corvée
romancier

le moi

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To Be or Not to Be?

le moi (leuh mwah)

    : ego, self

Reverse dictionary (with English expressions first!)
ego trip
= glorification de soi-même
egoism = le culte du moi 

and:
to be selfish = être égoïste
to be egocentric = être égocentrique

(related: amour-propre = self love)

 

A Day in a French Life: by Kristin Espinasse

"Cogito, ergo, and then some!"
 

Self: You're a little pinched for time this morning, why don't you post another series of photos, do a "silent" edition?

Ego: Because people are waiting to read my story!

Self: But another silent, snapshot-only edition would give you the leisure to make lunch for the harvesters, think about your friends, and look into the details of your daughter's 13th birthday (tomorrow!)

Ego: I can do all that, and more! I am invincible! 

Self: Enough with your philosophy of  "achieve". You'd do well to go around affirming it's not about me!

Note to Self: Remember, to keep the Ego in its place, always let others run ahead in this race.


And now: enjoy the following silent edition featuring some very humble harvesters. But what is going on in the following pictures?... 

mm

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Comments

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Jane

From one yoga teacher to another. Well done! I should imagine harvesting really takes it out of your back, etc.

Cynthia Maranian

What a hoot! I do those same "twisty-thingies", as my husband calls them, before getting out of bed every morning. Nothing better for a stiff back! Now, good people, back to making wine -- you know, that other thing that helps a stiff back :)

Margaret Dennis

Although I have never done Yoga, I guessed this was a way to relieve the lower back of the pain that I knew must have set in after hourse of bending to find the hidden purple gems hiding under the leaves of the vine. From the comments above, I think I was right. Either that or they are getting ready for some ritual during the full moon after the harvest!

All of us wine lovers appreciate all the twisting, grape stained shirts and knicked fingers that the harvesters endure to bring that glass of wine to our lips. Merci.

Margaret

meredith

I hope those sore backs feel better :)

John Steel

A (Pilates),(Yoga), (Yogalates) class to (correct)(warm-up)(strengthen) (in prepartion for)(as a result of)the vendage. But where are the pictures of the hot soak and pastis?

Bill in St. Paul

Happy Birthday, Jackie! They seem to grow up so fast, don't they, Kristin? I can still see my son at about two years old looking down from the top of the stairs and he's now 35(!) with a five year old and a two year old of his own. It seems like time moves so much faster when there's children and grandchildren.

Newforest

looks like the exercises my physio urged me to do twice a day when hips and lower part of my back were so painful!

Dear Jean-Marc
and dear "vendangEUSES" (sorry for not calling you by your name, but no clue yet)
I admire the enormous physical efforts you've got to put into your work! Look after yourself and relax! Enjoy your stretching exercises to ease the pain and strengthen the lower part of your back!

Now, apart from Jean-Marc, where are "les vendangEURS"? Are they solving their back problem with a pint of beer?

Pat Cargill

Perfect! You DO have an on-site yoga instructor and from one to another, cheers for your ministrations to the vendange backs!

Next there will be a series of photos of the crew performing Sun Salutations - nice warm-up for the day! I have practiced yoga for 14 years and it's the best thing I have ever done for myself - highly recommend to all. And important: yoga it NOT for the highly flexible, athletic, sleek-bodied - it is for Y.O.U., just the way YOU are at this point in time! Vive yoga!

Viva the grape harvesters and Chief Grape and Kristin & support staff making lunches, etc. etc. etc! - we will be the lucky recipients of your hard labors. Mille mercis!!

Last but not least, Happy Birthday Jackie!

Newforest

Kristin,
“Les images parlent” quite accurately and cheerfully.
These photos "vérité", down-to-earth and self explanatory, show an aspect of wine making we cannot possibly forget, so, mille mercis for the use of your camera keeping us "dans la réalité"!

COGITO (je pense)
1) the harvesters' lunch is vital and that's your morning priority, of course.
2) your daughter's birthday tomorrow is another big priority you've got to deal with.
3) "Les vendanges" are at the heart of "Domaine Rouge et Bleu" priority

ERGO (donc, par conséquent)
Fully aware of your present priorities, we, the readers, should not be selfish and expect to get our (weekly) three stories from you at harvest time, for our sheer entertainment. Tell your 'ego' about that!

I guess your EGO looked down and quietly got back to its place... (?) putting everything into perspective!


Your photos today (and yesterday!) give us some remarkable facets of "la vie de tous les jours" (= everyday life) for the grape pickers, as well as very enjoyable glimpses of décor et ambiance". A lesson and a treat altogether.
Un très très grand merci!

