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


From the Editor

August 1, 2011
From the Editor

  The People’s Business “It’s not the person who wants to arrive at the top; it’s the person who is ready to move ahead. Not to woo, but to move forward. And I think this is also why you are more popular or not. If people think that you serve a cause, they love...
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Public Square

July 26, 2011

President Herbert Hoover Library and First Home     Photo taken by Bradley Smith, 1958 when the President was living at the Waldorf Astoria   “But I prefer to think of Iowa as I saw it through the eyes of a ten-year old boy . . . filled with the wonders of Iowa’s streams...
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In the Garden

July 17, 2011

Char’s Garden Charlotte, Kate’s Mother, loves her garden!  During a particularly difficult time, in both her life and mine, I had the privilege of watching over her little piece of Eden.  It brought me great joy and comfort to water her plants, when she was unable to do so.  Daily I looked forward to...
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Food

July 17, 2011

Fruit Salad With Ginger   Do you remember fruit cocktail?  Did your Mother think it was dessert or the perfect addition to Jell-O or a boxed cake, a way to dress it up? I never understood the appeal of canned fruit – my only interest was in the cherry, that one maybe two or...
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Art

July 13, 2011

To love a painting is to feel that this presence is… not an object but a voice. ~ Andre Malraux ~ Gray and Gold By John Rogers Cox This has long been one of my favorite paintings.  Twenty years ago, Kate introduced me to Cox, when she brought home a print of Gray and...
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A View from the Road

July 12, 2011

The Worst Drive of My Life I loaded Merry into the car, in south Florida, and headed toward Cleveland, where Kate found herself.  The road has never been unkind to me; but this was the worst trip of my life.  Kate’s mother was in the hospital, and I was traveling with my perfect dog,...
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Fiction

July 12, 2011
Fiction

          Bay View  Part III              Elisabeth walked over to the wall, and looked at the painting already hanging.  This time, she did not look at the bay, bridge, orSan Franciscoskyline.  Instead, she focused on the people, in the painting.  At first, she thought she might be imagining things, but then realized that the...
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In the Wild!

July 7, 2011

The Lost Turtle So, we are about to get on the freeway, heading toward the “East Side” of Cleveland, when we spot this very odd turtle, crossing the on-ramp.  We of course pull over, and Kate gets out of the car to help the poor thing cross safely.   Notice the woman getting out...
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Poet’s Corner

July 5, 2011
Poet’s Corner

The Woman I Am The woman I am        Hides deep in me Beneath the woman        I seem to be. She hides away        From the stranger’s eye- She is not known        To the passers-by. She goes her way,        The woman I seem, But the woman I am        Withdraws to...
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From the Editor

July 5, 2011
From the Editor

“Smuckers Buys Bustelo” The first thing I noticed, when we walked into Bruno’s, was the long, dark bar which stood in front of a classic Italian looking, espresso machine.  Thanks to Chris and Sharon, we have finally had a perfect cup of coffee, in Cleveland, Ohio.  Days later, Kate and I are still talking...
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Art


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