July 28

 We have had more rain over the last few days than the prognosticators predicted and a lot less sun and heat. On that last I am definitely grateful.

The TV news just said that the economists have announced that the country is in recession. That's nice but somewhat irrelevant to those of us who aren't interested in getting a loan for a home or car, or have big balances on credit cards. We have felt we have been in a recession since inflation began rising --I would say to stratespheric heights but Turkey has (last I heard) has a 70% rate. The data might also be irrelevant since it is entirely backward looking and requires two quarters of declining growth in GDP to be called by which time the "recession" might be over. And even if the next quarter shows economic growth it doesn't mean that any of us at the middle or lower end of the economy will benefit.

Also on the news: Senators Manchin and Schumer have come to an agreement on a package of economic measures that MIGHT pass the senate which will (they hope) ease inflation, curb drug prices (by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices, and impose a minimum 15% corporate tax on companies which seem very adept at getting out of paying any tax at all. Evidently the Dems are pushing to use "reconciliation" which the Reps thought was off the table for good when they agreed to pass the "Chips" bill. Now they are squealing like stuck pigs and McConnell is urging the house to vote that legislation down. Even my high school class wasn't so petty and childish.

On another subject: the gardens are doing well though somewhat bedraggled because of the rain over the last 10 days. I put four of the small pots back in the fence pot holders. I saw a couple of bees working in the squash plants and heard some I didn't see so we might get a few squash in a couple of months. This is the first season I have planted squash in several years. The morning glories are filling the trellis but haven't bloomed yet but the dahlias and hibiscuses are doing quite a job of providing color. And another nice surprise: the rose shows no sign of the mosaic disease I fought last year. It is a new rose. I gave up and pulled the others. The lemon tree seems to be flourishing. I haven't introduced it to the cats yet so I don't know if they will munch on it. I still need to prune the rosemary.