Since becoming winemaker and majority owner, along with Thomas Bertrand, of Domaine Rouge-Bleu, Caroline Jones has few free moments. Yet, she took time out during her busy first bottling last week, to put together a caring package for a friend. Read on, in today's missive.
Question: How to say "care package" in French?
Answer: I'm not exactly sure—but here are some ideas!:
- un colis suprise
- une trousse de soins
- un paquet de soins
Now for ideas about what to put into un colis surprise? How about something sweet, something nostalgic, and something healing? (see examples in today's story, meantime, share some care package essentials with us here. I would love some creative ideas for what to include inside un paquet de soins. Do you have any good ideas about whom to give une trousse de soins to? Soldats and étudiants often receive them, but I loved this blogger's idea about who to make up one for: give a care package to a homeless person.
Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc list three ways to say "care package" in French, and hear him read the following sentence: Download MP3 or Wave file
Rien ne dit à domicile aux militaires déployés comme un paquet de soins. Nothing says home, to deployed military, like a care package. (Note: example sentence, in French, taken from here).
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE… by Kristin Espinasse
"What happened to the shepherd?" Jean-Marc asked, after walking the dogs Saturday morning.
I'd been wondering the same thing. Though I hadn't seen the punk rock berger lately, I had heard him, on Friday morning, somewhere in the bleating distance….
I was typing up the brebis story, struggling to meet a self-imposed deadline, when I heard the sheep, bells-a-clanking. I also heard a host of curious code words and whistles, as the shepherd steered his flock. A nagging dilemma arose: finish my story on time… or follow the bleating cue and get up and go meet the shepherd to find out about the bells, whistles and more!
"In a year it won't matter whether you posted a story or not!" I debated, as I pecked at the keyboard, grasping for le mot juste…
***
"I don't know… " I answered Jean-Marc, feeling a wave of regret for missing a second chance to deliver the shepherd his gâteau. And now the berger was gone…. and he never got his slice of homemade chocolate cake (worse, I ate it, along with the rest of the cake in the pan—and all the crumbs too!)
The cake may have disappeared, but the intention had been there all along…. even as I typed the last words of the story:
Little did the berger know—and little do we all know—that out there, somewhere, someone is trying to comfort us without our even knowing.
I still believed those words, which were quietly intended to comfort readers. Typing them filled me with hope, too, and I couldn't help wondering whether someone, somewhere, might even be trying to comfort me, just as the shepherd's cake had?
***
In the kitchen I was pressing and pinching the bottom of a Bundt pan, forming the remaining crumbs into cake balls and transfering them, sheepishly, into my mouth. Meantime another ball, of anxiety, was stuck in my throat. Apart from the berger, there were other souci, the kind that are difficult to put your finger on. How much easier it was to put a finger on a cake crumb!
***
"Caroline sent this back for you," Jean-Marc mentioned, as he returned home from Domaine Rouge-Bleu, where he had been helping the new owners with their first wine bottling.
Something sent back? For me?!
Jean-Marc handed me the colis, then went about the business lighting the fire, which had gone out when he left the day before.
I peered inside the boîte and saw two potted plants….
How thoughtful of her! I remembered telling Caroline, when she and Thomas bought the vineyard, that there were some medicinal plants in the garden. They were given to me, as ornamental plants, by the Dirt Divas; later on, I was excited to learn that the plant, euphorbia peplus, had healing properties. Coincidentally, is used to treat skin cancer!
When Caroline moved to Domaine Rouge-Bleu she said she would be happy to dig up the plants for me, but she cautioned me about self-medicating, "Please be careful. This is a toxic plant!"
I heeded Caroline's precaution, planting the euphorbia in our new garden as it was intended (as an ornamental… but one I will keep researching just in case…); each time I pass by the plant, it reminds me of the Dirt Divas and of Caroline, too. Regarding the extra plants Caroline sent back in her care package, she noted:
"I found these bigger ones amongst the vines when I was pruning. They look a bit winter-hardy, not sure if they'll grow well but thought it worth a shot!"
From her words, it was clear Caroline would keep researching too!
