Odd weekend, and good - completely different than I expected. Joanna expected to be off most of Saturday and all Sunday and it didn't turn out that way at all - a visit (which reflected well on her professionally from very high management and lots of people calling in sick). Saturday felt like a parenting rather than grandparenting day - low key, relaxed with the kids. Zachary is getting such big boy skills. He did five large floor puzzles (35 to 50 pieces) all by himself. Ruth and Chris dropped by for a visit, first time in a while - sweet - good to see them healthy and happy as parents to be.

Then, last night, about 7:00, Joanna arrived to spend a little time with the kids - and to announce that Bill Clinton was about to speak at Hillary Clinton's campaign headquarter's in south Austin, so off Joanna and I drove into the chilly night, where we stood outside a warehouse with a couple of hundred Democrats and listened to the former President speak of his wife's strength as a candidate . Even weary of voice on a cold night after a long day of campaigning, the man has a glow, a charisma, as well as smart things to say. I'm delighted to have attended Clinton, O'Bama, and Edwards events this campaign season.

Another weekend highlight was a ballet performance - a program of three short ballets by young choreographers presented in an audience judges contest format. K.K. and I were invited by the family of her best male dancer friend, (fourteen to her eleven) who had extra tickets. The dancing was beautiful and the ballet I voted for called Fear of Speaking dealt explicitly with issues of repression of freedom of speech. The last ballet, Substrata was viaually gorgeous and trancey, but I voted for the one that I felt was equally good art and more important.