Wednesday, July 27, 2011

It is looking more and more like the United States economy is going to crash!

It is the politicians that are doing it.

There are a lot of DIFFERENT things that they could do, but they refuse to do them:.

They would rather indulge in a power struggle.

Now there must be a hundred ways to avoid default, but the main thing is to not spend more money than you can either raise or borrow. Preferably they would BALANCE the budget, it is the safest, but that is more than we can expect of this bunch.

Alas, the Democrats want a Democratic bill and will consider no other, and the Republicans want a Republican bill and will consider no other. So, nothing is being done. In fact, one observer said that they are now LESS likely to come to an agreement than they were weeks ago! And, so, nothing is being done.

One politician, Reid, DID write up a bill that incorporated almost all of what both political parties wanted, but it was shot down almost instantly. Apparently, it is more important to make the other party lose than it is for any one party to win!

More and more, it looks like we will all lose.

My house is full of food but I am going shopping today for a bit more. I do not KNOW what will happen to the economy or to the value of the dollar if this stalemate does not break, but, I intend to have the necessities of life stashed away to last us until I know how this will affect us.

This problem is entirely of the politicians making. They do not want to win so much as they want to discredit the other party.

And if this continues for TOO long, the United States economy will probably crash.

It is simply too hot to go outside.

The outdoor thermometer reads 110, but I do not believe it. I think that it is too close to my house, and I think it is in a hot pocket. Still, it is too hot to be outside.

Until last week I could keep the garden picked and watered, but no longer. I feel good if I can put water on the ground in the chicken pen for them to stand in.

The electric bill is going to be horrible. Oh, well!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Thoughts about survival gardening.

A milestone has been passed in my garden: the vegetables with real calories are starting to bear.

It is true that we have been enjoying leafy vegetables, broccoli, and zuchhini for some weeks now, and we even got some peas. But, the vegetables with serious calories in them- the corn, beans, tomatos, melons, and root vegetables- have simply been too young to bear until now.

From this time on the garden might give us more calories than is spent on keeping it up. If we ever needed the garden to give us serious calories, it would be unreasonable to expect it to do so before early July when the beans start to bear.

Turnips and Fava beans are earlier, but I had no wish to plant them this year. I suppose I could do it if I had to!

In Medieval England, the spring was calle the "Hungry gap" because the stored food was running out or starting to spoil, and the more nourishing vegetables were too young to provide calories. This makes me very gratefull for supermarkets!!!!!!!!!!!

I am currently dehydrating grated zucchini for this winter. After soaking it, I can add it to cake. The zucchini will pretty much vanish, just leaving the cake extra moist and tender. It seems like cheating to serve a vegetable without people realizing that tey are eating it, but, the vegetable IS eaten, and that is no bad thing!!!!!
My Mother in law has passed on.

I know that it was time, but I cannot help but think that the world is a poorer place for her passing.