 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.
	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
                
	
        	
            
            
            
				 
                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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                The Cocoa Tree By Any Other Name – Chocolate     I love having new experiences, at a certain age, ‘firsts’ can be harder to come by, but the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens offered me a first – a look at cocoa pods hanging on the tree!     Looking up, at this tree,...
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                The Morpho Peleides Or The Brilliant Blue Butterfly!     We were invited to spend a perfect Sunday afternoon, at The Fairchild Garden, by our dear friends; most assuredly, In The Garden, shall soon radiate with snaps of this Edenic paradise.  However the breathtaking flora was accompanied by some rather marvelous fauna, as well...
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                The Upper Room Chapel and Christian Art Museum     If you find your needs for country music filled, and would like to step away from the merriment for a time of reflection, I would like to suggest a visit to The Upper Room Chapel and Christian Art Museum.     This chapel and...
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                Papaya And Mango Chutney     When I was in seventh grade we moved to Hawaii, and it was there that I was introduced to the wonders of papaya, which was incredibly plentiful, and thus not a delicacy to be savored on rare occasions. The Hawaiian papaya is smaller and sweeter than the Mexican...
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                A View of Sam Houston     Driving on the I-45, I spied the 77 foot tall sculpture of General Sam Houston, “A Tribute to Courage” and had to exit, to take a closer look;  I do love how everything is always bigger in Texas!     Approaching the General     A view from the...
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                 Falling Water     “A great architect is not made by way of a brain nearly so much as he is made by way of a cultivated, enriched heart.”  ~ Frank Lloyd Wright ~   It has been a good long while since the road took us to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water, but...
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                Truth     I keep remembering How you stepped back Then drew closer Whispering in my ear   You asked me what I wanted I respond Truth   You told me I could have anything My answer did not change Truth   You said my wish was your command I said only one thing...
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                Once Blood Has Been Shed Words Can Change Nothing I happened to find myself near a Middle Eastern store, which of late, I infrequently shop in, due to its location; I decided to take advantage of the moment, and see if they might have a tea that I was looking for. Many years ago,...
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                “Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” ~ John Adams~
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