Dear Eric,

    Just a few minutes before the delegation breakfast and the real stuff (?) begins.  Yesterday I went to the North End for a service at Old North Church.  I was early enough to take in the Paul Revere House (around the corner and down the street) before the service.  On Saturday I had seen Park Street Church, King's Chapel, Old South Meeting House, and the Old State House.  Bishop Gayle Harris presided at the service at Old North, and the  vicar, Stephen Ayres, who will open the convention with prayer today, preached.  His sermon was about the Our Father and whether we ask to be forgiven "trespasses," "sins," or "debts."  He opted for "debts," and tied it to the requirement that we forgive international debt and not burden our future generations with debt here in America.  After the service two women, from the national affairs office in Washington and the Episcopal Mission in Boston, lighted lanterns that will hang in the steeple of Old North Church during the convention.

     I was miked up and under camera during the service because Religion and Ethics Newsweekly is featuring me (it seems) in a program for this coming Sunday.  I'm to be interviewed on the floor on Tuesday.

     I lazed around the North End and ate a gelato, watched part of the anti-war demonstration, then took the T back here to change and go to the delegation opening reception, which was held at a financial center building.  There was an impressive opening performance by a Chinese group of young people who do martial arts (there were dragons!).  Chinatown is apparently right next to the financial district.  The food was good, and I had a chance to meet Garrison Keillor.  After that, some delegates went to a public Boston Pops concert at City Hall plaza, but I accompanied a fellow delegate who had tickets (she thought) to an evening sponsored by the African-American caucus.  It turned out to be a disaster -- half the people who had RSVP'ed didn't have any tickets.  We were suspicious that the thing had overbooked and priority had been given to certain people.   Anyway, I had a chance to get a glimpse of a fair number of important African-American leaders, including Barack Obama.

     When offered seating in the overflow auditorium with video, we declined and went downtown instead, to the Sheraton, to a NOW reception, which was held in a far-too-small room.  The conversation was deafening, but I met some interesting women.  Ohioans seem to be omnipresent.

     Got back here about 11 p.m. and found my roommate had finally arrived -- too late for the party etc. She is somewhat depressed about the "democratic" nature of this event.  One interesting remark: she said that our Minnesota method of electing delegates is frowned upon.  The DNC leadership would prefer that the state Chair pick the delegates with an eye to their deep pockets instead of allowing the state party to elect whoever.  (This may explain why Minnesota has such a diverse delegation, including the first Somali American, some Hmong, Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, and so on.)

     I hear the breakfast line is long, so off I go!
 

Linda+