I’m grateful for:

Mary Haberle for providing Ruth with remedies and support that surely prolonged her life

To the entire staff of Crossroads Hospice of Green, thank you for your loving care and support including nurses Kristi, Heather and Jennifer, Linda Doss and aides Lydia and Sabrina

Crystal Pirri for organizing the Dance for Ruth

Jewell Cardwell of the Akron Beacon Journal for writing such a lovely account of that wonderful occasion

Cathy Thompson and family for their gifts of wonderful massage therapy

Debra-Lynn Hook for taking a skeptical photography participant and turning it into a treasured remembrance

Carol Bailey Floyd for her ever uplifting and creative gifts

Mowery’s Cider Mill for all of the wonderful trips

Nicole Kepp for organizing the Eastside co-op get together on Lake Erie

Ryan, Laura, Jordan, Nick, Kelly, Jadwiga, Keith and everyone else who came together to provide the benefit dinner and silent auction

Shelli Verbic for setting up the Ruth Radney Barnes Fund at Huntington Bank

I’m grateful for all of the dinners out with Faun and Kue (Ruth’s sister and her husband), Ruth and Faun would talk and laugh for hours.  It was such a happy time

My sister Barbara for all of her love and support and a GREAT bed

My wife’s “Cave Bear Clan” for their love, support and friendship

I’m grateful for our trip to Lake George New York

I’m grateful for our visit to North Carolina to see Gary and Elizabeth (her brother and his wife)

I’m grateful for the love Ruth gave my daughter Kelly

I’m grateful to Ruth for being my friend, companion, lover and wonderful wife

I thank her for her unquestioning faith and devotion to me

I thank her for allowing me to be a father to her wonderful daughters, Kylia and Kari

I’m so grateful for all of the support everyone has shown Ruth and our family including financial, spiritual and emotional during this troubling time

-Dave

Breathing

Soothing lotion

Gentle hands

The smell of burning leaves

Cider fresh from the press

An eagerly awaited package arrives

Daily affirmations to keep me focused

A great friend who took the time to fix Kari’s car

A seemingly infinite number of kind, caring and loving friends

The kaleidoscope of fall colors that I can see from my deck.

The many phone calls, texts and visits from my daughters.

A surprise trip to the ice cream shop to meet my good friend and her son.  What a fun time!

The good feeling of getting organized

Sweet, delicious Honey Crisp apples

Grateful to be able to stretch my body.  It energizes me and eases pain.

New goals for October and November!  Every goal I reach encourages me to keep pressing forward.

I’m grateful for dandelion tea, and green tea with ginger. They help me relax and feel better.

Emails and phone calls from my sister.

Football season.  I love watching football.  It doesn’t really matter much who is playing.  Always fun!

When I’m feeling stressed and worried, my kind and patient husband is there to restore calm and save the day!  I love him so much!

A fun trip to spend the afternoon with Kelly, who was visiting Columbus on business!  So interesting to hear about her job, so proud of all of her accomplishments!

Getting excited with Kelly for her hometown Chicago Bulls upcoming season!!  I don’t even like professional basketball very much, but I love her contagious enthusiasm for those Bulls!

Seeing Kari working quickly and confidently, with a big smile on her face, at Tulipan.  She was so excited for the downtown Wooster festival, “Woosterfest!”

Seeing Kylia handle a difficult situation with wisdom and strength.  She is far more courageous than I am.

An evening with dear friends.  So much talking and laughter and love.

Getting two jugs of sparkling, clear water from the artesian well near our house, and giggling when my dear friend, Katie, asked if we might be attacked by coyotes, as we waited for the water jugs to fill.  If you didn’t grow up in the country, the rural darkness can be very intimidating.

The green bushes by our deck that are slowly turning their autumn shade of dark red.  So beautiful!

The steady humming of our dishwasher.

Pain-free sleep.  A true gift.

Looking forward to a weekend with my wonderful family!

Very grateful and excited that my sense of taste seems to be returning, although my nurses didn’t think it would.

Also excited that the top of my head is getting a little fuzzy.  New hair is appearing! Another thing the nurses didn’t think would happen.  Hooray!

Remembering that every challenge carries a gift for me to discover.

