On a Sunday walk on the Saint Michaels Nature trail I passed a favorite house, with a brilliant chartreuse fence. Growing out of the fence was a dollhouse sized structure sporting a paper that said “I Brio am pleased to announce the dedication and grand opening of Brio’s little Free Library. 3pm…” Wine and bread were offered in exchange for a book. As a further inducement I noticed a sign on the outside of the library that said “There are no strangers here, only friends you have not met yet.”
Happily I cut my walk short, obtained said book, and opened the purple gate which was flanked with purple Dutch clogs. I did not know who Brio was, but was met by the owners, an old friend, Peter Hartjens and his stylish wife Constance Morris Hope (a leadership coach). We sat at a sunny outdoor table, painted purple and sporting a dragon centerpiece. We sipped wine and chatted with Interesting neighbors who soon dropped by. Brio the dog slept under the table.
Peter previously owned a unique home emporium on Saint Michaels road, Tidedancers. His fans, I included, asked him if he would ever consider reopening. No, he said. He is now a “certifiable smilemaker.” He recently published a book A Million Smiles: 101 True (well, mostly true) smilemaking stories. The house, with its exuberant doses of whimsy, also makes one smile.
Pamela Heyne is a Saint Michaels architect and writer, [email protected].
Jay Shotel says
I am delighted to know that the St. Michael’s nature trail has established a little free library that is a bit jazzier but similar little free libraries that have sprung up all over the country. In point of fact there are 36,000 little free libraries around the world and they even have an organizing web site, kits to build them etc.
(see https://littlefreelibrary.org/ ). Several years ago the branch of the Talbot County Library that was based in Tilghman closed and the bookmobile program was cancelled because of budget cuts. Residents of Tilghman organized a big “little free library” on our own. Next time residents of Talbot are in Tilghman, please stop by the front lobby of our post office where we offer over 500 “bring one take one” books with a fiction, non-fiction, children, and young adult section.
Ian Scott, New Zealand says
Inspirational and I do hope the spirit of this initiative catches on in St Michaels and other parts of the region.
Well done Peter, keep those smiles changing “grumpies” into “grinners”!!
Your friend in NZ,
Ian