On Beauty

One of the things I appreciate most about France is the loving attention to detail you find in everyday things. It's the cake in the bakery window, piled high with glazed fruit and elaborate spun sugar swirls, that's a miniature work of art. Or the small window box, an oasis of color in an otherwise monotonously white limestone facade. In the villages outside of Paris, it's these tiny pieces of hardware that hold wooden shutters open, fashioned not just to be utilitarian but also to lend a touch of beauty to a humble setting. Those shutters may need a good sanding and a fresh coat of paint, but in the meantime, this little lady is doing her job with dignity and grace.