In May, 2012, my friend Kaaren and I saw a doll house on her neighbor’s curb, discovered it was up for grabs, dragged it home, and asked my husband to convert it to a Little Free Library for our yard. Little did we know we had set in motion a string of events that would eventually capture the imagination of all our friends and neighbors.
Ode to the Mystery
on Pinetree Drive
~Debby Miller
1. A dollhouse, outgrown and discarded,
From
Burlington to Pinetree was carted.
Intended to be
A library free,
Right
away, the new owner got started.
2. It
would be the best birthday gift ever.
His
wife would so love the endeavor.
He’d build a new roof,
Add a door, waterproof,
To
keep her books safe from the weather.
Six months later, the unimproved dollhouse was still in the garage . . .
3. Alas,
the great plan had a hole.
For
his schedule was out of control.
Too soon came the date.
Her gift would be late.
But
at least he could mount it on pole.
So, in November 2012, on the eve of her birthday . . .
4. He
worked by the light of the moon.
It
was worth it to hear her croon.
“A Little Free Library?
A gift extraordinary!
And
I know you will finish it soon.”
5. But
the weeks, they came and they went.
His
time by his job was well-spent.
Then one day sublime,
In the fullness of time,
A
small change became evident.
By now it was January 2013 . . .
6. First—a
tiny table and chair.
The
mystery was, “Who put it there?”
We questioned our friends.
All leads were dead-ends.
So,
how did it come, and from where?
7. Soon
a miniature cupboard appeared.
Still,
nobody volunteered.
More pieces showed up,
Nobody fessed up,
But
at each new arrival, we cheered.
8. A
fireplace, a bed, and a stove,
Pieces
tucked into every alcove.
A bunny, if you please,
And a pet Siamese,
Became
part of the treasury trove.
9. An
easel with original art!
A
piano for performing Mozart!
You were ever so clever.
We kept hoping, however,
That
your secret you soon would impart.
10.
One morning the windows had curtains.
We
had to find out now, for certain.
Your ID, kept hazy,
Is driving us crazy!
How
long can you keep up this flirtin’?
One piece at a time, across seven months . . .
11.
Your wit simply can’t be outdone.
Your
game was tremendously fun.
From unfinished small house,
To full furnished doll house,
No
question, you hit a home run.
 |
Dollhouse on pole
 |
| A closer look |
 |
Elfin kitchen
The white bunny showed up on Easter morning |
|
 |
| Elf OfficeNotice the cut sticky pads to keep the furniture from blowing away |
 |
Elf bedroom
complete with corner fireplace and custom handmade curtains |
 |
Even an artist's studio
with easel and original painting of
a giant face peeking in the window.
|
July 2013, seven months after the first chair had appeared, it was time. . .
12.
The dollhouse would soon be replaced,
With
a library for readers with taste.
We had finally hired
An architect, retired,
To
finish the job, post haste.
13.
When he came to remove it from view.
Little
Library was long overdue.
It was taken away,
And the very next day.
On
the pole came a sign, said “Boo hoo!”
Passersby asked what happened to
the house . . .
14.
The neighbors had watched it evolve.
Now
we all boo-hooed the dissolve.
But with our thanks, fare thee well,
And a story to tell,
Of
your housekeeping duties, be absolved.
15.
One hope remains from the fact
That
you don’t have your furniture back.
We’ll return it toot sweet,
If you appear on the street,
To
join us for wine and a snack.
That was the limerick I hung on the
empty pole, minus the photos and commentary between verses, in hopes that the mystery benefactors
would bite . . .
16.
Continuing on with the history
Of
the ongoing Pinetree mystery,
With the limerick still up,
We went out for sup
To
mark our forty-second anniversary.
July 24, 2013 . . .
17.
We dined in a restaurant from Rome.
It
was late when we returned home.
When we switched on the light,
Right there in plain sight,
Was
a little note taped to my phone.
18. It might have said, “Mystery solved!”
But
for us it was still unresolved.
A note in the kitchen?
Now that’s just bewitchin’
Does
this mean our family’s involved?
19.
Was our daughter the mystery maker?
We
simply could not wait to wake her.
She woke in a fuzz,
But she knew who it was!
Of
the note she was just the caretaker.
20.
Her story was this: Came a knock.
It
was just after seven o’clock.
Two folks we don’t know
Gave a friendly hello,
And
at last, they were ready to talk.
