Jotter shared the sad news on Saturday night that we lost our beloved Cedwyn to disseminated cancer.
I just got this note from Jack Thompson, Cedwyn's father:
"Cedwyn passed away tonight, quietly, gracefully and at peace." He continued, "Please pass our appreciation and gratitude to all of the Daily Kos community. Everything they did made a true difference during her time of need and we will never forget it."
Cedwyn's absence is as palpable as her presence has always been. She was a force of nature -- and, I believe, always will be. Her spirit lives in so many of us. Her smile, her hugs, her exuberant "Squeeeee!" ... it's all here, and there, and sprinkled all over us.
Cedwyn asked that no funeral service be held and no flowers sent. There's a list below of organizations that she might have like donations sent to.
But, you know, we also can nourish and nurture Cedwyn's family with a glorious meal rather sending than other gifts. Jack and Dinetha Thompson are terrific people who opened their homes and hearts to many Kossacks who came to sit with Cedwyn in her final days. Throughout January, they offered their home to many, many of us and they graciously thanked us for the cheer and brightness each visitor brought. They were astonished at Cedwyn's fittingly beautiful Community Quilt, which SaraR and WingLion spent two days and nights stitching together in a quilting marathon when they learned there wasn't much time.
I was on my way last Thursday via the train to visit Cedwyn when I received a call from Dinetha. She told me that Cedwyn had taken a sudden downward turn. Earlier in the week, I'd promised Cedwyn I would bring pistachio baklava (to which she answered, "Squee! If you can make baklava, you can stay as long as you want!"), and I'd teased Dinetha (who'd lived with her family in North Carolina during Jack's military time at Ft. Bragg) about the superiority of North Carolina barbecue over Texas barbecue.
That's why I had in my travel bag a feast of baklava, brownies, and Carolina BBQ.
After Dinetha tearfully said it was probably best for me not to come, I made alternate plans in DC, rebooked a train ticket home to NC the next morning, and then sat in the lobby of Union Station and shared most of that food with passersby and Amtrak employees (who were sooo kind and compassionate when they learned what happened). It seemed so fitting.
Would you join me in sending love and comfort and thanks and care to Dinetha and Jack Thompson in memory of Cedwyn?
NinthElegy was among the Kossacks who spent time with Cedwyn and her family in those last days. NinthElegy lives in the DC area and kindly offered her home and her driving abilities to anyone who came to visit Cedwyn. She drove Jill Richardson from the airport to Cedwyn's home on January 25 (Jack Thompson graciously drove Jill back to the airport after her visit that weekend). She was also planning to drive me there once I got off the train in DC.
Although NinthElegy and I didn't make it to Ashburn last Thursday, I want to let Dinetha and Jack know how much we care about them and how much Cedwyn means to all of us.
It seemed perfect when SaraR suggested we hire NinthElegy, a professional chef who's in the start-up phase of her O Earth! Creamery and Bakehouse, to create a glorious meal for the Thompson family and guests who come by to pay their respects.
Would you join us in thanking Dinetha and Jack and sending them some of our love?
NinthElegy has thoughtfully come up with a beautiful menu of foods, most of which are storable/freezablable. She's packing them into elegant, useful bowls and containers that can go from freezer to oven to table.
If you'd like to pitch in and send a brief message of caring to Jack and Dinetha, NinthElegy and I are ready to get those messages to a family that has experienced so much loss in the past three weeks (Dinetha's mother died two weeks before Cedwyn passed).
NinthElegy is crazy-busy setting up her new business and working her day job, so I'm pitching in with some of my time to make these arrangements and print up the messages NinthElegy will take with her to Ashburn early next week.
Here's NinthElegy's menu ideas for a Cedwyn Tribute Feast:
- fresh fruit salad (Cedwyn sooo loved fresh fruit!)
- baked oatmeal with dried fruit (storable), which can be sweetened with an included date compote
- a variety of green juices, some flavors gently sweetened with organic apples and pears
- vegetable quiche
- two different types of hearty soup
- fresh-baked loaves of honey whole-wheat bread
- a kale salad that keeps very well and actually improves with fridge time
- two or three small cheesecakes, vegan and sweetened with nuts, dates, and other plant-based ingredients
- vegan oatmeal cookies
- biscotti
NinthElegy cooks and bakes primarily with plant-based ingredients. Jack and Dinetha are healthful eaters, something that can be a challenge when a family is grieving. I think this gift will convey how much we want to be there with them and for them and how much we think of Cedwyn's time with us.
If you'd like to contribute to a nurturing gift for Jack and Dinetha and their family, you can contact me at kim(dot)yaman(at)gmail for a snail-mail addy, or use the same email addy for a PayPal contribution.
Cedwyn asked her family not to host a funeral or memorial service. As Jill mentioned in her Cedwyn Update diary after her trip to Ashburn, Cedwyn said that she wants donations to go to an organization that helps save and take care of whales, organizations such as the Center for Biological Diversity, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Greenpeace, or the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps.
Cedwyn and her family also personally suggested Save the Whales. (Thanks to Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse for that information.)
January was such a cruel month. We lost someone who put so much springtime into our lives, who pounced upon us with hugs, whose smile is unforgettable, whose impish humor gave us bellylaughs, and who loved us wholly and without reservation.
Cedwyn daaaahlink, I miss you so much. I'm so sorry I didn't get to hold you last week or feed you that baklava I promised you. I'm glad you're not in pain, darling, that you're free as a butterfly and in flight all around those of us who love you.