Slide Show from Open House

I put together a slide show for our open house "Side by Side....Through the years...."
It is available on my Picasa Web page. Here is the link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/105945334844382807880/JohnAndJoyceSwankThroughTheYears02?authuser=0&feat=directlink

You have more control if you use the link above...duration of slide, etc

Or you can watch it below....

Report on Donations to Partners in Hope.

Just received an updated report from Partners in Hope regarding the contributions that friends and family gave to them in honor of our multi-celebration.

Donation of items made a contribution of $540 in value.
Cash donations totaled $355, with a total donation of $895.

Joyce and I are overwhelmed with your generosity that helps benefit a great organization. I was impressed when the staff said that if they get a big jug of laundry detergent, they divide it into smaller amounts to help more people. And the Christian Auto Repair Program is such a help to those who struggle to keep their car running and safe.

Chemo delayed

I have been having some congestion, and then developed laryngitis on Monday.  Yesterday I started antibiotics, so chemo has been delayed for a week (Friday, 30 Jan).

I am feeling a bit better.

John

Open House Retirement, 45th anniversary, and 1 year surviving Cancer

The open house on January 18th was beyond our expectations. We were celebrating our (delayed) 45th anniversary, our retirement and a year surviving cancer. We had over 100 people in attendance. We had asked people to bring donations to Partners in Hope.  We asked people to bring items that people can't get on food stamps.  So people brought paper towels, laundry detergent, toothpaste, toilet paper, baby wipes, diapers and more. There was enough to fill the back of a Subaru Forester (back seats down). Partners in Hope sent us a note that they  calculated $520 worth of products. In addition there was over $200 in cash donations.

As Joyce says, "we don't need more stuff, let's give it to those who need stuff."

We had a wonderful group of friends who stepped in and made everything go smoothly. It helped us relax and enjoy the event.

Here are some photos from the event.

John

Daughter Erin, John and Joyce. We dressed the part as sapphire is the gem for a 45th anniversary

Friends Rolfe and Mary (left front) from Madison, Wisconsin. Our first friends as a married couple and Erin's Godparents. With John, Joyce and Erin.

Nancy and Mike (Mike's mother, and John's mother were sisters)

Doug and Mona- Mike and Wendell's sister.(Mona's mother and John's mother were sisters)

John with Faye and James. James is Joyce's PCP

Randy and Debbie, friends for a long time.

Frank and Dee from Convoy, OH. We've know Dee since 1974.

David (Tabi's dad) Jeff and Tabi. Good friends and part of our support team.

L-R: Bonnie, daughter Debbie, and Gary. Bonnie is Joyce's older sister. Gary is Joyce's step-sister's husband.

Ken (dad) flanked by Kevin and David. Ken is Bonnie's husband

L-R: Erin with two of our neighbors, Jaden, and grandmother, Doris. .

Bob and Becky (John's sister). Bob's dad and John's dad are brothers.

Wendell (John's cousin on his mom's side) & Teresa

Erin and Brenda and bowling pin Nun. They performed together in "Nunsense" in 1993.

Erin sang Side by Side, Red Canvas Canoe, To Morrow and Rainbow Connection.

Erin,  Christa (Joyce's brother's daughter) and Richard signing

L-R: Erin, Tina, Nancy, Shelli,  Tabi. Todd and Jeff

 We will add some photos to the blog as time goes on.

If you have photos from the open house, email them to me or post them, please

Amazing friends and family

Looking forward to many friends and family traveling in this weekend to share with us our celebration on Sunday.  Our daughter is coming from Denver, Sister and husband from N. Carolina, Joyce's sister from California, her cousin (and husband) from Knoxville, TN.  We also have friends from Wisconsin and Michigan coming in as weather permits.

John's Health Update 01/12/2015

Update 01 12 2015

Those who have been reading these from the first update in February have realized that I (John) write the whole update. In our family, The Guy Version means “just the basic facts.”  The Gal Version gives much more detail.

Guy Version

• Most things about the same
• Office closed and moved out
• Our open house is this weekend, January 18^th, 1-4 at Comfort Suites, Troy, OH 

Gal Version

• Health situation fairly stable.
• Last chemo was on Friday, January 2, 2015.
• Main issues are pain and numbness in hands in feet, worse after chemo, gradually reducing in intensity until next chemo.
• Still painful and frustrating—Has become the new “Normal.”
• Basically, no serious/crisis situation since mid-September.
• Getting back on the pump has made a great improvement.
• We officially closed our office on November 26.
• We wrapped up moving out on December 31.
• Our home is very crowded these days as we are taking time to sort and shred.
• We are required to keep client records for 7-10 years, so have a “file room” now in my workshop area.
• We moved the equivalent of 60 file drawers full of things home.
• Hope those who are able will join us for an open house at Comfort Suites in Troy. Sunday, January 18, 1-4pm.
• Perhaps a first for our area, we will have a “Popcorn Bar.”
• We are using it as a fundraiser for Partners in Hope, a great local program started by area churches to do more than give handouts. We are asking for donations of items that in Ohio are taxable items, thus can't get with food stamps. (Toiletries, laundry detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, etc)

John Swank
Joyce, editor-in-chief