To win the mysterious French antique, on offer in today's story, simply say hello, here in the comments box + let us know where you are writing in from. After randomly choosing a number, I will announce a winner on Friday. More about the giveaway, in today's story column.
Photo by Alison Johnston Lohry (Note to self: next time you post a photo of your person, choose any other post title… besides "Scatterbrained"! P.S. do you see a scar on my forehead? Ta da! This photo was taken four months after the first operation and a week before the second operation, the one mentioned in the previous post.)
étourdi(e) ay-toor-dee
: scatty, scatterbrained; flighty
Audio File: listen to our daughter, Jackie, pronouce today's word and example sentence: Download MP3 or Wav file
Il est bien étourdi; mais, entre nous, son coeur est bon.
He is quite featherbrained; but, between you and me, he has a good heart. —Voltaire, Complete Works of Voltaire
A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse
Scatterbrained
I am having a fickle of a time deciding what to write about today. It isn't a matter of writer's block, or la page blanche, the difficulty here is l'embarras du choix! So many possibilities! Which path to choose when it is just too tempting to amble down each windy road and lose oneself in that whimsical place affectionately known as "Just Around The Corner"?
Enough dreaming, it's time to choose a topic! Let's see…
I might tell you about our daughter's renewed passion for jumping (BMX bikes, this time—and not horses!). Jackie's hobby has me aching to line our concrete terrasse with mattresses! I watch, from the kitchen window, as our 14-year-old builds a new jump, adding yet another vineyard stone beneath the wobbly ramp (a repurposed wooden shutter) after each adrenaline-rich stunt….
Then again, I might write about some of the readers who come to visit. But then there have been so many…. To write about one would be to leave out the others. Quel dilemme! Perhaps I could backtrack… beginning with a photo from the most recent visit? (See the end of this post.)
Encore une fois, I had thought to write a story about a thank-you gift, the one I am trying to think up for the surgeon's assistante that I see this afternoon (stitches come out today!). What to give someone whom I know nothing about, but whose gentle confidence has touched me? Du vin? Des fleurs?
I should also update you with the good news: Max, 16, passed part of his driver's exam!: oui, il a réussi le code! This brings him to the "hands-on" part of the exam: the actual driving with an instructor! (such a relief to turn over the co-pilot seat—still wet from my sweaty, gripping hands—to a trained teacher!)
As for writing topics, I also thought this might be a good time to bring up the subject of email… please forgive me if you have sent in a note and if I haven't gotten back to you! I am trying, but no matter how many activities I cut out, in order to devote time to answering email, I still can't manage to keep up with incoming messages. I feel terrible about this… please know that I read and appreciate every single word you send, whether via email or via the comments box. Thank you so much!
There were about four or five or fifteen other lovely things, in addition to your treasured notes, that I wanted to talk to you about today, but time is up! So I will get to the fun part of this scatterbrained offering, this anti-essay that ran away to that curious "Just around the corner" place…
The G I V E A W A Y !
In thanks for reading this French word journal, I want to offer you the chance to win a little treasure! The trésor is currently a secret, but here's a hint: anyone would love it: young or "wizened", man or woman. If you like French antiques, you'll love this historic memento, one from my collection… one I adore and would love to offer you!
You might frame the antique… or wear it (making an eccentric necklace or an avant-garde pin?); you could put it in a glass box or make a whimsical collage…. You could carry it around in your pocket as a lucky charm or use it to mark a page in a book (never mind the bulk!). It could make a cool paper weight… though you might have to tie an extra something to it.
To win this antique simply leave a greeting here, in the comments box, along with your city. Example: "Hola from Jules in Puerto Vallarta!"
I will post the winner's name on Friday. No matter where you live in the world, you may enter the giveaway, by leaving a comment here. (Sorry, but no comments via email).
French Vocabulary
(section under construction… please check back!)
la page blanche = "the white page" or "le blocage de l'écrivain" (writer's block)
l'embarras du choix = a great variety of choices, an embarrassing number of choices
la terrasse = a paved area (sidewalk) or patio
quel dilemme = what a dilemma
encore une fois = then again
assistant(e) = assistant
du vin = some wine
des fleurs = some flowers
oui, il a réussi le code = yes, he passed the driver's exam
le trésor = treasure
I had a good tchatche, or chat, with artist, fiddler, and writer, Alison, who lives part of the year in the postcard pretty village of Sauve. Photo taken by Jackie Espinasse.
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Hello and Bonjour from Sharon in Palm Coast, Florida, U.S.A. So look forward to your photos and the writing of your daily life in France. Thank you
Bonjour de Green Bay, Wisconsin! J’adore ce site!!! merci!!!
Hello from Angela in Kenora, Ontario, Canada!On beautiful Lake of the Woods. Great stories and living (and learning!) vicariously in France…through you!Merci!
Bonjour from Seattle, Washington!
Hello from Kansas City, Mo. It is very nice here for this time of year. It is 45 degrees. Love your blog!
Bonjour from Jeanne in Western Massachusetts!
