Donald Dean Sleight (82) and Judith Anne Sleight (82)

On the afternoon of the 25th, we received a call from my nephew Jon Sleight.  He called to tell us that both his dad and mom, Don and Judy Sleight, had died.

On Monday the 21st, I'd driven brother Don to Valley Medical Center while Nancy stayed with Judy.  Judy suffered late stage dementia.  Don was convinced that he was suffering kidney failure, but his many months of constant care for Judy day and night had pushed him to his physical and mental limit.  Hospital tests showed his numbers were actually better than those in February, including an eGFR of 49.

Don was clearly not himself, but after a late meal, he insisted that he be allowed to go home.  He seemed to leave the hospital feeling better than he'd arrived there.  I drove him home and left him in the care of his daughter Debbie who had relieved Nancy.

Don and Judy met at the University of Washington and married on March 21, 1962.  It broke Don's heart to see his beloved bride of 62 years so reduced in mental and physical capacity.  He could not bear to live without her.

Trunk or Treat at Bellevue Presbyterian Church on the 19th

My last event as a member of Bellevue Presbyterian Church was their "Trunk or Treat" party.  It helped me confirm that rejoining University Presbyterian Church the next morning was the right decision.  I didn't recognize anyone I knew at this annual candy fest.

Irene was napping so she missed out this year, but Momma collected treats for her.  These girls do not do the door-to-door rounds on the 31st so this was their October Halloween experience.

Autumn Harvest

The weather cooled and the garden began to lose its nice look, but the harvest continued.  The photo at the left was the result of a brief morning visit on October 7th.  Here are my grades for this year.

Tomatoes in pots:  A-  Vigorous plants.  I need to move the pots farther apart next spring.

Tomatoes in the ground:  D  My fault for not putting enough effort into preparing the soil at planting time.

Peppers:  A- 5-gallon buckets were an ideal size. Like the tomatoes, I need to space the pots farther apart.

Green onions:  A+  More than we can eat and no pests this year.  I planted still more sprouts this month.

Cucumbers:  B+  Best harvest ever.  More than we could use.

Corn:  F  This is not corn country.

Flowers:  They all did well.  I should have planted more.

The rainy season arrived mid-month.

The threat of cold weather made October 22nd Pepper Harvest Day.  Valerie helped this year.

I was very pleased with the harvest but made enough mistakes to change what I'll do next year. 
I'd planted ten Jalapeño and two Serrano pepper plants.  Many went to Joel and Susan.

First, I grew them too close together.  They were planted in 5-gallon buckets in a 3 (east-west) x 4 (north-south) pattern.  The plants on the south and west sides produced best.  Because of the close spacing, one plant bore no peppers and another had only one pepper.

Second, the two Serrano peppers were in the middle spots on the south and north rows.  By rule, I should have grown them in the north yard far from the ten Jalapeño plants in the south yard.  I knew that different varieties could easily cross-pollinate.  Apparently, the hot Jalapeño on the left and the hotter Serrano on the right produced at least two plants with hybrids like the one shown in the middle.  Surprisingly, the hybrid lacked the "heat" of either of the other peppers.

While it is possible to over-winter peppers because they are perennials, instead, I will try to continue to grow these five small peppers I never transplanted.

Nancy Spent Six Days Five Nights at Overlake Medical Center

On Thursday afternoon the 3rd, Susan ushered Nancy to Overlake Urgent Care just a few blocks away.  Following X-rays that showed pneumonia, they in turn sent her to Overlake Medical Center via ambulance.  Nancy was checked into the hospital.  She had been coughing and running a temperature up to 102 degrees for most of the prior week.

Her oxygen intake and heart rate were monitored continuously.  My heart rate is typically around 84 bpm but Nancy's was consistently over 100 and as high as 120.   With her treatment, her oxygen measurement rose from the mid-80 percent mark to the mid-90% over the time of her hospital stay.

I visited for an hour on Friday and briefly on Saturday.  Susan also visited.  Nancy was originally in W404, a double room with her bed near the door.  She was then moved to W428, a small single room on the south side with a view of downtown Bellevue.  Susan and I visited at the same time on Sunday.

Many of us in the house have the same persistent cough but it has not progressed beyond the common cold.  These symptoms started in September.  For my part, I contacted Optum and held an "On-Demand Video Visit" and was prescribed an antibiotic and other medicines.  On the 26th, we learned that daughter Jean was also diagnosed with pneumonia.

My own prolonged weeks of coughing has had one silver lining.  My appetite has declined.  From an average of 181 pounds last month, my weight hit 174 on October 7th.  On the 22nd I was down to 170.8.

Bits and Pieces

Randy stopped by the Trunk or Treat event on his way back north after his Pioneer Association service in Seattle.  I had him take my picture.  Once again, I'd gone as an Arizona Ranger.  At least one of the four photos he took with my Nikon was sharp!

"Glory to God."  Will Rogers, University of Washington quarterback, following their 27-17 victory over the University of Michigan (#10) on October 5th.  Last January, #1 Michigan defeated #2 Washington for the national championship.

Have I bit off more than I can chew? Preparing to lecture on the Book of Job in January is a massive task. But I do trust that "...God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." Romans 11:29 NIV  Here is the outline that organizes the five lessons, three of which will need to cover ten chapters each.  The Bible reading by Sir David Suchet is once again an amazing resource.  (Book of Job Summary: Animated Overview)

On the morning of the 22nd, I was seen by Dr. Christopher Johnson at the Kirkland offices of Eye Associates Northwest.  Happily, there was once again no sign of diabetic retinopathy.  I subsequently ordered two new pairs of glasses at COSTCO.

Once again this year, we had no Trick or Treaters visit 1228 99th Ave NE.  We are the very end of a long, mostly dark cul-de-sac.  It was raining and our main gate is wired shut with a sign that directs folks to an opening in the fence off our easement near our northwest property corner.  While ours is the biggest house on the block, it is also the most obscured from view from the street.
 

The State of Washington's Electoral College votes will be cast for Kamala Harris no matter how I vote.   I've made it clear that I likely would have approved of just about any other Republican nominee for President than Donald Trump.  And if the Democrats could have found an intelligent, thoughtful challenger to Trump, I could have even been persuaded to vote D.  But Kamala Harris has proven herself to be an empty pantsuit.  She expects votes on the basis of her race and gender, not due to her competence and statecraft.  See how close we come to my prediction for Tuesday, November 5th.         Harris 226 - Trump 312

Upcoming events: November 2:  I plan to attend the Hope Presbyterian Church Saturday Men's monthly breakfast and discussion time.  I miss having male peers as friends. November 6:  Nancy and I will attend the scaled back Emeriti Dessert at SPU. November 12:  Nancy and I have been invited to dinner with Pastor George Hinman and his wife Ann at their home in Laurelhurst.