FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

Two things...I also have noted those ridges on my fingers. I file them gently to be smoother which helps. There are "nail filler" products that also help. Thank you for sharing. I decided to name MY INNER CRITIQUE..."Elsie" which s a take off from your LSE. So the next time I find myself being too critical, I will have some ammunition to talk back instead of thinking of it as a clinical term. There must be a French expression for "lighten up!"

Secondly, As a painter about to travel to COLLIOURE and Languedoc Region to paint for two weeks with friends..I have passed on your wonderful blog to get everyone in the mood. Your photographs are always so crisp, colorful, and ARTISTICALLY composed? Thank you for making my day!!

I think you meant to write "on mange moins de viande rouge".

I remember my mother's nails getting ridgier as she got older and mine started to do the same some years ago too. I think it's time not diet that is doing it.

I hope you win, at least most people can read and enjoy your book, which is more than can be said for so many Books deemed "Litterature".

I asked my Dr a few years ago about the ridges in my nails and she just smiled and said those awful words "it is just your age".

I went through Bandol yesterday on the train to collect our car which had decided to holiday in Montpellier, and I thought of you. We have bought a renovation project in Old Nice.

Kris

Hi Honey,

I loved your post & photo´s this morning…funny thought about the mud boxing ring. Where do you come up with these images in your mind.

I must admit I spent an hour this morning enjoying Nyla Witmore´s web site - even before I read your post, as I like to read the comments first to see how you affected your friends with your words. I must say Nyla is a fabulous artist, I will be back at her links to drool over her creations later.

My new friend (the artist) is coming by this morning at 10:30, if you call please call after lunch. I´m starting to pack today - excitement is growing!

You are in the prime of your life, relax and enjoy - it will last at least another 25-plus years, maybe even longer since you don´t dig ditches for a living….whoops, I guess you do in the garden.

XOXO

MOM

Sending you loads of positive vibes for the book awards! That's definitely a positive note when you are asked to enter the contest! Tell "Elsie" to clear off as you now have "Connie" (confidence) as your new best friend! BTW I sent a copy of your book to a friend in Oklahoma (she has another one of your books as well) and she was already halfway through it by the time she sent me an email the next day! She's definitely a FWAD fan. I'm reading MY copy of French Essais via my friend Kindle. I couldn't wait for the hard copy to get to me :-) Best of luck, Kristie!

Good morning and thank you for another glimpse into your life. You have a way of turning the most ordinary things into very sweet life moments. Love is the mainstay, I agree with you totally.

So, fingernails today! One of mine developed a deep dent from bed to tip and I went to see the doctor. Found out it was arthritis but this was 10 years ago so had a minor surgery on it and the nail grew back like normal. However, as I have aged there are little faint ridges - I think of them as proof (like my wrinkles) that I have lived a good long time. And look forward to at least another 20. Next stop will be Nyla web site, always want to see what other painters are doing.

Have a wonderful day and thanks again for your writing and pictures.

Reading your words with my morning coffee is the best way to wake up to a good day.

Aging in general is something lots of us baby boomers knew was coming. It's just a shock that's it's actually happening. The other day I finally noticed that my husband's mustache is white. When did that happen?

My grandmother used to say 'as long as the wrinkles were from smiling it was all good'. C'est la vie!

Wishing you all the best with your book entry. As actors say with oscars, it was an honor just to be nominated.

You may want ot add a supplemental dose of biotin to your daily diet to aid in reducing the grooving of the nails over time. Remember, it will require having the present exposed nails grow out before the actual improvement can be fully recognized. The addition of biotin into you diet should strengthen your nails as well as strengthen your hair and increase its health. I would recommend a daily dose of approximately 600 milligrams. Bon Chance!

I agree about the buffer for the nails. Works for me!

Good luck, Kristin. You ARE a winner!

Good luck Kristin! I read your new book (and the other two) from cover to cover --- love it and the photos.

