The flyer above is for my dear friend Tess's art getaways here in France. Click on the banner above and put this experience on your bucket list for 2019!
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse
Eh bien, I didn't mean to take a week off of writing this journal. I had planned to touch base with you on Christmas Eve, with a meaningful story, when the word intrusive popped into my mind. Call it intuition…or maturing in age…but the fact is je ne voulais pas vous gonfler avec trop de choses.
And maybe I didn't want to exasperate myself either? Whether one more letter in your inbox would have sent you (or me) into a tailspin, or chute libre, is only an assumption–something I make too many of, which brings me to New Year's goals. What are yours?
As you take a moment to think about that, let me veer off track and say: on Dec 22nd I turned 51 comme le pastis. The kids were away, Mom was recuperating, and Jean-Marc had to work. So after moping around the house all morning, I took Jules's advice to mark the occasion. I did this by kicking around my garden until I bumped into a better occupation by way of an 8ft-tall scraggly stalk. The Jerusalem artichoke plant never did produce the bright sunflower-like blossoms I had hoped for, back when I buried it, but might there be the promised sunchokes below ground? The thought perked me up until I had both hands in the cool dirt, the lushness and scent of the earth awakening sense and curiosity.
That is how I dug up an unexpected treasure on my birthday. A harvest of topinabours. How thrilling it is to discover abundance in an outwardly barren environment! What else is out there hidden, yet-to-be-discovered? Like gifts that remain to be opened, such are the days et les découvertes ahead.
* * *
The delicious book Jean-Marc gave me for my birthday. I believe it is out of print. Used copies are available here.
FRENCH VOCABULARY
eh bien = well
gonfler = bore, exasperate
chute libre = tailspin
51 comme le pastis = 51 like the (famous) pastis
le topinambour = Jerusalem artichoke, sunchoke
une découverte = discovery
A little red vespa, right, parasol pines and the rocky coastline here in La Ciotat.
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Cou-Cou Kristi,
Hope you and Jean Marc had a wonderful Christmas! Did your kids join you? Wonderful post today and I love the last photo! Happy Belated Birthday!
Thank you for helping to cheer up my morning. I love your take on life. 51 is just a number in fact a much lower one than mine!
You doing great! Thanks again.
Thank you, Eileen! Max joined us. Jackie worked on Christmas and will be in Colorado through June.
BONNE ANNIVERSAIRE FROM SUZANNE, DON AND LOULOU! What a wonderful book for your birthday present and I’m going right to the site and try to get one so thank you thank you for that and lots of love from us. 51 is still a child thank you!
Happy Belated Birthday! Thank you for the good reminder to keep looking! The Lord has buried treasures everywhere.
I hope you had a wonderful birthday! I have and have loved this cookbook for 20 years or so. The ratatouille, though it takes time, is the best ever! Enjoy it in good health!
Tout étrangère qu’elle est, elle parle notre langue aussi couramment que nous.
Joyeux Noël and Bonne Anniversaire Kristi! You will love your new book. It has been on my bookshelf since it came into print in 1994. I think you will also enjoy this January 2018 article from the Washington Post. Lulu just celebrated her 101st birthday. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/a-tiny-frenchwoman-has-had-a-huge-impact-on-food-in-america/2018/01/12/2a350122-f639-11e7-a9e3-ab18ce41436a_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e8ac8ba9affa
Happy Belated Birthday!! And Happy New Year!
Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!
Et aussi Bon Anniversaire (de naissance)—le 22 décembre.
Pour nous—anniversaire de mariage—le 21 décembre (50 ans). Greg says we stayed together this long because “he is so easy to live with………….” ? I counter with—“I have low expectations of him: continuous employment (until retirement) & paid-up life insurance…….”.
Life is truly an adventure. A sense of humor is helpful!
Our son & family arrived in Denver (from Alaska) last evening. So, with everyone together, we celebrate now.
Happy belated birthday Kristin!
Kristi,
Bon anniversaire 😎. What a great find in December and for your birthday. 51 is young and you look so much younger. Happy New Years.
Kathleen
Belated birthday wishes and happy holidays!
Dear Kristi,
I believe your mom was right. By marking the occasion with something simple and authentic, this is probably the birthday you will remember years later. And such a beautiful thought… » How thrilling it is to discover abundance in an outwardly barren environment! « I am reminded of a song called Simple Gifts:
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
Our dear Kristi,
Wishing you not only a (belated!) happy birthday,but a happy ALWAYS(!)filled with every blessing!
Through your beautiful words,you touch all of our lives in so many ways.(Thank you!)
And even though it is not my birthday today,Kristi,you gifted me with such serendipity :After a long repose,I have once again am enjoying Chris’ lovely song Simple Gifts playing in my head!
And Jean Marc’s wonderful gift of “Lulu’s Provencal Table”–my gosh,I bought it when it first came out(and still have it!)
What happy memories!
