The Christmas decorations are still up in the town of Grignan. Have you taken down your holiday decor? Click here to comment.
le sang-froid
: calm, equanimity, imperturbability
Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc (I am told my husband has a beautiful voice! Don't miss it): Download MP3 or Wav file
Lors de situations conflictuelles, çela aide pas mal de garder son sang-froid!
During situations which involve conflict, it helps quite a bit to keep calm!
A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse
When Jean-Marc was inspired to clear out the cellier—on Christmas Eve—I did my best to contain my annoyance. Not to be unthankful, but couldn't he have chosen any other day of the year? A day, say, when our extended family wasn't about to arrive for Le Repas de Noël? After all, there were any other number of last-minute things to do besides emptying out the mudroom!
Ten years ago I would have manifested the strong opposition that I currently felt regarding my husband's absurd sense of timing. As manifestations go, it would have been a subtle one (I might have sulked), yet packed with menace (continue doing your own thing… and I'll fly back to America. You'll see!).
But such manifestations were for naught (my then boyfriend put a stop to the nonsense by buying me a one-way ticket home!)
We've come a long way, Chief Grape and I, though the first years of intercultural marriage were as shaky as the pile of junk that now lined the outside of our mudroom, nearly blocking the entrance where our guests were due to arrive in the next hour or so! To my amazement, the entryway was now cluttered with everything from a broken globe to a lonely lava lamp.
I stood staring at the chaos. Instead of order and polish we now had dust and "demolish"…or so it looked from my blurry perspective. No matter how far I think I've advanced along the path of sagesse, I'm always astonished at how quickly I can lose my footing when I lose sight of the horizon in time to notice a weed along the way.
No use staring at the lava lamp and its dusty company. Remembering to "look up!" I experienced a radical change of perspective. What had appeared to be disorder… was beginning to look like order! I looked beyond the piles, past my husband, and into the cellar…. The shelves looked neat and tidy—and you could actually see the floor!
Motioning toward the stacks, Jean-Marc explained, "Jacques is going to help carry these things to the car".
Bien sûr! My husband's timing was not so absurd after all. He had simply waited until his brother's visit (tonight, for Christmas Eve dinner), to haul off the junk.
Once again I am reminded that what might not make sense to me, may very well be clear in the grand scheme of things.
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Read about that one-way ticket home in the introduction to Words in a French Life.
French Vocabulary
le cellier = storeroom
le repas de Noël = Christmas dinner
la sagesse = wisdom
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Both photos in today's edition were taken in the town of Grignan, where we had a lovely stroll and a bite to eat, on Friday, with friends Toni and Gary. (We ate at Le Poème de Grignan. It was delicious!) Can you recommend a restaurant in Provence? Click here to share it with us!
The photo, left, was also taken in Grignan, during another sweet stroll with my aunt and uncle. The picture was snapped so quickly — almost as an afterthought. Had I known it would be used for the book's cover, I might have swiped the neighbor's pot of geraniums, and placed it near the door! Just as it is (without anything "blossoming") we'll chalk it up, this flowerless "Blossoming" cover, to one more quirk of French life.
Meantime, I would like to take a moment to send out an enthusiastic appeal to anyone who has not yet purchased a copy of my book:
Please support a self-published author–each time you do, you make the world a more creative place!
Click here to buy a copy of my book. Merci beaucoup!
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Further Reading:
Check our Larry Krakauer's blog, in which he writes about his visit to our vineyard. Click here. You'll even see a photo of my brother-in-law, Jacques, whom you read about in today's story.
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Epiphany is the 12th Day of Christmas – or “Little Christmas” as it is often called (it is the day when some celebrate Christmas/the Coming of the Magi) so . . cant’t really take the decorations down until Christmas is over – we usually take them down the night of the 6th or the day of the 7th.
Ilove this story and its wisedom. Avec de la patience, on arrive a tout.
BTW, My book arrived and I read it for dessert every evening.
normanb
At our house we celebrate the twelve days of Christmas and the decorations don’t come down until the octave of Epiphany. The old tradition is that any important religious festival was celebrated for eight days (hence the “octave”). So our decorations come down on or about Jan. 14. The nativity scene is the most important decoration of all; we made it in 1968 in the old Irish style where the stable is a cave. It has three levels of grass, boulders (stones), and handmade bushes & trees, store-bought figures of people & animals. Over the years we’ve added different animals: a large, shaggy dog to guard the Christ Child, owls, a mouse, puppy and kitten, a piglet, chicken, goose, the usual animals mentioned in the French “Carol of the Animals, of course, but the mother donkey has a baby donkey. All of the people & animals are looking at the baby, a shepherd brings a lamb on his shoulder, & an old man offers eggs held in his hat. The kings approach closer & closer as Jan 6 draws near. In so. Calif. where we live there is a very strong Hispanic tradition of nativity scenes and some are so large that they fill up one side of the living room. If you like, I will e-mail a photo of our nativity scene.