Newforest

Kristin,
"Merci aussi" for the top photo! (nice to see that lovely photo again)

Pigeon one and pigeon two, how are you today?
got the impression Pigeon 1 decided TO BE ... and pigeon 2, away from the lime light decided: NOT TO BE
OK, this is how they'll play their game today!

This poor enamel plate wants to have another go (BIS) but lost some bits and bobs in the blitz, so, never mind... let it BI... just as it is.

Holly

Yoga is great, mais, perhaps you should offer regular appointments with a chiropractor as part of their pay during the vendage! Keep smiling!

yvonne

Tell your Daughter Happy Birthday from
me. I hope you get some rest and the party is a success. She's too young for a wine party. If I were closer I'd help harvest. Thank you, Merci

le Moi
Yvonne

Julie Gehrking

I recognized instantly that Yoga pose! It's a GREAT stretch for lower back!! How fortunate that you have a Yoga instructor there while you guys are "breaking your backs" in the vendage!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACKIE!! Thirteen is quite a "milestone"! Officially now a TEEN! (hang on Kristin and Chief Grape! it's a wild ride!)
Julie in Rochester, MN

Anne Wirth

Where would silent photos be without the canine pose. Everyone is so intent and Le Chien is saying, "Look at me, I can do yoga". (Note the lifted paw)

Happy Birthday Jackie.

Nancy L.

How exciting! You have a yogi during vendage! Nothing like a little yoga in the South of France. Wonderful photos!

Johanna DeMay

Bonjour Kristin!

My morning routine: half an hour of yoga with a view of the sun coming up over the Sandia Mountains; then crank up the computer and check e-mails; read the French Word... and voilà, a bunch French yogis with a view of the Dentelles!

Thank you for an unexpected treat! And Joyeuse Anniversaire to Jackie!

Johanna
Albuquerque NM

eileen wiley

looks like pilates for grapepickers- en plein air!

Julie F

I recognized those yoga poses immediately. We can wait on the stories, but the grapes won't wait. And Jackie's birthday either. Take care of your pickers and other priorities. Thanks for finding some way to keep us updated. I love photo essays. We'll look for more words next week.

Herm in Phoenix, Az

Salut Kristin,

Jackie, have a very happy birthday
May special joys come your way
Espinasse family, let this be your goal
Never again call her your little “tadpole”

À bientôt,

Herm

Margaret Dennis

I forgot to add Happy Birthday to Jackie. Good timing during harvest season as the vineyard is full of folks ready for a party and celebration. Enjoy!

Jeff

Wait-- when I last checked in it was all about kegs of beer arriving and now everyone is passed out on the ground (Oui, je sais, je sais..c'est de trop de travail!)

Sarah Gaede

I guessed yoga right away! The answer to everything.

Shari

Yes, Happy Birthday to Jackie. I just wanted to note that my youngest son also turns 13 tomorrow (Saturday). Apparently, they were born on or close to the same day!

I always enjoy your blog, Kristen - and it certainly enhances the excitement of our upcoming trip to Provence next June. You seem to have quite a lovely life and a great little family (expanded now with the harvesters, of course).

~ À bientôt

Dotty

I recognize these poses, my chiropractor has me do these when I get up in the morning! And from the other comments here, if I were REALLY LISTENING to my body, I would be giving it some wine :-)

Kathleen Heckathorn

Is it French Tai Chi? Or duck duck goose a la Francaise? Happy Birthday to Jackie. Happy Harvest to the rest of you!

Stacy, Applegate, Oregon

A Blessed Birthday to the lovely Miss Jackie! I look forward to seeing more photos of you horse back.

Thanks for sharing the smiles this morning, dear Kristi and yoga / harvest crew! Best wishes as the harvest continues.

Newforest

Chère Jackie,

Je viens me joindre à ta famille et à l'équipe de vendangeurs qui te chanteront tous en choeur un très JOYEUX ANNIVERSAIRE, en français et en anglais!

Bisous et bonne journée!

PS We hope to get a photo of you, blowing out the candles!

Susie

In photograph seven (not counting the bird), do we see Mount Ventoux???

sharon

ahhh - le yoga et le vin! C'est extraordinaire - les deux ensemble:)

Sharon

Suzanne, Monroe Township, NJ

I've never done yoga but these look very like the stretching exercises I did as a dancer. The first one is great for the lower back!

Bonne Anniversaire, Jackie!

Karen from Phoenix, AZ

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKIE, FILLED WITH LOVE AND LOTS OF PRESENTS.

Marianne Rankin

I figured you all were doing something to relieve the cramping caused by grape-picking. Hope it helps!

I've wondered about "teen"agers in France. I know that teens are often called "ados," short for "adolescents." But is 13 the beginning age as it is in English-speaking countries? Because the numbers 13-19 end in -teen in English, those are considered the teen years. Are they the same in France? Or do they start or end earlier or later?

