Early this morning, three enormous sangliers crossed the field beside the potager. Jean-Marc and I scrambled to the window, eyes glued to the massive boars (not pictured) that had come out of the forêt. As we stood gazing, a loud snapping broke the silence. It was Smokey, on the terrace below us–bolting toward the trespassers!  Tout est bien qui finit bien. All's well that ends well. It … Continue reading peau de banane: soothes the skin, whitens teeth

In springtime humans can be found before the mirror, trying on the contents of their warm-weathered wardrobe. Dogs are not immune to this desperate behavior. They just do it with a bit more panache. Smokey, the trilby looks great on you. So it's three seasons old. Fashion is a state of mind! Join Jean-Marc and Kristi for the April 28th wine-tasting in St. Cyr-sur-Mer. 10 … Continue reading Winetasting meetup + Three ways to say “spring fever”

Scene from Adrian Leeds' Après-Midi meet-up. (Mom, can you find me in the crowd? 🙂 Check out Adrian's Parler Paris & sign up for more Paris news! Next meetup (with Kristi) is April 28th, in St. Cyr Les Lecques. Check back next week for more info! grandir (grahn-deer)     : to grow up Audio File: Listen to my son Max pronounce these French words: Download MP3 Grandir. … Continue reading grandir: Growing up in Paris + a link to Tuesday’s exciting talk!

La dèche (pronounced "desh") means broke or down-and-out… only it's clearly la vie en rose for this shop dog, which lives in La Ciotat. A quick story for you today. By the time you read this I'll be in the train on my way to the capital! In this short edition we've already seen the vocab word (above). Come with me now to see what's in my … Continue reading High heels & the Paris Metro = une mauvais idee?

Next post goes out Thursday. "See you" then (or see you in Paris, on Tuesday afternoon!) la bave (bav)     : drool, slobber, spit; slime Sound File: listen to Jean-Marc: Download MP3 or Wav file La bave du crapaud n'atteint pas la blanche colombe.The spit of the toad doesn't reach the white dove.(Sticks and stones may break my bones.) A Day in a FRENCH Life… by Kristin … Continue reading Spit, wrinkles and my braless hairdresser

"With my husband's blessing, I quit my job and turned my attention to writing, learning to spell and punctuate along the way." –from the chapter "Valorisant." (Thanks, Patrick & Sandra, for the photo!) Good news: C'est prêt! It's ready: the e-book version of First French Essais is live! For a limited time, get the e-book at this price. Then read the chapter "Valorisant," and let me … Continue reading livre numerique – limited offer!