Cristina Jill

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


In the Wild!

March 15, 2012

 Seeking Shelter     A warm ran began to fall, while we were sitting in the Florida room, with the doors open; a sign of welcome to both man and beast.  Sure enough, it did not take long for these baby ducklings to make their way into the house.     Their parents continued...
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Art

March 3, 2012

To love a painting is to feel that this presence is… not an object but a voice. ~ Andre Malraux ~ The South Ledges, Appledore (1913) by Childe Hassam Have you ever wished you could be dropped into a painting?   At the moment, I wish I were the woman in this painting, sitting on...
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Public Square

March 3, 2012

  The Only House President and Mrs. Eisenhower Ever Owned   “Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels – men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine.  As their heirs, may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.” ~ President Dwight David Eisenhower...
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In the Garden

March 3, 2012

A Blooming Desert A desert garden offers an opportunity to appreciate God’s creation, as much as an English, herb, or rose garden would.  These are images from Southern Arizona and New Mexico; though mostly from Saguaro National Park, which is very much worth the detour! http://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm    Is not the color overwhelming?  Yellow Prickly...
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A View from the Road

March 2, 2012

Art in Steel An awe inspiring View from the Road!  Leaving the Columbus Museum of Art, I happened upon ART, a bold hundred foot tall sculpture, which quite literally forced me to pull over; as I attempted to take in the wonder which thirty-one tons of steel can create.  The sculpture is owned by...
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From the Editor

March 1, 2012

  The 1% “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Several years ago, National Geographic Magazine published a story about the bombing of London, during World War II.  Of the many striking images, nothing was more eerie and yet inspiring...
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Food

March 1, 2012

Pastelito de Guayaba, Guayaba y Queso, Coco y Carne The summer before sixth grade, we moved to the Los Angeles, California, suburb of Bell.  The local Spanish Assemblies of God church, the denomination where my parents were credentialed, was across the street from the apartment we moved to; and the church was pastored by...
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In the Wild!

February 25, 2012

Buffalo   I have seen herds of buffalo in the west, where in my romantic minds eyes, they belong.  However, driving east on the 30, in Pennsylvania, these fellows forced me to take a second look, as I realized that they were indeed buffalo and not cattle.     Oddly to me, they seemed...
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A View from the Road

February 20, 2012

  Coffee Break!   I have written about Versailles, the Cuban Restaurant in Miami, that started its’ life as a French restaurant.  We often go to Versailles for a dependable bite to eat; and it is here that Cuban expatriates gather when there is news of Cuba, which must be reacted to with the...
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Art

February 16, 2012

 To love a painting is to feel that this presence is… not an object but a voice. ~ Andre Malraux ~ The White Ballet by Everett Shinn I must confess that I initially thought this was a Degas, as opposed to a work by Everett Shinn, an American artist, who was part of “the Eight”;...
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Art


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