As a young child, I spent about six months living with my father in Spotsylvania County, Virginia before we relocated to Washington, D.C. There, we shared a cozy four-bedroom home with my grandparents, uncle, and aunt – the quintessential close-knit neighborhood where everyone knew everyone. I lost count of how often I heard: “When your daddy was a little boy…” But, to be honest, I loved hearing about my dad as a kid, especially stories about his pet duck, Peep Peep.
My dad had a close bond with his beloved duck, Peep Peep, whom he had raised from a duckling. Every day, Peep Peep would wait at the corner to walk my dad home from school, a ritual they shared until the duck’s passing. This story of their endearing relationship is one of my favorites. The image of my dad as a little boy with his duck makes me smile.
Pictured left to right: Aunt Sissy, Shontel, Grandma, Jacquie, Dad, and me
Some of my most cherished memories from my time in Washington, D.C. are the visits I made to the Washington Dolls’ House & Toy Museum with my aunt, Sissy. The museum was owned by the late Mrs. Flora Gill Jacobs, who would often engage my aunt {an avid antique doll collector} and me in lively discussions about dolls and dollhouses. It felt as though we spent every weekend exploring the museum, admiring old favorites and discovering new ones. I vividly recall the intricate, meticulously appointed dollhouses, some with electricity illuminating teeny books lined up on book shelves eagerly waiting to be read by miniature families… Perhaps these museum visits sparked my lifelong love of dolls and fascination with the literary world.
Yesterday my aunt sent me a box of my father’s belongings {my dad passed away in 2008} and in the box was an autographed book by Mrs. Jacobs. The book, The Doll House Mystery, was written in 1958 and autographed for me in 2004.
The inscription reads:
For Daenel ~ With very best wishes from Flora Gill Jacobs May, 2004
The book recounts the mysterious tale of a peculiar dollhouse and the eerie phenomena that encompass it.
Having this book and these sweet memories makes me feel closer to my dad and his family, and this is something I’ll value forever.
THANK YOU
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