Resting on one's laurels. (Note: I didn't have a picture of a laurel, so how about anemones instead? Let's rephrase things now to "easing up on one's anemones"
se reposer sur ses lauriers
: to rest on one's laurels
A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse
I did not bring my husband his cup of kawa this morning. Instead, I crept up the spiral staircase with its dusty red tommettes, made a swift kro-shay at the top of the cage d'escalier, and ran like a thief on a twilight getaway.
There, at the end of the hall, in a spring-cleaned office, I sat down at a tidy desk and willed myself to cast out culpability and put all guilt to rest. I looked around at my treasure, this room of one's own, and let myself get lost in the bliss of Alone.
Leave me ALONE! Isn't that what we so often yearn to say at the end of any given day? But there is no room for selfishness in a world full of need. So we try our best to put Ego aside and say "Yes" to others and dedicate ourselves to deed after good deed.
But in the early hours of the morning… before anyone else is awake, a peaceful parcel is ours for the taking, and there we claim our moment of calm and drive in our victory stake.
…Only sometimes we linger too long on our lauriers…
He can get his own coffee this morning! I decide, allowing my meditative moment to meander on and on… Nursing my coffee like Nefertiti, I sit back in my office chair and click open my calendar…
Monday, March 29th… !!!
Double-quick dare-dare, I ditch Nefertiti—and any other newfangled notions about nursing time—and hightail my hide back to the coffee machine in time to make my husband his café with cream. Next, I climb the stairs in rhythm with the French words of Joyeux Anniversaire!
:: Le Coin Commentaires ::
Will you help me to wish Jean-Marc Joyeux Anniversaire? Thanks for leaving him a message here.
Happy Birthday Chief Grape. We love you.
French Vocabulary and Audio File
(check back this afternoon, via this link, for the audio file.)
le kawa = (synonyme for) coffee
la tommette = red (often hexagonal) floor tile
kro-shay (pronunciation for "le crochet") = sudden swerve, detour
la cage d'escalier = stairwell
les lauriers (mpl) = laurels
dare-dare = double-quick
joyeux anniversaire! = happy birthday!
French Demystified…simple enough for a beginner but challenging enough for a more advanced student.
The bible of French home cooking, Je Sais Cuisiner, has sold over 6 million copies since it was first published in 1932. It is a household must-have, and a well-thumbed copy can be found in kitchens throughout France. Its author, Ginette Mathiot, published more than 30 recipe books in her lifetime, and this is her magnum opus. It's now available for the first time in English as I Know How to Cook. With more than 1,400 easy-to-follow recipes for every occasion, it is an authoritative compendium of every classic French dish, from croque monsieur to cassoulet.
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Joyeux anniversaire Jean-Marc.
Enjoy you day!
Let us know if your wines ever reach Savannah, Georgia, Sil’vous plait!
Edie from Savannah
Bonne anniversaire! Bonne chance et bon courage!
Heureux Paques.. et passez bien une tanquille semaine sainte.
Marie La Salle
Joyeux anniversaire, Jean-Marc! C’est aujourd’hui aussi l’anniversaire de mon meilleur ami français, Jacques, que je connais depuis 40 ans! Bonne journée!
Joyeux Anniversaire Jean-Marc. And I hope that 2010 will be a superb vintage year for you!
Nous vous souhaitons un anniversaire superbe et joyeux, Jean-Marc! Nous souhaitons aussi que cette annee 2010 puisse vous amenera beaucoups de bonheur, de prosperite et de succes! And plentiful FUN as well. ~ from Kit, Patrick and Emma in Ontario, Canada where spring is just starting
Cher Jean-Marc, Joyeux Anniversaire!! May you enjoy many more loving cafe cremes and may you (and your creations of wine) radiate the happiness in your life always!Enjoy your auspicious full moon! Cheers from Key West, FL
Salutations et Joyeux anniversaire, Jean-Marc
de Alastair GRANT en Afrique du Sud
Joyeux Anniversaire, Jean-Marc de la part de Julie de San Diego,en Californie!!
Happy Birthday to Youuuu . . .Happy Birthday to YOU… Happy Birthday Jean-Marc, Happy Birthday to you and many more. (pretend I was singing that – wait, on second thought, that’s not a good idea!!) I wished John and I had been able to see you in Oakland, but next time. Hey, you’re still a “major babe” even if you are 35 (snicker, snicker) Bisous, Robin
PS Kristin, it seems like those little organizational items really did the trick. LOL!
Joyeux Anniversaiire Jean-Marc. Good men were born on this day. Today my father is 86. Enjoy some good company (Kristin) and a very expensive bottle of wine this evening.
A sante.
