My daughter, Jackie, just turned 5 when this word journal began. Here she is at eleven… helping Braise (brez) get dressed for the party!
time!
*Note: the next word goes out on November 5th. (…not because we
will need time to recover from the fête… but because we will be spending time
with the kids, who are on school break again…).
joyeux, joyeuse
(zhwa-yuh, zhwa-yuhz) adjective
: cheerful, merry, joyful
Listen to my daughter's message, and to the French word "joyeux": Download joyeux.wav.Download joyeux.mp3
I have another confession: I have never been good at
événementiel (or "event organization"). Jean-Marc planned our wedding, each
and every detail (contacted the French priest, ordered the flowers, selected
the menu, had the rings engraved, and all but tried on the long white gown
& satin-trimmed veil for me).
The "big day" found his blushing
bride-to-be tripping over a street grate, late for a very important date! I
have been trying to make up for that unforgettable entrance ever since: by
continuing to "réviser" a simple lesson from my husband: relax and enjoy life
and, especially, celebrate the milestones!
Today marks the 6th
anniversary of this French word journal and I am ready to celebrate this
joyful event. I've ordered the flowers (okay, I swiped several from "Mama
Jules"), and selected the menu: a sweet and savory buffet of words.
Now
listen up: this is where you come in–and not as a clumsy bride!:
I would
like to ask you to share a word or two… about yourself. Are you an 85-year-old
collector of Southwestern art? Or a new mother, up to her ears in dirty
diapers? Are you in a marching band? Do you read this word journal in school?
Are you famous? …or infamous? (or related to someone that is?). Do you speak more than two languages? Can you make your ears
move?
Do you suspect you are the youngest on this list–or the oldest?
Are you a tattoo artist or do you dabble in watercolor? Have you invented something? Do you like frogs legs or are you carrément contre la cuisine des cuisses de grenouilles? Do you have an unusual skill?
Are you involved in a charity? Have you written a book and do you want to
"buzz it" here? Are you shy? Ever won a prize? Do you have a blog or site and
would you like to tell us where to find you on the web?
All in all,
just a line or two about you… s'il vous plaît! Meantime, thank you for
reading this word journal, and for helping to create a community as we
move into our seventh year: one sweet and savoury word at a time.
Note: having trouble posting? Please send your message to me (kristin.espinasse AT gmail.com ) with a "request to post" in the subject line. Include how you would like your name to appear. I will try to post your message in the next week.
PS: to share your photo: check out the French Word-A-Day group at Facebook.
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Not sure how long I have been reading your delightful words. I have all of your books, still have the envelopes and stamps also. I have passed your site to a French speaking friend, and now her two granddaughters and other friends subscribe. I will soon be 80, love to travel and have traveled on my own for years. I am a Docent at the Dallas Museum of Art, and a photographer of sorts. Been to Seguret, Gigondas,Sablet et al, and maybe someday to your winery as well.
Happy Birthday Blog!!! I am a bit like you Kristin, except for the “writing part”! I am a southwestern (Texas) expat living in the vineyards of Geneva, Switzerland with my husband, three children, two cats and our expat dog Tequila. I enjoy our surroundings and slower paced life. I know I will always have a foot on each side of the Atlantic. It is nice to read that I am not alone…
Congratulations on your blog. I so look forward to reading it. Three times a week is perfect! I especially love your fotos. When it is gray here I am reminded that it is sunny somewhere in the world. I live on an island in the Pacific Northwest. On my ToDo List this week is: help my high school boy apply for colleges, dig up 200 dahlia tubers, find a new engineering job in this economy, drive my high school girl to her soccer practice, paint some watercolor cards for an upcoming event, visit the surgeon about my bum knee, work with special ed preschoolers, celebrate my dog’s 5th birthday, tutor some geometry and calculus students, try and translate my new Marie Claire Idee magazine for the great projects, make a dinner for some out of town friends who live in the Trinity Alps, and make some more calls for Obama.
