Library Fail

The Little Free Library has been up for a few months now.

How has it been going?

I made a few changes:

taking a cue from my old Library Lady days, I started facing some of the books out,

with a little "Featured!" note on them.

This Ripley's book maybe lasted a day before it was gone.

I got one of those box thingies real estate agents use,

so I could have a waterproof place for the magazines, FAQ, and notes.

The results? 

Books have gone out (and some back in again)

and I've gotten several notes, 

many of them in the tippy writing of the under-eight crowd.

BUT...

There's one area  where I FAILED.

I was elbow-deep in my front yard garden when I heard voices out by the library.

I saw a daddy and a daughter, 

and went over to ask if she was looking for anything in particular.

"Junie B. Jones?" she said.

"Great!" I said, 

because there are two camps of grown-ups when it comes to Junie B. Jones:

those who think she's a sassy-mouthed abomination,

 and those who think she's freakin' hilarious.

I belong firmly in the second camp.

I explained that I had some in the house that weren't ready yet,

(I put Little Free Library stickers on each book and cover them with ConTact paper)

but I would put them out the next morning.

She took some Judy Moody and Calvin and Hobbes at my urging,

her father gave me her mother's cell phone number, and she headed off.

The next morning, this was in my library...

...and I gave the cell phone number a call.

But!  Her mother answered in Spanish.

I have taken several years of Spanish, but have never achieved fluency.

However, HOWEVER, I should have had the most important word at the ready,

because what is the first thing we learn with any new language?

I couldn't remember "biblioteca"!

What kind of library lady was I?

Fortunately, between the two of us, we managed -- she had just enough English,

and I had just enough Spanish.

But the books are still there, and I wonder if something got lost.

Perhaps young Jessica would have picked up her books

 if I had managed to dredge up "pequeña biblioteca."

Would it be too stalkery of me to leave a note at her house?

Hmmm... maybe. I'll have to think on it.