Late Ripeness
“Not soon, as late as the approach of my ninetieth year,
I felt a door opening in me and I entered
the clarity of early morning.
One after another my former lives were departing,
like ships, together with their sorrow.
And the countries, cities, gardens, the bays of seas
assigned to my brush came closer,
ready now to be described better than they were before.
I was not separated from people,
grief and pity joined us.
We forget - I kept saying - that we are all children of the King.
For where we come from there is no division
into Yes and No, into is, was, and will be.
We were miserable, we used no more than a hundredth part
of the gift we received for our long journey.
Moments from yesterday and from centuries ago -
a sword blow, the painting of eyelashes before a mirror
of polished metal, a lethal musket shot, a caravel
staving its hull against a reef - they dwell in us,
waiting for a fulfillment.
I knew, always, that I would be a worker in the vineyard,
as are all men and women living at the same time,
whether they are aware of it or not.”
~ Czeslaw Milosz ~
My name is Cristina Jill Mosqueda Cooper. I pause looking at my name, and think about how much there is to explain with those words alone. My mother gave me a name to use in each of my worlds, Cristina for my Cuban life, and Jill for the American life. I suppose it is there were the paradoxes of my life began.
I have been many things in my life, from a housekeeper to a high school history teacher; but no matter what else I did, I was always a writer. I love words and the power and passion which they can be used to create. I love reading words, writing words, speaking words, and listening to words – especially words from people that I love and respect.
It is my desire to live life on my own terms, and willingly or not, I have paid the price demanded, by the world, to be myself. I share my life with Kate, with whom I have lived for the last 23 years, and Miss Merry Margaret, our little mutt who really is the world’s most perfect dog. I also travel, cook, garden, sculpt, and make large messes doing all of the above. Welcome to my world, that is all for now.
Web Site: http://ThatIsAllForNow.com
Finally! “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” ~ Isaiah 31:18 ~ I burnt up my tea kettle. I could have ordered a replacement, and maybe should...
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Happy Hanukkah! “We light these lights for the miracles and the wonders, for the redemption and the battles that you made for our forefathers, in those days at this season, through your holy priests. During all eight days of Hanukkah these lights are sacred, and we are not permitted to make ordinary use of...
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Happy 4th of July! Normally, this is a post which I quite enjoy writing, and whether I mark the occasion in “Art” or “Public Square”, or here in “Holiday’s”, it is just a joyful and uncomplicated wish for a Happy 4th of July to you! But this year everything is different. I could never...
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https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/07/world/2020-year-in-eview-july/
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/minneapolis-mayor-calls-for-arrest-officer-seen-kneeling-neck-george-floyd
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Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust and the Heroism Yom HaShoah Holocaust Memorial By Ofra Friedland There are various days, around the world, which are set aside to remember the six million Jewish people who were murdered in the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945. The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as designated...
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The International Holocaust Remembrance Day Holocaust Memorial By Ofra Friedland There are various days, around the world, which are set aside to remember the six million Jewish people who were murdered in the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945. The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as designated by the United Nations is January...
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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50953591
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Annaka at Work on her Vision Fall Village 2.0 Once again, Annaka has put her unique stamp on the Fall Village; this year, Kate captured Annaka at work. Kate is mostly in the basement with the boys playing “catch the leopard” and “dodge the pool balls”; when she is not pushing cookies. The...
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