Enjoy your life --- your nails are fine. Life is way too short.

Be well!

Yes, just want to second Joel's comment, have read many times that cracked fingernails may indicate a biotin deficiency.

THANKS MOM, and to everyone here. I have been trying to respond to today's comments but my comments are not appearing. I think this has something to do with the recent attack on my blog provider, Typepad. They are doing a great job under pressure, sorting out thousands of blogs including my own.

Certainment, bonne chance with the award. I really enjoyed your latest book. My only complaint is it was too short! Wonder how L'homme des plantes is doing now. Bet he misses seeing you. Wish I had his pouce verte.
Time to plant some plumbargo, whose color I love. Friends say it'll grow anywhere. It if grows for me, it will be one of my few successes. I envy your being able to sprinkle seeds and have all those flowers and vegetables in sunny Bandol. We are finally getting some warmer weather in North Florida after a long winter. Predicted to be 90 this week. I only wanted 80, not summer yet. There's no happy medium here. I had white spots under one nail and have some gel to put between nail and skin. It's a sort of fungus caused by moisture getting under the nail. Hadn't had it in years until recently. Weird. Enjoy the wine tasting event.

Congratulations on the invitation to make your book an entrant for the American Library in Paris Award. You richly deserve every honor you receive...and more!

Thanks Kristin for your ongoing blog. As a longtime student of French I really enjoy it. Today's post re LSE really rang a bell with me on another level however -- I saw clearly what you meant, and the effect this affliction can have on others. I am not sure I have ever understood this as well before. Thanks (Miranda, Canberra.)

Passante,

I think this sentence is informal conversation, where Kristin has noted that ne gets dropped from the negative.
"On mange plus de viande rouge,"

It is confusing to me, too. Add ne before mange, and then it means
We do not eat red meat anymore.

I think written French keeps the two words for negatives.

As for the ridges, I assumed it wsa something missing from my diet too, but never have figured it out. Saying it is just age, not much of an explanation, it it?

Hope the meet-up goes well.

Miranda, so good to know this clicked with you. I was beginning to regret mentionning it. Not any more!

Nancy, Judi, and others who have mentionned the award--I am deeply touched! To know that you ate reading and enjoying the stories, right here, IS a reward!

Sarah, you are right--I wrote it in spoken French. It needs to be corrected for the written story.

Kristin,

Look at the photos of tic deformity and ask your husband if he ever sees you rubbing your nails. The latter may be too subtle for most of us to be aware of ourselves, and is an extremely common cause of rippling of the nails.

I loved this post! Thank you for sharing your wonderful message of love :) It's always a good reminder to push away LSE whenever she creeps nearby.

I, too, have vertical nail ridges . . . on all of my nails. When I checked the many possibilities for their cause, I "diagnosed" it to be the result of arthritis, which I have and which currently affects only my right thumb and right index finger. Just hope it stops there!

Good Luck with the award, you certainly deserve it!

Sarah LaBelle -- Leaving out the first element of the negative in French -- ça je comprends bien. Actually what confused me is that Kristi writes "It's true we're eating less red meat" and then goes on to say to Jean-Marc, "On mange plus de viande rouge" which is a different statement, with or without "ne". I assumed that she was saying in French to J-M what she had just said in English (so as to advance-paraphrase/translate for us -- a standard device when mixing a foreign language in a piece of writing). Hence my assumption that it should be "moins" not "plus". If I'd read first in English, "It's true we're not eating red meat any more" it would have made perfect sense to me.

Dear Kristin, you certainly lift a lot of spirits ,bringing joy into our lives by your comments on everyday events and insecurities. My nails are not so great either. Not to worry. As you say LOVE and acceptance are what keeps us going. It seems you have that in Jean-Marc.

Good luck on you book!!! Fondly, Mary-Audrey

Funny, funny. I went through this exact routine about 20 yrs ago. Yes, it is aging. Welcome to the other side! It only gets worse.