BANNER - Bellevue 2020
The Journal of Dr. Richard L. Sleight
August 2021

 

 


Life Revolves Around Grandkids

This season of life filled with pending new infants, babies, and toddlers is flying by.  We have Charis and Valerie with us, but it's also a rare week when we don't see Reuben and Jonathan either here or in Auburn, or Rowen and Corvin Pastrick at some family event or at their home in Lake Stevens.  Such was the case this month.

Cynthia discovered that she could easily wade across Jenkins Creek.  It is shallow all the way across.  Sometimes she reads to the children in Spanish and they seem to still give her their full attention.

I installed more LED lights for Jean and Joel that I'd purchased at Home Depot.  I've installed nine fixtures so far with more to come.
             
 

Waiting on Baby Sitte

Jean and Joel (and Luna) returned safely from their month-long road trip to Massachusetts in their new Tesla.  Jean's due date is Nov. 8th.

 

  

Corvin Spends the Day in Bellevue

Until this month, I hadn't been able to spend quality time with Corvin Pastrick.  Due to his limited eyesight, he's often been corralled in one place.

Alicia and Richard wanted to take his brother Rowen over to Bainbridge Island for a special day out, and
I volunteered to be Covin's friend for the day.  I may be the only "Grandpa" he'll ever know.

He ate chicken nuggets like a hungry fox, but only nibbled on one of my oatmeal cookies.  We played with toys, especially those that made noise, like the piano, and visited the White Cloud fishpond on the patio, and took a nap together.  He fell asleep first and woke up first.  I was happy that he was happy to be with me.

The Basement Clean-out Continues

Annie went back to work on Monday the 23rd. Until then, she had been making great progress cleaning out the basement.  I staged the junk to recycle and the garbage in the garage until we can send it away.

 		 


An Early 2nd Birthday
for Corvin

Corvin Pastrick's sister Vivienne is scheduled to be born around his birthday in September, so we (except Joel) blew our diets and enjoyed a noisy, toddler-filled birthday party a month early on the 28th.

Our whole clan, including Randy and Julie Adams, joined with the Pastricks and one of Rowan's pre-school friends at their home in Lake Stevens.  Bonnie (James) Awabdeh brought her son Jacob.  Richard Pastrick fried chicken and there was more cake and goodies than was good for us.

At this age, there is no need for organized games.  Disorganized toddler play and general mayhem will do.  
          
      
          
 


In the Aquariums

Denny's Pet World in Kirkland had their 47th Anniversary sale this month, so I got two Leopard Danios and five Harlequin Rasboras (left) at half price.  They went into the 10-gallon tank where I've begun segregating male Endler's.  I have so many Endler's fry now, that I don't want any more.  The females will stay in the 20-gallon tank.

I have at least three tiny White Cloud fry in a 1-gallon tank.  I bred these in a bucket in the basement.  I returned their parents from a tub on the south deck to the 10-gallon tank.  I hope to find more White Cloud fry in the deck tub in the next few weeks.  White Clouds are egg scatterers and their fry are tiny.

I confess to a case of MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome).  Right now, I'd love to add a 40-gallon long tank (48"x13"x16") to my hobby.  But it will be a long time before the basement is clear enough to find room for a four foot long tank.  But such goals are motivating.


 

The Garden in August

By mid-month, Charis and I were picking a bowl of tomatoes like this one nearly every day.  Bell, sweet, and hot peppers began to be harvested.

Raspberries went in at the southeast corner of the house, and the strawberries went into a section of gutter salvaged from our old house.  The cucumbers show promise, but the bulb onions need a harder working farmer next year.  The green onions thrive.

     


Nancy Catches Up at 66

The clan gathered in Kent on the 21st for Nancy's birthday party.

Nancy is hard to buy gifts for.  I got her a signal amplifier for her TV antenna, then gave her the antenna from my TV from the basement.  The Seahawks season has begun and we enjoy the games on the 50" LG TV I bought her for Mother's Day way back in 2011.

She always enjoys getting tools. 

The Pastricks got her a bouquet of white roses and later I planted five of them from cuttings.  The "Fourth of July" roses I grew from cuttings last year are now doing well in Jean and Joel's front yard.
        
 


Auburn Sleights are Moving
to South Auburn in September

Nancy and Annie helped clean 33328 177th Place SE while I watched the grandkids.  Nathanael and Cynthia will move early in September from east of  Auburn to south Auburn.

Our last visit to this their first house was on the 29th.

 
             

Bits and Pieces 

Birthday parties and other events kept my weight at a plateau.  September is another month to work on this.  The Sleight brother's annual AquaSox baseball game and all-you-can-eat pre-game meal didn't help in the diet department.  I was 178.7 on the 31st.

The Disher's took a trip to visit Tom's parents in Oregon.  Charis enjoyed picking blueberries. 

A CT scan of my neck did not indicate any problems regarding the soft lump there.  Three doctors have now expressed no concern about it.  I will see Dr. Kelley again on November 23rd.

 
 

My Quote from August

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter
and those who matter don't mind.

— Dr Seuss

 

 

 		  

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