FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

While this coucher de soleil was taken one year ago, it is the same sky that I wrote about in one of Pear's photo vignettes, here.

There are several new mini-vignettes which accompany the photos over at "Pear's Portrait Gallery" (more about "Pear," in today's story). In case you missed it, you'll find a link to the gallery here. Click on any of the photos to enlarge--and don't miss those story-captions below each photo.

Pear will be up for auction through Monday, October 6th, 12 p.m. (Pear Paris time)! Read all about this auction, and about our accidental starlet, here at http://enchere.notlong.com


couche (koosh) noun, feminine
    : coat, layer (painting); stratum

The word "couche" has many "layers" of meaning (ex: "hotbed" (horticulture) and "diaper"); why not expound on today's word by adding a few "couche" expressions and examples here, in the comments box?

Thank you for your help. Meantime, I'm updating today's story column with a behind-the-scenes vignette concerning our first auction!



My daughter and I are seated at the computer, viewing a gallery of photos* in which our dear Pear* is both the star... and the ticket!* I thank Jackie for the "Flying Dog"* prop, for if she hadn't been outside training our golden retriever to jump, I would have never gotten an exciting "action photo" for Pear's
portrait gallery.

When I ask Jackie which is her favorite "portrait," she names her dog's "high jump," of course. Then, after looking at all of the images in the gallery, my eleven-year-old makes a striking declaration:

"Mom, even I could paint that pear!"

Quickly, I elbow my daughter and take care to begin speaking in French: for Pear's creator is seated in bed, just behind us, eating chocolate-covered licorice and framing, in her mind, her next oeuvre* ("Mother and Daughter seated at the Cyber Gallery"). I wonder if she'll paint the little wooden chair, the
seat of which Jackie and I are sharing, my arm wrapped around her shoulder so neither of us fall from the narrow seat.

After my daughter's biting comment, I notice that Jules stirs. Has she suddenly understood an entire French phrase? No, she is not aware of our conversation: she is lost in thought about her next painting...

"My mother never put her arm around me like that," Mom laments, still framing Jackie and me in her mind, capturing our portrait there at the computer screen. I tighten my one-arm embrace, and turn to look into my daughter's eyes.

"Jackie," I say in a hush, mindful of the artist. "Pear may look simple, but she is DEEP! She has many, many layers..." I explain. I think about Mom's palette knife and all those layers of paint. And I think about Mom's own superimposed past, and how its rainbow strata, ranging from fiery red to somber blue, can still color her mood.

"Pear" has received her 7th bid! If you are interested in our "Sweet Pear", then check out the "CURRENT BID" section at the end of this most recent story: http://enchere.notlong.com


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~References~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
gallery of photos = (see them here); Pear = a painting by my mom, Jules Greer; the ticket = the goal behind this auction (to buy Mom's return ticket to France); "Flying Dog" = (see the photo); une oeuvre (f) = a work of art



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Shopping~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rosetta Stone Version 3: French Level 1, 2 & 3 Set with Audio Companion
1926 Paris Letter Gift Wrap Decoupage paper,vintage look poster or print
In French music: Putumayo Presents: Paris
Read Paris Match magazine, in French.