I am a 65 yr. old grandmother who first got introduced to things French in high school by a very wise old French teacher who spent her summers alone wandering throughout France. She would be shocked to know that her tales have stuck and that I have found many excuses to revisit France since my year there in Strasbourg at the age of 20-21. My husband also has a keen interest in France (he played rugby for the Universite de Caen team in the 60’s) We have made many excuses to return to France – most recently to help as volunteers in the south of France with the La Sabranenque. a group of international volunteers who spend several weeks each summer stabilizing and/or rebuilding deteriorating castles and churches from the Middle ages. Your daily stories help us keep the memories of things French very much in our minds. Congratulations on your first 6 years of writing and may there be many more….
Congratulations on the well-deserved success of the French word journal. I am a writer residing in Daly City, a suburb of San Francisco, and have been studying French in earnest. Your readers may be interested in my article, “When the Eiffel Tower Brought American Cities Together,” in the Sept., 2008 issue of Magazine Americana.
It can be read online by typing in the title
on Google. I look forward to many more fascinating anecdotes and French words and phrases in the journal.
Hi Kristine, I am a Dutch 57 year young grandmother, living and working since decades in Haiti- 2941 km far from my children (Montreal) I love learning new French words during my 1st cup of coffee; you leave me the space to ready all or just the key lines -depending my mood and my time- while enjoying your short stories that often make me smile. I am communicating in Dutch and Creole, French, English and some Spanish and I strongly believe that words & their many significations are a key to my biggest ideal: quality life for all.
Merci de m’inviter au petit déjeuner: tu est mon dose de vitamine journalière, SVP continuez: WORDS MATTER!
Cordiales félicitations !José
Greetings from Scotland Kristin! I am a mum in my late fifties whose daughter, Kirsten, moved to France last year to work in the wine business with her then husband-to-be, Andy. They live in the bottom left corner on the Med in a beautiful place called Collioure, and we all made the trip for their wedding in June. Apart from working in the wine business, my daughter is trying to establish herself as a portait artist – and at the same time preparing to be a mum herself next year. Also, apart from the similarities in your names and the business you are in, they have a golden labrador called Alfie – I am sure he would like an introduction to Braise!
Anyway, I really enjoy your posts and the photos, because it somehow helps me feel connected to France and my daughter’s life there. Best wishes, and as they say in Scotland, “Lang may yer lum reek!” – which roughly translated means long may your chimney smoke . . .
Bonne anniversaire! I’ve just passed that ‘magical milestone’ of 50, but teaching junior high history and reading your blog helps me stay young . . . and gives me a chance to ‘dream’ of wonderful places far from my home in southern Ohio! I have always loved French but when my oldest daughter began studying to be a French teacher (now in her 1st yr. teaching!) and we started taking our students on ministry trips to France, my love affair with the language / culture was ‘revived’. Your blog gently coaxes me to continue studying – and to keep smiling at life’s blessings . . . thanks!
Bon anniversaire! My name is Shawn, and I’m a 36 year-old americaine who lives near Chicago. I’ve studied French since I was 14, and I’m trying to learn Spanish as well. In college, I studied in Avignon, so the slices of la vie Provencal that you so generously share with us help me to remember that wonderful time. I read FWAD at work, where I do international marketing for a cake decorating company. Knowing French and Spanish has come in handy in places like Malaysia and Japan – who knew? Thank you for sharing your world with us!
Bonne Anniversaire, Kristin!
I first found your blog just before or during my first trip to France. I had received a Gilman scholarship from my university to study in France, and was so excited to be finally realizing a dream I had cherished all my life! As a 50-something widow, I was thrilled to study language in Rennes, in Bretagne, and wander the streets of Paris for a few months. My daughter joined me for the last two weeks of my stay, and we loved exploring Paris together, traveling to Aix-en-Provence for beautiful soft summer nights. We returned again this summer to celebrate completion of our degrees (her MA in History, and my BA in French Studies). I love reading your blog. It inspires me, and I am transported to France each time I read about you and your family and your adventures. Thank you for the joy you bring me. I continue to volunteer as a teacher’s aide in evening classes at the university, and I follow my advice to students to read, write, and speak in French for several hours each day. I cherish my French friends and my fellow language students and the wonderful ties we have made together to create a bit of France in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks for being part of that network!