Love
Natalia. xo
Kristi,
Happy birthday, (the best is yet to come), Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. What a gift is your always courageous, entertaining, informative and poignant writing that brings a part of the world I love to my very desktop. Your photos are truly wonderful and always evoke a longing for travel and adventure. May the future bring much comfort and joy to you and yours.
Linda in North Carolina
So those edibles underground were a birthday surprise. C’est bon. I hope they taste good, too. To harvest anything in December is amazing to me. Happy Birthday! Happy Holidays!
Speaking from the lofty heights of 67, 51 is a MARVELOUS age, and not only are you beautiful inside and out, but you clearly have an abundance of joie de vivre! Given that I feel. 25, I imagine you feel 21, Live it up, there are many wonderful adventures awaiting you!
Enjoy!
Bonjour Kristi,
Bonne Anniversaire! Thank you for this lovely story. I mean, really, do our mothers never stop giving us gifts? Jules’ words to mark the occasion are so philosophical and psychological! Isn’t this what all our lives’ journeys are about? We are meant to discover and lead meaningful lives. I am much older than you and despite the lyrics of an old rock ‘n roll tune that bounces around in my head—“I got worries, I got troubles, I got
wounds to bind . . .”, my New Year’s resolve is to put all that aside and find what I need to “give birth to “ that will refresh my life and make it meaningful.
Bonne Anniversaire! You have the same birthday as my daughter. She just turned 46. We are also native Arizonans, however we are from Tucson, Wildcat country. 😉
Bon fin de l’anée!
Kristi, what a lovely way to spend your special day! I have been meaning to ask you about your chickens and the work required to take care of them. Would you, perhaps, consider writing more about that sometime? I have been thinking about getting a pair for our backyard, but don’t want to bite off more than I can chew. Wishing you and your family a beautiful rest of 2018!
I boutht the book from Powell’s Books in Portland. It was very expensive but I learned that the original edition is complete, the newer edition eliminates some crucial recipes. So if you have old editions, your readers can count themselves fortunate to get one. They are rare.
Happy New Year to you and famkly.
Merry, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Wishing you joy, peace and love this coming year.
Also, Happy, Happy Birthday!
Sending hugs.
Happy Birthday to a truly beautiful human being with such amazing insight…
🎉💗🎉
Just being YOU has been a joy for so many. You are such an incredibly talented photographer and writer! Celebrate!! You deserve it!!
Happy belated birthday, Kristi! I hope you got a hug from Smokey and that your mother is okay. What a lovely book to have!
What is this expression — comme le pastis? What is it’s English equivalent?
Happy Birthday, dear Kristi. You said it beautifully:
How thrilling it is to discover abundance in an outwardly barren environment! What else is out there hidden, yet-to-be-discovered? Like gifts that remain to be opened, such are the days et les découvertes ahead.
With your wide open heart & inquisitive nature, I think there will be many delightful discoveries in the years ahead. Best wishes for 2019 and many thanks for your blog.
Toujours, Patty
…in cold & overcast SW Virginia
Thank you for this amazing article!
Bonne anniversaire et joyeuses fêtes, Kristi! Such celebratory times!
The older I get, the younger each age seems. Age is (mostly) a state of mind. Kristi, you have always seemed young at heart. Remember the French saying, “On a toujours vingt ans dans quelque coin du coeur”!
The MANTRA for low or rough times is “All shall be well and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
I personally need to chant this often in my life.
Happy birthday, Kristi. Fifty-one is still young, believe me. We always read your blog and think of you and Jean Marc and your adventures. Beth and I divide our time between Cairanne and Washington, and we’re in the Vaucluse for a month around the holidays this year, soon to be over. Bonne année to you and yours.
Tom
What a terrific birthday present! A few years ago my wife and I went to Domaine Tempier and had a lovely conversation with one of Lulu’s daughters, while tasting their wonderful wines. It was definitely an afternoon to remember!
One of my favorite posts.
There really are riches and joy all around us all the time. Maybe it would be tiresome if we could ALWAYS see that!
So we forget and then get to be reminded.
Thanks for the link to Tess’ retreats. What a dreamy week that would be.
Also, I think I remember an alternative to paypal you told us about for donating to French word-a-day.
Could you post that for all of us end of the year donors?
Mes meilleurs voeux pour une nouvelle année magnifique!
Dear Kristi!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY … mieux vaut tard que jamais ! And also my sincere thanks for all of your wonderful “stories” which you send out into the world for the enjoyment, encouragement and enrichment of your very fortunate readers. My best wishes always, Cynthia
Dear Kristi,
A belated “Happy Birthday” and Bonne Annee’ We have been visiting family and just returned.
To answer question about what resolutions I may have made for 2019, here goes: we live in Oregon — after many years in the SF Bay Area–and still get the SF Chronicle. In it, in the sports page, I read an article about an amazing young surfer whose motto is one I have taken for my own: Show up and be kind.
It seems to me that you do that over and over with each day and with each publication of your blog. I hope that you will show up and be kind to yourself, as well.
May 2019 be kind to you. Susan
Thank you, Susan 💛💛