Tag: Writing

2005 Story Collection, Celebrations, Writing

Today is The Day! Something mammoth to celebrate!

Today's Expression: "dans la panade"     : in a jam (in a difficult situation) Other ways to say "in a jam": dans le pétrin, dans la mouise…but if you really want to speak like a native it's dans la merde! A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse Today is the day! Twenty years ago, on Sunday, October 28th, this French word journal … Continue reading Today is The Day! Something mammoth to celebrate!

Kristin Espinasse43 Comments
April Fool's Day, Bureaucracy

La Cotisation: How much money I earn blogging $$ + a retirement pension for Americans in France?

“La Boucherie” in Pélissanne—Notice the lettering on this shopfront (can you translate the French?). I love typography and have always loved language even if I am still capable of butchering French. In today’s story, you’ll understand why…  For our True Crime readers: The Butcher of Paris  I've not read the book (read at your own risk) but the title goes along with today's story 🙂 … Continue reading La Cotisation: How much money I earn blogging $$ + a retirement pension for Americans in France?

Kristin Espinasse84 Comments
Jules

La Poubelle: How God handles the competition: A funny message from The Almighty

“I don’t care if I am an artist or not, what worries me is writing good stories. Besides, when I start taking myself for an artist – which can happen to me in a moment of madness – I start to write any which way and I have to throw everything in the trash the next day. I am a craftsman, not an artist.” -Harlan … Continue reading La Poubelle: How God handles the competition: A funny message from The Almighty

Kristin Espinasse48 Comments
Uncategorized

Photos of Roquemaure + souvenir: remembering September 11th, 2001

Do you believe someone watches over us? Photo taken the town of Roquemaure. le souvenir (sooveh-neer)     : memory, recollection Audio file: listen to Jean-Marc read the example sentence below: Download mp3 or Wav file  Hier soir, nous avons regardé un film en souvenir des attentats du 11 Septembre 2001.Last night, we watched a film in memory of September 11th, 2001.  The latest edition of Pronounce it … Continue reading Photos of Roquemaure + souvenir: remembering September 11th, 2001

Kristin Espinasse152 Comments
Health, Memoir

So much for anonymity

 "This one's for you!" (pictured: that's me with the cake, my husband, right, gets all the wine around here–even when we lived on a vineyard, where wine all but flowed from the garden hose.) A (Very Special) DAY IN A FRENCH …by Kristi EspinasseYesterday a delicate and meaningful milestone quietly passed. Waking up, I searched for a way to respectfully acknowledge the date, lest it … Continue reading So much for anonymity

Kristin Espinasse884 Comments
Uncategorized

Inspiration all around as a Frenchman talks about cooking, childrearing, embarrassing language gaffes, and writing… in today’s entretien with Marc Levy

Marc Levy's books are available now, for the first time, in English! Learn about this former Red Cross worker who, in the decade since he began writing, has become most-read French author in the world. To all who dare to follow their dream… may today's interview give you wings! un entretien (ontr-tee-en)         1) an interview         2) management/service (a car check-up, etc…) Audio … Continue reading Inspiration all around as a Frenchman talks about cooking, childrearing, embarrassing language gaffes, and writing… in today’s entretien with Marc Levy

Kristin Espinasse146 Comments
inspiration, Smokey, Vlogging

Need encouragement? How to say “If at first you don’t succeed try try again”

Thank you for your encouraging feedback on the recent video I made with Smokey. But after trying and failing to make a follow up recording, I'm wondering if I should just stick to photography (today's pic taken on our Rhone river cruise) instead! In times like these, I find the following saying to be particularly reassuring:  dix fois sur le métier, remettre son ouvrage!    … Continue reading Need encouragement? How to say “If at first you don’t succeed try try again”

Kristin Espinasse41 Comments
inspiration, Jules, Writing

muse

Who (or what) is your muse? For me it can be a scene, like this one… and suddenly inspiration comes! Photo taken in Les Arcs-sur-Argens, where we lived from 1999-2007.  I tried to find a French synonym for une muse, but I landed on a French definition instead. Here it is, along with the day's story, written two summers ago: une muse (myooz)     : une … Continue reading muse

Kristin Espinasse49 Comments
Blossoming in Provence, Publish A Book in 21 Days Challenge, Writing

rediger

One thing's sure: there will be colorful characters in my next book (check out our progress on this, Day Three!, of the Publish A Book in 21 Days Challenge… and thank you for forwarding this post to a writer—a writer being anyone whose desire it is to write, and, especially, one who follows that desire. Read on, in the following missive. 🙂 Tip: put your … Continue reading rediger

Kristin Espinasse43 Comments