Wow! After strolling through all of these comments, it is no wonder that we look forward to your thrice weekly postings. One of the most surprising came from Toccoa. GA, a short drive from our front door in Anderson, SC. After spending close to three years in France (St. Julien en Genevois – close enough to actually walk into Geneve to hook up with the bus system) we were totslly hooked. Fortunately. my wife had the opportunity to spend her high school years under the tutelage of “Les Bonne Soeurs de Notre Dame de Sion” in Kansas City, MO. That was enough to eke us through for a spell. but. thanks to a new found friend (whose wife was a great cook ala Le Perigord!) I was able to get a basic command of the language. Now retired, we have been able to return to France, once to explore the Loire Valley (Anger) and more recently Le Cote D’Or in Menton. We have already mapped out our next trip for our 48th anniversary (’09)starting in the Langoudoc and ending in the Emilio Romano. Thanks to your FWAD, Kristin, we have been able to keep a semblace of linguistic ability. Looking forward to more!
Moi, je suis un Français, né en France et vivant en France, et je lis régulièrement vos délicieuses chroniques dans lesquelles vous parlez de mon pays avec une vraie et touchante tendresse; j’aime le mélange amusant- et toujours à propos- des deux langues, les mots français plus rares pour ce que cette langue, la mienne, peut ajouter,dans la nuance ou la précision, souvent se référant davantage au concret, à la vie rurale, à la cuisine, au sentiment. Mais moi je lis vos chroniques pour améliorer mon anglais, et un peu espion, pour savoir ce qu’une Américaine peut penser de La France. Ma fille vit et travaille dans le business ango-saxon et fait comme vous, mais symétriquement, si l’on peut dire : son blog ss’appelle cairoconnexion. Elle a un lectorat fidèle, mais est moins prolixe que vous. Merci en tout cas chère Kristin de m’avoir fait le cadeau de vos belles chroniques dans lesquelles vous vous révélez une femme adorable et généreuse. Je resterai votre fidèle et inconditionnel lecteur.
Réal
Goodness! What a diverse readership you have! Née en Belgique, j’ai vécu à Londres et j’ai épousé un anglais, puis nous avons émigré aux E-U. (voir blog). J’ai septante ans, ou soixante-dix 😉 et j’ai travaillé comme assistante dans des labos de physique nucléaire, comme prof de français, comme chasseuse de têtes et finalement comme prof d’anglais dans un “junior college” en Californie. J’y aussi beaucoup travaillé avec les populations de réfugiés et émigrants.
J’ai 3 fils et une fille, 4 petites-filles et un petit-fils qui ont entre 13 et 21 ans. Depuis ma retraite j’habite à Portland, en Oregon où je lis, je dessine, je jardine, et j’entretiens des amitiés de toute une vie.
J’ai une maison dans le Minervois où je viens régulièrement prendre un bain de français. J’ai recommandé votre blog à plusieurs personnes qui apprennent le français y compris à l’une de mes petite-fille à qui je viens d’envoyer la video et les paroles de “Yalla”.
Un grand BRAVO pour votre 6ième anniversaire, c’est une joie quotidienne que de vous lire. Merci.
Dear Kristin,
I am a 63 year old free-lance makeup artist/stylist in the Balto./
Washington area. My husband bought a house in Villefrance-de-Rouergue without telling me for a year. He gutted it and 6 yrs later
is still making trips over to work on it. It is tiny, dark, and I got
so frustrated with him that I bought a tiny house in Villeeseque-des-Corbieres (17 km. from the Med.) ONLINE without ever having seen it, except via pictures and nagging the realator to death. He could not believe I would not go over first to see it. (I’m a visualist)pictures being enough, I bought it and had it rented the first week I owned it. see territrupp.com.
