Recently I was telling some new friends just exactly what it is I do for a living. Since October 27th, 2002, I have maintained an online personal journal in disguise as a French Word-A-Day. That is to say, in order to get people to read my essays, I've dangled a carrot outside of my writing window. That carrot is the "word of the day." And here you are, Dear Reader–receiving more than you bargained for!
It hasn't all been wine and roses. (Well, there has been plenty of wine, none of which I drank after February 2003…) But you already know that. The question is: do you know too much? I hope not. For I have done my journaling best to "Keep it light. Keep it educational. Keep it inspiring." And for those tricky times when only the truth of a situation would enable this narrative to continue, without too much confusion, I tread carefully, sharing enough information to get us all to the next chapter of this French life.
If all this sounds like adieu–far from that! Loin de là! For as long as I have carrots in my garden…I will be dangling them out of my virtual French window.
Kristi
* * *
Pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés
: to live happily, live hidden
: great honors are great burdens
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE
The French have a popular saying: Pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés. (To live happily, live hidden). But what do these words really mean? And where does the famous saying come from? Discover, today, the wise fable by Florian (Jean Pierre Claris de Florian), in French and in English. You'll also be able to hear the poem, read aloud by Jean-Marc.
LE GRILLON
Un pauvre petit grillon
Caché dans l’herbe fleurie
Regardoit un papillon
Voltigeant dans la prairie
L’insecte ailé brilloit des plus vives couleurs
L’azur, le pourpre & l’or éclatoient sur ses ailes.
Jeune, beau, petit-maître, il court de fleur en fleur,
Prenant & quittant les plus belles.
Ah ! disoit le grillon, que son sort & le mien
Sont différents ! dame Nature
Pour lui fit tout, & pour moi rien.
Je n’ai point de talent, encor moins de figure ;
Nul ne prend garde à moi, l’on m’ignore ici bas !
Autant voudroit n’exister pas.
Comme il parloit, dans la prairie
Arrive une troupe d’enfants.
Aussitôt les voilà courans
Après le papillon dont ils ont tous envie :
Chapeau, mouchoirs bonnets, servent à l’attraper.
L’insecte cherche vainement à leur échapper,
Il devient bientôt leur conquête.
L’un le saisit par l’aile, un autre par le corps ;
Un troisième survient, & le prend par la tête :
Il ne falloit pas tant d’efforts
Pour déchirer la pauvre bête.
Oh ! oh ! dit le grillon, je ne suis pas fâché ;
Il en coûte trop cher pour briller dans le monde.
Combien je vais aimer ma retraite profonde !
Pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés.
THE CRICKET
(AKA "TRUE HAPPINESS")
A poor young cricket, small and shy,
Passing retir'd his summer hours,
Beheld one day a butterfly,
Flitting among the flowers.
Of ev'ry color, ev'ry hue,
The gaudy insect well might boast.
From flower to flower it gaily flew,
Alighting where it pleas'd him most.
"Alas!" the pining cricket sigh'd,
"What diff'rences us two divide!
While Nature does so much for him,
For me she nothing does at all.
I'm void of sense and coarse of limb,
With figure despicably small;
I'm heeded not, am lone and lorn,
And might as well have not been born."
But while the cricket thus complain'd,
A sudden uproar round him reign'd;
A troop of children rushing by,
Came hunting for the butterfly.
With nets, and hats, and kerchiefs too,
The gaudy insect they pursue.
He struggles hard to get away,
But falls at last a helpless prey.
One seizes on his wings of gold;
Another at his body aims;
A third upon his head lays hold;
In short, each one the insect claims,
But leaves him mangled, dead, and cold.
"Ah, ha!" the cricket said, "I see
What 'tis a brilliant thing to be.
If such the cost to those who shine,
I ought no longer to repine;
But to live happy I must be
Contented with obscurity."
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Dear Kristi, I think you do brilliantly well in your aims to “Keep it light. Keep it educational. Keep it inspiring.” It certainly keeps ME hooked. I hadn’t quite analysed the mixture for myself but this is definitely IT – the essence. I hope I won’t be branded a traitor if I admit to superficially following a couple of other French blogs by English or American ex-pats. But truly they are not a patch on yours and I only skim read them for the odd gem. I seriously wouldn’t recommend ANY of them. I was relieved to hear that you are staying with us. For me, you reveal just the right amount. So you keep an element of mystery and privacy but you are wonderfully frank in sharing your highs and lows. Love and best wishes to you and yours. Shine on!
I value your journal (e.g., Word of the Day), and I admire and salute you for the strength to abstain from wine for the past 15 years.
A longtime reader and fan
Thank you for sharing this. Beautiful. Will check out Florian at the library.
I too enjoy your blog, especially the French versions that you provide from time to time since I love the language. I would be happy to help support your work but I have little confidence in the online dispatch of money. Is there a post office box available to which i could send a check?
