I have never seen a multi-colored Fatima before. The rainbow-coated hand tickles a sluggish passer-by, Reveille-toi! Reveille-toi! Wake up! Wake up and paint the town! (Picture taken on the Ile de Ré. Watch out for the cougars.) Today's word is le pecheur, after the mention in Jean-Marc's letter, just below. Read it in French or in English, and listen to the recorded letter: Download MP3 or Download Wav file … Continue reading pecheur & the big news revealed!
A picture or two for you. Merci infiniment for your bighearted response after Monday's larme edition. Everyone should receive such support and encouragement. Heaven knows how many people need a prayer today. If you are reading, then this one's for you. au grand coeur (oh grahn ker) : bighearted Example Sentence:I really need some help with today's example sentence. Could some of you use … Continue reading au grand coeur
"A step closer to Italy," in today's photo, and increasingly off track in today's story. Read on. une larme (larm) : teardrop Audio file: The captain of this ship's away, so your stuck with my sound recording today… Download MP3 or Wav file D'ou viens ces larmes? Where do these tears come from? A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse There was once … Continue reading larme
Home sweet home. Have you ever visited us at Domaine Rouge-Bleu? Jean-Marc and I would love to read your memories, here in the comments box. Merci beaucoup! Today, read an update by Jean-Marc in French (the English version follows, at the end of this letter.) les dernières nouvelles : the latest news Audio file (coming soon! Jean-Marc will read his letter at the … Continue reading a recipe + les dernières nouvelles
I went through my photos, trying to find a photo of the finished yogurt cake. This one, above, isn't typical–it's a marbled version (add chocolate powder to remaining cake batter after emptying part of it in the pan. Pour over the top and bake). Pictured: a roof tile from our home. You can see the handwriting which records when the tile was made, the 30th. … Continue reading Yogurt cake recipe
Mr. Farjon came by to drop off this newspaper clipping (see our son, Max, posing with our town's mayor after a military march). Mr Farjon brought a few other things when he came to visit. Read today's story for more. une épine (ay-peen) : thorn Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc read the following sentence: Download MP3 file or Wav file Les épines, ça ne sert … Continue reading Epine: Mr Farjon, the plant man, returns
Hats and lopsided benches add charm on the île de Ré. And in today's story, even church mice behave like smitten kittens… le maraîcher (la maraichère) : one who sells produce at a farmers' market (see another definition below, in the audio file section) Audio File Listen to our daughter, Jackie, read this Wikipedia entry: Download MP3 file or Wave file Le maraîchage… est la … Continue reading maraicher
Watch out, you middle-aged skirt chasers—here come les couguars! (Note: I didn't see any cougars to photograph on the island of Ré; I hope this cat will do! Also, enjoy these white umbrella flowers, which covered the island, competing with all those hollyhocks.) un coug(o)uar (koo-gar) Le mot couguar désigne une femme, généralement de plus de 40 ans (la génération de trentenaires qui précède la … Continue reading cougar (and the French word for “boy toy”)
I discovered a new sport-hobby while trying to keep up with Jean-Marc on vacation: vélography! One hand on my wobbly vélo, I photographed the fast-moving scenery—including island vineyards, hollyhocks, cornfields, grandmothers, cats, and—whoaahhh—oncoming traffic! I even experimented with over-the-shoulder photoshooting, awkwardly repositioning the camera all the while steadying my bicyclette. It didn't take a circus performer's agility to succeed, and the sloppily executed stunt felt … Continue reading indice + Jean-Marc’s recorded letter…
We're back now from salty and floral île de Ré, or the Isle of Rhé. This furry tourist, above, enjoyed people-watching from a window overlooking the farmers' market in St Clément des Baleines. His carefree let-it-all-hang-out attitude is reflected in the relaxed rental sign just below. Discover the sign's missing letters in today's vocab entry, here: une location (lo-kah-syon) : rental, renting Audio File: listen to Jean-Marc read … Continue reading location