When I visited a French family years ago and their son turned 13, they'd been away at the beach and hadn't gotten a cake (or maybe cakes aren't customary?). They put 13 candles on a baguette, lit them, and sang "Happy Birthday" to him - in English! Is that common?

Jackie, meilleurs voeux pour un bon anniversaire et une annee pleine de joie.

(Et Max, un peu en retard, la meme chose.)

joie  carmel,ca

Next year you need to have a massuese be one of your crew....hmmm, I do know of one who might be interested.....hmmm, no not me.
And how is the beer holding up? I would imagine it might be a bit warm at this point. I noticed that we still have not started our harvest here yet.
And bon anniversaire Jackie.

Denise in the Pacific Northwest

Kristen, today's post (and photos) bring back fun memories from last year. Joyeux anniversaire, Jackie! May the day (and party) bring you lots of presents. I can still smell the pork chops in the fireplace from last year. :)

And yoga - what a great idea!!!!!!!! I hope the vendagers are having as much fun as we did last year - and their hands are faring better. :)

Of course, the wine in the glass is the best reward. May the Espinasse family have another wonderful harvest.

Newforest

Hello hello, Kristin!!!

Yesterday, among the people doing their exercises, the lady with blond hair and wearing a blue and white polo shirt, did intrigue me. I thought she looked rather like... you. Would your sister have joined "les vendangeuses"?

"CINEMA VERITE" arrived in my inbox this morning. I went through all the photo gallery and concluded the blond-haired lady with a stripy blue & white polo shirt, doing her stretching exercises on the grass, was indeed... YOU!

Ahaah! You've been discovered. So lovely to see you taking advantage of Sara's classes! (according to Cinéma Vérité, I think the young girl in shorts is Sara!)
Thank you to whoever took the photos! Elizabeth? Zarah? ... or one of the lads?


Hi Denise (post above)
Your name and the few words about your “hands” did ring a bell... You must be the person who wrote those two remarkable newsletters last year (I think you are, aren't you?)

I just re-read → “Le terroir”, written with eloquence and strong feelings
http://french-word-a-day.typepad.com/motdujour/2009/09/terroir.html

and “Mes mains”, very down-to-earth and so accurately illustrated.
http://french-word-a-day.typepad.com/motdujour/2009/09/main.html

In Cinéma Vérité today, “les vendangeuses” look as if the hard work hasn't touched their clothes and their hands (not yet... so, photos most likely taken when they arrived, and on Day One)
Photos coming next week will probably show some sign of what you described so well...

Denise in the Pacific Northwest

Newforest: Oui, c'est moi. Thanks for the kind writing comments. And I expect my hand dilemma had more to do with my general lack of viticultural experience (at the time). This year's vendagers will probably not have hands that look anything like mine did! While the cuts healed fairly quickly, the grape-in-the-cuticle stains lasted for many days after my return from France. My hands definitely became a grapey badge of honor, as well as the used grape-stained t-shirt from Chef Grape. :)


Drinking Rouge-bleu always reminds me of the ultimately intense joy of those 2+ weeks.

Mel

Good for your back twists. There are more.-Yoga.
Mel

Jacqueline Gill

Yoga in the grass! What fun! I've been doing yoga for a year now and it has helped me in every way, not to mention a wonderful instructor . After a hard day of grape harvesting-nothing better. Thanks for more wonderful pictures and a chance for me to visit France, if only through your blog. Someday I will get there.
From one Jackie to another--happy birthday--God bless you -- and all of you.

Nan Morrissette

Our friend Charles always says it's a lot of work to pick the grapes. So when I first saw today's pictures I thought perhaps Jean-Marc had a lot of dead grape-pickers laying around.

Drank some of your lovely Mistral last night. M-m-m-m-m-... delicious.

Nan
from Dunnellon, Florida where it is actually beginning to be a tad cooler in the (very) early morning. Like about 430 AM when I have my first cup of coffee.

Elizabeth

What fun to see you guys working out. Silent editions are always appropriate to be able to focus on the all important birthday. Harvesters are important too-but jackie is now becoming a young lady. Very very important. Happy Birthday Jackie.

Kathleen

At first glance, I thought that a photo opt was being set up and that one person was positioning everyone, but know I realize that it is yoga. It really is a great yoga stretch. You can also do it sitting up, with left leg straight and the right leg bent up and over the straight one and then you twist to the right - right arm behind you and left arm on the right side of the right leg grabbing the left leg. Got that! Now try and then change and do it in reverse - you can hear your back crack.

Happy Birthday Jackie - an official teenager!

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