I still can’t afford to go over to stay yet.
Your recollections of your past and your Mother stories keep me
bonded to you.
Thank you for all you share.
Love and Congratulations!
Terri
Bon anniversaire à French-Word-A-Day and Kristin! I believe I have been with you since the beginning, but at the same time it seems impossible.
I’m a 40 year old woman living in Dallas, Texas. I truly believe I was a little old French lady in a previous life (if my Christianity will allow) as I have had a love of all things French since I was a child. I started studying the language in the 6th grade and took it all the way thru my 3rd year of college. Sadly, I cannot speak it fluently or with great ease. But my thrice weekly words, and the lovely stories that accompany the words, help. Again, congratulations and may there be many more years to come.
Best wishes,
Kristine Bates
I am a 46 year old woman, a new resident of Tucson, Arizona who loves France! I found this site while reading France Today, years ago, and fell in love with it. I joined our local Alliance Francaise in Tucson, and love to learn French, watch French movies, eat French food and wine and live vicariously through Kristin. Thank you for brightening up my day with your “joyeaux” word since I was let go from job this morning and feeling quite low. Thank you for reminding me about the happy things in life that I am blessed with. Viva la Kristin and readers!
Quel beau succés! Tous ces messages pour l’anniversaire de ‘one word a day’. J’ai une école de Français à Sydney en Australie et j’encourage mes étudiants de s’abonner à votre site. D’ailleurs ‘le mot du jour’ figure sur notre site. Kristin, je suis désolée si je n’ai pu vous rendre visite en septembre dernier lors de notre séjour linguistique et culinaire dans le Luberon. Trop occupée! Alors, joyeux anniversaire en espérant qu’à l’avenir ‘le mot du jour’ aura beaucoup d’autres anniversaires à fêter!
Vive le mot du jour!
I studied French in Aix-en-Provence during college in 2001-2002. I love France and the french way of life. I try to incorporate the french way of life into my life every opportunity I get.
Congrats on your 6th anniversary! I am a new empty nester mom, with my kids just off to college. I miss my kids, and have resolved to renew my pre-kids interests, which include, of course, french. I have lived on eastern Long Island, NY, for far too long, I must admit, and I hope to visit France again someday soon-the last time was on my honeymoon! I adore your blog, and enjoy reading about a little slice of your world. All the best in the future!
Thanks for the daily lesson! I’m an almost 58 year old from just north of Chicago who is enjoying the chance to learn a few more words of the French language. In addition, I enjoy wine every day.
Bonne anniversaire et felicitations!
I’m a biotech executive,Francophile, and miniature lover in Chicago. I studied French all through high school and college (too many years ago to admit) and am still studying on my own. We travel to France at least once a year and have now bought a timeshare apartment in the Marais so that we will have our own place to stay. I am a big collector of santons and even travelled to Marseille last year for the foire!
I am an organizer and a writer living in Phoenix, AZ, who has had the pleasure of meeting you both when you came to introduce your wine to Arizona. I have recently written a book on Organizing, called Genuinely Organized: A Simple Guide to a Clutter Free Life, which
can be found on Amazon.com.
Thank you always Kristin for taking the time to converse with me and congratulations on your 6th anniversary of French-Word-A-Day. I have enjoyed learning French for the past few years, as well as enjoyed all your books.
Congratulations, Kristin.
Three times a week you confront me with the question: what am I doing here in Australia, when I could be in France? Please keep asking it – and thank you for including us
all in the life of your family.
I am a 54 year old Francophile living in San Francisco, sadly a long ways away. I’ve made about 13 or 14 visits to France since 1984 and claim (quite truthfully) that I know Paris better than Oakland. I love your Word of the Day! I read it almost the first thing when I get to work. I’m taking French at City College of San Francisco to improve my French; it’s been a dream of mine to live in Provence for at least a year after I retire. However, my opportunities to use my French are few. Keep writing!
I am a retired French teacher, with few opportunities to read/hear French. I have so enjoyed your site, which I have read for about 4 years.