P.S.–amazon.com sent a message that your book is on its way. It’s my Christmas present to myself. Where are you in the “standings” now?
Sometimes I feel like we all lead very similar lives – as unique as we may think we are.
My sisters and I have compared many hysterical notes on the chores our husbands choose to do right before guests are due to arrive. They range from gutter cleaning to my favorite, which is myhusbands cjoice to repaint the baseboards in the main foyer. (there went the welcoming aroma of my apple pie!) What can you do but say Vive la difference! To them there is no time like the present!
I think you should carry around a box of your books to neighboring towns like Grignan, sign them and ask if they’d carry them. I was searching for “Blossoming” in the photo and didn’t see it. I suspect you have more English readers than French but I always search for English books when I visit the many sidewalk bookshelves in France.
Our tree is up but undecorated (except for the lights) for the Feast of Kings.
Loved the comments today, and how fun to see another great author in the box today, Cara Black. 😉 I’ve given her mystery books as gifts to my sister who loves that genre, and for myself who doesn’t love mysteries so much, but French things.
Kristi, I have no idea why, but you were in my dream last night. The short of it was that I was your assistant as you prepared for a photo-shoot, and I saved the day by offering you my lipstick, of which you had none! And I advised you to redo your hair, which at the time was up in two lopsided ponytails. Dreams are so bizarrre! There’s more, but I won’t go into all the crazy details, but what a fun time we had.
Have a glorious new year!
Salut Kristin: De retour du Texas, ton livre était là, au seuil de ma porte. Je l’ai donc tout de suite dévoré le soir mème. Comme toujours, tes petites histoires m’amusent. Car très souvent, je me trouve devant de telles situations. Tu sais bien décrire tout ce qui se passe, tout ce que tu vois et tout ce que tu sens. Et ça me plaît énormement de te lire. Je suis ta fidèle lectrice. 🙂 Again, I can relate to today’s story. I see my husband doing something like JM. He is always so cool- tempered tandis que moi, je ne peux pas garder mon sang-froid. He will tell me to take it easy, then he will hum the tune “When things go wrong, let’s sing a song…sing c’est la vie…”. And like JM, he has a plan to work things out. 🙂
I enjoyed reading Larry’s blog.
I just received an email from Amazon. Blossoming In Provence is en route. I can’t wait.
Great anecdote Kristin! I felt like I was in your mudroom visualizing the scene as it was taking place 😉 Just ordered two books of “Blossoming” and I’m look forward to reading it.
Hi
Yes the trees are still up in Walton on Thames and the wise men are getting further and further along the piano on way to the crib where they arrive on Epiphany.Tomorrow.
I hope to spend a Christmas in our little house in the Lot sometime soon so will have to learn all about Christmas in France
Thank you for a year of lovely e mails which I really enjoy(not sure my French is any better Must try harder!)
Happy new year
Arthur, oui! Cold blood…see above. Cool, calm, collected….
Kristin: Yes, I am dying to buy and read your book…but am waiting to see if maybe, just maybe, I might win a copy over at Provence Post! Have to check when Julie is doing the drawing. Either way, I will read it very very soon.
Bonne Annee to all of you!
Favorite restaurants in Provence? Pas de problème!
In Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, try Café Fleur. The manager is a wonderful man, Christophe Pinaud, and we have had delicious lunches there. http://www.cafefleurs.com
In Paradou, not too far from St. Remy-de-Provence, there is a wonderful restaurant, La Petite France, http://www.lapetitefrance.info. Owners Jean-Baptiste Gérard and chef Nathalie Feurer have created a peaceful space with an excellent menu.
In Goult, La Terrasse is very nice. We lunched outside on Christmas Eve day, and the tagliatelle with cèpes was wonderful.
In Gordes, the restaurant at Hotel Les Bories is wonderful, but expensive. Chef Pascal has a Michelin star. http://www.hotellesbories.com
Hi Kristen,
A Happy New Year to you C.G. Les Enfants and all your readers .
I had a Haitian Revaillon and two days later went into hospital (my choice) for a shoulder reconstruct.. I’m told that all will be well in 2/3 months.
In September we were on holiday in Provence and had a memorable meal at ‘Les 2 Garçons’. It’s not a ‘fine’ restaurant but the atmosphere is wonterful and it provides excellent value for mony and has done so sine the 1980s or earlier. The very Parisien waiters are great fun . You must know it of course.
Best wishes,
Mike
Forgot to say ‘Les 2 Garçons’ is in Aix en Provence, sorry,
Mike
the last word – http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/historic-sites/january_6_so_much_more_than_the_final_day_of_christmas_1_2040033?commentssort=1&commentspage=0
Regards
Gaye
Sorry, when I wrote 1980’s I meant of course 1890’s.
They’ve let me out of hospital (re-education unit, of limb that is not brain) for the weekend so I’m back on mt MacBook for a couple of days.
Best wishes,
Mike