Merci Beaucoup to Fran and Jodie Hellman for hosting our Quartorze Juillet celebration. We had lots of fun playing pétanque and ate delicious food brought by all, especially the BBQ chicken and pulled pork, prepared by Chef Fran. Even though it was still daylight when we sang “La Marseillaise”, we still lit sparklers to mark the occasion.
Delicious food and interesting conversations made our December 10 Holiday Cocktail Party a huge success. Special thanks to our Hosts: John and Lawrence. John’s bartending was, as usual, spectacular! MERCI!
Scrumptious hors d’oeuvres and desserts were prepared by Marilyn, Marcel & Gail, Nancy, Renée, Carol and Marda.
It was great to see our long-time members and many new members coming together to celebrate this special time of the year!
Click Below to see a photo gallery from the evening.
Thirty-four people attended our Cheese Making Presentation on March 6. Daniel George, cheesemaker and cheese monger, from Cato Corner Farms in Colchester, selected six cheeses to complement four paired wines. Over wine and cheese, he explained everything from the cows, to the cheesemaking process, affinage, and piecing together the perfect cheese plate! What an interesting presentation!
Merci beaucoup Daniel. C’était fantastique!
To see photos of this event: Click HERE
Bonne Fête – et Amusez-vous bien!
Les origines de Mardi Gras: Tout au long de l’année, se succèdent des fêtes qui rythment la vie des chrétiens. La fête de Mardi Gras a tous les ans une date différente, fixée par rapport à la date de Pâques, qui elle même varie en fonction du cycle de la Lune.
Mardi gras est le jour qui précède le Mercredi des Cendres. Il y a 40 jours de Carême, entre le mercredi des cendres et le jour de Pâques.
Pour marquer le coup avant que ces privations ne commencent, la veille, le mardi, on faisait gras. On finissait les aliments gras avant de se mettre au carême. On en profite pour faire des beignets, des bugnes et des fritures. De plus, la tradition du carême veut qu’on arrête également de manger des œufs, donc on en profite pour faire des crêpes.
Par opposition au carême, le carnaval est une période de joie et de liberté où les règles de vie normales sont suspendues et où chacun fait un peu comme il lui plaît : on se déguise, on mange tout ce qu’on veut, on sort chanter dans les rues.
Lors de ces fêtes de Carnaval on retrouve toujours le principe d’inversion au travers des costumes et des jeux (maître/esclave, homme/femme), on se déguise, on fait ripailles, on offre des cadeaux, chants et danses sont de la fête.
Chars géants, parades, bals masqués, confettis et serpentins, fanfares, c’est la période des excès démonstratifs !
Chaque pays à sa propre interprétation des réjouissances avec toujours un même objectif : faire la fête !
Cet article vient de ce site: http://www.joyeuse-fete.com/mardigras.html
Members, old and new, came together for our end-of-year Holiday Party held at the Heritage Hotel in Southbury. We were treated with delicious food and sweets from the buffet while an 8 year-old student from our Parent/Child French class played a beautiful flute solo (with no music) and then she played 5 Christmas carols while we sang. Our 6-year old student recited the poem by Maurice Careme entitled “Le Chat et Le Soleil” and a mother-daughter duo from our French for Travelers class sang a beautiful duet in French!
We are excited to have so many new families who have joined AFNWCT and we were delighted to meet them at our “Fête.”
What a wonderful time we had on July 12 for our Bastille Day party!
MERCI to Micheline who prepared all the scrumptious food and offered such a lovely setting around her backyard pool – even the weather was perfect! Hospitality Chairwoman, Nancy creatively decorated the tables and fences with festive dish towels from different French regions and fresh flowers in vases. Sabina also helped with bringing out the 3 courses of foods which were beautifully arranged on the buffet table.
Upon arrival, the guests were given a nametag on their back and everyone graciously participated in the game of “Which Famous French Person am I?” About 12 people played a competitive game of Pétanque, a couple of people enjoyed swimming in the pool, and the French music inspired our two ballroom dancers to a Parisian swing and everyone ate, and ate and ate, sipped wine and enjoyed a delightful afternoon together.
To the more than 80 members and friends who attended our La Vie Parisienne fundraising event on Sunday, May 3 at the Heritage Hotel in Southbury, we hope you had fun and we thank you for your Support!
We raised approximately $1000.00 which will go towards supporting our AF Center and French Language School opened in September 2014 in Southbury.
We also wish to thank all of the area businesses* and members and friends who generously donated gift certificates, original artwork, and other fine items for our Silent Auction, Raffle and our River Seine book stall (listed below).
