Las Flores en Tu Balcón

Astorganos are so very critical. Critical of themselves and critical of others. I'm convinced it's in their DNA. You can usually tell that you're doing something well, for example, if you don't hear something negative being said.  It's so true it's laughable, like a joke I heard last night at a benefit.

So, it was quite normal that I didn't immediately think lovely thoughts nor respond with a "thank you" when I heard a two elderly Spanish women assessing our place.  Or maybe they were speaking of the one for sale next door (any buyers?) I heard something about the balconies, perhaps our balconies, and they were saying "look at that, and look there, at those," and so on...

Camouflaged in my pink floral dress, I quietly kept dead-heading the geraniums, pinks, reds and whites. It's our garden, all that can fit and grow on four very small, approximately 5 by 2 foot wide and long balconies, looking for worms, noting a few white flies, and making my own critical assessment when they looked up, and we three knew we were unable to avoid a greeting of some sorts. So, I gave a little wave with my hand. The one resumed her commentary, "We are looking at your flowers. They are so noticeable, so nice."

Well, that made me stop and straighten up. "We really need to paint the facade," I answered, talking as natively as posible, starting up a humble and recognizable banter.

When the tiles and grout were being repaired in spring.

It was over in seconds, a short, but such pleasant exchange. When they said good-bye and I closed the balcony doors, I had to stop and smile at their admiration.
It feels so good. Yes, it does.  To do something well, and to hear it said. Maybe this is even more true in a foreign country. Makes you think.

Antique shop window/Escaparate en una tienda de antigüedades en Grants Pass, Oregon