FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

Hi Jean-Marc and Kristi!
Thanks for giving us a peek into Kristi's day! Is it nap time yet?
I love the mailbox tree hug!

Great picture of Jean-Marc with the cleverly positioned mailbox in a plane tree. Very nice description of Kristi's busy day from a caring husband.

"si nombreux lecteurs qui ont tous également du talent, de la sagesse et un grande âme."

Ah bien oui Jean Marc. Quelle perspicacité!

Bises a vous deux

Kristin I've always been amazed at the personal responses you have given your readers, myself included, over the years. I know you are a caring person and passionate writer but only lately have I realized what a disciplined person you must be. Discipline and a passion for what you do, success follows? You are indeed successful, in so many ways. Bon week-end de la Louisiane.

Jean Marc (I met you when you were at the other house where my husband and I visited one morning and tasted wine)--you said some kind words about your amazing wife, but it is the last item you mentioned that sparked this: Could you help her clean house, too? It sounds as if, as you said, there is little leisure time in her life, and I know she'd love the company.....

PAULETTE AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND ONE OF YOUR WINE TASTING EVENTS AT YOUR HOME IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR. YOU WERE A GREAT HOST AND CONDUCTED AN INFORMATIVE SESSION ON YOUR WINES. I SIZED YOU UP AS A MAN WITH A DREAM AND WILL DO THE WORK TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. YOUR NARRATIVE OF A TYPICAL DAY FOR THE FRENCH WORD A DAY LADY WAS GREAT.

My Precious Jean=Marc,

I can not begin to express my love for you which has grown out of watching you love my daughter. You are becoming a master at carrying the title of 'LOVING HUSBAND.'

Thank you for completing my job with Kristi - your love for Kristi has brough me much peace.

I love you Honey - I am so proud of you.

How is your blog coming along - I was hoping that this post would be about that antique French tractor I saw in a photo Kristi sent me yesterday. You looked like an ad for Ralph Loren driving that tractor through the forest. It was such a classic photo that I played around with making a book of photo's yesterday of you - The dreamy look in your eyes as you were manipulating the gears to run that old 'tank' was priceless. When I was young my Dad taught me to operate his D-8 or was it a D-6 Catapeller/bulldozer so I am familiar with not having a steering-wheel. Is that really your new tractor?

Once again thank you my precious JM for enriching all of our lives with your hard work and love.

XOXO

MOM

Très sympa! Merci

Thanks, JM, for a look at Kristin's daily life. If everybody took a daily nap, the world would be a more peaceful place (or, at least, as my grandson does, have some "quiet time").

Just a little precision here... My post is NOT on what I am doing (and to reassure some of you, I also work a little and even in the house) BUT what Kristi manages to do in a day. More than this, it is to point out that she is totally devoted to her blog.

It is always amazing how a tree grows around something affixed to it.

Wood seems so hard by the time we deal with it. Clearly it is something softer, more flexible as it grows in its rings year by year.

Can the mail still be taken from that box? Or put in? That top flap seems wedged in by the wood.

Caught by the photo, I forget the story. It is a good day le quotidien de notre écrivain, and amazing that the stories are born and finished in one morning. Merci Jean-Marc pour l'histoire, et merci Kristin pour les écrire.

Thank you for all you both do for each other, for your family and friends - and most generously do for us, your readers. I love reading about vos jours quotidiens, but I think one nap can't possibly be enough for either of you! Quel effort!

Bises a tous les deux (This little phrase most likely is not proper French, but I hope you get the idea) :-). Judi

HI MARYANN,

JUST a quick note to set the record straight.

NO ONE I KNOW NOW OR IN THE PAST (except for my Dad and mayber my husbands son Brian) works as hard as Jean-Marc.

Of course I have had the pleasure of living for long extended vacations with Jean-Marc so I have seen first hand that he has what is known as 'TRUE GRIT' when it comes to his personal work ethic.

I have never in my life seen JM waste a moment in his life - I look to Jean-Marc as an example each day.

At this very moment it is around 5 p.m. on the mountain where they live and I know that he is outside in the cold building a new road up the side of the mountain to reach the seven terraces that have been abandoned on their property for many years. I am sure there are alot of friends out there reading this now that have worked with JM throughtout the harvest and have been inspired by his work ethic.

Jean-Marc has made everything possible for Kristi to thrive in her environment regarding her writing....I remember years ago back in Les Arc when he built Kristi her own office seperate from the house so she could get away each morning knowing that to remove her from the house would prove to lighten her mind for her creativity.

When they moved later into the vineyard the first thing he did was build her a new kitchen and a beautiful office which looked out over the green vines and mountains. Once she was settled into her cozy office I can remember many times looking out of her window and seeing Jean-Marc out in the fields driving the tractor up and down the vines tilling the ground, only to look out the window during another season and see him digging new holes to hand plant 4,000 new baby vines. Then of course he had to prune thousands of vines by hand at the proper time each year.

Jean-Marc has shown me what it means to be the C.E.O. of a family. Not only is he on top of all the '$#!+' we stir up with our overactive imaginations and creativity - he is at the top of the chart when it comes to sensitivity and the unending love he sends into our lives each day.

Example> Email from JM three weeks after I returned from my one month visit, "Mom, I have found this ticket for you to come back to us In April - does this schedule work for you?' Love, Your Son

This was done without Kristi's knowledge.