It’s important to note that without our team of very hard working members who spent endless hours creatively planning, organizing, purchasing materials, fixing up baskets, and putting all the finishing touches on everything, this fantastic event would never have happened and we send you “Un Grand Merci!”:
Room Settings and Themes creatively designed by Nancy Callahan; Basket Beautifications: Nancy Callahan and Carol Donahue; Contracts: Brian Denyer, Richard Stoops, Yvonne Stoops; Program Ad Sales: Gail Gros, Rolly Grover, Evelyne Purdy and Yvonne Stoops; Program Copy and Design: Marda Gutierrez; Set up: Nancy Callahan, Carol Donahue, Jim Donahue, Michele Paquet Finn, Candida Fitts, Jean-Marie Gutierrez, Richard Stoops, Yvonne Stoops, Diane Yates with special thanks to Deb Tata for the use of her bistro table & chairs; Clean-up: Brigitte and Rod Bentley, Noelle Janatka, Gail Gros, Marcel Gros, Evelyne Purdy, Strother Purdy; Photographer: Lea Claflin; Montmartre Backdrop Created by Diane Yates
Mime: Jeff Smithson, Proponent of Play; Caricaturist: Bill Hernandez, Graphics Interactive LLC.
If you missed our event but wish to add a donation, please visit our Donations Page
*Please consider thanking the businesses for their generous support by giving them your business: Ace Hardware, Woodbury; Ameico, New Milford; Deb A. Tata, CFP, ChFC, MBA: Ameriprise Financial Services, Middlebury; Dietrich Gardens, Woodbury; Edwin Sparn, CatBackward: A Tale of CIA; Heritage Hotel, Southbury; Heritage Pharmacy, Southbury; LaBonne’s, Southbury; Middlebury Baking Company, Middlebury; Newbury Musical Theatre, Southbury; Ovens of France, Woodbury; Oliva Restaurant, Bethlehem; Premier Wines & Spirits, Southbury; Riva’s Rides, Danbury; Shutter Speed Photo, Middlebury; SPLASH Car Wash, Southbury; Warehouse Wines and LIquors, Southbury and Danbury.
This summer’s novel will be Le Testament français by Adrei Makine to be read aloud together in the beautiful setting of the Audubon Center Bent of the River, in Southbury.
Starting Saturday, June 6, this group meets twice a month on Saturdays (replacing Cafe Conversation) to discuss the text. Chairperson, Kathryn MacCullough, will be ordering the French version for ~$13.95 or those who also want the English version, it will be ~$14.95. The exact amount will be available soon.
Please send an email by May 7 to Kathryn at matinee@afnwct.org to be added to the participation list and/or to order a copy of the book.
Checks made payable to AFNWCT may be mailed to our Southbury AF Center: 1 Pomperaug Office Park, Suite 301, Southbury, CT 06488.
FYI: Amazon also sells a Bilingual (Francais/Anglais) Kindle version for $.99 which is downloaded wirelessly to your Kindle, iPad or iPhone.
Here is a brief synopsis:
Le Testament Français par Andreï Makine
Every summer young Andreï visits his grandmother, Charlotte Lemonnier, whom he loves dearly. In a dusty village overlooking the vast Russian steppes, she captivates him with wondrous tales – watching Proust play tennis in Neuilly, Tsar Nicholas II’s visit to Paris, French president Felix Faure dying in the arms of his mistress. But from his mysterious grandmother Andreï also learns of a Russia he has never known: a country of famine and misery, brutal injustice, and the hopeless chaos of war. Enthralled, he weaves her stories into his own secret universe of memory and dream. A poignant story of a Soviet boy’s ascent into adulthood in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the novel is an epic tale full of passion and tenderness, pain and heartbreak, mesmerizing in every way.
More questions can be directed to Kathryn at matinee@afnwct.org
Click here for more details.
5:00 to 8:00pm
Come shop at The Loft and receive 40% discount on all purchases. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served while we shop for clothing at this Southbury retail clothing store. Fashion style experts and Mary Kay cosmetic consultants will give our members and guests the V.I.P. treatment! All participants will be entered into a drawing for The Loft gift certificates.
RSVP by May 4 by calling (203) 707-0710 or write to afnwct@afnwct.org.
CLICK HERE FOR: ADDITIONAL DETAILS
12 noon to 4pm.
Get ready to be transported to the streets of Paris and enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of entertainment including a professional mime. Join us for a delicious Brunch with Mimosas at the Heritage Hotel in Southbury. Peruse our enticing selection of Silent Auction themed gift baskets and be wowed by the special items donated by area businesses and members. A photographer will be on hand to take a souvenir picture in front of the Eiffel Tower, then head towards “Montmartre” and have your “portrait” drawn by a professional caricaturist; don’t forget to check out the book stall and flower stand along the river Seine… No need to bring your passport nor do you need to understand or speak French.
This is a great Mother’s Day gift idea!
Proceeds from this fund raising event will go towards our French Language School and building our library of books, cds and dvds.
Purchase your tickets below or send checks made payable to AFNWCT to: 1 Pomperaug Office Park, Suite 301, Southbury, CT 06488
Adults – $45.00; Students – $20.00
HURRY! All tickets must be purchased by April 27.
For more information call (203) 707-0710
CLICK HERE FOR: ADDITIONAL DETAILS
