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
Navy Bean Soup I love hearty soups, any time of the year. I find a certain comfort in knowing there is a pot of soup sitting on the stove, ready to feed any hungry soul, who might stop by unexpectedly. Like all great recipes, in my humble opinion, this bean soup is forgiving...
Read More »
A View From the Road This is the place, Buckman Tavern (built in 1709) where the Minute Men gathered on April 19, 1775, before heading out to battle. On Monday, April 15, 2012, Patriot’s Day, which marks the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, with the Battles of Lexington and...
Read More »
Cherry Blossom Festival Washington D. C. I have always wanted to see the famed Cherry Blossom festival, in Washington D.C., but until this year, our trips to D. C., did not coincide with the magnificent trees blooming schedule. Even this trip, I am told is a few weeks...
Read More »
To love a painting is to feel that this presence is… not an object but a voice. ~ Andre Malraux ~ Interior by George Nicolaj Achen Can you see the glare of the glass, on the framed pictures? How does one capture such a thing with paint? It appears more like a photograph...
Read More »
Velella Velella By-the-Wind Sailor Jellyfish “About half of them are ‘left handed’…their sails are set opposite to the other half…so that during violent storms, half will be carried to shore to provide food for beach creatures while the other half will survive to continue drifting.” ~Kathy Katz~ On a bright, South Florida type...
Read More »
Holocaust Memorial of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation In Remembrance of those who perished and in celebration of those who survived, stroll through one of the finest Holocaust memorials I have ever born witness to. Located at 1933-1945 Meridian Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139, it is open daily with free admission. http://www.holocaustmmb.org/ From the...
Read More »
Stuffed Corned Beef and Cabbage During various holidays, I tend to buy a little extra of whatever is on sale, to have on hand for the future. For example, an extra turkey before Thanksgiving, which can always be eaten in December, or a Ham for the freezer, at Easter, and around Saint Patrick’s...
Read More »
The Gardens at Santa Clara The California coast is dotted with twenty-one missions that were built by the Catholic Spaniards, of the Franciscan order. Each mission was supposed to be a day’s walk away, from the next; they were used to spread the Catholic faith and to help establish the Spanish crown in the...
Read More »
Apple Orchard Covered in Snow The warm, bright sunshine suggest spring may be approaching this snow covered apple orchard in Maine.
Read More »
John F. Kennedy Library and Museum My Mother was not a huge fan of history; she always said she was much more interested in the present than the past – the older I get, the more I understand her point. However, I still love history. Recently, I came across this ticket stub,...
Read More »