FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

Hi Kristi,

Bon voyage to you and the rest of your family. Enjoy the vacation and have a Merry Christmas.

And BTW - Happy Birthday next Tuesday!
--Jens

Hello Kristin,
Have a great (and safe) trip to the USA and Bonnes Fetes to you and the family.I read that you have a birthday coming - a good excuse for a party,I hope.

Love Angela
P.S.
The weather here in Sussex is nippy and bright today but there are some grey clouds-we have colder weather coming.

French has such great words for in-laws: beau-frère, belle-soeur, beau-fils, belle-mère, etc., but my favorite is for daughter-in-law because it's how I think of my daughter-in-law: belle-fille.

Smokey is really starting to grow and is looking so healthy - good job, nurse Kristin!

Safe travels to you and your family, Kristin, but I don't know how you can celebrate Christmas without snow. Two more inches last night, 8 degrees F, heading to 14 here in Minnesota.

Have a wonderful trip and holiday! Best wishes for a prosperous new year, especially with your writings!
So very glad to see Smokey's continued healing and growth.
AND...happy birthday!
From sunny and chilly north-western Virginia, Patricia

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON DECEMBER 22nd KRSITI !!!

The happiest day of my life was the day you arrived - seems like only yesterday the memory is so clear and brilliant in my mind.
The beginning of your life and the years that followed were the best - through all of our mountains and valley's we were always together. I will celebrate the next nine days until your birthday - each day taking time to embrace a memory of you. I might even share a few of those stories here...especially since it looks like you are leaving us without our three days a week of your musings. What will I do...oh I know - I check in here each morning and see whats going on at the "Comment Cafe".

Who knows what all of us will be talking about by the time you return.

I hope all of your friends will keep me company over the next fortnight.

I love you Honey - enjoy your visit with your beautiful Dad, and please think of me
on your birthday...I will be thinking of you.

XOXO

MOM

P.S.

I'll be back later - enjoying all of your friends while you are away...

Dear Mom, I can't wait to read your story-comments! Meantime, I'll be calling you!

Elizabeth, re what worked: both! I continued to use the clay and kept the wound clean with the hydrogen peroxide. (Braise would not let up with her licking--I'd put the clay on, she'd lick it off... and on and on it went!)

Best wishes to everyone. Have a joy-filled new year!

Have a safe trip, a wonderful visit, great memories. The precious furry ones have come a long way and I, like Karen, LOVE reading about their adventures. Even more reason to celebrate the season. All of those prayers and your hard work has really produced tremendous results. Merry, Merry Christmas to you and yours.

PS: Looking forward to hearing from our Jules (aka Mom) on your stead.

Let's see...you're traveling to Arizona and you're going to be eating light. Let me know how that works for you! Happy Birthday and a very Merry Christmas to your family and the extended blog family.

Jan from the Front Range of Colorado, where we've finally emerged from the deep freeze. Now if the darned wind would quit blowing...

So happy to hear the good news re: Smokey! Let's not even get started with the pounds. I can't believe how hard it is to keep them off as I get older - sigh...

And Happy Birthday!

And Merry Christmas!

We will miss you Kristin -reading your blog has become the highlight of my week!

Yes, Jules, please keep us entertained for the next 2 weeks. I am counting on it! "Tales from the sunny coast of Mexico"???

Happy Holidays to all, from SLC where we are finally out of the arctic weather - it is 35 and sunny today.

Dear Kristen,
I would love to know what that 'clay' was that drew out the infection so beautifully!
Would you find out the name and post it on your comment line? I would be most grateful! Kathy

Kristin:

I join in will all the well wishes to you and your family for safe travels and happy holidays. And especially I wish you a very happy birthday - from one Christmas baby to another!

Oh and about those pounds - that's what January is for!

Since Bill already gave our weather report for the Twin Cities, I'll just join in his sentiments about the snow. It's lovely! It feels and looks like Christmas here!

Jules: We'd love to here from you while Kristin is on vacation - I'll be joining you in Mexico for New Years - though on the Carribean side. Happy Holidays to you too!

Happy and Merry! Bon voyage! Enjoy it all. Let's not talk about pounds, no, no...Chanukah starts it off with lots of parties and lots of food and it rolls right into Christmas with lots of parties and lots of food, aaagh. I already feel like a roly-poly, but as someone else noted: That's what January is for, to exercise will power and lose the holiday gains.Best to you and your family.

