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
An Illions Carousel I am not brave, especially when I am alone. But as I have gotten older, I have occasionally become bolder; which is how I was able to photograph this Illions Carousel. I happened to be walking through Congress Park, when I spotted the carousel just as the workers were preparing...
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To love a painting is to feel that this presence is… not an object but a voice. ~ Andre Malraux ~ Frankfurt Station by John Moore This is an oil on canvas, but to me it does not look like a painting; rather some sort of three dimensional art. I am not entirely...
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My Fran Mrs. Frances Hines I thought that I was finished writing obituaries. In the last ten years, I have lost too many people and had decided to stop writing about those losses; but this is different, Fran was different. Fran lived a very full life, and most people would say a long enough...
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Happy New Year My very lovely friend, Joan Williams, sent me a New Year’s Card, which contained the poem below. I thought I would share it with you, as a way to wish you a Happy New Year. Also, I know for most of us, bidding farewell to 2020 is quite welcomed; but I...
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An Almost Perfect Snow Angel Taken during sledding down the hill in town, in Maine. I am not sure why, but for some reason everyone seems to love making snow angels.
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Strawbery Banke Have you been wishing for things to go back to the way they were? I think for most of us, we are only hoping for the world we knew last year. But Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is an outdoor interactive museum, which takes you back a little further. Below...
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Gifts My sister shared a conversation with me, where she told her daughter to be suspicious of why people give gifts. As I listened to her speak; I thought about my Mother. My first reaction to my sister’s words was that we were not raised by the same Mother; which of course we...
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Christmas Village 2020 It is hard for me to believe that Christmas is almost over; this year I started thinking about Christmas earlier than normal, it has been my “happy place”. In my Village people are joyful, and do not have to worry about any of the things which have troubled all of us...
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Winter Has Arrived Regardless of how we may all be feeling, I think we can still appreciate the beauty of a snow covered world, especially on the first day of winter. I have ventured out, into the backyard, to capture a bit of this winter wonderland. The river behind the house...
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Change No, the change we have all been waiting for has not yet come; but I am still hopeful. Never-the-less, there has been change, whether we wanted it or not, there has been change. As I often do, this year I sent out Thanksgiving Day cards. I had not bought them last year, after...
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