Butterscotch leaves are collecting along the tree-lined lanes in our village. And in this photo, taken in Suze-la-Rousse a few years back, leaves are turning rouge. la cheville (sheuh vee) : ankle jusqu'à la cheville = ankle-deepelle ne vous arrive pas à la cheville = she can't hold a candle to youavoir les chevilles qui enflent = to have a big head, to … Continue reading cheville
Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Casanière, or a "homebody"… like me? How do you feel when you finally venture out? Read on, in today's missive. As for today's word, look carefully: it's not a mouchoir, or a handkerchief! Not even a Kleenex, sniff! (Photo taken in Saint-Roman-de-Malegarde, a village or two away from where today's story takes place.) mouchard (moo shar) noun, masculine … Continue reading mouchard
Whatever you do today, venture out just a bit… un tout petit peu… from your comfort zone. If you're not up to venturing out, then cuddle up with this book (I'm in love with it!… but I fear being let down by the ending… zut! that's the last time I'll read book reviews.) Order "The Summer of Katya" here. rendre service (rahndr sair veese) … Continue reading rendre service
Read about "the last peasant" — in today's story column, then forward to a friend. le paysan (pay ee zahn) : farmer, peasant la paysanne = woman peasant. Audio File & Example Sentence: Download MP3 or Wav File Un paysan est une personne tirant des ressources de la nature proche de son habitat. Il peut adopter ou subir une économie de subsistance. A paysan is a person … Continue reading paysan
"Love in a Mist." One of the "locals", dressed to the nines for springtime. Thank you, Dirt Divas, for all the lovely flowers that are popping up in the garden! bien fringué(e) (bee ehn frehn gay) : well-dressed From "la fringue" (garment). Today's expression is used in informal speech! (Read: my daughter and her girlfriends use the phrase often!) Also: "Elle a de … Continue reading bien fringué
Scottish broom in the French countryside… Thank you for your thoughtful notes and emails, but we do not have any test results from Jean-Marc's kidney biopsy to share with you. And today, le lundi de Pâques, means we'll have to wait another day or two! faire passer le temps (fer passay leuh … Continue reading faire passer le temps
Along the steep zigzagging path to the sea in Sicily, we stopped to peer in to this tiny chapel. The doors were locked but we stole glances all the same.. colombe (ko lohmb) noun, feminine : dove A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse (Continued from the previous story: "Switch-back") On New Year's Day I was walking along a steep and slippery … Continue reading colombe
Read about "Josey" (from our former stomping grounds of St. Maximin) in today's story… and don't miss a photo of Smokey's Ma and Pa at the end of this edition. s'occuper (so-kew-pay) verbto keep oneself busy Italian Josephine made homemade pizza the size of a hamburger patty, only there wasn't any viande, just a bony anchovy and a meaty olive or two. When she had … Continue reading s’occuper
Meet an extraordinary 8-year-old and a giant named Hefty in today's story. All photos by Braden (except for the one above…). abracadabrant(e) (ah bra kah dah brahn [brahnt]) adj. : amazing, extraordinary syn: invraisemblable (bizarre), extravagant abracadabra : interjection , also, masculine noun for magical formula Audio file: Listen to "abracadabrant" at French Wikipedia… A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse Hero-in-Progress When … Continue reading abracadabrant
Municipal flower pot in Valréas. jojo (zho zho) adjective : short for "joli(e)", pretty. Audio file (not available today… désolée!) A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse I followed Madame's directions and ended up at the medieval church, looking up at those "magnifiques fronts", the faces of which were almost as long as my own. Staring up at the church's eaves, where … Continue reading jojo
