Kristin Espinasse's Blog, page 27

Assumptions, insults, and stings: you can't escape these (not even in France!)

A very short and (hopefully) funny story to ease you past the holiday rush. Enjoy. The regular edition will be back after Christmas. All best wishes to you however you may celebrate.


A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse

Yesterday in church I noticed a young man (35ish?) glancing at me. Tall, with longish, rich brown hair, he was a new face at Sunday service. After a few more of his glances, perceived from the corner of my eye, I looked back at the stranger whose regard met mine,...

Dévoiler: Jean-Marc's bilingual update

Before he hurried off to work at the wine shop this morning, I missed the chance to have Jean-Marc record his letter. Worse, it did not occur to us to write it in French (so absent-minded during the holidays!). I admit--j'avoue--I had Google translate my husband's message (Tsk! Tsk!). If you see any coquilles (misprints, typos) feel free to point them out in the comments box. Who knows, it could lead to some interesting conversation :-) Merci d'avance!

Today's Word: dévoiler

: to unveil
...

French for mason jar & The Mystery of the disappearing eggs + truffles!

Look closely... Jean-Marc has some new products--including truffles!--in his épicerie fine. Stop by his Le Vin Sobre wine shop here in La Ciotat and check them out--along with a vast selection of French wine and champagne!

Learn the French word for mason jar and find a selection of the charming and useful French brand, Le Parfait, here.

TODAY'S WORD: le bocal

: jar, mason jar, storage jar, glass container

(Today's audio is found below, along with the sample text--which holds the answer...

Bagnole: Mom and I have wheels! (And learn the term "pinces crocodiles")

Many thanks to my friend Beth for sponsoring today's word. Beth writes: Experience Provence at the peak of the lavender season.. Unpack and get to know our French village, with daily excursions to historical sights, markets and secret lavender fields nearby. Join us in our 13th consecutive year, making it easy for you to feel at home in Provence. Early booking discount ends Dec. 31. www.lavenderandvine.net

Today's Word: la bagnole

: car, ride, wheels (automobile)

La bagnole is the term...

Lire: What are you reading? Recommendations welcome

Books make perfect gifts. Finding Gilbert won a Gold Award from the Society of American Travel Writers Western Chapter. Faculty at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, who judged the competition, wrote: “This is a gripping travel memoir of how childhood stories of World War II turn into a quest. A lot of travel is driven by the quest for answers–and this book fulfills that desire to find the truth in faraway places. This piece about a father’s love and fulfilling a promise to a...

Cheese, Wine, and etiquette: is it bad manners to ask for seconds in France?

"New Day". Smokey reminds us to live simply, slowly, and not to make a cheese about things! Speaking of fromage, tell us your favorite kind in the comments section. Picture taken from our last vineyard.

TODAY'S WORD: en faire tout un fromage

: to make a fuss about something
: to make a mountain out of a molehill
: to make a big deal out of something


ECOUTEZ - Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce today's French expression Download En faire tout un fromage

Improve your spoken French: ...

Les Proches: loved ones in French + what brings satisfaction

Books make great gifts and this one is for anyone who loves France and the French way of life. Click here to order Words in a French Life. Et merci d'avance!

Today's Word: les proches (m/f pl)

: loved ones, close family, close friends

Click here to listen to the following sentence in French
Qui n'est pas utile à soi-même ne peut être utile à ses amis et ses proches.
Who is not useful to oneself can not be useful to his friends and relatives.
(He who cannot help himself cannot help his...

Levain: Giving bread its spark of life...in France or in The Wild West

Levain, in a figurative sense, is "what is able to excite, to brighten (feelings, ideas). Ce qui est capable d'exciter, d'aviver (les sentiments, les idées). This is exactly what I'm feeling today in writing about bread. I hope you enjoy the story and will share it with a bread lover. Listen to Jean-Marc, pictured with this morning's loaf, or miche, here:

soundfile--click here to listen

Gift idea for a francophile and bread enthusiast, Apollonia Poilâne's book Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery

Today's...

une épluchure, les déchets, la poubelle: words in today's caper...involving compost

Here is where a themed photo usually appears, above the word of the day. But you don't want to look at potato peelings do you? Enjoy, instead, a picture of our garden from springtime 2018. Strangely, all the red coquelicots, or poppies, did not return in 2019....

Today's Word: épluchure

    Une épluchure, c'est un morceau de peau d’un légume ou d’un fruit
    A peeling is a bit of skin from a vegetable or fruit
Exercises in French Phonics - A little gem of a book for French pronunciation. 

A Milestone & letting go: lâcher prise

Writing desk. The orchids were a gift from Mom (pictured below).

Exercises in French Phonics - A little gem of a book for French pronunciation. Order here. 

Coucou,

Before this month comes to a close, help me celebrate un jalon. In October of 2002, I posted this journal's first mot du jour. It was a meaningful term at that: bosser. 

Looking back over 17 years of blogging from France, I should have a lot to talk to you about today. Instead, I'm sitting here staring at...

pronunciation.