Bon Voyage, Bonne Anniversaire, Joyeux Noel, et Bonne Annee, Kristin. I guess your vacation will give me time to catch up on the entries I might have missed and to peruse cinema verite more fully. As for packing on the pounds during the Christmas holidays, I'm determined to maintain some semblance of my régime this season, plus burn off the kilos hiking around Sedona on our Christmas trip that begins this weekend. So sorry I'll have to miss your Phoenix appearance because that is when I head back to the frigid Midwest.

Happy Journey Kristin and Family-Right now the weather here at Superstition Mt is sunny but clouds are predicted too. As you may well know there are oodles of hiking trails around the Valley of the Sun-aka-Phoenix area. So no excuse for all the good holiday fare you should enjoy during the holidays that are upon us. The Supers abound in hiking opportunities. Thank you Kristin for all your gifts all the year round. I feel as your dogs are mine as I look at their picts and antics during the week. I'll be seeing you at Vincent's on the 26th of Dec. This sign is on my frigo-Imagine waking up on New Year's Day weighing less. Safe journey-Matilda at Superstition Mt.

Dear Kristin,
I also wish you a wonderful,safe,fun journey back to AZ to see your Dad, sell your books and wine! Only wish we were joining you as well. That is always the case...whether you are in France or visiting abroad! Especially in France however...
We are so ready to move, at least part, if not full time, to France....The sun is shining and it will hit 50 today in Boulder, CO at least.... pretty snow in the mountains where it can stay until Christmas Eve if we get our choice!
Hope my sis in Chandler can make it to see you, for us, on the 26th.
So good to know Smokey is making such great progress,yeah! Hurrah to Braise and you! Two great moms..
Like everyone, Bon voyage, Bon Anniversaire on the 22nd. and Joyeux Noel to you and your entire family, dogs included! We will miss you.

Oh, at least eat some sugar and chocolate chip cookies while here! Though nothing compares to French gateaux and patisseries in our opinion now. Take care. Thanks for your cheer and lovely stories of your writing, your family, kids,including Braise and Smokey.
Look forward to notes from you Jules! Mexico sounds really good right now too.

Is it true if we brought a cat to France she would have to be quarantined for 6 months Kirstin? One reason we are wondering if we should wait and just buy/adopt a French kitten!? A bientot. Mille mercis. Sandy and Terry in Boulder.

And so thrilled about Smokey...what wonderful news!

Hi Bill in St. Paul,

Yep - Bill - I'm just planning on hanging out here in the 'comments box.' What on earth will I have to look forward to on Wednesday if Kristi is off "holidaying' (sp?) while I hang out in my hammock on the beach. This afternoon I will walk over to the beach and watch the sunset - meditate on what part of her past I should disclose to all of her friends. Or I could possibly tell a few tales of my own when I lived in France. Hopefully Kristi will call me tomorrow morning and coach me on 'how to tell a story in the comments box. I don't want to say too much today as I would rather see HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONGS to Kristi in the comments box. Kristi has always received a "short end of the deal' because everyone was always so focused on Christmas.
It's really kind of sad when I think about how little attention she received on many of her birthday's.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY - we will all be thinking of you on the 22nd this year. I love you.

XOXO

JULES

Bonnes fetes et bon voyage, Kristin! May you and your family all enjoy a safe trip and wonderful holiday season!

Christine

Have a wonderful birthday next week and enjoy a happy and safe Christmas with your family full of fun and adventure!

In Houston Texas the city water department adds extra chemicals to the water supplies beginning in November that causes clothes to shrink with each washing.

Simon

HA HA HA to Simon loved the post.

Kristin, safe trip and I will see you on the 26th here in Phoenix.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON THE 22ND!

Jules, can't wait to read your stories.

Love, Karen
Phoenix and 65

Oh and Happy Birthday!! Have a wonderful time.

xxx Chris

PS Melbourne is beautiful, 30 deg C and sunny today!

If Jules posts stories in the Comments Box, how will we get to them if there is no FWAD to connect to the box?

Kristin, you don't seem to have gained any weight that I can tell, from pictures and the video of your talk I watched a while back). It does get harder to control one's weight as one gets older, but so far, you are doing fine. I also firmly believe that at least a few times a year, one should eat whatever one wants: special occasions (such as a wedding), Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthday. You will have two of those to celebrate soon, so just relax and enjoy the food.