Wiping tears from my eyes, I peered back into the box and discovered a bottle of olive oil. Caroline and Thomas's first press! As I studied the bottle, thinking about picking those same trees with Jean-Marc, the tears were replaced with chokes of laughter on reading Caroline's tip:
Go easy with the olive oil – it's not filtered so quite peppery (nearly choked to death when we first tried it – but it has softened with age).
The cloudy olive oil was just what I had been searching for, ever since learning that the fresh press (when it's still cloudy) contains the most health benefits. No worries about the peppery taste. I could handle the healthy punch!
The tender nostalgia continued… the presents too! I pulled out this one next, handmade by Caroline from the corks of Jean-Marc's wine. I quickly hung the treasured souvenir on the wall of the cozy entry, stopping to admire the stylish handiwork of the winemaker-crafter.
I thought about how hard Caroline and Thomas have worked since moving to our former vineyard–and all the improvements they have made in less than five months.
They've gone through the whirlwind harvest (the pictures hint at the busy and joyful time), they have continued to renovate the farmhouse, to plant a vegetable garden–they have even completed their first bottling!–and they have designed a new and knock-down-delightful label (Do you like it? Be sure to let Caroline and Thomas know your thoughts about it, in the comments box!)
Caroline and Thomas, toasting to our new adventure, here at Mas des Brun.
In spite of all the hustle and bustle–including the recent wine bottling (indeed, as I type this, Caroline is finishing up the last of the mise-en-bouteille today!), this busy winemaker took the time to put together a thoughtful package, un colis de soins, for a friend.
Caroline, checking the old barrels.
Yes, of course, someone, somewhere, is trying to comfort us without our even knowing. And while I was anxiously pressing the cake tin, gathering the very last crumb, someone, at the same time, in a different place, was busy filling an old wine box with a thoughtful thing or two–for me… and why not for you?
***
If you enjoyed this story then it's safe to say that the thoughtful package touched and comforted us all! To comment on today's story, click here.
French Vocabulary
le mot juste = just the right word
le souci = worry
le gâteau = cake
le colis = package
la boîte = box
la mise-en-bouteille = wine bottling
There's a new vineyard dog at Domaine Rouge-Bleu… and her name is "Mirabel". Meet Caroline and Thomas's kitty.
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A care package can be, but isn’t always, a surprise, so “colis-surprise” might not be the best translation. And I think “soins” might be a bit too literal a rendering of “care.” Martine’s “paquet reconfort” comes close, in my opinion.
A care package ideally would have one or more items for the “soul” of the person receiving it, as a morale builder – for example, the interesting and creative cork sculpture sent to Kristin.
Above all, though, it should contain items that are near-necessities. When I went through a really poor spell in college, and wrote to my mother that I was running out of everything and had almost no funds, she sent me a couple of care packages that addressed my immediate needs, such as toothpaste. I specifically remember shampoo (Prell in those days, in unbreakable plastic tubes), and some mini-coffee cakes that were great snacks, by themselves or with a cup of tea. The items weren’t numerous or expensive, but valued especially because I knew I would use them. I was a faithful correspondent, and I believe she also sent stamps. To this day, I occasionally look for the little coffee cakes she had enclosed, and while eating them, remember the effort she made to ensure that I had the essentials while away at school.
A care package can be, but isn’t always, a surprise, so “colis-surprise” might not be the best translation. And I think “soins” might be a bit too literal a rendering of “care.” Martine’s “paquet reconfort” comes close, in my opinion.
A care package ideally would have one or more items for the “soul” of the person receiving it, as a morale builder – for example, the interesting and creative cork sculpture sent to Kristin.
Above all, though, it should contain items that are near-necessities. When I went through a really poor spell in college, and wrote to my mother that I was running out of everything and had almost no funds, she sent me a couple of care packages that addressed my immediate needs, such as toothpaste. I specifically remember shampoo (Prell in those days, in unbreakable plastic tubes), and some mini-coffee cakes that were great snacks, by themselves or with a cup of tea. The items weren’t numerous or expensive, but valued especially because I knew I would use them. I was a faithful correspondent, and I believe she also sent stamps. To this day, I occasionally look for the little coffee cakes she had enclosed, and while eating them, remember the effort she made to ensure that I had the essentials while away at school.
