Tirer sa reverence & Jean-Marc’s quiet tribute

Jean-Marc, watering 5,600 baby vines by hand. When I posted this picture on my Facebook, Jeanne Asakura wrote: Such a peaceful scene. There’s a reverence about it as well. Jeanne, your words couldn’t be more true. Read on in today’s story… Tirer sa révérence     : to go, to pass away     Beautifully renovated and decorated home in the Luberon. 4 bedrooms and a study … Continue reading Tirer sa reverence & Jean-Marc’s quiet tribute

brebis

A troupeau of sheep grazing on another pasture. Photo by Jean-Marc. la brebis (breh-bee)   : ewe   Note: brebis (masculine) refers to the cheese brebis égarée = lost sheep du fromage de brebis = sheep's cheese une brebis galeuse = a bad apple, a black sheep, or a personne indésirable Audio File: (check back later for the recording) Il avait eu une époque où … Continue reading brebis

berger

Cabane de berger (the shepherd's wooden hut) photo by the Neurdein brothers. Here we have a slumbering sheepherder with his border collie and german shepherd (is it?) minding the troup. (When Mom sees this photo, she'll ditch her latest treehouse scheme… in favor of this fort-on-wheels with a nifty sliding door! Mom has had a hard time deciding where to anchor, here on the olive farm. This just may be … Continue reading berger

veuve de la vendange

I wrote the story “crush widow” two years ago. Were you reading then? (Photo of a modern cabanon with its carpet of white flowers taken in Sainte Cécile-les-Vignes. In wintertime, the old, leafless vines always look, to me, like upended chicken feet—as do all the pollarded trees.) la veuve de la vendange (lah vuv deuh lah von danzh)     : crush widow Audio file: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce … Continue reading veuve de la vendange

convive

A stylish window in Alsace. I love decor… even if decorating intimidates me. Read on, in today’s story. le convive (kon-veev) : guest Audio File: listen to me read the sentence below (I may have made an error, by not making a liason between “convives” and “étaient”…: Download MP3 or hear the Wav file Nos convives étaient sous le charme de la bouteille de lavande tressée par Marie-Françoise. Our guests … Continue reading convive

confier

"This side of Christmas". Picture taken in Bollène. confier (kon-fee-ay)     : to confide in, to entrust Audio File: Hear today's word spoken, along with this French quote: Download MP3 or listen to the Wav file Il ne faut confier son secret qu'à celui qui n'a pas cherché à le deviner. One must only share one's secret with the one who has not sought to guess it. –Diane de … Continue reading confier

billingual video of Jean-Marc + un pointu

If you are not seeing the video, with Jean-Marc and the Provençal boats, then click here to enjoy the clip at the blog. Sign up to our YouTube channel to learn when new videos are uploaded. Click here.  un pointu (pwan-too)     : a little Provençal fishing boat A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE… by Kristin Espinasse Last night I hurried around the house, turning on the … Continue reading billingual video of Jean-Marc + un pointu

Join Kristin & Jean-Marc on a Seine/Normandy River Cruise!

Remember that river cruise that my best friend Susan (a.k.a. "Rouge-Bleu") and I went on last month? I have some very good news to share with you: Jean-Marc and I will be hosting the next one along the Seine—and we would be happy if could join us! I'm going to let Susan tell you all about it here. Susan writes: Since coming back from France … Continue reading Join Kristin & Jean-Marc on a Seine/Normandy River Cruise!