Bon anniversaire, Jean-Marc! J’adore suivre les évènements de votre vie–toujours un aventure avec Kristin à votre côté, n’est-ce pas? Et pour toute la famille je vous souhaite aussi Joyeuses Pâques et bonne chance cette année au Domaine Rouge-Bleu.
Je vous souhaite un tres joyeux anniversaire…que vous soyez heureux toujours and que Kristin vous apportiez une tasse de cafe tous les matins! : )
Chere Kristin,
I so dig SILENCE, the most precious thing ever. I hope you enjoyed your seconds!
xx
Happy, Happy Birthday Jean-Marc. Have a wonderful day.
Kristin your room of your own sounds so wonderful. Did my book help at all for organizing??
The happiest of Birthday greetings from New York!
Bon Anniversaire, Jean-Marc!
Happy Birthday My Beautiful Jean-Marc!
You have changed all of our lives for the better, brought us much happiness and new adventures, and always showed us a what true
love and humbleness is about on this road we
travel. I adore you always.
XOXO
MOMA-JULES
Joyeux Anniversaire Jean-Marc !
It was such a pleasure seeing you in Los Angeles many days ago. I hope your trip was winning and fruitful in every way – pun intended 🙂
xox – Cheryl
AD MULTOS ANOS1
Joyeux Anniversaire my dear friend….
Many good wishes come your way from Houston. It was lovely to see you again.
(J’espère que tu as trouvé ton Billet Doux de Fragonard!)
Amitiés,
Gina
À votre santè Jean-marc et Joyeux Anniversaire de Phoenix, AZ.
Birthdays can be scary because you’ve never been this old before. Remember… any day you can look DOWN on a flower bed, rather than up, is a good day!
À bientôt
À votre santè Jean-marc et Joyeux Anniversaire de Phoenix, AZ.
Birthdays can be scary because you’ve never been this old before. Remember… any day you can look DOWN on a flower bed, rather than up, is a good day!
À bientôt
Happy Birthday Jean-Marc…a day to enjoy with family and friends.
Kristan,a birthday idea: have those who are gathered to help celebrate each say 5 things they appreciate about Jean-Marc. Have a lovely time!
Joyeux Anniversaire ! We’ll raise a glass in your honor this evening. May the year bring you more successes and much happiness.
Joyeux Anniversaire Jean Marc! C’est mon anniversaire aussi Vous avez une bonne journee!
Joyeux Anniversaire, Jean-Marc! Quand venez-vous à Boston? On vous attend.
Passe une année pleine de bonheur, excellente santé, et du vin incomparable!
Jackie Sand
Natick, MA
Jean-Marc, you are truly loved! Look at all your beautiful birthday wishes. I want to add my Happy Birthday to all these wishes. We love you and Kristie very much! Love ya!
Martha (& Charles)
Hi, Kristin—For some reason my computer will not let me leave a birthday greeting to Jean-Marc when I click on the part of your blog that says'”leave a message here” in the coin commentaire. So… being the adaptable and determined person that I am, I’ll just do it this way!
Jean-Marc– Meilleurs voeux pour un super anniversaire (de Californie ou if fait assez frais aujourd’hui).
——
Hi Mary — sorry about that. This “not able to comment” glitch happens a lot. I went ahead and posted the comment for you.
Happy, happy birthday Jean-Marc!
I hope that you are having a wonderful celebration and enjoying yourself, whether at home with the family, or on the road! Best wishes from Caroline, Elena and Nicholas too!
Take care,
Have a wonderful day, Jean-Marc, with your beautiful family. We look forward to meeting you when we travel to France (our first visit there) with Charles and Martha. We already love Kristin’s words and your wine, so it will be fun to meet you. And the dogs! Best wishes from Dunnellon, Florida.
Joyeux anniversaire et bonne fete Jean-Marc!!
Joyeuse Anniversaire Jean-Marc whom we all feel we know even if we don’t!
From Dorothy in Abbotsford B.C. where spring is early this year. Have a great day!
Jean-Marc will be so surprised by your messages. Many thanks! He is still working away out in his newly planted field (after putting in 4000 baby vines last week… he had another hundred left to plant). The birthday cake has just come out of the oven (a lemon sponge cake which will be a change from le gâteau chocolat!)
Linda, Thanks for the Room of Ones Own Link.
Karen, your book is a wonderful help!
Joie, Happy Birthday to your father
Gary, and Joyeux Anniversaire to you 🙂
Christine, Wonderful idea (5 Things I appreciate about you) The kids and I will do this tonight, just before cake time!
Merci beaucoup, to all of you! Your comments are the best present ever. I know Jean-Marc will feel this way.
