Return to Mandana Plaza

Yesterday Patty, Melissa and I went out on a fairy house and furniture distribution run. But before we visited any new locations, we decided to check in on the two parks we last visited. We stopped by the Oakland Rose Garden and found about half of the pieces we left there were still in place. Some had been moved which I love to see because it means someone was interacting with the fairy furniture. Others were missing which I also love because it means a stranger is now playing with them.

But we found the most exciting scene at the Mandana Plaza Park a few blocks away. We’ve been there twice before, leaving a house and furniture each time. On our second visit, we saw that someone had been playing with the house from before. This time, both houses were still in place and clearly someone had been rearranging them. There was a little community with the two houses and the furniture around them. Plus some sticks had been added for good measure. We added another table and chair to the mix for the kids to discover next time they come by to play. We will definitely visit this spot again next time to see what develops!

This brings up a fun possibility for how I move forward with fairy house distributing. Up to now, I’ve been putting a small plaque next to each house saying, “Please take me home.” And for the most part, people have been finding the houses and doing exactly that. When we come back, the houses are gone. But it’s a lot of fun to see how kids are playing with the houses right there in the park. Both Patty and Melissa were adamant that I change my plaques to, “Please play with me.” I have to agree with them. So I just created 27 medallions for my next firing with the new instruction printed in the clay. It’s going to keep me busy revisiting parks to check what Oakland’s children have been up to.