Thank you

Today is Veteran's Day, so I think it appropriate to post a thank you to all the men and women currently serving in our armed forces as well as those who have in the past. I've known people in various branches of service, including some in the family, and appreciate the efforts of all who serve.

So, here's remembering Grandpa (Army, WWII), Great-grandpa (Army, WWI), Tom (Air Force MP).

And to Opa (Air Force), Dad E (Air Force), cousin Jeremy (Air Force), The Colonel - Mr. M. (Army), Ed (Navy), Mr. B. (Army, Green Beret, Vietnam), Tony (Army), and all those I'm forgetting at the moment.

A little politeness, please

Have you used an Automated Postal Center lately? 

When I am done making a purchase, the machine always 'asks' politely whether it may help me further. I may be weird, but in my mind, I always think 'no, thank you'. The options are, of course, 'yes' or 'no'. 

Which makes me wonder if more automated machines used standard polite options, would people start to pick them up? Granted, it's probably not going to change the world, but a little more politeness in the world can't be a bad thing.

That is all. Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts.

The joy of a pile of leaves

I raked leaves in most of the back yard late this afternoon, with 'help' from the boys. They had a lot of fun playing in the piles.

Watching them have such fun made raking a lot of leaves more enjoyable. There were a lot fewer than before we took down the rotting maple (I'd say about 1/3 as many).

They had so much fun sitting in the leaves, getting dirty and damp, not worrying about bugs. There is such joy in that innocence and naivete that we lose as we grow older and think about all the possible icky things (or dangers if we extrapolate).

Having kids is a great reminder that clothes clean and so do we. Enjoying the moment is something I would like to strive to do more. We have a pretty good life and are learning to be satisficers rather than perfectionists, so I think that will help. But one of the best ways I know is to look at the world through the eyes of a child. It's a cliche because it's true.