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 Garden

September 8, 2016

Corn, as High as an Elephant’s Eye     “There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye An’ it looks like it’s climbin’ clear up to the sky Oh, what a beautiful mornin’ Oh, what a beautiful...
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Art

September 7, 2016

To love a painting is to feel that this presence is… not an object but a voice. ~ Andre Malraux ~      La Recolecion de Manzanas (The Apple Harvest) by Julio Gonzalez I have carried this image around with me for years; I love the subtle beauty, which the artist has captured, in...
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Food

September 5, 2016

Grilled Lamb Chops   I do not remember who first introduced me to lamb, but grilled lamb chops are one of my most favorite of foods, and honestly, maybe not in one sitting, as they are very rich and robust, but between dinner and lunch the next day, I can easily eat the entire...
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From the Editor

September 1, 2016

An Unexpected Tale I left Leona’s home feeling like a pyrotechnic display had been set off inside my brain; and I desperately wanted to share the dazzling spectacle with someone else. Kate had bore witness to the exchange, but as she was busy taping the whole affair; I do not think she was free...
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Words Worth Thinking About

September 1, 2016

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”  ~ Benjamin Franklin ~ Painting by Joseph Siffred – Duplesiss, North Carolina Museum of Art
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Poet’s Corner

August 27, 2016

Foreign Lands     In foreign lands the rules do not apply. Desire can overrule reason, and it is okay to fall in love for a moment, knowing that a week from now, his face will begin to fade from memory and soon there after your lips will no longer be able to utter...
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Favorite Books

August 25, 2016

Sitting By My Bedside     “One sure window into a person’s soul is his reading list.” ~ Mary B. W. Tabor ~   What are you reading?  Are you looking for your next great read?  Here is a look at what is sitting by my bedside, and which I am pleased to recommend....
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Public Square

August 24, 2016

The United States Military Academy “West Point”     “Duty, Honor, Country”     “A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”     Cadet Andrea Lee Hollen, the first Woman to graduate from the Academy in 1980   The first book I remember going to the library and selecting...
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Free this Month

August 18, 2016

Happy Birthday National Parks    August 25, 2016!   This year the National Park Service is celebrating is centennial by offering free admission of its birthday, August 25, 2016. While Thursday may not be the easiest day, of the week, for most people to head out to a National Park, it is a great...
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One Good Turn

August 17, 2016

The Eclectic’s Basement     After much effort, on behalf of the proprietor and Kate, I brought home these three presidents today. This shop was filled with the most interesting of items and was run by a man with a remarkable eye, for all things with a bit of character and a story. He...
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Art


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