 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
                
	
        	
            
            
            
				 
                 A Nighttime Visitor   Yesterday, I spotted a handsome Blue-Jay perched on the birdfeeder, and decided to put some peanuts out for it, as those are my Floridian Blue-Jay’s favorite treat.  The squirrels quickly spotted the nuts, and began to hide them around the yard, which was a nice to see as the Blue-Jay’s...
Read More »
                                                 
         
        	
            
            
            
				 
                “Honor a Survivor Send a Note” When I was at the University, I was fortunate enough to take a class, on the Holocaust, which was taught by a survivor; it was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life.  Since then, I have met other’s survivors, and am eternally grateful, to all of...
Read More »
                                                 
         
        	
            
            
            
				 
                Take A Ride on the Reading     Perhaps because they were affordable, or maybe because even when you owned all four, the most you would collect was 200 dollars, or because someone was always willing to take a railroad, in place of some insane debt, the Railroads, in Monopoly, were always highly valued, in...
Read More »
                                                 
         
        	
            
            
            
				 
                Stuffed Bread   I love dishes which lend themselves to being served any time of day, and hours after they have been prepared; as well as offering flexibility with ingredients.  Stuffed bread is something I “invented” out of desperation and poverty, in my very early twenties; long before I had ever heard of a...
Read More »
                                                 
         
        	
            
            
            
				 
                George Washington’s First Office Located at 32 West Cork & Braddock Streets, in Winchester Virginia, George Washington’s Office is a stop worth making, but not worth paying the admission price, the building does not really hold historically significant memorabilia, rather the size, location, and ties to President Washington make it of interest. According the...
Read More »
                                                 
         
        	
            
            
            
				 
                Are you home?   Do you wonder, if you will ever be home? I do, all of the time.   Maybe you are already there, and never have to question, if that is where you belong. I imagine, you may just know.   I envy those of you, who seem to recognize where you...
Read More »
                                                 
         
        	
            
            
            
				 
                An Open Letter To All Who Cannot Forgive Common Core, Immigration, Gay Marriage . . . We Need A War Time Consiglieri “. . . He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” ~ John 8:7 KJV Bible Gateway ~ I watch the evening news, and I...
Read More »
                                                 
         
        	
            
            
            
				 
                 The Garden at The Breakers Hotel     Located in Palm Beach, Florida, The Breakers was birthed through Henry Flagler, one of Florida’s most prominent citizens and champion of what the state could become.  He had been John D. Rockefellers partner, in the Standard Oil, before coming south, into the sunshine, bringing the railroad and...
Read More »
                                                 
         
        	
            
            
            
				 
                To love a painting is to feel that this presence is… not an object but a voice. ~ Andre Malraux ~  The Bedroom By Pieter De Hooch   Inevitably, it is impossible to look at Dutch masters and not comment on their ability to capture light, and ever so subtly guide us into their...
Read More »
                                                 
         
        	
            
            
            
				 
                “Saw Dog”   A Whirligig Along the Highway     The Welcome Center for North Carolina, on the I95, is a rest area I often pull into; recently, I was pleasantly surprised to find a new addition to the landscape – Vollis Simpson’s whirligig, “Saw Dog”! I love when whimsy is added to my...
Read More »