21.
But alas, we were out for the night.
The
timing was not yet quite right.
Folk artist was he,
A writer was she,
They
would just leave their cards and take flight.
22.
But not without bidding us well,
With
a promise their story to tell,
Would I come the next day
Just a few blocks away?
This
time I should ring their doorbell.
The next day, with a touch of trepidation, I drove to the Adair Street address on their business cards after seven months of
wondering . . .
23.
The house was well kept, and disarming.
The
people inside, truly charming.
In three minutes flat,
We were deep into chat
Of
the mystery from both sides, heartwarming.
 |
Meet Bill Kaiser
and Barbara Allen |
24.
From careers, they both have retired.
And
both are creatively wired.
You can tell it by looking.
Their home is quite cooking
With
orginal art, well inspired.
25.
His art fills the house and the yard.
Hers
comes out in words, like a bard.
And it’s beautiful art . . .
Good taste from the heart . . .
The
kind one can highly regard.
26.
Their charm, it was hard to resist.
Their
energy not to be missed.
From the start, did they know
How their story would grow?
Their
side of the picture was this:
27.
He had spied the small house every Sunday
On
his way to men’s breakfast, and one day,
He fancied himself
As a dollhouse elf,
And
from then on, each Sunday was fun day.
28.
Their identity, finally, I knew.
But
my family would want to know too.
I invited them back
To our house for a snack,
The
whole story again to review.
29.
Then of course our friends wanted to meet
The elves who had captured the street.
At their house, a meal hearty,
At our house, a big party,
We
planned for the gather and greet.
30. Meantime the dollhouse had been changed
To
a Little Free Library, and arranged
With an honorary room,
For the people with whom,
We
have since in new friendship engaged.
31. The little room got its design
from dollhouse consultant friend Lina.
And of course, builder Paul,
Who pulled it all
Together with craftsmanship fina.
The Kaiser Allen Reading Room
32.
New Year’s Eve for the party was cited.
All
the people involved were invited.
With a blanket wrapped tight
Round the house till midnight,
Oh,
what cheers the unveiling excited!
33. More questions were asked, bright and bold,
As both sides of the story were told.
Then come to find out,
With a murmur and shout,
Barbara too, had a limerick, Behold!
**********
Dollhouse Poem
~Barbara Allen
We love our Decatur
downtown
The courthouse, the
squirrels, up and down
but for a daily trip,
we tended to skip
We'd much rather drive
around.
Using Pinetree saved us
a lot,
It got us from West
Ponce to Scott
To get Chinese or
curry,
always in a hurry
we usually took the
short cut.
One day a brand new
dimension
A DOLLHOUSE, it caught
our attention
Raised on a pole
No front, but a whole
house, and a porch/deck
extension.
Oh, goody, we said on
our way
Someone is going to
display
A new place, all shiny
A house, but more tiny
we'll happily track
this each day.
But weeks and weeks
went by
And still no one would
try
To put in a buffet
a sofa, a tea tray
We thought we could
hear the house cry.
Bill just couldn't
stand the bare
So one day he added a
chair.
An artist at heart
He was glad to start
The furnishing with his
own flair.
Each Sunday he tried to
be sneaky
Although the rain made
it quite leaky.
He'd put in a hutch,
a table, not much
Now hooked, he swung by
there weekly.
It would require
a place for a fire.
then add something
pretty
a little white kitty.
For Easter a bunny
would really be funny.
a lamp and a stool
would look pretty cool.
But all good things
must come to an ending
So one day we drove
'round the bending
Did it disappear
Our dollhouse, so dear?
Is this it, or is more
a-pending?
We found out the rest
of the tale
A project, neglected,
went stale.
Without detection,
We'd changed its
direction.
Small LIBRARY is
coming, all hail!
After the party, we waited until Springtime, April 2014, when . . .
34.
Husband Moe took on a big role.
By
building a sturdy new pole.
He and son-in-law Thad
Worked together like mad
To
cement the new house in the hole.
35. Two doors on the front had new hooks,
Scott mapped out a garden for looks.
Next, Thad prepped the soil.
The plants were my toil.
Then at last it was ready for books.
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| Son-in-law Thaddeus Nathaniel |
36. The only thing left yet to do
For
our Little Free Library new
Was order the lumber
for our registered number
More information about Little Free Libraries can be found at:
dkm