Sending Happy Birthday wishes from Los Angeles! Hope your day was wonderful.
Virginia O.
Joyeux Anniversaire, Jean – Marc!
amicalement,
Melanie
Happy Birthday, Joyeux Anniversaire, Jean-Marc! Best wishes from Central Illinois, where the sun is shining, and spring is in the air!
Sandy
Hello Kristin,
I love the way we were introduced to Jean-Marc’s birthday. The title didn’t give us any clue… everything was quite, and then, a date on the calendar precipitated the pace, and the 2 important words came bouncing in rhythm at the end. I’m sure Jean-Marc enjoyed his early cup of coffee!
I love coffee and am interested in words. Put 2 and 2 together, and you will understand how the (familiar) word “kawa” attracted my attention and pushed me to find out a bit more.
It is used here for ‘coffee’ – it can also be found with a different spelling–> “caoua”. I learned that ‘qahwah’-(Kahwa)- is actually an old Arabic word which was another name for ‘wine’, but eventually, after coffee was introduced, it came to mean just ‘coffee’.
Coffee lovers and word lovers, may be interested in reading more:
http://knol.google.com/k/origin-of-the-word-coffee#
I love the adverb “dare-dare” used here when, after a peaceful early morning in your spring-cleaned ‘retreat’, the date on your calendar made you suddenly rush downstairs. To avoid any drama, the best thing to do was to go “dare-dare”
(“sans le moindre délai” / “à toute vitesse” / “le plus rapidement possible”)
to the coffee machine in the kitchen, and happily re-climb the stairs with ‘the Nectar of the Gods’…
Re: “Joyeux anniversaire”, Jean-Marc!
PS – Gorgeous bunch (2 bunches) of “anémones rouges”. Thanks for the lovely photos.
Joyeux anniversaire, Jean-Marc ! Vous êtes très jeune et beau.
May your birthday be filled with laughter, love, and friends, Jean Marc.
joyeux anniversaire, jean-marc ! have a wonderful day with many blessings…greetings from az, usa …
Happy, happy birthday, Jean Marc! Here’s wishing you a year of joyful work, loving arms, delectable food, great weather, good health and, of course, wonderful wine!
Bon Anniversaire Jean Marc, We hope to see you and Kristin in Paris if you are there in the next two months – we would also like to taste your wine and order some!
Kimberley & David Brody
Joyeux Anniversaire, Jean Marc, I wish you and your family, the same thing I wish my family every day, health and happyness with every precious breath, look forward to seeing you all in Sept., trust the trip was fruitful and hope you are able to get in touch with,”JF WINE IMPORTS”Bonne chance Lou
Jean-Marc, Happy Birthday!! A community here of good wishes and blessings!
We will finally be in Paris in May. Hoping for sun and flowers. Now on Cape Cod, it is cold and raining hard. The hope of Paris provides hope. Too bad Kristin is not speaking encore at the book store!
jan and tom
Joyeux Anniversaire, Jean Marc! Mille bénédictions à vous en ce jour!
Happy Birthday Jean Marc – hope it has been a GREAT one!!!!
All the best for another great year,
Poppi ☻☻☻☻
Feliz Cumpleanos, as we say in this part of the country (South Texas). Your southwestern-reared wife will translate. May you enjoy many, many more years with your lovely wife, your adorable children (yes, as a mother, I know they are not always adorable, but most of the time), and your passion for grapes and their gifts.
Thank you all so much…I don’t know if I deserve so many wishes but I will take them and cheer them for this year to come.
Cheers,
Jean-Marc
Jean-Marc: Joyeaux Anniversaire from Jim and Barbara in Oakland!!! May you and your wondeful spouse have many more.
P.S. It was a delight to visit with you last week.
Jim Kachik
What more can I add other than I agree with all of the above. Have experienced too much to think that you do not have imperfections and bad days, but what you have accomplished with unwavering hard work as a loving husband and father while bringing your dream of owning a vineyard and producing your own wines to fruition is no small feat but a tribute to a tough, loving, wise, and devoted man. May your deserved rewards grow with your age.
Joyeux Anniversaire, Jean-Marc! Nous levons nos verres parmi tant d’autres en contemplant les reflets rubies d’un Rouge-Bleu savoureux que nous allons deguster a votre sante. (Nous attendons les fromages Savoyards qui vont avec et qui suivent par avion!) Meilleurs voeux de bonheur et de reussite, Trish et JeanClaude
Happy Birthday!! I wish I could have met you when you were in DC…like I told Kristin, work gets in the way sometimes.
Kristin, I can relate to alone time; everyone needs it at times. We can only do so m,uch for everyone else, then it’s time to take care of overselves.
Happy Spring!!!