Merci, merci.
Kristin-
I am a 61 year old father of 3,Francophile & Francophone working for UC Berkeley, who looks foward to your Word-A-Day with great anticipation. Definitely not famous, but in 1995 had a chance to buy the Hotel Du Grand Balcon in Touoluse- missed the opportunity,so I appreciate your personal story. Please continue. Bon Anniversaire!
Félicitations! 6 grandes années et avec les meilleurs voeux pour 6 plus. mon meilleur avec l’amour et l’appréciation. We have talked before but I could not pass up a chance to congratulate you and wish you many more years to pass on your wonderful life events and French wisdom. I am a 57 year old retiree from the US Fed. Govt. and recently returned from a long holiday including southern France. I did pass through your region but was unable to visit in Orange. I read your website and blog late at night here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I smile to myself at the antics of the children, Breise and daily living of your family. I love reading about your acculturation to France because it helps me learn more about French living and people. I lived in Wash. D.C. for over 20 years and became a francophile there. I used my new French words taught by you and your family on my trip!!! Please continue your great cultural exchanges.
J’habite Arlington, VA, et j’adore les langues etrangeres! J’ai deux garcons a l’ecole primaire. J’essaie de leur parler en francais pour qu’ils puissent apprendre quand ils sont jeunes. Merci pour tes mots, Kristin!
Bonsoir Kristin,Je suis la mama a 4 “kids” as we call ’em down here in the south.Two of my “kids” are grown. The 1st,Amanda(27ans) is an English Prof. at CENTRAL MISSOURI STATE Univ.The 2nd Jessica Nicole, (24 ans) is a court reporting student at Lenoir Comm.College in Kinston,NC.Our 3rd juene fille is Hannah Danielle (17 ans)who is currently a senior,doing online school. Hannah is a gifted artist. Our fils is Matthew or “Ma chous” as my french friend Suzanne calls him. Matthew (16 ans) is in 10th grade, an excellent student and recently got his driver’s learner’s permit-Scary for moi! As for moi, I am a stay at home mom who has an boutique type booth in a shop where I sell antiques, new and used gifts, and art, with a Victorian, French and English cottage style. The name of my booth is Pamela’s Cottage. I don’t have a website or blog just yet, but plan to in the future. In the meantime, if any of your readers live near Concord, North Carolina, USA s’il vous plait come visit my booth in 21 Union Street, A Trading Company. I have loved all things French from the age of 16 when I moved from Calif. to Ark. where I took French under Proffeseur Wooten at Dover H.S. There were only 6 of us students so, we got a lot of caring attention and encouragement. However, Monsieur Wooten could be tough, every Friday we we’re not allowed to speak English at all. We made a lot of funny mistakes but, Mr. Wooten had a pleasant and kind demeanor which made the class enjoyable for all. The students often pronounced the french words with sometimes purposeful over the top southern drawls just to be amusing, which caused the other students to burst out in uproarious laughter. Mr. Wooten took it all in stride. I took two years of French In H.S. and two years in college then, kind of put it on hold for a while.I graduated with a degree in Art., married mon mari and immediately started a family. Then my daughter Hannah took it her sophmore year in public H.S. so,we suscribed to your website which rekindled my interest. So,congratulations on the 6th anniv. of “French Word of the day”,bonne fete, and I’m hoping to visit your beautiful country for my 30th wedding anniv. next year. I would love to shop the Paris fleamarkets for my booth!
Hi, Kristin, et FÉLICITATIONS! Six years is impressive! Am not sure how long I have subscribed, but French Word-a-Day just gets better and better.
I loved reading everyone’s story today. What a great idea. Although you know this already, I have worked as a PR person/teacher/college counselor/sometimes writer, now mostly retired. I spent a year in Aix-en-Provence 38 years ago – YIKES – and fourteen years ago I returned to Provence with a small group of friends. Re-entry stirred a joie de vivre I had almost forgotten. So,now that our children are grown (They do grow up!), my husband and I have been back several times since, and I have struggled to regain whatever fluency I enjoyed during my college days. I will read and listen to almost anything FRENCH.
