The meatballs bred, feeling grateful, off to bed

Oh my goodness, y'all, the meatballs just kept coming and coming and coming. It took more than an hour just to shape and fry them all. Wow. However, now I've got two enormous pots-worth, and my freezer feels sated once more. So does Tom. The boys were so darn cute this afternoon, and this evening I spent a lovely two hours at a Quaker Committee discussion on Silence. I love that Jack's school has a weekly meeting for worship, 20-30 minutes of kids sitting in silence together. There are other moments of silence throughout the day- at morning gathering, before lunch and so forth, and it's such a gift to a child to learn how to slow to stillness and honor their thoughts, whatever they may be. We are not adherents of any faith tradition, but I often feel I could be Quaker. In many ways, it seems an extension of the values my family already holds dear, which is one reason we are so happy that Jack attends the school he does. What a luxury to feel that each day we're sending our little one off to a place that we trust as much as we do our own home, to teachers that inspire us to be better parents, to peers that are growing together in the same community of respect and stewardship. As has Jack, T and I have made such extraordinary friends there. As well, being part of the committee that hosted the event tonight has been such an intellectually rewarding experience for me; it's really enriched our time at the school so far. Lucky, lucky are we all!

I quite doubt that I will, but I hope to maintain some feeling of this peace and zen during tomorrow night's debate. Mittens -in his infinitely smug and vacillating self- will surely have nothing of depth or value to add, and I fear President Obama will stoop to that level of vague and sweeping generalities rather than rise proudly above it. It is so disheartening to see how far pride in being smart, educated, candid and willing to compromise has fallen.