This weeks blog post is a collaboration between Joshua and my Michelle, they have helped me jot down a few of my favourite things.
Being at this stage of my disease and in palliative care I've lost the ability to do a few things, but there are many things I still enjoy. These are a few of my favourite things.
I love and appreciate a nice hot bath. Because I have a few ports and bandages and my trust worthy pain pump, while I can wrap up and do a shower and wash my hair now and again, I only get to take a bath once a week, after I get all "disconnected". So something I really look forward to is taking all of these tubes and bandages off and submerging myself in a nice hot bubble bath. This is the best feeling in the world. Just sitting there and floating around with the smell of lavender can really make me feel alot better. I say lavender because Michelle and kids loaded me up with bubble bath on my last birthday- and I really do love it.
I also love going out to dinner and eating! I don't know if you can tell by reading my blog, but the Erdmann's love going out to eat! Breakfast, lunch or dinner, it really doesn't matter. We have been especially looking forward to eating breakfast on a patio. Eggs benedict, waffles, home fries or anything really! It doesn't matter as long as someone else is making it. Last weekend we drove up to Keswick on an errand and ended up eating lunch lakeside, on the edge of Georgian Bay at a lovely restaurant. It was a heavenly day, the food was good, and the company wasn't too bad either hahaha. We had my IV and pain pump concealed in a back pack, and I was able to manage the short walk from the parking lot to the patio. We hope to do it again soon. Breakfast is next on the list. In fact, having such great success with this outing, I've started to book a few more. In a couple weeks, I look forward to meeting up on the patio with the Ramerwood Public School retirees. Sorry to all of you who are heading back to the classroom!
Music, music, music - I love music and especially live music. I'm sure you are like me and really missing this with all of the COVID restrictions we've been experiencing. Well things are opening up a bit and I can't wait. This week I was surprised with concert tickets to a band I have always wanted to see. Maroon 5. I haven't been to an outdoor concert in a long time. We've got a couple of seats in the accessible seating area and I'll come in my wheels, and a few of our kids will be sitting a little closer. Even though I am in the wheelchair section, they should be really good seats. Looking forward to hear music live for once and accompanied by my family. Josh is even going to drive us down as a personal chauffeur/taxi service. Nothing can beat listening to music outdoors and under the stars. We have also been having a few small concerts at home, Jon has been working on the guitar for some old Beatles tunes and this has just been great.
And one more thing I just love - sweets! Palliative care (and I think it's the steroid actually) has definitely increased my sweet tooth to an even greater extent. I have been indulging in candies and all sorts of sweets that I love. Chocolate goes down really nicely lol. Interestingly, right now I get lots of cravings for candies I used to eat in the past and in my childhood such as: goodies, assorted cadbury chocolate bars (you know those little Halloween size, assorted ones?) and black licorice. Thank goodness my family and friends keep me stocked up with baked goods. Everyday I have something sweet. Why the hell not! Lets see what other candy from the past I will pick out for this weekend. In fact, this week our daughter Sophie made some Christmas cookies - I had a taste for it and who says you can't have Christmas in August!
These are a few of my favorite things right now. Having said that, I can't get the song out of my head from the Sound of Music (These are a few of my favourite things), and in fact, that movie is also one of my favourite things!
But bringing things into 2021 ---Maroon 5, let's put some other songs in our head! Enjoy, I know we will!
"Because I need a little sweetness in my life, Sugar, Yes please"
Richard
