FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

The heatwave, my book project, and spoiled for choice in today's update. A lot of ice cream to choose from = l'embarras du choix. Pictured in La Ciotat: one (of many) ice cream vendors in our seaside town.

TODAY’S WORD: L'Embarras du Choix

    : spoiled for choice

avoir l'embarras du choix (to have "the embarrassment of choice") = to be indecisive in a situation where multiple choices are presented.

The first posts in this blog are collected into one book Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love & Language from the South of France. "With its innovative and entertaining way of teaching the finer points of French, Espinasse's memoir will be popular with travelers and expats alike." -- Publishers Weekly

A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse

When I asked readers to help choose a cover design for my book, the response was spectaculaire. Thank you for scrutinizing all eight couvertures, for voting, and for commenting on the title and graphics. I learned so much from your feedback, and now I’m as confused as ever.

Just kidding. Je rigole! I can handle it. Jé gère!

One thing I wasn't managing so well is people. You see, I also asked for volunteers to proofread my work, and the response knocked my socks off. It was, as the French say, l’embarras du choix: a situation where so many good options make it difficult, if not impossible, to choose. And when these options are people—instead of, say, so many parfums at the ice cream stand—it’s hard to pick just one.

As I lay beneath our noisy ceiling fan, sweating and fretting about my book and beyond (“beyond” meaning my home and family, my dog, this current heatwave, and le ménage) I felt dépassée by it all. With my son renting out his apartment on Airbnb and moving back home with his petite amie, we have a full house this first week of August. The downstairs bathroom is flooded with towels, four of us have colds, and this place feels like Animal House!

Meanwhile, over at Book Project Central (the little workstation I set up in our cramped cafouche, amidst the suitcases, the ironing board, and the vacuum), my phone began pinging nonstop as my Book Cover Poll on Facebook and Instagram delivered results in real-time. The social media feedback was manageable (I could “heart” every response to express thanks), but my inbox was expanding before my very eyes. How to kindly acknowledge all these emailed responses?

There was simply no way to keep up! Why not throw in the towel now? Speaking of which…

When one more ping had pung on my phone I opened Messenger to experience a much-needed chuckle. A picture of an orderly towel rack with a digitalized name tag over each serviette! Géniale! Merci, Max, for civilizing the towel situation! After washing and line-drying our towels, my son defrosted our icy freezer, emptied the vacuum cleaner, and scrubbed the filter before asking "What else can I do for you?" And just like that, help, like the cold virus we all caught, was now spreading rapidly! Jean-Marc took Grandma to the grocery store, Jackie brought two big salads home for dinner, Ana set the table, Grandma Jules was in charge of watering the garden, Ricci & Izzy were keeping the floors licked clean, and so on and so forth et cetera pantoufle!

(Have I told you about my favorite, totally obsolete and nonsensical French expression etcetera pantoufle--"and so on slipper"? Finally, the chance to use it here!)

Meanwhile, I began to answer emails when a new stream of feedback flooded my phone screen: readers were pointing out un petit souci with the title of my memoir, which included the year these essays were written. “Don’t put 2024. This would date the book!” Whoops! I’d forgotten to mention this is a book series. I am gathering each year’s stories into a collection under the umbrella title “A YEAR IN A FRENCH LIFE.” This first book would be “A YEAR IN A FRENCH LIFE: 2024.” The next would be “A YEAR IN A FRENCH LIFE: 2025,” et cetera pantoufle…

Book covers by TLC Book Design

But I now see your point. Including the date might deter potential readers. One solution might be to use one of the chapter titles as the subtitle. For example: “A YEAR IN A FRENCH LIFE: L’Embarras du Choix.” Can you picture this now? While “spoiled for choice” doesn’t exactly summarize the 2024 stories, it is a catchy way to distinguish between the editions, n’est-ce pas? Another chapter in this book is “Il devait en être ainsi” (or “Predestined”… Tell me if that doesn’t sound intriguing!). Other chapters/potential subtitles include:

