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 next chance. This morning he is busy moving cases of wine. He has a great big ceinture around his waist and is suffering from lumbago, not that this has anything at all to do with the sound file that is missing here….)
"Les Dernières Nouvelles" de Jean-Marc
Dans deux semaines, Kristi sera heureuse de vous annoncer ce que l'avenir nous réserve. Elle a très délicatement donné un indice dans sa dernière édition et je voudrai à mon tour vous éclairer un peu.
Un nouvel entrant dans notre famille, qui soit humain ou chien? Cela serait magnifique mais je crois que le prochain venu sera plutôt la descendance de Maxime ou Jackie.
Un réalité TV show? Et bien, nous y avions en fait pensé par le biais d'un échange de Domaine avec un vigneron Californien. Nous pensions focaliser cela sur les aspects d'adaptation culturelles dans les deux sens, sachant qu'il aurait été également intéressant de voir comment Kristi, qui est devenue très Française (à part pour la prononciation) aurait (sur)vécue à ce nouveau choc culturel.
Agrandir le vignoble? Non Merci…je suis encore jeune et je ne veux pas vieillir de 3 ans chaque année.
Déménager en France… Euh, j'adorerais cela mais ce serait alors en gardant des attaches avec Rouge-Bleu.
Enfin, Jules qui vient s'installer en France? Non, elle a un mari et ce serait la meilleure façon de se fâcher avec elle. Jules va maintenant pouvoir venir nous voir plus souvent, puisqu'elle aime la mer….
Bientôt, je laisserai Kristi vous dévoiler ce secret, elle en meurt d'envie!
An Update from Jean-Marc
In two weeks Kristi will be happy to announce to you what that future holds for us. In her previous edition, she very delicately gave you a hint and I would like my chance to clear things up a bit.
I should say that we were very touched by the positive guesses that you offered:
A new member of our family, whether that be human or dog? That would be great but I think the next arrival will be, rather, a descendant of Maxime or Jackie.
A reality T.V. show? Well, we thought about that, as a matter of fact, with the angle being a vineyard exchange with a California winemaker. We thought about focusing this on the aspects of cultural adaption, in both senses, knowing that it would be equally interesting to see how Kristi, who has become very French (apart from (her French) pronunciation!) would have survived this new cultural shock.
Expanding the winery? No thanks. I'm still young and don't want to age three years each year.
Move somewhere else in France? Uh, I'd love that, but then we would have to keep some sort of link with Domaine Rouge-Bleu.
And finally, Jules moves to France? No, she has a husband, and that would be the best way to have a falling out with her. Jules will now be able to come see us more often, because she loves the sea…
Soon I will let Kristi unveil the secret, she's dying to!
Another snapshot of home in Sainte Cécile (taken in March 2009). That's Braise outside. Inside, Mom has set up her corner office, where she loves her notebooks, papers, flowers, and her time to think about painting.
It's a good thing Jackie borrowed my camera, or I might never get around to posting an updated photo of this mother-son fishing team. That's Mama Braise, left, and son Smokey, right. They are posed beside the little canal at the edge of our property. Braise is about to jump… (stay tuned for a silent picture-story, hopefully next week…) See you Monday or Tuesday. Have a great weekend!
Last but not least, today is both my brother-in-law, Jacques', and Smokey's birthday! Jacques turned 42 and Smokey turned 3. Joyeux Anniversaire to two wonderful guys! To leave the birthday boys a message in the comments box, click here. Off now to put the cake in the oven. Those are green nectarines, or prunes, on top–and that's an easy yogurt cake underneath.
Would you like the French yogurt cake recipe? I just posted it here.
Look at those toes.
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This is an addition to my post yesterday. I am an artist and while working in my studio this morning, the thought popped into my head “Jules is an accomplished artist, she is going to France in Sept., and can’t wait to talk with us about the news”. I still think it’s a new book, maybe a colaboration with Kristie. A cookbook with Jules doing the illustrations? I noticed a lovely still life painting on Jules little table by the glass door in the last group of photos. Hmmm?
Hi Kristin ~ What first comes to mind whenever we reminisce about our visit to Domaine Rouge-Bleu three years ago is how we finally found you — or, to be more exact, how you found us. Following your map we had no problem heading out of town on Av. Kimmerling – the problem arose when we got to the five-point junction. With four possible paths to continue, we consulted the map again. One of the routes had an “X” marked on it, which we (well me, Bob) took to mean “don’t go this way”, so we tried the other three routes. However, one led to a huge treatment plant of some type, then stopped; another turned out to be a farmhouse lane; and the other had a sign suggesting it was the lane to a nearby winery (but not yours). Angela suggested we try the route with the X on it, but I said “Look, the map says that’s not the right way, so let’s go back to town and start over again, maybe we missed something.” So we did, but the intersection looked exactly the same when we got back to it! (As someone once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result” – so I only did it once.) As we sat parked at the side of the road studying the map again, a car coming from town stopped beside us. The driver, a beatiful blonde, accompanied by a young boy and girl returning from school, said “follow us” and turned onto the forbidden road. Amazingly, it led right to Domaine Rouge-Bleu!
I’m not even going to try & guess, but it is driving me crazy. Happy Birthday to Jacques & Smokey R Dokey
I think that Max is going off to college…Military??? But college non the less …and yes, driving us all crazy.
When we were able to visit, you were not home. Jacques and Jean-Marc were busy with the harvest. When we tried again last year we had a mis-hap on the way and never made it in time from Crest. I have a picture of Braise, but really wanted to meet you and Smokey. Maybe next year!
Gosh it really is more than a month since we visited you. It was a delightful day and we met some very nice people including Sherry and her brother, around your large table. Jean-Marc was interesting. Even Anthony enjoyed his first taste of wine, albeit the tiniest sip. Lassie said to say hi to Smokey.
Y0u had me worried –now frustrated! This octogenarian is not fond of such teasing but he remembers a weekend visit when after two walks with Kristi he felt enormously blessed to have a new, very special friendship that he will treasure for the rest of his life.
THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS NOT BEEN EASY FOR ME — HAVEN’T SEEN MY GREAT GRANDSON AND DAUGHTER FOR TOO LONG AS THEIR MOM AND DAD HAVE BEEN AND ARE GOING THROUGH A VERY UGLY DIVORCE. TOO MANY VISITS TO DOCTORS WITH A F0UR-DAY STAY IN THE HOSPITAL FOLLOWING A WICKED INVOLUNTARY COMPLETE EMPTYING OF EVERYTHING IN MY DIGESTIVE TRACT (I MEAN EVERYTHING, CAUSING A LOSS OF AT LEAST TEN POUNDS IN A MATTER OF HOURS) AND TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH A REGULAR LIFE — THE COMPUTER HAS TAKEN A BACK SEAT. NANCY AND I ARE RELATING FAMOUSLY, TOMATO PLANTS HAVE PRODUCED PROFUSELY, AND I AM MOSTLY BACK TO MY OLD SELF.
KRISTI, I WISH WE COULD TAKE A SHORT WALK ONE MORE TIME! LOVE AND MY VERY BEST TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY! FRED