Hi, Elaine. Thank you for wanting to support my site with a donation. I have looked into opening a P.O. Box, to receive checks (while keeping my home address private), but, strangely, my city does not make these available to private citizens (you have to have a registered business for one if these private address boxes). I thought to use the business of my husband, for this purpose, but decided it would be ironic for readers to send me a donation via ”A La Recherche du Vin”…or In Search of Wine… 🙂
Ça marche. Continue à faire ce que tu fais.
I do so much enjoy your wonderful blog. I relate to the posts on so many levels. From the abstinence from drink to talking crickets, I’ve taken so much from reading your observations. Kudos to you Kristin for your fabulous creation which is addictive, informative, and fun to read. Your fan, Dave in Long Beach
Now that I am at a keyboard that is comfortable to type on — You have shown strength and courage as you have lived your life and shared with your fans. These past two years have seen challenges and you and your family have met them head on and lived to tell the tale. Bravo!! I look forward to your postings and reading both the English and the French (as best I can) and learning something every time. Hugs and have a beautiful day.
Why not use PayPal? Safe, easy.?
Just subscribed to your blog having received a forward from a good friend.
Loved this post even I might have to read all the huge amount of archives to understand the whole meaning of this edition.
Besides writing well, you are a very beautiful woman.
Time to explore the archives now..
Best Regards,
John
Kristi, I think you have walked a fine line beautifully. You tell us enough to make you & your loved ones real to us. I have enjoyed going following your adventures, joys & sorrows for many years now & feel I know you & that we would be fine friends should we ever meet. You have stories to tell us from your journals, but never everything or more than we need to know. Sometimes you even begin from such an intriguing angle that we wonder with trepidation where this might be going…You have kept to your goal to present us with new French words & always seem to find an interesting, charming or profound way to do that. So I say merci beaucoup for sharing your life with us, your eager readers, & merci to your family as well for letting us come along. We will keep reading as long as you keep writing to us. With affection, Judith in North Carolina.
I wouldn’t miss FWAD for anything! Your writings rejuvenate me in many ways; they “bring joy” (a new expression for me) and contemplation plus the much appreciated French readings of Jean-Marc.
My computer was “infected” with a virus and I had to reload my operating system thereby losing your FWAD for a few weeks. This left a hole in my day/week which is now happily filled again. Many, many thanks for all of the effort which you put into writing FWAD. It is treasured more than you can know by this reader. Best wishes!
Kristi, you do a marvelous job of giving your readers glimpses of life in France and snippets of your own life without over sharing. I eagerly await each new post. I have laughed and cried with you over the years and will continue to do so moving forward. When it’s particularly gloomy here in my world, your dispatches and photos transport me to another. Thank you!
So glad you’ve chosen to continue your important contribution! Your words and today’s poésie are a balm for my bored soul, as I wait in a New York jury room (civic duty!).
I second the suggestion to use PayPal! As long as everyone ticks the box indicating it’s “money between friends,” no one pays a premium! Aside from our thanks, that would comprise an honest exchange for your efforts.
Soit forte, ma chère!
I think your writings fill a common longing among your readers for a bucolic pastoral life in S France and a retreat from the stress and bustle of our own lives. It is thus the essence of good literature — an escape into another life through words.
C’est bien fait, Kristi!
Merci!
Kristi, it’s always been such a treat to read your blogs all these years. I admire that you can share your observations and feelings with us all, offering both wisdom and humor. I feel that we are all a family of francofile friends, and always look forward to reading your well-written stories!
Salut Kristi
For many years now, your blog, we’ve read
Enjoying the drama of the life you’ve lead
Your slice of life; stories both happy and sad
At times brought tears; usually made us glad
For you, life wasn’t always a “piece of cake”
There was a lot of give and, yes, lots of take
You’ve taught us, in a downpour, don’t complain
Better to “suck it up”, and go dancing in the rain
Thanks for stories written, regardless of your mood
Also, thanks for the lovely photos we’ve viewed
Keep on writing these tales sprinkled with French
It’s a unique thirst for knowledge that you quench
Herm
Herm, you stated my thoughts beautifully in your clever poem.
Kristi, I think that most of us read your posts because you write well and (even for those of us who have never met you) feel like a friend. It is because of the things you share about yourself that it is possible to feel that way. Please continue!! ( :
Dear Kristi, There is a lot of wisdom in the fable/poem you shared. Merci.
Kristi, what’s the difference between a “grillon” and a “cigale”?
Congrats on 15 yrs sobriety.
A merci pour toutes les choses you share with us! Love the poem, in both langues, the illustrations, hearing Jean-Marc’s voice, and knowing that we are all your loving, appreciative friends.
Dear Kristi, when I read your stories, I feel that I am sharing in your life and experiences. When I talk about you or share what I’ve learned, I say, ‘My friend Kristi wrote X or Y’. I tell my husband your news as if you were my relative. ‘Kristi and Jean-Marc are moving!’ Or ‘Max is visiting Mexico!’ If you filtered your writings, you might just be a blogger. Don’t second guess yourself. Your commitment to your truth inspires others to live fully and honestly.
