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Ferida Wolff writes: "The daffies have been spreading over the years. They seem to decide where to plant themselves and then surprise me when they bloom. It’s a pleasure to see the vibrant yellow greeting me when I look out the kitchen window and it feels like the flowers’ energy is present when I do qigong exercises outside on a nice pre-spring day. A daffodil is seen as a symbol of hope and healing. It feels like an awakening as it begins to bring our thoughts to Spring. It’s almost an invitation to set aside what the winter offered and to welcome what is yet to come."  more »

Ferida Wolff writes: "It seems like a warmer Fall would alter the timing of when leaves change their color but trees seem to know better. The leaves are glowing with brilliant reds and yellows and starting to fall in huge numbers. I used to like to crunch them when I walked down the street. I still do." more »

Ferida Wolff Writes: "Outside our front door was a wonderful sight – a male goldfinch was sitting on one of our Astilbe plants. His beautiful gold color was startling. As we watched, a female goldfinch flew to one of the other Astilbe plants and seemed to be watching the male. He didn’t chase her away so perhaps they were a couple. They sat there together/apart for several minutes until we had to go out. Then our movement disturbed them and they zipped off and we haven’t seen them since. A sight like that is breathtaking." more »

"The cumulative deficit over the 2023–2032 period that we now project is $3 trillion larger than we projected last May, mainly because of newly enacted legislation and changes to the economic forecast that boost interest costs and spending on mandatory programs. Federal debt held by the public is projected to rise from 98 percent of GDP in 2023 to 118 percent in 2033 — an average increase of 2 percentage points per year. Over that period, the growth of interest costs and mandatory spending outpaces the growth of revenues and the economy, driving up debt. Those factors persist beyond 2033, pushing federal debt higher still, to 195 percent of GDP in 2053. The increase in mandatory spending is driven by rising costs for Social Security and Medicare. Total discretionary spending falls in relation to GDP. As the cost of financing the nation’s debt grows, net outlays for interest increase substantially." more »