FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

As a man thinks in his heart, so he becomes - Prov 23:7
Hi Kristi - and I also maintain that what we think in our heart, we say. But I believe there is a lot of truth to the possibility of reprogramming our heart by our words. So rehearsing and saying God's truth about us - out loud, penetrates our hearts and transforms us!

Blessings

Maria

Kristin,
So...have you read "French Women Don't Get Fat" yet? You CAN eat cream and stay sleam. ;-)

Amities sinceres,
Candy

Beautiful fixin's (as we call it in Texas) from Max.

And there are a couple of things that inspire me: If you think you can do a thing or you think you can't. You're right ~ often attributed to Henry Ford.

Also, when I am really struggling John 15:5 is my all time favorite scripture. It reminds me that in order to really bloom where I am planted I often need to be pruned.

All the best,

Kristin,
Here's a fond memory of Mousse au Chocolat...

When I was a young teen-ager (in the 60's)on a visit to Belgium with a group of kids, we were lunching at a cafeteria style place. I helped myself to the 'chocolate pudding,' and ended up going table to table telling the other kids "Ya gotta try the pudding!" The pudding was, of course, mousse au chocolat.

Looks like you have a chef in the making! Great job, Max.

I love the cute name..."Maximouse" Do you have one for your daughter? We call Tara (T-Bone) and our son Collin (C-Man). It's funny how these family names stick. Tara has a cousin Tori and when they are together we call them "TNT". The saumon fumé and la crème fouettée look delicious!
I have read the book "French Women Don't Get Fat" and I still wonder how they do it with all the butter, baguettes, chocolate, wine, etc.

Beautiful post Kristi,

You gave me everything I love this morning = my dream cabanon, my favorite saying, and a feast of Max's latest creations. I have truly received what I always say, "I am blessed...Thank You God!"

I know you will be wonderful on Monday...Shakespeare and Company!!! I can hardly wait to see the video. You are ready for this, you have worked hard for many years and this moment will be your prize...so enjoy every minute.

Kristine, thanks for reminding me that after all of the pruning I have been through this year that I can look forward to a banner summer of beautiful roses - so now I will take my own advice and say, "I am now moving into a my season where I will bloom like a beautiful rose...

XOXO

JULES

Hi Max,

MAXIME is the French form of Latin 'MAXIMUS', meaning 'The Greatest'. I can well imagine the latin ending [us] being pronounced "à la française" and becoming “Maxim[ouss] - or Maxim[ouce], perhaps?- quite a lovely way to call you!

Toutes mes félicitations for your beautiful 'floating islands'. I do like the idea of those “îles flottantes” made by you, “le mousse” .... bearing in mind that “un mousse” is a ship's apprentice, “un jeune marin de moins de 17 ans”.
“Le mousse” de la chanson enfantine “Il était un petit navire” was the youngest of “les matelots” and might have been your age perhaps?
In a nice and friendly way, I'll call you “moussaillon”, but, “un moussaillon” who has already become the Great Master of floating islands in your Mom's kitchen!

“Je te fais mousser”?... yes, I know, 'I am praising you', but without any exaggeration!...
-> “faire mousser quelqu'un” = to praise somebody (in an exagerated sort of way)
-> “se faire mousser” = to blow one's own trumpet, to show off.

Kristin,
No doubt champagne will be best to celebrate your successful speech on Monday but today, would you agree that "le mousseux” is the perfect 'French Wine of the Day'? This lovely 'sparkling wine' might be considered by Jean-Marc as "second class", because it looks like champagne but it isn't. Ah! What you see is not always what you think!.. and not necessarily what you get!
talking about which,
in our household, what you see is ALL you get... do you see what I mean?

Cheers!

Sleem!-You made me laugh out loud!

How's Smokey Dokey? Everything OK?

Kristin . . . Can you be an "écrivaine" or must you call yourself an "écrivain" and abandon your gender? My dusty old Larousse doesn't offer a female form, and you know how important le and la can be! Hard to imagine that a female writer would be interdit! Sz.
P.S. Merci pour tes mots d'inspiration française trois fois par semaine!

