ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — One upon a time – a few months ago – a woman named Wendy Freshman on Natchez Avenue in St. Louis Park grew restless in the world around her.
Retired and a kid at heart, she said she needed a project.
She landed on creating a tiny village of gnomes and fairies that kids could look at when they went by for walks with their families or caregivers.
"It's kind of like a 'Where's Waldo?' Every time you come, you see something different,” Wendy said.
While kids walked by with their families, Wendy realized she needed to up her game.
"How can I make it interactive? So, I thought ah hah, how about a mailbox,” Wendy said.
She made a kid-sized mailbox painted green, that would hold poems inside - written by the gnomes and fairies of course - for kids to take with them.
And take they did.
But what happened next, well, even Wendy hadn't imagined that.
"People, kids started responding to the poems and writing the gnomes notes and putting in drawings,” Wendy said.
Over the summer, dozens and dozens of pieces of art came in and letters to the gnomes and fairies - letters and artwork that could not go un-replied to.
"I had to respond so all of a sudden I felt like 'Dear Abbey' you know. I had to come up with really clever responses because I had to picture myself as a gnome and how would a gnome respond, so that was fun,” Wendy said.
Back and forth and back and forth it would go.
And grow.
Into a collection.
Of words and pictures only a child and a forever child on the inside could create.
"The notes and the thoughts kids were sharing with me were really heartfelt, really sweet,” Wendy said.
And to not go out without a beautiful finish - Wendy and her husband framed all of those letters and artwork and come Saturday they will showcase it in the lawn for all the kids to see ... distanced of course ... in a first-ever art show, for the visitors and the gnomes of Natchez.