Weekly Trips to Berrydale

This year, Charis and Valerie helped me pick out seed potatoes at Carpinito Brothers in Kent.  I got Yukon Gold, Russet Norkotah, and Avalanche.  Nancy bought some flowers for herself and for Jean.

Galen and I have a regular routine that includes many of these activities on weekly visits: Playing in my car (he likes to press every button), playing the bowling game on my phone, watching streamed little kid learning programs on the big screen in the basement, taking Luna with us for a big run in the south yard and a chance to throw sticks and rocks into Jenkins Creek, reading books, sitting on the front porch just hanging out together, snacking, and playing soccer in the hallway. I'm not sure who is more excited about my arrivals, Galen or Luna.

Click the arrow to watch the brief video by Joel.

I would have had one more visit with Galen but got very sick on the 28th and 29th.  I took a COVID test and it proved negative.  A big bowl of chicken soup set me right back up. But as I post this on the morning of the 30th, I find I'm still not quite 100%.

David Brooks at SPU

David Brooks, "is a Canadian-born American conservative political and cultural commentator who writes for The New York Times. He has worked as a film critic for The Washington Times, a reporter and later op-ed editor for The Wall Street Journal, a senior editor at The Weekly Standard from its inception, a contributing editor at Newsweek, and The Atlantic Monthly, in addition to working as a commentator on NPR and the PBS NewsHour." (from Wikipedia)

On the 11th, I covered his visit to SPU in my capacity as EmeriTimes editor.  My place down front at First Free Methodist Church had me sitting next to President Porterfield and her husband.  I was able to thank him personally after his talk.

I'd seen him back in 2012 when he spoke at the business school's Downtown Business Breakfast.  But between then and now, this thoughtful writer and well-known political commentator had converted from the nominal Judaism of his parents to Christianity.  This Thursday, he was part of the SPU President's Inaugural events and was also promoting his lasted book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.  I bought the book online for Nancy.

His talk was followed by a question and answer period.  I took seven small pages of notes which I shared with Annie and Nancy.  His presentation was wise and witty and I'm very glad I drove over to campus.  (I was surprised to note that David Brooks was closer to brother Don's height than to my own.)  I also took the opportunity to visit the Ames Library and check out two commentaries on the Book of Job.  Emeriti faculty have campus library privileges and these books are due back in July.

New Emeriti Faculty Orientation

This year, SPU has named fifteen new emeriti faculty.  Due to budget cuts and downsizing, this is the largest number of professors leaving the school in any year.

For the past few years, Dr. Mike Macdonald, who was our first Emeriti Faculty President back in 2007, has organized an orientation session for each year's new emeriti.  I went to an earlier version of this event when I retired.  (I do not recall the wonderful food at my own orientation.)

I met Mike at Bellevue Presbyterian Church and drove him to SPU.  I took that opportunity to check out eleven books from the Ames Library that Annie had requested for SCS teachers to review.

After lunch, the seven emeriti faculty pictured above each made a brief presentation to our newest emeriti colleagues.  All of the new emeriti are Ph.D.s, and only a few are actually retiring.  Some received sabbaticals this year and have used the freedom of that release time to find new employment elsewhere.

When the event concluded, I made a point to say hello to a youngish Dr. Lane Seeley, Professor of Physics, who had been at SPU for 22 years.  He had worked closely with Nathanael on his Physics major.

I'm never too proud to not bring home many of the leftovers from such events.  We didn't have to fix dinner that evening.

Gardening Returns in Earnest

March was dominated by Bible teaching.  So, April marked a big return to gardening.  What is the second day of gardening all about?  Sore muscles!  When the weather turns, I discover how out of shape I've became over the winter.  (Carrying each granddaughter around on my shoulders when they insist doesn't help.  I do this happily.)

On the 9th, the Avalanche potatoes when into two 7-gallon grow bags. The Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes went into bags and pots on the 13th.  There are now 10 grow bags and four 5-gallon buckets growing potatoes.

Marigold and Zinnia seeds went into pots.  Nancy approved a modest expansion of my vegetable garden north of the tomato trellis.  I relocated a decorative trellis for her so that she could grow her sweet peas there.  On the 10th, I weeding the raised bed strawberry patch.  I also removed the Cottonwood stump that persisted in growing new tops to shade out those strawberries.  That was a job for the 18" chain saw. 

I made a stop at Home Depot and bought myself another set of sturdy garden hand tools, four more bags of Steer Manure Blend, and a pot of Rockfoil (Saxifraga), a perennial for Nancy.