I have friends with December birthdays, including one on Dec. 22 like you. My mother-in-law, who will be 97 this year, has a birthay on Christmas Day! I suggest that you pick another date - maybe June 22 - and celebrate your half-birthday, complete with cake, etc. - and maybe a few people will give you presents. Years ago I knew a fellow at work whose birthday was Dec. 24, and he said it always got lost in the shuffle. So I organized a half-birthday party for him on June 24, with staffers bringing small gifts, and he was very touched.

Here in the Maryland suburbs, it's close to 50 F right now, but will go down into the 20s tonight, with rain tomorrow.

You should have great weather in Arizona for your trip. Bon voyage, Joyeux Noel, Bon Anniversaire, et Bonne Annee!

Hi Marianne,

I'll be right here in this box - for todays
word, just like I am right now. Oooh, I'm
starting to feel pressure - oh well, I'll just wing it as usual. I perdict we will run the number of comments here up to the 100's. Kristi won't be back with a formal post for a fortnight (where on earth did she pick up that word, how many days is that) so we'll all be here. We can tell stories and make comments to Kristi, I'm sure she will be monitoring me, and won't be
able not to comment. The good news is that we will all be together over the holidays.

XOXO

JULES

Hi Jules
"Fortnight" is a word commonly used in the UK, and means two weeks or fourteen nights. I believe there is a French word, une quinzaine, which must be similar - although more related to the number 15 - can anyone enlighten me?

I'd like to wish you, Kristin and family, and all the other 22903 subscribers a very happy, peaceful holiday period with your friends and family.

Best wishes from a cold and dreich Ecosse.

Thank you for another tender photo of mother and son! So glad to hear that Smokey's wounds are healing well. Joyeux Noel to you all!

Joanne

Hi Leisa,

I just visited your web-site - just what the Doctor ordered for this time of year, or even this time of life. I signed up and I am looking forward to learning all your strategies (sp?) to combat and win the war against depression. I have suffered from depression for over 45 years - so I know this villain very well - also all of his mean friends.

I am always amazed by who I meet here in the comment 'box' - sometimes like this morning I must say that your note was right on time for the issues I face - I would call this incident a "miracle." Especially because I'm not here to learn French, but to follow Kristi's life and adventures.

Thank you for taking the time to send Kristi a comment, you never know who will benefit from the contacts made on the remarks made here. Wishing you a very Merry
Christmas and looking forward to reading your book.

XOXO

JULES

Geez, Jules, it's kind of dark in here. Are you sure they're gone? I feel like I'm sneaking around the house when my parents are gone, trying to find...what? Christmas presents? Where they hid the liquor? My sister's "Sixteen" magazine? It feels like 1955, nothing's on TV but test patterns, nobody else is up. We need to get some more people in here.

Oh Simon - that is sooooo funny! Best thing I've heard all week. I'm going to have to remember that one. Thanks for sharing.

Christine, from Salt Lake City where it's still cold (33) and sunny

Happy Birthday Kristin.
Birthdays are hard when a world-wide holiday overshadows it. My daughter was born on the 4th of July and she could never have a childhood party with her friends. They were always off with their family. It is easier for her as an adult, but the theme still seems to be "red, white, and blue."
Joyeux Noel in America. My husband and I spent Christmas in Nice with extended family 4 years ago. We had a wonderful time eating all our favorite foods and the fruits de mer platter on Christmas Eve was unforgettable!
Wishing you a good and safe trip back to the States.

Marianne,

You are so sweet, Kristi called me earlier and you were part of our conversation. We adore you !

XOXO

JULES

Bon Voyage, Bonne Anniversaire, Joyeux Noel, et Bonne Annee, Kristin and family.
It was warm in CT today - 50 degrees and sunny.
Jules, I guess that we could keep the conversation going while Kristin and family are away.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you and to all of the Kristin 's blog friends.

Kristin - Wishing you a safe journey, happy birthday, and wonderful holiday! I was recently blindsided by my weight gain (visit to the doctor) - UGH!! Oh well, the attempt to get a little back off will just have to wait until after the holidays. It looks as though the weather outlook for the Phoenix area is good - five day forcast is for all days to be in the low 70's - enjoy. We will be staying in snowy Iowa for the holidays with family, but have dear friends in the Scottsdale area, and have passed on the information regarding your presence at the wine shop in the area on the 26th. They are planning on dropping by to check it out (we shared our first bottle of Rouge Bleu Mistral with them last summer when they were visiting in Iowa - YUM!).