pas un chat
bacler

une tribune

Pot of Flowers & Cat (c) Kristin Espinasse

Another cat picture... because we all need a bit of color and a little fur in wintertime (for those of you experiencing summer, here is a refreshing photo for you, too!) Photo taken in the town of Villedieu.

une tribune (tree bewn)

    1. platform (for speaker)

monter à la tribune = to stand up to speak

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Audio File: listen to the following letter, read by Jean-Marc: Download MP3 or Wav file

Cher Lecteur de French Word-A-Day,

Je suis "Chief Grape" et l'heureux mari de Kristi. Elle m'a gentiment donné une tribune aujourd'hui pour vous annoncer que je serai aux Etats-Unis le mois prochain pour faire la promotion de nos vins du Domaine Rouge-Bleu. J'espère sincèrement que vous pourrez assister à l'un des nombreux évènements organisés dans les 12 villes où je vais venir. Malheureusement, Kristi ne pourra venir avec moi mais je l'emporterai dans mon coeur.

A bientôt.
 
    (Listen to this letter in French! Download MP3 or Wav file)


Dear French Word-A-Day Reader,

I am "Chief Grape" and the happy husband of Kristi. She has kindly given me a platform to announce to you that I will be in the US next month for the promotion of our Domaine Rouge-Bleu wines. I sincerely hope you will be able to attend one of the numerous events organised in the 12 cities I will visit. Unfortunately, Kristi won't be able to come with me but I will bring her with me in my heart.

See you soon.
Jean-Marc Espinasse
. 
JME


 A Day in a French Life... by Kristin Espinasse

After a season spent indoors, hiding from the sun, I ventured back outside yesterday to toss handfuls of wildflower seeds about (thanks, Dirt Diva Doreen, for all the packets of graines!). It is a new goal of mine to spend 15 minutes each day in the garden.

Wearing a big chapeau de soleil and sunblock even on cloudy journées, I am reuniting with the plants that were abandoned when that skin cancer scare sent me scampering... out of the flower bed and into a darkened mas.

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I was sad to discover that this artichoke plant, which was doing so well up until a month ago (purple flowers from last summer) had been fatally bitten by le gel. Luckily, I had saved many of its seeds. I will be tossing some of those out along with the fleurs sauvages... and crossing fingers that all of the lovely flowers will return, with these handfuls of hope and scatterings of trust.

French Vocabulary

une graine = seed

le chapeau de soleil = sun hat

une journée = day

le mas = house or farm in Provence

le gel = the freeze

la fleur sauvage = wild flower

 

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Things to love about French life: "modesty curtains", or "les brise-bises". How could you not love a term that has "kisses" or "bises" in its name? Share another thing to love about French life, here in the comments box.

 

A Message from KristiFor twenty years now, support from readers like you has been an encouragement and a means to carve out a career in writing. If my work has touched you in any way, please consider a donation. Your gift keeps me going! Thank you very much.

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For more online reading: The Lost Gardens: A Story of Two Vineyards and a Sobriety

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