For Madonna Meagher — you must mail or send the gift yourself and mark GIFT on the customs form. Because: if you order an item from an online store have it delivered to France your son will have a tax … But if you have the item sent to you and then you resend via mail (or better, I suggest FedEx ) marking GIFT on the customs form — your son should not have to pay a tax on a gift. FedEx delivers it straight to his door and he does not have to go to LaPoste to pick up and haggle re any tax ….
For Madonna Meagher — you must mail or send the gift yourself and mark GIFT on the customs form. Because: if you order an item from an online store have it delivered to France your son will have a tax … But if you have the item sent to you and then you resend via mail (or better, I suggest FedEx ) marking GIFT on the customs form — your son should not have to pay a tax on a gift. FedEx delivers it straight to his door and he does not have to go to LaPoste to pick up and haggle re any tax ….
Love the line drawing of the old shepherd in the wind. This special santon “Coupe de Mistral” was created in 1952 by our local santon maker in Aix, Santons Fouque. He’s also bracing against the Mistral’s blast on their logo. He and his companion, La Renaude, are available on their website.
Love the line drawing of the old shepherd in the wind. This special santon “Coupe de Mistral” was created in 1952 by our local santon maker in Aix, Santons Fouque. He’s also bracing against the Mistral’s blast on their logo. He and his companion, La Renaude, are available on their website.
Susan, thanks for the info on shipping a gift package to France — so helpful.
Kirk, loved learning about the story of the santon Coupe de Mistral. (I did not realize he was a berger. How serendipidous, after this:
http://french-word-a-day.typepad.com/motdujour/2013/01/berger.html
Susan, thanks for the info on shipping a gift package to France — so helpful.
Kirk, loved learning about the story of the santon Coupe de Mistral. (I did not realize he was a berger. How serendipidous, after this:
http://french-word-a-day.typepad.com/motdujour/2013/01/berger.html
Dear Kristi, loved this week’s blog and as the extremely proud mother of Caroline you can imagine it brought more than one tear to my eye.
I always love reading your news but this one was extra special, I can’t wait to be there again. I look forward to seeing you and JM at the end of this year! I also love what you say about Thomas – I quite agree!
With much love and hugs Diana
Dear Kristi, loved this week’s blog and as the extremely proud mother of Caroline you can imagine it brought more than one tear to my eye.
I always love reading your news but this one was extra special, I can’t wait to be there again. I look forward to seeing you and JM at the end of this year! I also love what you say about Thomas – I quite agree!
With much love and hugs Diana
I have followed this blog since almost the beginning and thank you for sharing your french life so openly. I’m American, travel often and some of my dearest friends are European and so we have been sending many “care packages” over the years across many borders. Some staples…gummies of all kinds, biscuits/cookies, extra socks, peanut butter, cupcake equipment, special almonds, nail polish, vitamins, beauty products, peeps, funny cards, and something unique from the latest business trip du jour. It has become an unspoken cherished tradition:) Also, when my best friend was in the military he really loved getting packages from kind strangers.
I agree, there doesn’t seem to be a great translation in French; these are really gifts that feed the soul and/or often fill an urgent baser need and link us to loved ones far away (cadeaux sans frontieres).
I have followed this blog since almost the beginning and thank you for sharing your french life so openly. I’m American, travel often and some of my dearest friends are European and so we have been sending many “care packages” over the years across many borders. Some staples…gummies of all kinds, biscuits/cookies, extra socks, peanut butter, cupcake equipment, special almonds, nail polish, vitamins, beauty products, peeps, funny cards, and something unique from the latest business trip du jour. It has become an unspoken cherished tradition:) Also, when my best friend was in the military he really loved getting packages from kind strangers.
I agree, there doesn’t seem to be a great translation in French; these are really gifts that feed the soul and/or often fill an urgent baser need and link us to loved ones far away (cadeaux sans frontieres).
What a lovely label for Le Mistral – clever but not cloying, And Kristin, how happy we are that you have such good friends May you all stay well and happy, continuing to send “care packages.”
What a lovely label for Le Mistral – clever but not cloying, And Kristin, how happy we are that you have such good friends May you all stay well and happy, continuing to send “care packages.”