July 6th – 13th. Paint in the Charente – 30% off.
Paint Provence with Tess welcomes you to Limetree House in Montemboeuf, a beautiful village in the Charente near to Lakes, Chateaux, Bordeaux, rolling hills and vineyards this is a perfect time to holiday away from the heat of the South of France. Reserve here.
Book Update:
Jean-Marc and I will soon publish Chapter 4 of The Lost Gardens–a memoir of 10 passionate years on two vineyards in Provence. If you have not purchased our book-in-progress, now's the time….as one of us is about the have a Come-to-Jesus moment in Chapter 5! Pray that the writing comes together! Click here for a sample chapter and purchasing instructions.
Today's Word: le hérisson
: hedgehog
: a person who is easily irritated
Also:
hérissé = stand on end (hair)
le hérisson de mer = sea urchin
Click here to listen to the French words below
The sea urchin is a marine animal that is commonly called "sea hedgehog" because of its body covered with quills.
L'oursin est un animal marin que l'on appelle couramment « hérisson de mer » à cause de son corps recouvert de piquants. –Madame Figaro
In books: Don't miss The Elegance of The Hedgehog. Click here.
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse
On May 17th, in the wee hours of the night–around the time our neighborhood baker fired up his four and just as the first fishing boats headed out to sea…. Our golden retriever began barking wildly.
The commotion caused my Mom to stir, there in her studio where she slept surrounded by giant leopard pillows. Peeking out from under her warm gray beret, Jules saw an object on the other side of the Arcadia windows.
Joining Smokey at la baie vitrée, Mom peered down at what looked like a football. But by the time she rubbed her eyes awake, the mysterious visitor had disappeared.
Sliding open the glass door, and following Smokey, Jules ventured out into the night, guided by the light of the moon, its rays shining down through a canopy of parasol pines trees…
"Smokey, just look at those spikes! Those are hedgehogs," Mom explained to her camarade de chambre, whose barking was overcome by sniffing curiosity. The four nightcrawlers studied one another with the help of the Gallic moon.
Scampering past the woodpile and the sleepy beehives that line our back fence, one prickly hérisson darted towards the clothesline.
Smokey and Jules having caught up, the little hedge pig now scurried to the east fence, toward the néflier tree, and on to the amandier, where it stalled among a rug of freshly fallen nuts…quel dilemme!….only to remember its pursuers.
But where was that ball of quills headed now? Farther up there was the little fountain-pond with its 7 goldfish (whom we haven't seen in while as the pond has turned a mucky-muck green…what to do? what to do?)
Stay on track with our story! That's what to do! But, having lost track of our fleeing oursin, Smokey and Jules headed back inside–to chop up an apple and fill a shallow bowl with water which they left at the foot of bay leaf tree.
At 4 a.m. Jules woke with a start… Ça y est! J'ai une idée…
….
Did you like the beginning of this story? I would like to continue writing it as a childrens book with my Mom's paintings as illustrations. But first things first, finish the current manuscript (we are on page 21, and have a ways to go…just like the little hedgehog in our garden!)
FRENCH VOCABULARY
le hérisson = hedgehog
le four = oven
le camarade de chambre = roommate
le néflier = loquat, Japanese medlar
un oursin = sea urchin, synonym for hedgehog (for their spikey resemblance)
Ça y est = that's it
j'ai une idée = I have an idea
Be sure to check out my dear friend Tessa's next tour. She is offering 30 percent off! You'll stay at the historic Limetree House where you will have beautiful bedrooms and wonderful home cooked food from our hosts Janet and Tom. Contact Tess at tessa@tessabakerart.com
Discover more from French Word-A-Day
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Yes! Please continue! We love stories that feature Jules and Smokey. A children’s book with your mom’s illustrations? Quelle combinaison parfaite!
Thank you, Alisa! 💕 I’ve got to get Mom to the art store for some needed supplies.
Hi Kristi, Jules & Smokey,
I love the beginning of the story! There is something adorable about hedgehogs! We don’t see wild hedgehogs here in Virginia but I remember seeing them in Germany sometimes when we were out on hikes!
Dear Kristi,
Perhaps you should pursue this. Such a great idea for you and Jules to combine your talents. And what is cuter than a hedgehog? (I have had a fascination with them ever since I was a very young child in Germany.) Go for it. This could be the beginning of a series! Smokey, the chickens, the bees, the garden, the pointu…endless possibilities!
Yes, yes, yes !!! Please do continue! A children’s story about a hedgehog would be lovely !♥♥♥
I also like the idea of a Hedgehog for a children’s story and especially with Jules illustrations. C’est fantastique !
Kathleen
S’il vous plait, do continue this “spikey” tale. Hedgehogs are just so cute! So glad that Jules and Smokey are on the trail and helping it out with a good meal and a drink.
I love the idea of a children’s book about the adventures of a hedgehog! I have a friend in Hawaii who wrote a children’s book about an albatross, then created stuffed-animal albatrosses to sell. I don’t know how the book and product are doing financially, but I know she has had a lot of fun with them.
Great idea about a children’s book! With Jule’s illustrations it wold be a winner and best seller! Be careful with Smokey around the hedgehogs, as a nose full of quills is extremely painful for a dog. I speak from several experiences with our family dogs. Pulling them out is excruciating for our furry friends. I bet the night visitors love the loquats ! Cheers, Judi
I think doing a book with Jules about the hedgehogs would be great. Love what you have so far!!
Such a good idea. The perfect combination of people and talents.
Our dear Kristi,dear Jules,and sweet Smokey,
This is beyond charming,and with Kristi’s wonderful descriptions , Jules illustrations,(and!bien sur! Smokey’s good luck kisses!)
we just won’t want to either put it down or have it end!
I have always loved hedgehogs.My belle mere and pere lived on the Danube in Belgrade,and we had unending entertainment from these delightful creatures.What a happy memory.Thank you for bringing it to mind.
Love
Natalia xo
The children’s book sounds charming!! Great idea and you can sell larger reproductions of your mother’s drawings…..to be framed for children’s rooms
https://oliversfrance.com/blog/coastal-secrets-1-la-ciotat/
This might be interesting if you have not read it.
Delightful story and paintings. So Smokey has fund his calling…….watching after your mother!
What a perfectly wonderful idea! I hope the book includes your French expressions/vocabulaire. I’m going to be a first-time grandmother in another week and will buy the book in a heartbeat… and of course I would anyway.
Speaking of meeting up with other critters, my daughter’s dog met up with une mouffette this morning! Quelle dilemme is right !! Good ol’ farmersalmanac.com came to the rescue.
HELLO Kristi. Barley straw – we buy it here at the Garden Centre or off Amazon – does France have garden centres? – makes murky green pond water clear again. It’s not very expensive, it doesn’t harm the wild life and it just floats in a little bundle looking quite natural. By the way – it’s une idee, feminine, but I’m afraid this computer won’t do accents.
Oh, thank you, Margaret! I am so happy to have this tip about barley straw! I will try it. And I appreciate the correction. Off to fix it now…
Oui! You should definitely continue this story and turn it into a children’s book! Note, though, that it is « le hérisson », as the h is aspirated and pronounced in French, therefore no elision is necessary. Sorry to be so picky…that’s the French teacher in me! Bon courage avec tous vos aventures!
Also, dilemme is masculine, so it should be « quel dilemme! »
Thanks, Timotha, for these helpful edits. I have just updated the post.
Bon idea! He’s a cute little guy💕🦔