Commandments

Commandments (Eng.)/ Commandments (Fr.): a divine rule; a set of rules to be observed as strictly as the ten commandments.

I wonder if he actually stuck to this.

Vers la bas

Downswing (Eng.) Vers la bas (Fr.) n. : a downturn; downwards

For a young lady, Gabourey Sidibe sure is wise. Watching this short interview with her on the definition of friendship caused me to take pause. To recognize that there are friends who are the first to show up when you are in crisis, but those same friends are the last to offer you a congratulations. I imagine that the same in true in reverse. And that is okay to have these two types of friends as long as you know what to expect from that friendship.

But, is it possible to have, or to be, a friend that swings both ways? I suppose that is what a best friend is. And something I am being extra conscious of these days in terms of the type of friend I strive to be.
 

Surprise

Surprise (Fr.)/ Surprise (Fr.) v. : To cause to feel wonder, astonishment or amazement at something unanticipated.

The word surprise is the same in French as it is in English. It's just pronounced differently. No matter how you say it, surprise was exactly what happened to my newly 40-year old friend earlier this summer.

His partner had covertly arranged to have his friends from all of the world come to their house in Bourgogne for a surprise birthday weekend bash. Lucky for them that their house can sleep upwards of 14 people because remarkably his friends arrived from all over the world-- from the west coast of the US to New Zealand.

Getting him away from the house for the day on Friday proved challenging, but nothing an all day wine tasting couldn't resolve.

While he was out the guests began showing up, complete with various versions of jet lag. Everyone then proceeded to take the element of surprise up a notch by wearing disguises. George Washington wigs, masks, scarves, etc. were put to task. The fact that we all began our own "wine tasting" helped in the costume creativity department.

When he arrived, we were all huddled into the candlelit wine cave out in the backyard.

He was instructed to "go pick an evening bottle of wine from the cave" (like ya do when you live in Bourgogne, France). He opened the wine cave door and BAM! I think his suprise was actually a blend of overwhelming joy and sheer terror, as he could not make out a single person. Alas the big reveal unfolded over the next hour-- one by one their identities were revealed.

The entire weekend was non stop laughter, story telling, impromptu cabaret performances, bonding, and wine tastings. Perfection!

Déborder

Déborder (Fr.) / Overflow (Eng.) v.: to fill beyond capacity; to have boundless supply; to flow or run over the top.

This has definitely been one of the most memorable summers of my life.

I have given myself permission to lean into it and to get lost in the non-stop joyful experiences that it has produced. It was the epitome of the work hard/ play hard philosophy. Sure, there were times when I thought "Good grief, I should hop off this ride and catch my breath. This is too much for one girl to take in." But instead of listening to that voice of lack, I did the opposite and am now able to take a step back and reflect on everything that has been happening.

So bear with me as I begin to recap this summer's incredible journey filled with surprise birthday parties in Bourgogne, jet skiing in Cannes, dining alfresco in Aix en Provence, Gay Pride weekend in Paris, first class train trips to Amsterdam, world horticultural exhibition in Venlo, and the trip of a lifetime through Italy. All to be captured somehow over the next few posts.

My cup runneth over.