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
Chicago Water Tower Walking along Michigan Avenue, in Chicago, Illinois, it is impossible not to be drawn to the castellated gothic building, which is in fact Chicago’s former water tower. It is the kind of building you want to touch! I wish I could say that I went looking for the Water...
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Lisa, for the Win! “If you want to change the world . . . start off by making your bed.” ~ Admiral William H. McRaven ~ I walked down the driveway to greet the UPS man, who is always quite nice. We exchanged pleasantries, as he handed me a Priority, Flat Rate...
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Change Change pounds on the door Welcomed or not She will not be ignored The only true constant In life Is change She will rush over you With overpowering force and determination Knocking you to the ground Leaving you broken and baffled Unless you decide to surrender To the unrelenting truth That...
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Enchiladas Plus My Go to Mexican Dish Knowing food on the road can be more of a miss than a hit, when Kate came home from an extended trip, as I headed to the kitchen to make lunch, our primary meal of the day, I asked her if she would like steak?...
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From Life Magazine For Phil Originally, I had planned to share copies of the pictures which Life Magazine published of the moon landing. But the originals are readily available and certainly of finer quality than what I might scan for you. However, in looking through the various issues of Life, published in...
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A Lunar Lander At the Roadside Not all roadside rest stops are created equal; you pull over to use the facilities and to stretch your legs, usually, though not always, in a park like atmosphere. In Westonia, Mississippi, however, the beautiful magnolias come with an added attraction; the actual trainer...
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The Saturn V Rocket NASA Johnson Space Center The rocket which allowed man to go to the moon! It is enormous and you can see and even touch it, in Houston! I must say that this stop was quite a thrill for us; we have been fortunate to visit the Air and...
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A Just Because Note “Your roses may have thorns but don’t forget, your thorns may have some roses too, the God of great compassion loves you yet, and he will never fail to see you through.” ~ Stella L. Mosqueda ~ This note so epitomizes my Mother. I have no idea what...
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The Space Deer He is not really a deer from space; rather he is the deer I saw while I was trying to take this picture: Of all of the places in the world, one might expect to encounter wildlife, I cannot say the Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, even remotely...
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The Hollywood Walk of Fame I will never forget the first time my Father took us to Hollywood, shortly after we had moved to California, in the 1970’s. Always the perfect tour guide, even without funds, he knew exactly what would wow us; and Hollywood did not disappoint, in any way! We did...
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