Monday, July 30, 2007

First day home- and I'm out of sorts.
As you know Cadence died just a few days before I went out of town. I missed the funeral and the gathering afterwards, so there's a part of me that still needs closure. In one way it's as if my trip to Charleston simply put my grief on hold...even though there were moments (like the day of the funeral) when deep saddness erupted in the midst of what was otherwise a joyful week.

All day I've wanted to blog but couldn't find the words. I kept stumbling, mentally, over a dark brooding feeling- and couldn't put my finger on what it was until just a little while ago.

I want to share my photos and funny stories about the family reunion, but there's a cloud over my heart. However, I'm going to press on~

One highlight of my trip to Charleston was getting to meet fellow blogger Greg and his family. He was gracious enough to invite us to his home and then show us around his greenhouse and then the Irvin Winery.
We had a great time and appreciated Greg and Diane being willing to meet us and show us around.

After the winery Tim and I and the kids went to the Charleston Tea Plantation, the "only" tea plantation in the US. We learned all about the tea plants- from how they're harvested to the final process of putting those little leaves in paper bags! There was a giant green (copper) frog on the front porch and I just couldn't resist giving him a little smooch!


He didn't turn into a Prince or anything...but I don't suppose he would have anyway- seeing how I'm not a Princess! :) And, Tim would have been peeved about having an extra dude hanging around. ;)

The purpose of the Charleston trip though was a family reunion, with 32 0f us splitting 2 houses, sharing meals, group cooking/shopping, talking, beaching, and lots of laughing.

I have never eaten so well in all my life! Everything was prepared by hand... We had Mexican food one night, Beef Brisket with black beans and rice, a low country boil (corn, sausages, and shrimp simmered in a big pot outside...MMMM!), an old fashioned cook out with hot dogs, hamburgers, dips, and all the fixings, breakfast casseroles, pork chop biscuits, shrimp grits, bacon, eggs...Oh! It was ALL GOOD!

(Aunt Helen, me, and my Aunt Carmen)

I know some of you (Mantissa :) expressed concern about spending a whole week with extended family, and yes, there were moments when we had a few rough patches...folks not seeing eye to eye on certain things, but for the most part we all got along remarkably well. They are good people and I am honored to belong to them, and they to me.

Our last day at the beach was overcast, but the water was heavenly! There was almost no undertow and the waves were gentle swells which was a pleasure to swim and float and play in!

Apparently the JELLYFISH thought so too! One of them, with long tendrils, floated past my right leg and decided to hug me (or something!) Dear God in heaven...what pain!!! Suddenly it felt as if my leg were on fire- and I was doing all I could to get out of the water. The swelling and red marks were wrapped around from the side of my calf just above the ankle and up the front of my shin to just below the knee.

If you are ever stung by a jellyfish, this is what you should do-

*Rub a handful of sand on the site immediately. This makes it feel better for a few minutes (and I think it helps scrub out some of the poison and any barbs still in the skin. )

*Rinse off the site with clean fresh water and then soak the affected skin in VINEGAR for 20 to 30 minutes. I soaked a wash cloth with vinegar and sat in the tub.

*Then apply a paste of meat tenderizer, water, and baking soda to the skin and let it sit for another 10 to 15 minutes.

*Lastly, and I thought this would really hurt, but it didn't, apply shaving cream and SHAVE the area. The razor will pull out any remaining barbs and it scrapes the poison out of the skin.

I will never go to the beach again without Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Meat Tenderizer. As many times as I've been swimming in the ocean I've never had an encounter like this one...never been stung or bitten (except for tiny fish nibbles) by anything in the water until now. I was in serious pain for the better part of the evening although the treatment listed above lessened the pain by about 50%. My leg is still marked up from the encounter, but the pain was mostly gone by the following morning.

The next thing I'll post will be the interview by our beloved Scary Monster. I'll be by your place for a visit very soon- I've got loads of catching up to do!

:)

56 comments:

X. Dell said...

Wow! The jellyfish story...lemme get back to that.

First off, the funeral and other rituals for Cadence should be more for you. After all, Cadence isn't suffering now. You and all of those who loved her are--you are no longer graced with her presence and spirit, the agony and feeling of helplessness over the agony she felt in life.

Your faith, however, understands that Cadence isn't really gone, but simply inaccessible. Perhaps might want to place trust in that. You might also want to have your own observance, to give thanks for her existence and life, to help you come to terms with it,

Family reunions are alway fascinating, especially if you come (like both of us) from a large southern family--especially if some of us are yankees (was that the case here too?).

Your ordeal with the jellyfish reminds me of a French film I saw decades ago: Le Meduse, starring Valerie Kaprisky. In the movie, she plays a saintly teen who gets stung by a jellyfish while rescuing a drowning child. The grownups watch her for awhile, and because she's physically okay, they leave her alone. But as the poison takes over, she becomes really wicked, murdering her mom's lover, and selling her best friend into prostitution.

So now I wonder, am I going to have to watch you too?

sparringK9 said...

so good to have you back and sorry about the jellyfish! i bet the tea plantation was cool...i think ive been there...i know ive had the tea. you have been missed. good luck tomorrow i will be pullin for you...but they will want you BAD so im not too concerned. pork chop biscuits? hey thats what i missed! grrrrrrrr. xo

Mayden' s Voyage said...

