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

September 1, 2019

Resilience     No Man is an Island “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a...
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Free this Month

September 1, 2019

National Public Lands Day And Smithsonian Free Museum Day   I love September for many reasons, it is the start of a favorite time of year, and it is also the month when we are presented with two wonderful opportunities to explore for free – and you know how much I love free! This...
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Ephemera

August 26, 2019

Roney Plaza Cabana Sun Club And Café de la Paix I do not know why I have not framed these menus; I love them! No, that is not true. I have not framed them because I do not want to lose access to three out of the four pages, by simply framing the cover,...
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In Nature

August 24, 2019

Petrified Wood     The first road trip souvenir Kate and I bought was a piece of petrified wood, which to this day, hangs in the house.       At the time, we were quite broke, and thrilled to have a little sliver of this fascinating material.   When I was a child,...
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Art

August 20, 2019

To love a painting is to feel that this presence is… not an object but a voice. ~ Andre Malraux ~   Haymaking at Éragny by Camille Pissarro  I will forever be drawn to the impressionist; and it seems Camille Pissarro was quite drawn to this subject, as he has various paintings depicting the...
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Poet’s Corner

August 19, 2019

  Justice A Eulogy Will there ever be justice That is all I prayed for I wanted justice It feels as if I am choking On my words But I am not speechless My problem is quite the opposite I have too many words But they all say the same thing How is this...
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A View from the Road

August 18, 2019

Bova’s   When they first married, my sister and her husband lived in the North End, in Boston; one of the places they frequented, and introduced me to is Bova’s.  It is an Italian bakery, family owned since 1926. I especially love their cannoli’s and Italian cookies, and adore the fact that they are...
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Food

August 15, 2019

The Cart!     Appetizer: A food or drink that stimulates the appetite and is usually served before a meal ~ Merriam Webster ~   I love the cart! My notion of the cart started to compensate for lack of counter space, in the house in Florida; but it has become that place where...
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The Dialogue

August 13, 2019

  “Here’s a little help with your deposit!”       I will admit that is the line that has kept me from previously sharing this letter. My Mother did not put an actual date on the letter, as so often was the case, and I foolishly so often, did not keep the envelopes...
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In the Wild!

August 10, 2019

My Ducks It Has Been a While     Did you know that this column was originally named Ducks?  I love the ducks in my yard in Florida, and have taken countless pictures of them, sharing more than a few with you. But alas all of God’s creature’s deserve their fifteen minutes of fame;...
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Art


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