Wednesday’s Word: Tree Hugger…Un Embrasseur d’Arbres,

Tree Hugger...Un Embrasseur d'Arbres

Ten minutes on foot from our home, there is a wild and wonderful forest. The Huveaune river weaves through it.

When I need to breath, to let my thoughts unwind… to let my inner child/spirit feel her way my feet know where to lead. 

I am not afraid to dance in the forest. The river, the birds… nature's song roots me.

 

Tree Hugger...Un Embrasseur d'Arbres

 

Chelsea and I went for a twilight walk in the forest. It never fails to offer us a moment of mysterious wonder. As Chelsea said, "We could be in a faraway forest… who would believe this is in our backyard?"

 

Running along side of the river

We brought our cameras with us.

Chelsea ran alongside of the river.

Her spirit soared, mine absorbed.

 

 

In the forest

 

The birds' song as evening fell was utterly tender. Their music takes me by the hand far and yet so near. I love when I feel transported, yet don't move.

 

 

Standing in the forest

On another note… This speaking in French thing was at first a challenge because I didn't feel myself when I spoke. But the more I do it the easier it is… except for when someone I know comes along and speaks English to me. Then I do not know what language I am speaking. I say French words instead of English ones, and English ones sound French. 

I never spoke French to my children when they were living at home, simply so they would be bi lingual. And they are. So when Chelsea came home and I spoke French to her, she waved her finger at me and said, "Oh no you don't!" she laughed, "It is a mental twister to go back and forth, and in and out of conversation isn't it?"

It is ridiculously hard for me to speak English to Chelsea, while I am speaking French to Yann, as he speaks French to Chelsea and most the time English to me. By the end of the day I don't know if I am speaking French, English or Chinese!

 

 

Tree Hugger

 

We could barely see our way home… but we didn't care, we know the way by heart. 

I asked French Husband, "How do you say, "Tree Hugger" in French?"

 

 

Tree hugger in France

 

Yann is growing accustom to my speaking only in French, and most the time he speaks back to me in French. Hugh leap on his part. He answered, "Un Embrasseur d'Arbres."

Then I asked, "Do you say "Femme Naturelle" for a natural woman?"

"I think so," as he shook his head yes. I continued in French:

 

Happy as a bird

"How do you call someone who likes to hug trees, who is organic, who daydreams of being a bird… you know someone who wants to be in tune with nature?"

His eyes twinkled when he said, "Crazy!"

 

Happy

With that I laughed. 

And came back to earth safe and sound.

Though French Husband doubts "sound" is a word that corresponds with my thinking.



Comments

25 responses to “Wednesday’s Word: Tree Hugger…Un Embrasseur d’Arbres,”

  1. Lovely photos. I love peeking into the bond you and Chelsea seem to share. Priceless.

  2. becky up a hill

    Splendid blog, an enchanted forest indeed. What is the name of that beautiful tree?

  3. What freedom and relaxation! You are lucky, indeed, to have such a forest practically at your doorstep.
    Such beautiful photos of you and Chelsea.

  4. You inspire like no other blogger. Priceless, that you have this magic in your backyard. Twilight has always been my favorite time of day. Moments like these are amazing.

  5. What fun! Beautifully captured moments. I used to love going on photo capturing ventures. Id always be behind the camera and id dress my sister up in something ancient like a falling to pieces wedding dress……..and she would be my beautiful dancing model …….in the days of film in cameras!

  6. Babes in the Woods.

  7. such a great tribute- to love -to nature to relationships!

  8. Lovely, yes! Oh how I would love to dance in the forest and hug each tree and take in the fragrance of the earth. Your photos and words make my heart want to be there and sing with you.

  9. Cynthia Rieth

    Just a quick question, do you dream in French or English?

  10. Kathie B

    Just change “French” to “Portuguese” and you get my plight when in the Azores!!!
    “This speaking in Portuguese thing was at first a challenge because I didn’t feel myself when I spoke. But the more I do it the easier it is… except for when someone I know comes along and speaks English to me. Then I do not know what language I am speaking. I say Portuguese words instead of English ones, and English ones sound Portuguese.”

  11. Jeannie

    I love the photos of you and Chelsea leaning against the trees – wood nymphs! I have a hard enough time communicating in English. I think my head would explode trying to bounce between languages. I also would like to know the answer to Cynthia’s question as to if you dream in French or English. 🙂

  12. Patti Lloyd

    “just a song at twilight, when the lights are low, and the evening shadows softly come and go. Though my heart be weary, sad the day and long, still to us at twilight comes loves sweet song”….a tune my grandmother played on the piano.

  13. I’ll wager that Yann finds his wildly wonderful nature girls plenty grounded. He’s no fool. xoxo

  14. An enchanting post of enchanting photos in an enchanting forest – tres bien fait!

  15. Beautiful photos!! Such a mysterious wood!
    Since my dear husband is at work I looked up “tree hugger” in Japanese on google translate just for fun. I got a series of six Kanji (Chinese characters), only two of which looked at all familiar, and none of which was the character for tree. Oh well!
    I so know what you mean about not knowing which language you’re speaking. I have always spoken in Japanese while speaking in English to my kids – it can get pretty funny sometimes!

  16. Hi Cynthia
    I dream in English and French. And a Mixture of the two.

  17. I love your backyard forest! ANd beautiful pics of you both.
    The beech woods when I was growing up in England were always a special place for me.
    Trees are what I miss here. Though the ones we planted are slowly growing, it’ll be many years before they can hope to be anything like a forest!

  18. You’re not crazy just a free spirit………..

  19. You have a beautiful LIFE COREY!And truly a Beautiful forest in your backyard!I forgot you were speaking only French to French husband………I think I will try that with Italian husband too…………it would be good for me!Can I be a copy cat??

  20. Kathie B

    1. One of my fond memories of our May-time visit to Provence was our walk with you along the same river in those woods — such a serene spot, yet so close to town. Wish we were there again…
    2. Perhaps you could ask Chelsea how she manages shifting among French, English, Chinese and Spanish without getting confused. Or does such switching confuse her too?

  21. Melissa

    I code switch with my parents. Imagine stringing up 3 languages in a sentence! Funnily, when I think, it is in only one language.
    Currently, am code switching as well as teaching my daughter 2 languages. Though husband doesn’t help at all. He speaks to her in English when I encouraged him to speak in Polish.
    Love the fact you have a forest as a backyard. I know I won’t leave it. It is but a magical fun place.

  22. Corey, the Forest Fairy (especially in the 4th photo from the top). Lovely.

  23. jend’isère

    The Magique of the Forest has a language of its own!

  24. Utterly magic 🙂
    Bravo that you have gotten Yann to speak to you in French! The change is hard.

  25. Heather in SF

    What a fantastic piece this is….I’m often struck by how you weave moments together with such grace, so positive, with places, ideas, people. You are the Saturday artist every day.

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