Thank you for writing French Word-a-Day and please keep it up AT LEAST six more years.
All the best to you and your family.
Congratulations on your sixth anniversary! I love France, the French language, painting, dance and poetry, and I love your writing. I work at Freddie Mac and I am living through the banking apocalypse. Please keep writing for us about the beauty of life. Thank you.
I look forward to each and every post! I’m a 58 year old retiree in California. My DH and I have made a couple trips to Paris and fell hopelessly in love with France and the French people.
I’ve enjoyed your column for years and have a few of your word books. At 74, I am the oldest person in a private french class, but i am young in spirit and wish i could live in France for a year to learn the language and immerse in its every day life. But alas! i cannot because i have a husband, children and grandchildren who would never understand….
I enjoy traveling, doing artisan crafts, give comfort to those in need, and marveling at all the beauty in life……
Keep up the good work. You add a touch of beauty to my life.
I fell in love with French after watching the movie Amelie Poulain. I decided to start my university in Montreal, Canada. However, being in a Quebecois environment was totally different from the Frenchy French I fell in love with and for about 2 years, I was stuck in a black hole. This year, my final year in uni, I decided I was going to fall in love with French again and I went to the bookshop and bought your book which I came upon by chance. I’m going to be a belly dancer this Halloween, I can move my right ear exceptionally well, I like looking at food pictures, I’m always on a diet, I love buying new clothes ( I love dresses), I love marshmallows and chocolate fondue. I love French and I want to travel around France on a bicycle on day.
Je suis un ancien prof de français et d’études québécoises à l’Univerité du Maine. J’ai pris ma retraite en 1997 et j’habite actuellement à Rochester (NY). Ma famille est d’origine française, mais mes ancêtres ont quitté la France vers 1700; ils étaient huguenots, et ils ont décidé de passer en Allemagne, comme un lieu de refuge pendant les guerres religieuses. Malgré cette histoire familiale, j’aime visiter la France. Je suis allé à Paris en 2007 et j’ai passé quelques jours avec un vieil ami. … Congratulations for your anniversary, and best wishes as you continue. Bon courage!
Hi Kristin,
I love the way you see the world around you!
I’m a 28 year old southern girl from Alabama living in New York City, and the world around me often seems as foreign as you feel in the French world around you! I was introduced to your blog about a year ago…soon after I moved to NYC and started a blog of my own. I aspire to knit words together into beautiful stories as well as you do…and have a book of my own someday!
Bon anniversaire!
I’m a telecommunications specialist in Minnesota and have been interested in all things French for most of my life; this is at least partially due to family herritage. I’ve been reading French Word-A-Day for about a year now in an effort to improve my language skills in preparation for my first trip to France.
I returned to studying French last year after an 18 year hiatus as a result of discovering a love for Rock Française. The music, this site, and the Twin Cities chapter of L’Alliance Française (to name just a few sources) have been invaluable to me. Merci mille fois!
Hi Kristin, It is truly a gift to read your blog. I live in Lincoln, Nebraska, have been a regular reader for 5+? years and sing your praises to anyone who will listen. I’m a 48 yr old former elementary school teacher turned Franco crazy in 1998 and now the owner of Provence Properties.(www.provenceproperties.net) Your stories are a constant source of encouragement, comfort and entertainment as I continue on this fabulous rollercoaster called life. Thank you and Sante! Here’s to many more years and adventures!
Que les années passent vite !!! Vous avez certainement fait bonne route durant ces 6 derni1eres, Kristin. Vos récentes innovations, Jules et son gros bouquet de fleurs virtuel, par ex., sont très sympas. Mais c’est surtout votre style tout à fait charmant et spirituel que j’aime lire!
J’enseigne le français aux adultes, en Californie, j’organise aussi des ateliers (workshops) de français en France. On s’amuse bien!
Bonne célébration et bonne continuation.
