Psst. There, in the right-hand corner. A cat in a box on a steep ledge. Ever feel like that? (photo taken in 2006, in Italy)
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même pas peur! (mem pah purr)
: Not afraid!
Même pas peur is an expression French kids say when confronted with something or someone daunting. It means “I’m not a bit afraid!”
Audio File: Listen to me talk about today’s appointment in Marseilles: Download MP3 or Wave file
Aujourd’hui, j’ai un punch biopsie et j’ai même pas peur… et je dis n’importe quoi… Today I have a punch biopsy and I’m not all scared… and I’m just talking nonsense (…when I say that I’m not afraid)…
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE…. by Kristin Espinasse
Même Pas Peur: A few examples
Même pas peur! The kid on the playground says to his cohorts, when the school bully threatens him: “Même pas peur! That guy doesn’t scare me a bit!”
Même pas peur! I’m not afraid! The French woman says with a wink, when her hairdresser suggests chopping off all her locks, for a new look.
Même pas peur! My son jokes to his friends as he inches over to the edge of the falaise… and jumps 15 meters to the shimmering waters below.
Même pas peur! my husband says, when I hand him the toilet brush and point to the chore.
And … Même pas peur! I tell myself this morning, as I head out, now, to the doctor’s. May the results of this skin biopsy come back speedily, different from the last time… and the time before that….
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To read about my first experience with skin cancer, click here.
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Then… (Kristin, Max, Jean-Marc, and Jackie)
…and now! (Max, Braise, Jackie, Smokey, Kristin, and Jean-Marc). JM looks a little serious, but he’s just impatient to get the picture over with, after several retakes. What do Braise and Smokey look like they’re thinking? Comments here.
Note: the first photo was taken at Domaine du Banneret (Jean-Marc’s uncle’s winery, in Chateauneuf du Pape). It was before Jean-Marc began his own winery, Domaine Rouge-Bleu. We moved again, last September and are still settling in, here near Bandol.
Other places we have lived: Marseilles (when we first met), St. Maximin (after Max was born), Les Arcs-sur-Argens (the longest we ever stayed put!), Ste. Cécile-les-Vignes, and now we are back near the sea, where we started from!
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Dear Kristen,,
We are keeping our fingers & paws crossed for the best results for you.
Wishing you the Best Always ~ our thoughts are with you.
Hugs & Kitty ‘wet nose’ Kisses.
Dear Kristi,
I am also keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
How to pray in times of stress and anxiety.
I have had my own share of challenges of ALL kinds, and, so far, survived them all while doing this prayer too.
According to the teachings of Symeon The New Theologian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symeon_the_New_Theologian
pray in this way:
“Do not permit any temptation or suffering or sickness to befall me, Oh Lord, that would be beyond my strength. But deliver me from them, and grant me the strength to bear them with gratitude.”
Fiat voluntas tua — Thy Will be done.
“..To the prayer add spiritual reading and manual labour as much as possible for the one and the other are of great benefit in fighting against such vices…”
According to some Taoist teachings however — “.. the present is an opportunity to grow spiritually through one’s accumulation of positive thoughts and actions. The present is never still but always changing in accordance with “the principle of waves and nodes”. The nodes are where challenges and changes occur, and just as nodes strengthen a bamboo stem, nodes in our life are opportunities to increase our spiritual wisdom. …”
Hope any of these approaches helps.
Oh! Dear Kristi! I have an idea!
The collective power of minds work.
Everybody knows that.
What if you post a picture of your area that is in need of Love so much, and we all, all FWAD lovers, upon looking at the area and knowing where exactly it is, would be sending you, and to your beatiful and delicate indeed part, love and light, imaginning that the area is pristine and healthy.
You may find later that you have no problem at all.
Happened to me. True story. Why not to try the same approach with you?! We all are reading your writing, we all benefit from it, in one way or another.. Why not pay back with a few seconds or even a with a few minutes a day of our time? We all have a week or so before the results are revealed. We still have time. Much CAN change.
Shall we do the voting now?
Everyone willing to participate, please say so.
And the last word..willingness to do so, and the picture posted for us to see, of course, would be up to Kristi.
Yowsa. Lots of prayers headed your way.
Dear Kristi,
I know firsthand what you are going through as I found out in November I had a melanoma on my cheek. It took four surgeries over November-early December before the margins were acceptably clear. No more surgery for now but we will keep a close watch. Then the surgeon referred me to an oncologist who, thank goodness, doesn’t think any further treatment is required. Now I am younger than you, probably about your mom’s age, but I still care how I look – so far I can deal with it – but it has been very stressful. You are very brave putting it out there for all of us to read about. I wish for you clear margins and no more surgery, good luck!
Mary from Charleston SC
Correct my last comment to say older than you. Didn’t take time to proofread!!!
Leslie Anne, Sending positive thoughts re the outcome of your husbands third biopsy.
Mary and Chatfemme, and those who are healing from skin cancer — thanks for sharing your stories, which may encourage others to make that dermato appointment, for early detection.
Susan, thanks for the info. The crème fraîche we use could stand on its own when emptied from the container, but it doesn’t have the same taste as the sour cream we use back home.
Curtis, I am sorry for the upsetting reference. I do not mean to promote foie gras. One option would be to leave out the reference, when recounting what the French serve at table. Your comment, following the story reference, will further readers’ consideration.
Thank you all for taking the time to comment. Your caring notes and the information you share make this an enriching comments corner. Merci bien!
Thinking of you dear Kristin. May your biopsy results say that you are healthy and hearty. Même pas peur.
Praying for you, my friend. May God richly bless you always.
Kristin,
Lovely family photos! Hope all goes well with the biopsy and that the results come back quickly!
Sandy
I will be praying for God’s best for you
Braise and Smokey are not “thinking.” They are playing, and having fun. Jean-Marc does not have interest in posing for a photo… that is obvious. He is thinking: “Je ai des choses plus importantes à faire dans cette vie!”