As far as the housework is concerned, JM has offered repeatedly (sp?) to have a 'helper/cleaning lady' come in to assist Kristi with the house but Kristi has so far refused as she enjoys her privacy....personally I think after this little note Kristi will be ready to open up her life again to this proposal.

About the tea in the morning - When Kristi started this ritual back at the vineyard I was so happy I could have cried. It showed me that each morning she would climb back up the stairs and spend some quiet tea-time with her beautiful husband where they could dream of the future together - - - and look what those quiet moments produced - a new life on the mountainside of Bandol.

Please forgive all puncutation-typing-spelling-etc. as I do not proofread or even stop typing until I hit the send button on all of my correspondance....I just like to say my thoughts and move on.

MaryAnn you are a precious reader of ours - that's why I want you to know JM as we do.

XOXO

JULES

J-M .... Good One! Aloha, Bill

Merci, Jean-Marc; j'aime bien quand vous (ou Kristi) écrivez une histoire entièrement en français. Je vais employer celle-ci avec mon élève qui est en train d'apprendre le français. Nous allons la lire et pratiquer la prononciation, alors c'est très utile! D'ailleurs, nous pouvons discuter le contenu et poser des questions. Et, évidemment, apprécier la dédication de Kristi, qui est tellement consciencieuse. Je vous apprécie, tous!

Amicalement,
Leslie

As a writer and a writing teacher, I've marveled at Kristin Espinasse's writing talent as it has unfolded in these intimate posts over the years. It seems to me that her family notices that Kristin may be tired just now; and it is heartening to hear Jean-Marc's insight into how she spends her days as this shows how much he appreciates her as he accounts for the hours and hours of visible toil. However, there is almost no way to peer into a writer's soul and count the moments when she writes, rewrites, revises, and anguishes over the many decisions and choices that go into these splendid pieces that we all enjoy so much. For those interested in the writing life -- and the toll it takes, may I suggest picking up How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton. And thanks to Jean-March and Jules Greer for nourishing Kristin's talent!

Nice ear ring Jean-Marc! Until I took a second look. Ha Ha.

I LOVED the way Jean-Marc wrote .. first in French, and then with English translation underneath. Thank you. That's most helpful in strengthening my French (which is quite poor). Linda

Absolutely wonderful to read Jean-Marc's quiet, detailed tribute to Kristi's work, laid out here with such powerful clarity and such a deep current of respect and appreciation. I'm grateful for the now-embedded image in my imagination of the way Kristin is beginning her day while I am still asleep in mine across the sea. It's as if she makes the sun rise!

P.S. Kristi, if/when you'd benefit through a breather from blogging, let us know... we will grant it, for a while at least! Everyone deserves a restorative sabbatical, no matter how many people she may feel responsible to!!)

Your husband loves you and appreciates you and I know you know how lucky you are.

What a kick! No wonder Kristi went back for this guy. Anyone that has followed this 'site can see the love and support they give each other. That's what it's all about young people. You do for your spouse and forget about yourself!!

Love Jean-Marc's writing, from one who hates to write.

Chere Amie, I am so proud of all you do and have done. Happy, too, that I was able to be a (want to believe) special supporter in your early growing time as an ecrivan with great talent. Affectueusement toujours, Fred

Loved this post and the insight into a day in the life- ah the glamour- not! You are a prolific writer, Kristi with a wonderful husband & family. Keep up the good work!

Kristin, works so hard & yet inspries everyone & now we have the great honour to hear words spoken in true French by Marc, how lucky we are to have two such wonderful people + an adorable family that share there lives with us. Thank you so much

Comme Sarah LaBelle a dit, "Merci Jean-Marc pour l'histoire, et merci Kristin pour les écrire." J'étudie le français aux États-Unis (près de Chicago aussi, en fait). J'apprécie toutes vos histoires, et j'aime beaucoup lire les histoires en français, pour pratiquer lisant en français.

I look forward eagerly to receiving French Word-A-Day and appreciate the enormous effort which must go into producing this wonderful resource for those of us trying to master this difficult but wonderfully interesting language. The most difficult part is the spoken language, and in this regard can anyone explain to me why, in 'se sublimer' (30-11-12) the words 'tout en ayant a inclure..." are pronounced toot-ahin-yo eye-un-cure' instead of 'toot-ah-nahvahn-ahn-cleur''?

The words on the painted sign, 'Pour bien vivre, bien aimer, et laisser dire' reminded me of Catullus' famous poem which begins:
'Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis.

and goes on:
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille,deinde centum,
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, ..

This is surely 'bien aimer'!

Merci Jean-Marc. Bien que j'aie toujours trop de mails à lire chaque jour, j'apprécie toujours autant de vous lire, tous les deux. On ne se connait pas encore beaucoup, mais j'aime cette idée de semer de belles graines de joie et d'amour dans la vie de tous ses lecteurs. Keep up with the good work, I am proud of you!

Your friend in the English Provence Book Club in Marseilles

Ce site est fabuleux parce que c'est tout-à-fait natural. Je me sens que je suis en France que je vais visiter en 2013. Je cherche une maison à louer à Languedoc mais je le trouve dificile à trouver de Nouvelle-Zélande! Merci pour votre site web qui est mon favori.