On the table in the room where I’m writing these entries is a candle that is presently unlit. I do not need it for any practical purpose. Even at night, when the room is dark, I can turn on the fixture on the ceiling, for light. The house itself is relatively old, but it has almost every modern convenience. I say “almost” because it doesn’t have a dishwasher. When I wash the dishes I do so by hand, while standing at the sink in the kitchen.