“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)
NOVEMBER 19th – Join me (Kristi) for a Webinar vivifiant!This coming Wednesday, I’ll have the honor of speaking with Margot Steinhart, President of La Renaissance Française, USA, and Renée Amory Ketcham, Vice President of the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA, in a lively conversation about receiving, in Paris, La Médaille d’Or des Valeurs Francophones and my book A Year in a French Life. 👉 The event is … Continue reading French Oysters & American Weddings: Finding Joy Between Two Cultures
TODAY’S WORD: la joie : joyPRONUNCIATION: [zhwah]Example sentence:Ce truc que j’avais enfant avait un nom : la joie.That thing I had as a child had a name: joy. Ce truc by Jacqueline Espinasse Do you remember ce truc you had as a little kid? Do you remember how scents, sounds, textures, and colors felt so vivid, intense, amplified? Just a few years ago, I realized that ce … Continue reading Ce Truc: Finding Joy, Finding Courage
TODAY’S WORD: survivre : to survivePRONUNCIATION: [sur-VEEV-r] EXAMPLE: « J’essaie de survivre à New York. » — I’m trying to survive in New York. How to Be Street-Smart in an Expensive Cityby Jacqueline Espinasse I knew about inflation. I knew prices were higher in big cities. But nothing prepared me for a $12 block of Greek feta cheese. At this moment in my 28-year-old life, that teeny-weeny square of dairy whispered, “You’d better hustle here…” … Continue reading Survivre: Think Like a European, Love Like a Mom
A warm welcome back to those who lost touch last spring, when this blog moved homes. On Monday I sent out a note through my old mailing list, and over a thousand of you found your way back here today—what a joy! To catch you up: my daughter has moved to New York, where she has begun a few new jobs… including writing her weekly … Continue reading Settling In: A Franco-American in New York
🇫🇷 MORE FREQUENT FRENCHI started a WhatsApp channel 💚 for French Word-A-Day and would love for you to join! There you’ll receive daily updates on French language, culture, and life in France, as well as a heads-up for any new stories here at the blog. 👉 Join the French Word-A-Day Channel on WhatsApp 🔔 Once you’re in, don’t forget to tap the bell to turn on notifications (or you may … Continue reading From Storms to Fresh Air: A Mother-Daughter Dispatch
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse J’ai le cafard. “I have the cockroach.” It’s a funny French way of saying “I have the blues.” Not that the blues are funny at all. Thankfully, like the clouds outside my window today, they pass on by with time. Le cafard came over me yesterday, three days before my daughter’s impending departure. At the mall, my belle-sœur, … Continue reading Brunch! Experience the Charm of Café Lo in La Ciotat
