A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse
(Spring Break: April, 2005)
Did I mention my children are on vacation? Things are a little "en pente," or sloping, around here and I feel I am sliding, trying to keep up with word weaving and kid wrestling. The two pint-sized giggle machines stop by my keyboard every five minutes with: "Can you fix Elodie's hair?" (handing me a doll with finger-socketed locks) or "My football is stuck on the roof. Tu peux me le chercher?–Can you get it for me?"
Yesterday I took a break from the giglet and the ball-toting Gaul to snap a few more photos of our village. I hope you like the image above, with its mingle-mangle of old stones and non-consistent patterns. By the way, Max and Jackie, who are leaning in so close to this keyboard that the keys are now coated with a humid layer of kid breath, would like to add "Salut!"
Max & Jackie: Fueled by giggles, they race through the town of Roquebrune.
Today's word: une pente
une pente (pahnt) noun, feminine
1. slope (of a roof), incline
2. tendency
French synonyms:
la descente, une inclinaison, un escarpement, la montée, la côte
Expressions:
en pente = sloping, inclined
avoir la dalle en pente = to love to drink; to be a boozer
descendre la pente = to let oneself slide (morally)
être sur une mauvaise pente = to be going downhill
remonter la pente = to get back on one's feet again
suivre sa pente = to follow one's (natural) bent or inclination
être sur la pente glissante (or) savonneuse = to be on the skids; to be on a slippery slope
Citation du Jour
La vie offre toujours deux pentes. On grimpe ou on se laisse glisser.
Life always offers two slopes. We climb or we let ourselves slide.--Pierre Hebey
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OH KRISTI – I adore this photo of times past with Max and Jackie…they have always been the happiest kids on the block. i don’t
remember this story – maybe I didn’t have a
computer then… XOXO – MOM
Kristin, I finally got around to ordering copies of your latest book and just adore it. Congratulations! I love the format you’ve used this time – the longer stories – and of course the photographs. You have the ability to make us all feel better. At the end, I went ‘aaaaaaahhh, of course.’ Bravo! And thankyou.
Actually, he said in his best Sheldon-Cooper-from-the-Big-Bang-Theory voice: Life is a slope and we must choose one of three approaches: A) Climb; 2) Hang on for dear life and go nowhere; or C) Just let ourselves slide. Barry, Class of ’60, Paris American High, Garches, France