FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

Dear Kristin,

Your book, blog, and presence in the South of France are a constant inspiration to me; french-word-a-day the sweet spot in my Monday. I am a southern California native who moved to Marseille 3 years ago, caught up in a similar "love story". Hearing yours is pure delight.

Many thanks for finding your voice and reminding us all that each moment of every day is worth a thousand words.

In admiration of another woman who has been brave enough to live her dream (whom I hope to someday meet in person!),

Katelyn

p.s. I think the better spelling of "teaming" in today's "fashion sin" post is actually "teeming" as in swarming. I could be wrong, maybe both spellings are now accepted? Bon, je ne veux pas couper les cheveux en quatre! ;)

Thank you Carla and Katelyn for the helpful edits. Much appreciated!

Fashion sin is what I see most Americans committing when in Paris (and most of France). We've given up trying to "fit in" and gone with comfort when traveling so we, too, are guilty of fashion sin. (You can dress like the youth but when there's a good forty year difference it doesn't always work.) Once while visiting Chartres and taking a Malcom Forbes tour/lecture, I was wearing a t-shirt that said "Saints", which I thought was very appropriate for visiting a church. (The Saint Paul Saints are a minor league baseball team.) One of the lecture group sidled up to me and whispered "Where are you from?", I answered "St. Paul, Minnesota". I said where are you from and he answered "White Bear Lake" (a city near St. Paul). So my "saintliness" didn't fool everybody.

I'm guessing that someone fixed a trailing hem with a stapler? But no one could have provoked des regards fixes like my daughter's boyfriend who accompanied us to France for our older daughter's wedding. As soon as we hit Paris, on a hot July day, he changed into short gym shorts for our afternoon stroll. Oh, là là. Perhaps in his mother's absence, I should have gently corrected him, but my attitude is laissez faire when it comes to my own kids' fashion choices, so I said nothing and shrugged off the looks we got. Fortunately he remained oblivious.

Good morning Kristin,

Your latest pictures are just lovely and have given me a real sense of being there. Thank you for resurrecting the memories.
Sharon

I can't wait to find out what the fashion faux pas was. Let me guess. Was it a dry-cleaners receipt stapled to the hem or collar of a newly pressed skirt or blouse?

I love the phrase, "like little leafy Rapunzels..." I wish I had written it.

Keep up the excellent writing.

This is Tom from Detroit where it's "hot town summer in the city...back of my neck getting dirty and gritty." Not really, I shower daily and I just got AC in my office!!

Salut Kristin,

About the mystery . . . . You weren’t walking with your “sneaker-shoed chèvre” to the local branch of the Staples Office Supply store were you?

À bientôt

Herm

I was looking for the word "parenaire" but couldn't find it. I did look up "partner" and saw that the spelling closely resembles the word given but spelled "partenaire".

Quelques-unes de ses découvertes lui vaudront un jour une renommée mondaile.
Some of her discoveries will bring her world fame one day.

I ordered your book from Amazon today. Can't wait to get it and read it!

I love a good mystery. A la prochaine fois!