Kari was in the hospital this week, but is back on the road to good health.  I’m very grateful for that!

Nice to have Kari with us, at our home. for a few days while she recuperated.

Thankful for Kylia’s willingness to drive me wherever I need to go.

So wonderful to receive a surprise phone call from my nephew, Mark, in Florida.  No matter what is going on in Mark’s life, he always has time for his family.

Grateful for my brother, Gary and his son, Gary Michael.  They can always make me laugh.

I love the phone calls from my sister, Faun.   We always have a lot to talk about, and plenty of laughs.

So glad that I received the gift of humor from my family.  It makes challenges bearable, brightens my mood, and enlivens every conversation and every gathering.

Today, I am grateful for:

Leaves rustling in the breeze

Shadows on the billowy clouds

Raindrops on the windows

Clean sheets and pillowcases on the bed.

My sister-in-law, for making a courageous move

Being able to help my youngest daughter solve a problem with her phone

Kind and generous friends

Feeling loved

My wonderful nieces and nephews

My brother, Gary’s sense of humor, determination and strength

Riding my exercise bike and reaching a new distance goal each day

Taking walks around our property and enjoying the fresh air, exercise and beauty of nature.

Waking up next to my husband and cherishing the moment.

Bright blue and pink flowers

Mel’s garden she planted for Faun and I, filled with pink flowers

A delicious breakfast of bananas and yogurt

The huge basket of flowers, from Dance for Ruth.  It looks like a basket of sunshine and rainbows and always make me smile.

Sunlight shining through the windows

Helpful ideas from my step-daughter, Kelly

Another fun trip to Akron today with Kylia

A nice phone call from Kari

An evening spent with good friends, who shared advice, laughter, support and love.

A caring, kind, patient partner

Our evening tradition of watching Indians baseball on TV, with numerous channel changes when the Tribe is not playing the best.

Watermelon for lunch, peanuts for a snack.

The morning coconut oil swish

Enjoying the best roasted corn ever… Don’t ask how many ears of corn I ate!

Smooth and creamy homemade ice cream

Toasted marshmallows…  oooey, gooey, yum!!

A fun evening photo shoot, in an orchard, with a wonderful photographer.

When people look at the finished photographs, so many say they can see and feel the love that Dave and I have for each other.  I’m so glad!

Yesterday, Kylia and I spent most of our day in Akron, then went to a wonderful party.  A great day that gave me many things for which to be thankful!

Lunch at Swenson’s!  Every bite was delicious!  One of my all-time favorite places to eat!

Then we were on to Stewart’s Caring Place, a resource center for anyone with cancer, or anyone caring for someone with cancer.  So many nice people, so many great resources.  They had a large selection of wigs and caps, all available free of charge. I tried a number of wigs on.  I found one I especially liked, and then tried a few on just for fun.  They also offer free massages, classes, workshops and so much more.

Next stop was the newly remodeled State Road Acme store, which is managed by our good friend, Keith.  Wow!  What a gorgeous store!  I can’t describe the difference between the old store and the remodeled store.  It’s practically rebuilt.  It’s HUGE and bright and well-designed.  A wonderful store!

A great visit with Keith.  He has been a good friend for almost 20 years.  We first met him at the Hudson Acme, then followed him to the Tallmadge Acme, and then to the State Road Acme.  He’s seen the girls grow up, and always was there to talk to them, and also, to listen to them.  I am grateful to have a dear friend like Keith.

On to Rita’s Italian Ice.  It was my lucky day!  They had a new flavor, and it was BANANA!!  The ice had such a great banana flavor, and there were little pieces of banana all through the ice.  Heavenly!

A scenic drive through beautiful country.  So peaceful and relaxing.

Arriving at the party, in the magic pine forest!   Beautiful, magical, amazing… the perfect setting for a party.

Seeing so many friendly faces.  Some familiar, some new.

Hellos, hugs and so many smiles.  What a grand welcome!

Meeting Jean and realizing she looked exactly as I thought she would. Meeting Cathy, and feeling as though I’ve known her for a long time. So many kind, friendly and fun people.  What a marvelous party!

Always thoughtful Crystal brought out a sweet, tasty, juicy watermelon “with my name on it.”  Oh, how I enjoyed it!