FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

What a great interview with Fifi Flowers, Kristin. I now have sveral more books to add to my reading list, including David McCullough's new book.

I think Smokey and my three year old grandson would have a great time playing cache-cache together. He always wants to play hide-and-go-seek but doesn't quite have the concept of counting without peeking yet, so I have to lead him into a room and then bolt out and go hide. If he hides, he's easy to find because he's laughing so much. (Hi to Jules!)

Enjoyed the interview, Kristin. As I type this (speaking of books) I see Susan Vreeland's Luncheon of the Boating Party in the right margin--loved it and I highly recommend. It is an excellent and entertaining look at the creative process!

Fifi's painting of Braise and Smokey is delightful. Such good dogs.

You have a willingness to open up and allow your inner self to flow out which tells me that your novel-writing within will come out as you proceed in your writing journey. It's the magic of that free-flow, in whatever creative aspect we use it, that brings out our work. Plus a lot of "nine-to-five," bien sur!

Hello Kristin,
Thanks for giving us the pleasure to read that long and interesting interview dated 18th May. That was just "avant-hier" wasn't it?... and the words of the recording are already on thousands of your FWAD readers' little screen. Wow!

I would have never thought that, "jouer à cache-cache" would have led us to ... an interview with "l'écrivain -en-question" who recently, while killing time in a home improvement store, told us she found a character for a future book (novel? tale?... we'll see).

I love the hiding place chosen by dear Smokey... so comical! The idea about the game of "cache-cache" made your introduction not only very imaginative, but distinctively "très enjouée"! Anyway, what a fascinating list of "Q&R"!... and, indirectly, what an interesting way to discover your soulmate and interviewer 'Fifi Flowers', a lady who, like you, loves 'WHIMSY and FUN... and all the beautiful things that surround her daily life'. Thanks for the link!

"avant-hier" = the day before yesterday
"enjoué" = bright and breezy, light, cheerful....
"QR" stands for "Questions et Réponses" ( = Q&A)
*****************
May I take advantage here to formulate my hope?... why not?

Hoping that in the future, another interview - and Wikipedia's notes about you - will give us the title of your future novel / conte... and eventually all the other ones that will follow. Ok, no point saying how much I believe in your career as a writer (a belief that got officially confirmed by yourself nearly a year ago). Not to worry about the problem of publishing; it will get sorted out, in its own time.
In addition to the "free-flow" (an idea I do share with Pat), you've got a fertile imagination - and... your very very own 'talent with words'. For years, you've managed to find a mountain of hours for your 3 times a week blog, and so far, those millions of hours of 'practice' produced kilometers & kilometers of sentences generously delivered to a multitude of avid FWAD readers. Add to this the meeting of other writers and particularly the professional advice you received when following the writing seminars last June in Paris! Hmmm, I'd think it might be better not to let the 'simmering on the back burner' (as you put it recently) go on for too long as the juice might evaporate and the food could get burnt!
Kristin, I guess the incredible number of people who know you via your popular blog, are waiting to buy that first novel of yours... whenever it appears.
Good luck!

A round of applause to Fifi Flowers who interviewed Kristin and also gave us the pleasure to admire the delightful paintings inspired by Kristin's photos.

Bravo! What a wonderful interview. With just a few select questions we, your "in cahoots" readers, have learned even more about you and have also picked up some more ideas for our reading lists (including Fred's book).

I love Fifi's paintings of your photos. Very colorful. You both inspire me to pick up my creativity stick and hit the road!!

Kristin: Do you know if, when I click on the Amazon link though you site and then "share" it with others from that Amazon page - would you/your website get the $upport?

Since "hide and seek" is one of my grandson's favorite games, I love knowing the French expressions. But I need one more: "Ready or not, here I come!"