• “Le Bonheur” (“Happiness”)
• “Bien Joué” (“Well Done!”)
• “Jamais Deux Sans Trois” (“Good things come in Threes.” However, it can also mean “Bad Things Come in Threes.” This title might not be good for marketing…)

Even with some of the pieces of this project coming together, I tossed and turned all weekend despite trying to focus on the Olympics. During judo, l'escrime, and pole-vaulting, my mind chattered on and on: I must answer all these emails! I’ve got to send off my manuscript… but to whom? Suddenly, all these potential volunteers posed a logistical conundrum: how would each reader record their edits? (In Microsoft Word there is some sort of “live” option, where editors can go right into the document and correct or change text. But isn’t that risky? And what would it be like to receive an influx of live edits from dozens of readers? I could just see my manuscript pole-vaulting all over the place with each added edit!)

As I agonized over how to orchestrate this book project, the word surrender swooped in, once again, to offer relief. Surrender ...a theme visited every so often in this journal: literally se rendre. It means to be still and let the doubts, fears, and unknowns wash right over, like a cool stream of melted ice cream during a heatwave. Surrendering takes faith and practice—a lot of both—but it is as vital as ice cream (according to Grandma Jules, who brought back a little too much of it from the grocery store...). We must trust that when we let go everything will eventually come together, things will get done, and we will show up on time. By surrendering here and now we allow the help at hand—whether divine or, like my readers, sublime—to manifest. Finally, we have stepped out of the way to find ourselves in the midst of grace.

***

Update: Please join me in wishing Rajeev, a dedicated reader and loyal supporter, bon courage as he begins his role as the first volunteer proofreader. When I sent him the manuscript link, Rajeev promptly suggested a solution for sharing edits, which immediately resolved a technical issue I was struggling with. Merci, Rajeev!

COMMENTS
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After my son washed and organized our towels he sent me this humorous photo. Now if all family members would stick to the plan! (My own towel is hidden upstairs, as I don't like to share towels, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, bathrobes, or some of the other things I sometimes find missing!)

My new office is in a room beside our upstairs bedroom. Too small to be a bedroom, this spare room quickly became a “cafouche”—a storage area filled mostly with my stuff and an armoire for Jean-Marc’s clothes. When our house filled up this month, I quickly cleared out enough space here to set up my computer. I used to write at the kitchen table, but with a full house, it's easier to concentrate up here. Now to find a home for the suitcases, vacuum and ironing board. Does anyone iron anymore?

Jean-Marc with Izzy (Ana’s dog) and Ricci, on their way to cool off in the sea.

FRENCH VOCABULARY

Click here to listen to Jean-Marc pronounce the French and English vocabulary (2)

l'embarras du choix = too many good options
la couverture (du livre) = (book) covers
je rigole = just kidding
je gère = I can handle it
le parfum = flavor
le ménage = household chores
dépassée = overwhelmed
la petite amie = girlfriend
le cafouche = storage room
la serviette = towel
géniale = brilliant
ça y est = that's it
et cetera pantoufle = and so on and so forth (obsolete phrase)
un petit souci = a little issue
le bonheur = happiness
bien joué = well done
jamais deux sans trois = good (or bad) things come in threes
l'escrime = fencing
se rendre = to surrender
bon courage = good luck
merci = thank you

REMERCIEMENTS
Sincere appreciation to the following readers who recently sent in a blog donation. Merci beaucoup! --Kristi

Kurt B.
Roisin L.
Marjory T.
Laura I. & Jim A.

Merci pour votre blog! I always enjoy reading it. Amitié, Marjory

Jules & Jean-Marc. My mom and her beau-fils are true complices, or "partners in crime" (if it is a crime to eat a lot of ice cream)!

The secret to staying the course (or completing a book project) is taking breaks. I enjoyed an early morning coffee with Max and Jackie here at KS 13--a beachfront restaurant where my daughter worked a few summers ago. It's super busy during the day, with people renting "transats" or sun chairs, and having lunch, but in the morning it is serene.

If, from here on out, you see a photo in my blog that would make a nice book cover, would you please let me know? Merci! This image was taken a few weeks ago in Cassis.


Ricci, keeping cool on the tile floors.