Your friend, Carmen
Thank you, Carmen. I am moved by your note, and by the support and encouragement here today in the comments–as well as in the previous comments to these posts. It is an honor to be regarded as a friend in this way. Your message about writing my truth keeps me on track.
Thanks to all who are reading this message. I am so grateful for your notes and appreciate the time you set aside to read these posts.
Hi Kristi,
I love your blog, so don’t change a thing. You have a great mixture of light, funny and serious. You give us all a glimpse into your life and I thank you for sharing so much of it with us and we learn French along the way! 🙂
Dear Kristi,
I look forward to your posts with an eager anticipation. The fact that you write from the heart and with honesty are a good part of what makes your writing so appealing- as well as you as a human being! The willingness to share life’s high and low points- not to mention those in the middle- is essential, I think, to your story.
Life slaps us all around quite frequently. To know that we are among others facing the vicissitudes is a hugely comforting thing. And when we can share a small triumph, that, too, is a wonderful thing.
You have, over the years, built a virtual family. This is a laudable acheivement. It would not have happened without your warmth, intrepid outlook, and honesty. How marvelous to share a small part in it.
New French friends? Isn’t it the height of impoliteness, practically a SIN, to ask what anyone does for a living in France?!
What a sad tale in today’s Florian poem.
Our dear Kristi,
So many beautifully expressed comments today that about the only thing I can possibly add –what a pleasure and privilege it is to read your blog and gifted writings.Even more to be part of your life.We are most definitely feel that part of ours.
You bring sunshine and fresh air!
Thank you!!
Love
Natalia. XO
Kristi,
Hi— for years I have read your blog and have been grateful to you for your sharing of your life in France—the good, not so good, and the refreshing “real” of it all. When a person shares their weaknesses and strengths, their trials and tribulations (from alcohol to skin cancer ) with such amazing courage— it makes the reader feel more human and not alone. I have loved your recipes, your photography, your beautiful children, your darling dog, your Mom and Dad, Chief Grape, your great garden and your endearing vulnerability and honesty. It helped me in many ways. Thank you and if you ever need to go silent for a while I would cheer you on in that decision as well.
Hi, Deborah, they were very polite and did not ask. I believe somebody else brought it up the topic, while we were sharing about various things–including how the other couples met. Wonderful stories.☀️☺️
Oh, thank you, Herm! I have just now seen your poem, which got mixed in with my emails (I read these comments via email, and also online…where I discovered your thoughtful poésie). Thank you for this honor. I loved your words, every line!
Dear Kristi,
I don’t know what to write. I have just read every comment, and they are as if your dear community has read my mind and written down the words that I wanted to share. I think you have a true community here and you are the lynchpin and give us all so much of yourself from which we all benefit! I will be forever grateful for having met you, even if our tea time was relatively short- it was a very sweet time for me. I love reading your examined life and so appreciate you sharing it with us! Like someone said, we feel like we are good friends, not ‘just readers.’
Bisous, Judi
KRISTI DARLING…I LOVE YOU FOREVER.
I am full of tears of joy because you always shine the light
of love into my life.
XOXO Mom
Kristi, it just so happens that I love carrots and words, in both French and English. I have always grappled with how much personal detail to share on my blog. I have always looked up to you as a writer who has found the perfect balance between writing that is light and educational.
I have been reading and enjoying your blog/posts since the beginning. Pay pal would make donating that much easier and seamless. Hard to believe you have been at this as long as you have. I hope you continue. You impact more than may ever know. Thank you-
Dear Kristin, Thank you for sharing all you do. It takes a courageous heart to share ones true self with others and you, most definitely, have a courageous heart. I feel that by listening to one’s heart we will know just how much of ourselves to share with others. I admire your spirit and determination to make the world a better place. Keep doing what you are doing! With love,
Anne
Well said, Herm! Bravo!
Kristi,
Your truth and vulnerability are what inspire all of us to view you and your family as our dear friends and keep us returning for more words to savor. Your blog is more than a travelogue and vocabulary lesson; it’s full of life! I feel privileged to be invited into your home, so to speak.
Blessings to you for wisdom on what to share and what to keep hidden, and for continued success writing!
Trina
Kristi, I seems that you have a devoted bunch of followers who support you whole heartedly! We are grateful for your regular sharing and grow little by little in language skills. We are off to Paris in June to see the family and to celebrate 50 years of marriage! Where has the time gone!
Why not explore the possibility of a way for us to send some money in thanks to you. Perhaps something like a secure site for MasterCard? I know I would be glad to do so but what is there now does not inspire confidence that you would receive it! You have been a part of our lives for so many years and sober so many years too! Allow us to thank you! Blessings to you and your dear family….Jan in Cape Cod