Bonjour Kristin – I read French Word-A-Day at my office desk before starting work in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Trying to increase my vocabulaire for my trip to Loire Valley beginning of May!
bonjour from Northwood, New Hampshire. … I see no scar, you look spectacular, as always 🙂
Hello from Edmonton, Alberta, in the not-so-frozen North (this year, anyway)!
Hello from Marcola, Oregon, USA, home of the University of Oregon and the upcoming Olympic Track trials!
Smiles and greetings from North Georgia, USA.
Bonjour from cold but sunny San Francisco, California!
Bonjour from Missouri USA
I would love to win anything french
Venez a Lafayette, Louisiana! On parle francais ici!
Hello,
Writing from The Vendée in France. Love your writing and your descriptions of the area you live in. We will be in that area later in the year. Who knows? We might meet.
Hi Kristin, thank you for your wonderful blog! From Rosemary in Moorpark, California
Bonjour from Portland Oregon where it is gray and cold today, sadly..
Psst Kristin! Je reviens et je vois que tu as maintenant une liste de vocabulaire. Tu as fait une faute de frappe, c’est la PAGE (pas plage) blanche. Et on dit plutôt “l’embarras DU choix” – avoir l’embarras du choix, pour signifier “avoir un choix très large”. Tu peux peut-être ajouter aussi…
Faire de l’embarras pour quelqu’un= faire des histoires, to create problems for somebody,
L’embarras de la circulation= traffic jam
Bonjour Kristin de Kathleen à Madison, Connecticut.
Merci, Kristin. Sheila in Port Townsend, WA
Bonjour from of all places— Melun, France! I normally hail from Massachusetts but I’m on a field trip to Melun!
Bonjour from a new subscriber in Whitby, Ontario, Canada! As a survivor, I read your previous email with interest and understanding. All the best!
Bonjour!!! Je viens de Denver, Colorado 🙂 Bonne journee. I’ve been following your blog for years!! Merci.
Good day from Jan in Arizona!
Bonjour!! From Kelly in Venice, Florida. Will be back in Provence in September.
Good morning from East Contra Costa County, California!
Hello from Astoria, Oregon USA.
Bonjour Kristin from Jill in Malibu California This is really
fun looking at your friends from around the world.
P.S. Are all writer’s pretty? Lovely photo of you and your
friend. Jackie is a very good photographer! And no you
cannot see a scar- my husband looked and could not see
it…and he is a doctor!
Hello, from Catoosa Oklahoma. More precisely 626 Fort Spunky Road which many years ago there was a fort here. Catoosa is the home of the Blue Whale which is on historic U.S. route 66.
How’s about ye Kristin, from Belfast, Northern Ireland! I’ve been reading and enjoying your blog in Ireland, et dans le sud de la bourgogne quand nous sommes à notre résidence secondaire! Joan
Bonjour from Jo in San Francisco…best wishes on your speedy recovery, Kristin!
Jo Ellen
Chere Kristin,
Bonjour Madame.Je suis de Spokane, Washington (etat). Je partage l’amour du vin avec vous et votre mari. Je vous remercie pour votre site web et de l’information.
Greetings from Andrea in Fabulous Las Vegas, NV.
Greetings from Vancouver, British Columbia
Been enjoying reading your blog, I have had a great time recovering from a broken leg and blood clot. You made the time very special. I loved yesterdays story about the reader who passed away. Very heartfelt.
Thank you for all your wonderful stories and information. I’m looking forward to many more.
Cheers, Shelagh
Hello and best wishes from Corona del Mar, CA.
Hi from Chris in Sydney
Bonsoir d’Edimbourg Ecosse
Christina
Hello from the beautiful vineyard-surrounded town of Healdsburg, California. Thank you for translating us from here to there by your beautiful words!
I would love to win. Are you going to offer an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris next? lol. Think of Los Angeles when you draw for the prize!
Bonjour Kristin – thanks for brightening spirits with your lovely blog!
Susan – Ridgewood, NJ
Hello Kristin from Therese, in Richland, Washington State!
Thanks you so much for sharing your life with us! I really enjoyed reading your books and your list of others books as well.
Now, thanks to you, I could understand better cultural differences between France and the USA.!
So much fun to see where everyone is commenting from. Hello from Susan in Denver!
Bonjour from Marnie in Vallorcine, France
Hello! This is Brenda from Riverdale, Georgia, USA, who is counting the days (52) until she is in your lovely country for 18 glorious days of travel through Provence and Burgundy and Paris!
Bonjour de Poway, Californie, ou il fait un peu frais aujourd’hui. Si heureuse de vous voir SANS cicatrice!
Maureen O’Connor
Je suis heureuse to enter the drawing. The weather here is nice. Lynda Laun, Sheboygan, WI, U.S.A.
Je m’appelle Suzanne Hurst. J’habite a Louisville, Kentucky. J’adore les antiques, et mes ancetres sont francais.
Greeting and blessings from Portland, OR
Hello from Kristen in Tacoma! (My maiden name is Tesoro…Spanish for treasure. Speaking of giveaway treasures…:) )
Bonjour de Lafayette Colorado. Je suis du Québec mais habite maintenant au Beautiful Colorado!