French? No, Jane Goodall speaks Chimpanzee!

How serendipitous to write about Jane Goodall–on the 215 anniversary of British paleontologist Mary Anning! Cheers to all the dirt-beneath-their fingernails women who help us understand, appreciate and consciously care for the world we live in.  Mas la Monaque - Rent this beautifully restored 17-century farmhouse. Click here for more pictures. une place (plass)     : seat réserver une place = to book a seat Audio … Continue reading French? No, Jane Goodall speaks Chimpanzee!

mangetout + the thrill of sowing seeds

Smokey and the Beanstalk… this snapshot reminds me of a favorite fairy tale. (Pictured: the near transparent "mangetout" bean that sprang up in December–alongside the wire fence of the dogs' pen.  I love the camera perspective. Had the lens been moved that much more we might have placed Smokey on a branch… and sent him on a celestial journey. To think that even a slight … Continue reading mangetout + the thrill of sowing seeds

relancer + pomegranates and grandmothers c’est sympa!

Miam-miam is French for yum. Recently, Jean-Marc bought some used wine-making equipment. The farmer's wife who sold it to him threw in a couple of  antique wine-presses, some old  wine barrels, and even a bucket of pomegranates! (Have you ever eaten one? Inside, there's a bunch of ruby red fruit, the size of a tooth. The French use it to make the famous grenadine syrup–but the … Continue reading relancer + pomegranates and grandmothers c’est sympa!

How to say crutch or crutches in French

""The rare Frenchman who uses the crosswalk" Computer is back and so are some long-lost photos from years ago! Youpie! Yay! une béquille (beh-kee)     : crutch, stand; kickstand (bike) Audio File: listen to Jean-Marc pronounce the following expressions: Download MP3 or Wav file Elle marche avec des béquilles. She walks with crutches.mettre une moto, un vélo sur sa béquille = to put a motorbike or bike … Continue reading How to say crutch or crutches in French