The Little Words Mean the Most

Night of the Rings

PURE HUMAN

A few years ago, visiting Fab & Jean-Claude at La Seyne-sur-Mer, near the historic anchorage of Toulon, we ate at a lovely restaurant in the country, located at a vintner's. The host that night memorably wore jodphurs and riding boots. When he saw the gaudy rings on Simone's fingers, he exploded in ooohs. So Simone gave him one, purchased at a designer's shop in Detroit. In return, he gave us bottles of the estate's wine. To commemorate that occasion of "rings across the sea," this Saturday she wore a selection of "tacky but cool" jewelry for a night out at his new restaurant, L'Atelier du Vigneron. She hoped he'd remember, as the sign on a wall reflected. AND HE DID!!!?! Owner, Christophe Gadiffert de Bretigny, poses with ring girl after choosing two more for his vast collection.

 

Montpellier Revisited Again and again and again and

"Naturally cave aged"

as seen on my saucisson and artisanal trolls everywhere

 

In France, writing (& rewriting) 5 direct mail packs

And took notes of my thoughts as I struggled....

The first thing you say is all important. How you get the conversation moving. With a mental nod. What do we have in common? What do I know about you?

High class ("fortunate" vs. "lucky"; intentional). But small words and common language, too: "heal."

Almost always prefer shorter. "Just" is fewer syllables than "only," which improves my grade-level score.

Keep 'em rolling: transitions matter.

When do you want the gift decision? Today.

What's on the LEFT EDGE at the beginnings of the ¶s? Think heat map.

Important statements deserve white space to frame them. And what's important is the stuff that flatters the donor and makes her feel good, useful, contributor.

Have handy Jen Shang's 9 adjectives. Sprinkle liberally.

Check the grade level every few edits, always driving it down.

Nothing but one-line ¶s at the beginning. That's the top of the hill, and you've got to remove the brakes. Deeper ¶s are brakes to speed reading.

If you can't get "you" into every ¶, get it at least into every SHORT ¶; the short ¶s will be the reader's stepping stones

Know your SMIT

Odd numbers are better than trite numbers: $55 vs. $50, say?

Beginning: hook the reader (it's personal). Middle: explain the offer. End: prove that philanthropy makes a critical difference, so the fish doesn't WANT to wiggle off the hook.

What donor delight can I throw into the closing???

It HAS to sound like conversation, I hear George Smith saying in my head

Like blacksmithing: you heat it up, then pound it into shape, over and over

The Empress' New Clothes: Her bottle-caddy hat

A walk to Montblanc: We grow wheat as well as wine

Starbucks, steal my secret recipe!

Combine a generous swig of fresh ginger syrup from the English lady at the local outdoor market with pressed Italian-roast black coffee.... Voilà: a breakfast drink with bite, spice and wonder.

A twilight walk through our little town...

...is growing up!

"Don't stare at my satellite dish. It's really part of my roof." It's election season for the European parliament, and some candidates want to be elected so they can take apart the Union.

Springtime of the Comedians

The Pézenas Toy Museum

We love this place. It's where nostalgia comes to explode. Kids go crazy. Adults go crazier. And it's a labor of love, certainly not money. It's a retired husband and wife. He's collected toys from the time he was 10. Now he's in his 60s. They also sell antique toys at the museum. I bought a 1930's submarine. Simone loved the classroom. She'd attended a similar one in France in the 1950s. The museum changes its exhibits constantly. Click on any photo to enlarge it and hear time passing.