of lights that Hindus enjoyed, but it felt right.