First corn! Pictured this way it reminds me of The Good Witch's wand from The Wizard of Oz. That sure explains the magic going on around here, in the veggie patch! (Forgive me for the over-saturated photo. All that Instagraming is driving out the purist in me! More photos from our corner of France right here at Instagram.) Today's word is in English – for … Continue reading How to say late bloomer in French
Jouer à cache-cache means to play hide-n-seek. This was a favorite game of Smokey's when he was one-years-old (pictured), though his hiding places were a bit obvious. Now, at 4, he likes the classics: a good ol' game of catch is fine by him. doux (do) : mild, temperate; sweet, pleasant; soft; lenient Doux also refers to a gentle person–or how about a … Continue reading Doux: mild, temperate, sweet in French
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
Picture taken at the hilltop village of Les Baux de Provence. fluvial(e) adjective (flew-vee-al) : river, riverine; flowing Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc read the following example sentence and the list of French terms: Download MP3 or Wav file Kristi et sa meilleure amie, Susan, sont parties pour une croisière fluviale sur le Rhône. Kristi and her best friend, Susan, went on a Rhône river cruise. … Continue reading fluvial
The first day of harvest (Part II) ended with a blast! And a down-on-his-luck Chief Grape drove, with a flat-tire, two hours beneath the darkening, cold sky. The harvesters waited for him, working late into the night to process the grapes, which made it back to the farm in the back of a crooked and wobbly wagon. So much for romancing the grapes. belles fringues … Continue reading belles fringues
Our son, Max, harvesting at Châteauneuf-du-Pape some seven years ago. Yesterday, he and his 16-year-old buddies helped out with our rosé vendange. By the way… The rosé harvest is finished! … As we recover from the field and the four (behind which I've been roasting poivrons and sauteing courgettes….), let's take the time to enjoy another's story. Read with me now the account of volunteer harvester, Thomas … Continue reading cueillette
Halt! Harvest Time. The next edition may or may not go out on Monday… depends on the state of the grapes! une impatience grandissante : a growing anticipation Audio File: Download MP3 or Wave file Comment décrire les sentiments d'un vigneron la veille des vendanges? C'est une impatience grandissante! How to describe a winemaker's feelings prior to the harvest? Anticipation! A Day in a French … Continue reading
The melody of flower seeds, in today's story…. Why not forward this edition to a green thumb, or main verte? une semence (seuh mahnce) : seed Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc: Download MP3 or Wav file En agriculture, une semence est une graine sélectionnée pour être semée. In agriculture, a seed is a grain selected for sowing. –Wikipedia Improve your French now: buy a copy of The Ultimate French Verb … Continue reading semence
Colorful chairs, in Cassis, remind me of diversity—and all the new faces that we'll soon see: harvest volunteers coming from as far away as London and Californie! fût (fuu) noun, masculine : keg, barrel, cask: stock (of rifle), handle (of saw), stem (of candelabrum) Audio File : Download WAV or Download MP3 and listen to these French words: Jean-Marc a fait livrer des fûts de bière. Jean-Marc had kegs … Continue reading fut
In a sea of vines… a favorite friend of mine. bohème (bo em) m,f = bohemian Synonyms: vagabond, indépendant, original, or counterculturist. A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse "Harvest Heroines" (Part I of the harvest is over and the girls have gone. This story is for them.) Heroines with hot peppers in their hearts, they sizzle with mystery and soul. I want … Continue reading boheme
