Kristin Espinasse's Blog, page 13
February 1, 2023
Advice for Each Decade of Life & Surrender: A Mother Daughter update
Would this picture be good for the La Ciotat postcard series? Thanks for your helpful feedback and for your postcard orders this week! I am enjoying the quiet, mindful activity of addressing envelopes and my handwriting is slowly improving :-)
TODAY’S WORD: s'abandonner
: to surrender yourself to, to unburden yourself
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse
As I walked into Le Café de L’Horloge two customers seated near le comptoir offered a warm bonjour.
"Boh-wher!" I replied, or tri...
January 25, 2023
6 Postcards from France: Les Cartes Postales
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE: KRISTI'S POSTCARDS FROM FRANCE
Bonjour! I have created a limited series of cartes postales from photos I have taken around our seaside town of La Ciotat. These postcards are meaningful as they feature scenes close to home. One pack of postcards is $24 and contains these 6 cards:
1. Horse and Trainer in the Sea
2. Smokey and the Doves
3. The Barber Shop and The Bulldog
4. Villa on the Mediterranean
5. Sunrise and Doves
6. Lili The Cat
--The postcard size is just unde...
January 19, 2023
A Common Mistake + favorite English word translated to French
The Kasbah. Agadir, formerly "Santa Cruz", is located on a seismic line. Agadir was rebuilt after the 1960 earthquake that killed 17000 people and destroyed 60 percent of this city. More about our visit to this former French colony, in today's post.
NEW: The audio section has moved and is now a dual-recording. Jean-Marc pronounces the French and you'll hear my Arizona accent for the English! To access the French/English sound-file, scroll to the vocabulary section. Reading via email? You will ...
January 13, 2023
Bonjour from North Africa + A Gift from Strangers!
Twilight in Agadir, Morocco, in Northwest Africa. Jean-Marc snaps a photo of le coucher du soleil.
Do you want to continue receiving these emails? Each week my overzealous, automated listserver sweeps several subscribers into the "inactive" bin, eventually deleting them! Here are two ways to ensure you receive this journal in your inbox from here on out:
1. Regularly click on the links in my newsletter. This action identifies you as an "active" reader of French Word-A-Day. For example, you migh...
January 6, 2023
To Be Had: to Fall for Something Hook, Line, and Sinker in French
Early morning in the bay of La Ciotat. Happy Saturday to all. Jean-Marc and I have a surprise for you in the sound clip below: he reads the French term and I pronounce the English.
TODAY'S WORD: "se faire avoir comme un bleu"
: to be fooled, to be had, to fall hook, line, and sinker,
EXAMPLE SENTENCE & AUDIO FILE
Listen to all the French words in today's story via the sound file below. Then scroll to the vocabulary section and check your language comprehension.
January 3, 2023
Two Most important French words of the Year from the Champs Elysées
From our home to yours, Bonne Année! Meilleurs Voeux. That's Mom's re-domesticated cat, Lili, in her own mini "condo" (her zebra pillow on the old trunk), chez Jules.
Today's Words: Amour, Paix
: Love, Peace
EXAMPLE SENTENCE & AUDIO FILE
Listen to all the French words in today's story via the sound file below. Then scroll to the vocabulary section and check your language comprehension.
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse
Amour et Paix
In Paris, one million...
December 30, 2022
Bon Bout D'An! Something French to wish others this time of year
A sunny view from the village of Auriol, where Jean-Marc and I had lunch Wednesday. In these southern French towns you'll hear a traditional Provençal end-of-the-year wish: Bon bout d'an!
TODAY'S WORD: Bon bout d'an!
: Happy end of the year!
EXAMPLE SENTENCE & AUDIO FILE
Listen to all the French words in today's story via the sound file below. Then scroll to the vocabulary section and check your comprehension.
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse
Our f...
December 21, 2022
Big News! A Change is Coming + se lancer dans l'inconnu
Jean-Marc, right, and friends at one of the wine shop's events. Read on for some big news regarding my husband.
TODAY'S PHRASE: "se lancer dans l'inconnu"
: to strike out into the unknown
EXAMPLE SENTENCE & AUDIO FILE
Listen to all the French words in today's story by clicking on the sound file below. Then scroll to the vocabulary section and check your comprehension.
Se lancer dans l'inconnu, c'est un heureux cocktail d'enthousiasme, d'inconfort, de peur, de...
December 14, 2022
What is “Sobriété Énergétique”? + How to warm up in winter (with la bouillotte)
Our town's tourist bureau produces a delightful series of travel posters. Here’s one for Christmas, spotted while Jackie and I enjoyed an evening stroll by the port. Notice the traditional wooden boat, or “pointu.”
TODAY’S WORD: la bouillotte
: hot water bottle
EXAMPLE SENTENCE & AUDIO:
Avec le froid, la hausse du coût de l’énergie et la menace de coupures d’électricité,les gens s’équipent. La bouillotte revient à la mode. With the cold weather, the rising cost of energy and the threat of p...
December 7, 2022
Bois, Kindling, or Tinder in French + A Fun and Free Activity while walking
Wooden boats all dressed up for the holidays. More about le bois in today's story. Enjoy French delicacies? Don't miss the sweet column at the end of the edition. If today's word is too easy for you, find some more advanced terms in the story below.
TODAY'S WORD: le bois
: wood
AUDIO: Listen to all the French words in today's story by clicking on the sound file below. Then scroll to the vocabulary section and check your comprehension.
Sound file for the French words
A DAY IN A FRENCH L...