I prepared twelve 5-gallon buckets to receive pepper plants when the weather improves and eleven larger pots for tomatoes.  I've relocated my Asters and have planted a variety of lily and other bulbs in my biggest pots.  There should be more colorful pollinator flowers than ever in my garden this summer.

 I broke down and bought a few more plants from Carpinito Brothers on the 17th.  It's hard not to stop by there on my way to see Galen.  I got Jalepeño peppers (3), Early Girl tomatoes (4), and strawberry plants (3).

By the end of April I had 17 tomato plants in the ground and 11 in big pots. 

These three photos were taken from the second floor balcony. Before I weeded the strawberry raised bed.

Left of the strawberry patch is the newest section of the garden. The weeded strawberry patch in the middle. Garlic and lilies in their own raised bed.

Upper left: 12 5-gallon buckets for peppers. Upper right: 14 grow bags and buckets of potatoes. Left: 11 pots holding tomatoes. Middle:  three large pots holding flower bulbs. Bottom middle: Marigolds, Zinnias, Parsley, Catnip Table at right: Marigolds, Basil, Green onions, more.

On the Home "Front" 

We knew we had an infestation of Carpenter ants, but until this month we didn't know their source.  While continuing to empty the over-full basement, Annie discovered Interstate Ant.

Ants were travelling back and forth in the southwest corner of the basement along the wood sill that supports the joists upon which the first floor rests.

I reviewed some YouTube videos and prepared a recipe to entice the ants.  I still had most of the Boric Acid I'd bought to fight a previous war.

1 part Boric Acid to 3-4 parts granulated sugar.

Just enough boiling water in which to dissolve these two.

A bit of honey to attract the enemy.

And the photos from the front lines show the good effect of this month's chemical warfare.

Bits and Pieces

Susan stopped by for me to take her official photo for the West Seattle High School Hall of Fame.  I thought it providentially amazing that the one background I had matched the outfit she chose.  I left my more generic grey/white background with the SPU business school when I retired.  I ordered the 8"x10" photo from Shutterfly which will hang at the school.  On the 15th, I delivered the photo to Ted Foss at our monthly West Seattle High School Alumni Association meeting in the school library.

Here's Susan with some of her colleagues in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C..

Ted Foss called on Tuesday the 23rd to discuss the possible end of the Monogram Club.  I've only been a part of it for two years but he respects my opinion.  Attendance has continued to fall off as younger folks have not been attracted to it.  I pointed out to him that without a marketing plan, no organization can continue to function.  We may come up with a plan to retire the Club as some part of the Alumni Association.  Talks will continue.  While I've tried to promote the Club, I can only do that to my own classmates.  And now it appears that my efforts are far too little and much too late.
 
I buy a lot of canned soup to serve with sandwiches to Thomas and myself for lunches on weekdays.  I love navy bean soup but Campbell's and Progresso don't make it.  So I finally modified a recipe I found online and whipped up a batch.  I liked it more than my Lentil soup.  Here's my recipe.  I especially enjoy cooking with my own garlic.
  
Liliana Lynn Rockney was born 3/17/2024.  Don and Judy are first time great-grandparents!  Jon and Sarah are first time grandparents.  And Taryn and Trevor are first time parents.
 
The difference between a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old?  When asked to name the new decoy owl purchased for the garden, Charis named it "Hootie," while Valerie named it "Chicken boo boo head."
 
On the 27th we had a long visit with the Chin family.  Pictured are Victor and Alice with 11-year-old Sarabeth.  They attend UPC and live in Medina.  Alice worked 12 years for IBM, not unlike Nancy's ten.  Victor is an executive in the airline industry.  They also have two older children.

I had another blood check on the 24th and a visit with Dr. Kelley on the 26th.  While I had hoped for a lower A1c number,
he was happy with my progress.  My A1c had fallen by 1.5 from 9.6 to 8.1.  Also, my eGFR had risen from 51 to 59, just one point short of moving me out of the Stage 3a CKD range into Stage 2.

I missed the last two Sundays at church because of fatigue and
on the 28th a headache.  So, Nancy chose to go see the new movie
Unsung Hero by herself.  She gave it her highest rating.

Laurie and Tom traveled to Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas and put four cameras to use for the Great American Eclipse of 2024 on April 8th.

I am a fan of my local sports teams.  I have hot links to each of these teams on my Sports page.  Of all the UW Huskies I'd hoped the Seahawks would draft was Tight End Jack Westover.  I was delighted that he was signed by Seattle as an undrafted free agent.  Now he has to compete to make the team.
 

My Quote from April