flowers on the way up

As you may know, European legislation, far from just being abstract paperwork and bureaucracy in Brussels, touches home in so many ways. One of those has to do with the elevators – lifts – as the British say.

Well, ours is getting onto its 80th birthday. It has that old-world charm of being one of  those wooden cabins with what’s known as French wood and glass doors that flap open. Most of the time it works pretty well. Once in a while, it does stop between floors for a rest, though. The folk in Brussels say such contraptions belong to the past.

Well, after a little negotiation and haggling, what we we have to do is update the machinery and install a brand new system of doors. So that is what’s being done. Needless to say, it’s a good time to be in the elevator business!!

The work began about 6 weeks ago and will be finished either before Christmas or after New Year’s.

In the meantime … we walk upstairs to our apartments. As I live on the 3rd floor (4th in American…) it’s easy enough. For the lucky few who live further up, say on the 5th or 6th or 7th, though, it’s been not only good daily exercise, but an opportunity to see the landings on the other floors as well!

A couple of years ago, I put a table with some plants and flowers on the landing I share with my neighbors. They agreed to my project so long as I took care of the gardening. Which I do with great pleasure. It’s one of those things that keeps me out of trouble.

Now to my surprise, when I went out a couple of days ago, there was this little note on the table:

(Thank you for these beautiful flowers. I’m happy to see them every day.)

I wondered who wrote that … but no matter, I thought it was such a kind gesture to let us know …. and in return … I added another hyacinth or two which I’d been growing.

Yesterday … this is what I saw:

(Life is beautiful, your flowers, too!)

Well, that encouraged my neighbors to add even more …. and our mysterious admirer left us this note today :

(There are more and more flowers. That’s how we live happiness!)

How sweet the dialogue is … Here’s what our humble decoration looks like today …

Stay tuned for tomorrow …

wnd whoever said the French were complainers doesn’t have an ounce of appreciation in his head!

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Author: Mark