Re-Hi Kristin!
back with a few extra points:

1)
just for fun:
looking at the French vocab list you gave us today, my eyes caught "la barrique", followed by "la garrigue".
Now, try to pronounce those 2 words - one after the other. Go on, more and more quickly.
How are you getting on? throwing bits of funny sounds all over the place? stuttering and laughing? (I did)

2)
garden produce:
Kristin, your (cherry?) tomatoes are doing extremely well!... and your artichokes are already amazingly big!
Vive le soleil de Provence et le bon jardinage!

Good luck to Jean-Marc with his beekeeping.
(I remember the newsletter about the visit of the "bee man" last year ...)
All my best wishes for your own "Domaine Rouge-Bleu" olive oil and honey!

3)
other details:
I've been a FWAD member for a few years but I'll tell you the 'new facts' I learned from the recent interview:
-> the exotic Chinese journal (quite enigmatic... )
-> the choice of the title 'WORDS in a French life' was made by Jean-Marc (is it also him (or you? or the publisher?) who added ' Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France'???
-> your 2009 Blurb book (stories extracted from your Summer 2009 blog) was published 'via Wikipedia' (?)
I didn't know about any connection between Wikipedia and Blurb. Interesting but not sure I understood properly. Never mind.
-> FWAD reader Fred Castle's self-published book. Bravo Fred! Bravo, Bravo!!!
-> I had no idea Jeanne Guyon had a great influence on your life. Google results made me notice the quantity of her books translated into English. Actually, I'd like to read her autobiography...

BTW, I do buy books from Amazon.co.uk (much cheaper for me than getting them from Amazon.com... and I get Free delivery, whatever the price of the book)

4) and 5) will follow later on today or tomorrow

Félicitations, Kristin! What a fantastique interview. And what a creative way to redirect our attention. Although, I have to admit, if you got deeply involved in writing your novel, you might only be able to give us a twice-weekly dose of FWAD. How would we cope?! But don't sacrifice your writing goals on our account. Meanwhile, I'm always happy to remain "in cahoots" with you and your stories.

Clever way to guide us to your cachette! I love the interview, which tells us more about you, Kristin. You're such a wonderful person and I wish you success with your upcoming novel. Bon courage.
I adore that photo of Smokey se cachant derrière les tomates, and I love your humor.

Smokey R. Dokey Stream o' Consciouness

Smokey dit: " What does she mean find a better hiding place...why my coat blends perfectly w/the sun-baked wall behind me."

"Hummm, these petits tomates look tasty, pas ma favori, but something to chew on...oowee, quel sour! Hum, I suppose my red collar is the giveaway."

"Okay, already, so I am found. Then I am heading down to the watery haven of Mrs. Canard for a quick look and perhaps a dip."

"Ou est ma maman? J'aime beaucoup ma vie!"

Count me in for the book. I have been hoping to read it. Love the interview, though I had heard some of it already from your French Word of the Day posts. I am a devoted fan.

Thanks.

Dear Auntie Pat C,

Honestly, you can read me like a book!
I'm glad you noticed how well my coat blended with the wall behind me. I thought the red tomatoes would have hidden my red collar. Oh well...
Best way to play "cache-cache" is to run away with Mama Braise... and hide behind bushes. We sometimes do that... but nobody can ever find us! They shout our names but we keep hiding, then we run a bit further, and further, and further... They're so happy when we come back the following morning, you know.
back to "le ruisseau" now ... a lot's going on down there. Byyyye!

Great interview, Kristin!

punctuation complete and perfect... not to worry.

Late as usual but had to add my compliments for your thoughtful, insightful, and so unassuming remarks. No wonder we all tune in every week to share in your French life and observations about life in general.

Just ordered McCullough's book, too. He came to Nashville a year or so ago to speak at Belmont University and while here visited The Hermitage in order to see a portrait of Andrew Jackson painted two days before Jackson's death by an American artist living in Paris -- George Healy. McCullough is such an engaging raconteur -- at least he was in in his speech. The book should be great.

Merci pour tout, Kristin!