Some people put things in windows, and most people do not. Men rarely do. I think few women do now, as they are too busy to collect things and dust them and place them carefully around. But many more women do than men, I think. I look at the beautiful things Florence put in the window and I see her as a generous and very thoughtful person. Why would you put things in the window unless you wanted people to share in the beauty of them? These small grace notes brush against the soul and touch the heart. I only spoke with Florence a few times, but I liked her very much from the things I saw in her windows.

My wife puts things in all of the windows, and changes them constantly. Rocks, crystals, feathers, carvings, candles. I am always surprised and delighted when I look up at a window and see beautiful things in it. I realize that Florence and Maria must be very much alike. Why do you put things in the window, I ask? To see the light through them, she said. Perhaps Florence was an artist, too.