

“Honey, reach up and turn off the stove,” Mom said, immediately dispersing our troubled thoughts. If I begin to think about our life without him I…. It’s late now, Grandma, let’s head in for the night! Smokey’s humble, easygoing, loving and caring dogness is an ever present sweetness in our lives-and as you have seen, he is a helpful guide in Jules’s life. At 7 in the morning Smokey says: Bark bark! It’s time for breakfast, Grandma, and by 8: Should we go out to the garden now, Grandma? Bark, bark! Sometimes at 11, he'll wonder, Is it time for a snack, Grandma? Bark! And finally at 8 pm. I hear Smokey barking suggestions to Jules all day long, and have the pleasure and delight of hearing Mom translate them all to me as the two go about their day. “Do you hear him talking to me?” Mom asks, as we gaze at one of the favorite members of our family, his blond hair whirling in the ventilator's breeze. And so much of it is thanks to Mom, who gives all the credit right back to Smokey. “Well,” Jules replied, searching the positive side, “he is one happy dog!”

“When we had all those bumps removed 4 months ago, I knew it was only the surface of the iceberg.” I said to Mom, as a heaviness filled the room. As I caressed our dog I suddenly felt another bosse, this time between his neck and shoulder, nestled deep enough to go unnoticed as it grew…and grew. On my way back I picked up the green metal fauteuil and set it in front of the kitchen island, facing Mom’s bed, and we settled into our late afternoon tête-à-tête, chatting while petting and fussing over Smokey, who turns 13 next month. I set the goûter in the fridge beside the very same yogurt I’d brought previously and noticed it was untouched. Pull up that chair I brought in for you.” “Mom, are you keeping cool enough? Let me bring in another fan!” I said.

The ventilateur on the nightstand that had been cooling her was now whirring loudly on the floor beside our golden retriever. Le temps vole!īeyond the sliding glass doors I saw Mom resting on her bed. In the frigo I took a yogurt and a banana and headed out the kitchen door, to our garage-turned-studio where Jules has lived for four years now. A quiproquo is a misunderstanding where one takes a living being, an object or a situation for another.Ī DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasseĭuring yesterday’s heatwave I was looking for a cold treat to bring Mom. Un quiproquo est un malentendu où l'on prend un être vivant, un objet ou une situation pour une autre. : a misunderstanding, misinterpretation, misapprehensionĪUDIO: click here to listen to the example sentence below Don't miss a beautiful picture of my Mom, Jules, at the close of this post (if your are reading via email, click on the link somewhere below to continue reading). Our soon-to-be 13-year-old, Smokey and day lilies from our friends Anne and Kirk.
