Action

A quick note before tomorrow and a recipe

In anticipation of the election, I find myself incapable of long-form thought. I am anxious, I am hopeful, I am in a state of utter dread, I am in denial. On repeat. I did a phone banking shift today, and while overall it left me feeling productive and excited, toward the end, I had several baffling calls that were filled with contradictions: An immigrant who felt that Biden/Harris have not been tough enough on the border and that Trump will be better for the economy. A pro-choice woman who plans to vote for Trump. A guy who didn’t tell me who he’s voting for but instead asked for nudes, to whom I served so much incredulous sass in my “Yeah, OK,” that I think he could see my eyes rolling (on my very clothed body) all the way through the phone and across state lines.

However, as I sit on the couch eating gummy worms to fill the void where my optimism once was, I will encourage you to also do some phone banking. (Yes, even tomorrow! It’s mostly just making sure people know where to vote!) Because for each of those unpleasant calls, I had at least one pleasant one. And I feel better this evening than I did this morning.

A spend a lot of time in my head, and introspection is fine and well, but sometimes action is better. I think this is one of those times. At the very least, take the action of voting.

Things My Kids Ate This Month

G loved the turkey meatloaf with gooey little pockets of gruyere from Julia Turshen’s cookbook Simply Julia, aka my bible.

S loved homemade samosas from our wonderful neighbors.

Everyone is in love with these energy balls that are filled with flax and oats and are likely my kids’ primary source of fiber:

1 cup oats

2/3 cup shredded coconut

2/3 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup ground flax

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix together, roll into golf-ball size balls, refrigerate, and pretend it counts as a main course for a 6-year-old’s lunch.