How lucky you are to have your kids come of age in rural France! Thank God, my girls are grown. Were Max a teen in the US today, even or especially, in private school, champagne would not be the alcoholic beverage of choice. And, alcohol would be a welcome choice over the other popular intoxicants. My daughter, a veterinarian, chose to live in a small community so that our granddaughter, now four, would have the outdoors, animals, gardening and strong values to support her through her teen years. Obviously, you and your hunka burning love husband have done a very good job with your children.

Hello,

One of my favorite things to make when I was a chef in the 90's was Chocolate Mousse Torte. My husband at the time love to take one to work. Once he threw away the bottom of the torte pan thinking it was disposable, which of course it wasn't. Since then I have made it for my fellow firefighter's at work. They love it!!

I like when you add references to food, since cooking is still one of my favorite things to do. My younger son also loves to cook. He makes sure his older brother stays fed when I'm at work.

Well I have to get back to painting my son's room. Have a wonderful night!

My "self-talk" today will be; I can speak French ou je peux parler francais!
Max; bravo! Mon mari Walter does all the cooking in our home and for his 5oth birthday we took a short course at the Cordon Bleu in Paris;loved it!
Kristin; enjoy yourself Monday and can't wait for the video, wish I could be there in person!
Beautiful sunshine day in Madison, Alabama

Jean Girodet has no doubt: écrivain n.m. Pas de forme pour le féminin. On dit: Une femme écrivain. (Dictionnaire Bordas des pièges et difficultés de la langue française)

He is not necessarily right, though. Language changes over time....

What a mouth-watering entry today. Yes, you can eat ice cream and stay sleem -- but only in France. Une boule in France is so much smaller than what is considered a "small" at my local Maggie Moo"s. As for the "French Women Don't Get Fat," it works as long as you really work the principle. Portion sizes are the key. That and eating fresh, not processed, food. But also the French move so much more than Americans. In an e-chat with my Parisian friend this week, she said that her daily work commute from her apartment at Montmarte to the office near Orsay she walks at least 30 minutes through metro stations and on the street, plus the walk to and from a restaurant at lunch. How many of us walk a minimum of an hour a day?

Good luck at your talk. And congratulations to Max for the delicious feast he created. I would love to taste the îsle flottante.

Way to go, Max! Perhaps you remember when you first shaved a carrot.

Kristi, hesitating to question your French definitions, a check into a very thick Larousse dictionary showed a somewhat lengthy definition of "fraiche", all representing senses more or less opposite of "sour" as in "creme fraiche".

You will do well in Paris for you have worked so very hard and long on you way to becoming a very talented femme ecrivain. OO

Thank you, Rod...I'm also a grammarian :).
Kristin, I wish I could be there for your talk. I know it will be fun and productive. I'll be in Paris March 12-17 and wonder if there's any chance you'll be back during that time?

You continue to me an inspiration in so many ways. :) Lorrie (www.ilovemypsychic.com)

Hi Suzanne,
About the word “'écrivain”, there is no feminine form. The word is masculine. A woman writer is “un écrivain”.
The word “écrivaine” started to get used in the eighties in certain francophone countries. It is NOT recognized in France by the French Academy. A woman writer is “un écrivain” or “une femme écrivain”. Of course, when a woman writer speaks about herself, there is no point for her to add the word “femme”.

Hi Debra,
If you wanted a variation on the same theme for your 'self-talk', why not adding a few extra sentences on your list? For ex:
-> Je sais parler français.
-> Je suis capable de parler francais
-> Je fais des progrès en francais!
Have a lovely time!

Newforest, I am delighted that you wrote to me; I will happily add your sentences to my self talk!!!

yes, I need those self-talk phrases, too. Thanks, Newforest.

Oh no!! The plane was canceled from Boston due to the air traffic control strike in Paris. We will not see you give your take! We are 'desole'....so sorry! With you in spirit.
jan