“ETINCELLE” This last chapter is the chance to end the year on a meaningful note. Je ne veux pas le rater. Yet I sit at the dining room table, facing the blank screen, listening for inspiration as the rain falls outside. “Il pleut, Bergère !” Jean-Marc sings. Behind me, my husband is tinkering in the kitchen: pots and pans meet like noisy tambourines as he … Continue reading Étincelle: A Quiet Spark of Faith
Des histoires de Noël I had promised myself the evening before that I would attend church. But on Sunday morning, I found myself hesitant about going, as always. This time, though, it felt extra daunting because it was the annual Christmas pageant. I thought a pageant was un défilé. I associated it with glamour, because of the beauty pageants I grew up watching on television in … Continue reading Des Histoires de Noël: Christmas in New York
TODAY’S WORD: REPARTIR À ZÉRO : to start over, to begin againPRONUNCIATION: [reh-par-teer ah zeh-ro] EXAMPLE SENTENCE:Elle a tout quitté pour repartir à zéro.She left everything behind to start over. For your holiday gift-giving, pensez à mon livre — a little Provence under the tree. Order here. Repartir à Zéro “Any plans for Christmas?” is the question I got asked at least 20 times this week. Exactly a … Continue reading Repartir à Zéro: A French Lesson in Beginning Again
TODAY’S WORD: la confiance : trust; confidencePRONUNCIATION: [lah kon-fee-ahns] EXAMPLE SENTENCE:La confiance se construit pas à pas, quand on accepte de s’appuyer sur les autres.Trust is built little by little, when we allow ourselves to lean on others. A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse Written during the final weeks of preparing this book. Today I’m sweating my way through a spontaneous challenge: … Continue reading Confiance: How to say trust in French (a book update)