I might be the youngest to post so far…18 years old, and majoring in French in school. Observing others is so much fun: today I see that people love to share about themselves (just look at all the lengthy posts!) 🙂
I am a 54 year old who’s been teaching himself French for about 4 years now.It started with a few songs I heard on the Internet radio & grew from there. Got your book in 2006 as ‘un cadeau de Noël’, and been following this site since. I have a little hobby page which now has a French edition; http://myweb.cableone.net/cwiokster/paper/accueil.htm
Bonne anniversaire!
Felicitations Krisin-Joyeux 6eme anniversaire.
J’etais prof de francais pendant plus de vingt ans dans un lycee prive a Minneapolis, the Blake School. Je continue a donner des cours particuliers chez moi pour ne pas oublier ma premiere langue.
J’attends tous les jours ton blog avec plaisir. Janine Cortell
Hi Kristen, I met you and your sisters in Seattle when you were here on your book tour. We have a French bookclub here that has been going on for 6 years. I wonder if you could have a space on your blog for readers to put comments on French novels they have read. I lived in Angers for une annee scholaire in 1965.
Felicitations, Kristin! Your stories are a delight to the many folks who always look forward to reading the latest installment.
As a working artist I have little free time or opportunities to travel. But I keep the dream alive by studying French at the Alliance Française, reading in French between semesters, and by reading your blog. Your stories and photos bring it all to life.
Best of all, I enjoy your gentle humor and generous spirit. And I’ve also been tickled by your stories about your mom. Like her, I am outgoing, happy to talk to strangers, and a bit over the top. And like you, my daughter is far more reserved and proper!
Thank you for sharing your adventures with us!
Johanna DeMay
I am on the right side of 50 (51) and when I am not taking care of my family and home, or reading and writing, I am fencing sabre at our local “Salle” (Salle Auriol in Seattle) where I am also the Business Director. I love languages – always have. I have studied German, Italian, Mandarin, Latin, and of course, French.
Dear Kristen, Bonne Anniversaire. Aha! Am I the only over 80 in the group? I’ll be 82 in January, and to me your French Word a Day is the best thing on my computer. You are a very busy person! The comments addition is good too. In this time zone I read it late.
At 20 I married a French Canadian, and we lived in La Belle Province for 6 years, in a small village. Long enough to become bilingual, and to my inlaw’s surprise, I kept my French after we returned to B.C. The (secret) method is to mentally
translate thoughts going through my mind. Our traveling days are over, but my grandson
might make a trip through France en bicycle au printemps. Dorothy, Abbotsford, B.C. Or is that aux printemps?
I live in Saint Rémy de Provence, have been reading French-Word-A-Day for two years, also bought the book two years ago … and so now my French vocabulary is large but I have zero grammar. Sigh. I’m a 32-year-old anglophone married to a Frenchman.
I’m Sue. Architect. Living in CapeTown South Africa and renovating a TINY barn in the Haut Vienne. And I love your blog.
Happy Anniversary!
I’m an American Expat living in France. I have a cooking website and write a food and life-in-france log (Thyme for Cooking, the Blog) we recently sold our house in the Vendee and are buying one to restore in the Lot et Garonne…. and so far, it’s one disaster after another. But we have hope. We are living in an old rental place next to a small start up winery, (trying to be organic, etc.) so I watch them and think of you!
I’ve been reading your journal of almost as long as you’ve been writing it… and giving out your books as gifts to other expats, as well ;-))
Bonjour Kristin, Congratulations! Six years of your lovely words, what an acheivement. Don’t stop now.
28th October is a great day for an anniversary, I couldn’t resist your invitation to add that today is my 50th Birthday. It has been a fantastic birthday, I have been showered with love, and a girl (yes girl, still about 25 in my head!!) can’t ask for more than that. I am also a little slow to celebrate the important things sometimes, so I agree, we should take time to stop, enjoy and take stock.
Enjoy your celebrations, I hope you have as much fun as I have had today. Oh , and yes, I can also make my ears move!!
Cheers!
Chris