This November my blog will be 16 years old. To celebrate I am asking you my readers to submit a Guest Post for my blog as a way of celebrating our connectedness as a community through social media.
I hope you will send me your story or at least a glimpse into your life (please send your story and JPEG photos to my email then I will post them to my blog. This will introduce you to one another.
Many of you are feeling shy, or worse not worthy as if there is a prize for the best life lived. I hope, truly hope, you will take a leap of faith in telling me and my readers about yourself, a cherished memory, a recipe, a hobby, what inspires you, what you dream about, and more importantly how are you? What are you living with or through right now?
Your story, as all of our stories, are one, interconnected by the weaver, the river, the dreamer, the wind, the path as we are on moving forward to the light. Please consider sharing a bit of yourself with me.
Thank you in advance for being part of French la Vie / Tongue in Cheek.
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Hello, my name is Lisa Zimbler and I was lucky enough to first connect with Corey in 2013. I had been scouring the internet in preparation for a month-long family trip through France when I came upon her blog, Tongue in Cheek. I was immediately drawn by her powerful and often personal insights on what appeared from my perspective to be a pretty charmed life that she and her“French Husband” led in France. Corey’s blog combined her rich poetic musings on the blessings in life, appreciation for the everyday beauty of France along with photos of the many treasures she found at the French brocantes.
On a whim, I reached out to Corey through her blog, and to no surprise to those of you following, she responded.
This led to a series of correspondence with Corey who generously offered suggestions on places to see and things to do in Paris, and ended with an invitation to meet for dinner while there. The night before the dinner with Corey, I warned my family that this would either be the strangest or the absolute best thing we would do on the trip.
Well, if you are a regular reader of this blog, you can guess what happened next.
We met at one the loveliest of old bistros in Paris, Josephine Chez Dumonet (her suggestion, of course), and enjoyed an evening of easy conversation and a meal we will never forget (I still dream of their souffle).
And we learned something new.
Corey explained to us that when the French dines, they consider this a "moment", a special time for friends and family to gather, share a good meal and conversation. That's one reason service in France may seem slow. It has nothing to do with inattentive or rude service, it's simply that the French don't want you to feel rushed and respect your time dining as if it were an event, a celebration of life if you will.
And it should be this way if you think about it.
We Americans often eat alone or rush through our meals to get onto something more important. If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic, we all now have a finer appreciation for the precious time spent with dear friends and family.
Here in France, Corey explained, “A meal is a time to cherish those you are with, to unplug, appreciate the fine food set before you, the wine poured in your glass and the efforts of the Chefs and waiters serving you.” In the traditional bistros and fine dining establishments of France, she told us that great pride is taken by these true professionals who often have an investment in the restaurant, but also understand the importance of creating a special meal, an experience, a moment for their customers that fosters goodwill and a loyal clientele.
Corey is both an amazing writer and an engaging storyteller, her facial expressions warm and animated with my two teenage daughters hanging on her every word, listening intently to her stories. And they were so impressed she actually knew who “One Direction” was (their favorite American boy band at the time)! Afterward, they both agreed, "She was really cool!"
Our evening with Corey was more than a moment, it was one of those rare life events we will remember fondly forever.
A week later in Provence, we again met our new “French” friend, Corey, her sweet husband, Yann, and Yann’s mother, in Carpentras to go through one the largest and best brocantes (antique flea markets) in the area. With Corey's guidance, translation (and negotiation) we bought several antique treasures, some dating back to the early 18th century. We also enjoyed spending time with Yann and Corey later that evening at our villa where we enjoyed champagne, lovely cheeses, and inspiring conversation. They shared stories of how they met and their children.
Their generous spirit and time they spent with us was certainly one of the best "treasures" we acquired on this trip.
Her blog posts are still one of the first things I read in the morning as they bring a sense of joy as I start my day. When I think of Corey, I marvel at how comfortably welcome we always feel in her presence. She is truly a gem of a person, someone who extends her life into so many others in a truly loving, unconditional way. A gift, a blessing.
Pictured above: My daughter, Emily, and I as we dined again with Corey while on a mother/daughter writing trip to Paris in 2016
(again at our now favorite, Josephine Chez Dumonet).
More about Lisa and her family's trip to France here.
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More About Lisa (I have taken the liberty to add Lisa's Website):
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