Mom and the Lumière Brothers, pioneers of cinema who filmed some of their earliest scenes—and their own mother—here in La Ciotat. Today’s little film: Mom and me, arriving for her hospital appointment on the wrong day! A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse I’m calling this an “extra edition,” though I’m not sure whether or not it’s a good idea to post today. … Continue reading The “double méprise” or how we ended up at the hospital two weeks early

Je ne dois pas tarder, Jean-Marc said while we finished up our coffee in bed. It was a gentle reminder he needed to get going. He had grapes to press! But his words also assured me he had a moment for our morning meditation–the 5-minute reading for couples we’ve been doing for years. But this morning, for those few precious moments, I had another idea… … Continue reading Jean-Marc meets Dolly: A Tribute from France to an American Angel

LE TOUILLAGE — French pronunciation: [too-yahzh] Le touillage = stirring or mixing; here, stirring the fermenting wine in the vat. Example sentence:Je suis chargée du touillage du vin chaque matin.I’m in charge of stirring the wine each morning. A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse Assistant winemaker may be a stretch. But while Jean-Marc is away in the Alps this week, Max and I have been … Continue reading Backyard Wine: The Whole Family Gets Roped into Jean-Marc’s “Garage” Vintage