Thank you X for your kind words here about Cadence and my "dealing" with it...yes- the funeral is for the living. I have an overwhelming need to DO something- and yet I know that what I really need to do is be still for a while. I need to allow myself to feel sad for the loss- to grieve, and not busy myself with another project to avoid those feelings of loss-
which I'm pretty good at.

Oh..about the jellyfish! Other than the marks it left on me, I think I did a very good job of getting the poison out :) But, just in case- please do keep an eye on me :)

Dear She :)
Yes- those pork chop biscuits were indeed the ones you missed. I made them for my entire family and there were none left when the meal was over~ They were a big hit! :)
But one day- I will make them for you!!! I promise :D

Anonymous said...

Hello Mayden. I'm glad you're back. I got your letter about Cadence. I have yet to write back a reply but would want you to know that that moment was a sad one for me. More on this in my forthcoming mail.

It must have hurt pretty bad...that jelly bite. That post on what to do is very helpful. I'll keep that in mind.

I miss you my friend from so far away. I wish I could come over right now...um'..just after I put away all the grocery items still on top of the kitchen counter...and after I fix up this bedroom..feed the dog...fold the laundry...shower ..marinate the chicken...

It's fun reading up on your trip. We've been experiencing family squabblings of late so it's a comfort to read about other people's families....hee! hee!...

You look so pretty and so put together.

soft gentle huggy to you..

Luxie

Unknown said...

I can only imagine how it must feel to lose Cadence.

Being a princess is not all that it sued to be time was when you could ask people to eat cake now you will be chased by paparazzi.

Your jellyfish story is good but X-Dell's is better.

The Grunt said...

So much happened! I don't even know where to start.

BTW, I just tagged you. Come find out why at my place.

darkfoam said...

you'll always miss cadence but time will lesson the pain...and allowing yourself to grieve.

met up with another blogger? that's great. if you ever travel westwards in our lovely state, let me know.

it's good that frog didn't turn into a prince. can you imagine a copper prince living in your house?

talk about large extended southern families. i know all about that one since my father who hailed from Mississippi had 15 siblings. It's always interesting to go down for a fmaily reunion. my dads probably the only one who married out of state. and then he married a German!

and i know about the little spats. we also spend a week at the beach with my husbands family. just his parents and siblings, cousins, etc. my mom, of cuorse.
we get along remarkably well, but occasionally testoterone does get bandied about...between brother's, that is...
oh well.. they get over it.

the only jellyfish encounter i ever had was when one lodged between my, shhhhhhhhhh, breasts (said in a whisper) in my bikini top. amazingly i was not stung....but extremely grossed out.

Bone said...

Tim would have been peeved about having an extra dude hanging around

That made me laugh :)

Glad you had a nice reunion, Mayden.

I've mostly only ever gotten "scratched" by jellyfish I think.

Mayden' s Voyage said...

Dearest Lux-
How I've missed you and was so happy to see you here! I felt all the hugs you sent, thank you~
I so often wish you were closer...I saw my Uncle this past week from Manilla- they didn't travel overseas this year after all. He was a treasure to see again after all of these years, and when I hugged him, I thought of you. I really did.
Hugs friend, I will be by soon. I have trouble loading your page- forgive my absences.

SJ- LOL about the Princess bit! I've always had princess hair, but that's all :) The rest of me got much less royal stuff~
:)

Grunt- thanks :) I'll do it soon :)

Oh Foam...(and me whispering:)
you made me laugh out loud! I'm glad I wasn't having a glass of tea when I read about your jellyfish encounter...ICK, ooooo- ugh!!! LOL!
I'm very glad you didn't get stung there, that would have been AWFUL!

Bone- :) What's even funnier is how non observant Tim is about men in general. However, the copper frog/prince guy he might have noticed :D
Hope you never have a jellyfish hug you- it's not pleasant!

sparringK9 said...

what happened at the interview today?

The Phosgene Kid said...

Welcome back!! Good lesson, don't tease the jelly fish.

So did the copper frog turn into a brass prince after the kiss??

NYD said...

Sure does seem to be a lot of things going on in your life right now. Some are good and others maybe not so pleasant. let your close friends share the burden of unhappy tidings and let the feelings you got from some of the good stuff flow over all those around you.

Finally, please don't feed the jellyfish.

Jacob said...

You are amazing. Man, you have really gotten around this Summer, girl.

I have never known anyone who actually got stung by a jelly. Thank GOD we don't have the little, teeny-tiny, nearly invisible-to-the-naked-eye jelly that they have off the coast of Mexico and South America that will kill you if stung. Amazing little creature. Avoid tendrils, Cora! Glad you are all right.

Sean said...

so sorry about Cadence, but i'm glad you had that trip.

Mayden' s Voyage said...

She-
The interview went well, but the position I want isn't open...so maybe I'll sub this year~ That would be a good place to start anyway :)

Phos:
Apparently it doesn't take much to get a jellyfish hug...ick. It's been 5 days and you can still see the marks!

NYD- thank you friend...I appreciate your thoughts here. I will take your advice. I was asked today to be a part of a blanket making group for premature babies. It would be good for me.
:)

Gawpo~
Thanks for the well wishes :) I like you so much- and then we drift apart- and then I read you again and I wonder why we get separated. It's life, I know~
:) Good to see you, as always! :)

Sean, friend...my thoughts and prayers are with you this week.
Thank you for your kind words here.
I've missed writing and reading you on a regular basis this summer.
I will do better~ Hugs friend.

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