An artist's residence in the seaside town of Bandol. Un mois sabbatique. Some talk of a sabbatical year, but one month may just be enough to recharge these batteries after 11 years of online journaling. In November, I'll follow a gentle rule: no emails, no blogging. Thanks for helping me stick to it…. If you have sent me a note in 2011 or 2012 and … Continue reading Blog hiatus + special story… and see you in December
Stripey awnings, ardoises, or chalkboards, curly handwriting, mysterious woman…. What's so French about this? Photo taken in Lorgues, France, where today's story begins…. le bidou (bee-doo) : tummy, stomach Le bidou is slang and is also used in kid speak. (It is another entry in our Petit Lexique de Langage Enfantin /Glossary of Baby Talk.) Audio File: MP3 or Wav fileSi tu veux muscler … Continue reading Say “six pack abs” and the French gutbuster!
Not a new dress. But will this one pass? Mom says it could work (minus the belt. You need a silver belt!) She also suggested some new shoes–and why not buy a few new dresses, too? Read on…. le syndrome du remords de l'acheteur : buyer's remorse A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse A few days ago, I began emailing photos … Continue reading Buyer’s remorse in French: le syndrome du remords de l’acheteur
Jouer à cache-cache means to play hide-n-seek. This was a favorite game of Smokey's when he was one-years-old (pictured), though his hiding places were a bit obvious. Now, at 4, he likes the classics: a good ol' game of catch is fine by him. doux (do) : mild, temperate; sweet, pleasant; soft; lenient Doux also refers to a gentle person–or how about a … Continue reading Doux: mild, temperate, sweet in French
Beneath the façade, you can see what this 19th century mas is made of. When the demolition workers opened the stone wall sand came trickling out, like fallen seconds in an hourglass. Rubbing la terre sableuse between our hands, Jean-Marc and I marveled at the building materials of yesteryear. le linteau (lun-tow) : lintel, girder plural: linteaux Audio File: The following French definition is from … Continue reading A crush on architecture: le linteau
Ever been to the castle in Cassis, South of France? It overlooks the colorful fishing port and gives tourists one more reason to look up. l'influx nerveux (uhn-floo-ner-veuh) : nerve or nervous impulse More Audio + Example Sentence by "Frank" from the site Eureka Sport:Listen to Jean-Marc read it here: Download MP3 or Wav file On entend souvent parler de relation entre barbe et influx … Continue reading Why sportsmen don’t shave in France: l’influx nerveux
Thoughts about give and take, and our dogs latest adventure. Photo taken when Smokey was one. Rental in Provence Luberon. 4 bedrooms and a study with a sofa bed, each with ensuite (full) bath. This villa can comfortably sleep 7-9 adults. Inquire here disjoncter (dee-zhohn-ktay) : to crack up, to lose it, to come undone A Day in a French Life… by Kristin … Continue reading to come undone
Lost sheep are just one of the things I've found lately (this was a cover I did for a book, whose title was changed to Wish, Prune, Pray: Spirited away to a Wine Farm in Provence. I eventually printed the book, but lost the sheep photo. Then I quit printing the book and found the sheep photo. More about the book some other time, today … Continue reading objet-trouve – see what’s been found in today’s edition!
Best to be prepared! Good, Braise, one can never be too prévoyant… for holidays–or for the weather! Read on… (photo taken in Ste. Cécile-les-Vignes. We moved away from the vineyard one year ago. alerte météo (a-lairt-may-tay-oh) : weather warning Example Sentence: (Audio files will return, we’re a little sunk at the moment…) Une alerte météo, ou une météorologique, est un bulletin d’avertissement de l’imminence de … Continue reading Thunder, Lightening, and a flood
Miam-miam is French for yum. Recently, Jean-Marc bought some used wine-making equipment. The farmer's wife who sold it to him threw in a couple of antique wine-presses, some old wine barrels, and even a bucket of pomegranates! (Have you ever eaten one? Inside, there's a bunch of ruby red fruit, the size of a tooth. The French use it to make the famous grenadine syrup–but the … Continue reading relancer + pomegranates and grandmothers c’est sympa!
