There was a movement in the late 1990s and early 2000s when communities adopted an animal statue and decorated them. Our town participated in the Miles of Mules project. Big, dramatic mules.

(Notice the bench in the background!)

We were driving in another town that was also participating in the project and saw one of the mules. I enthusiastically proclaimed to my family, “I always notice them!” It struck us as a hilarious statement since they were impossible not to notice!

Since then, this statement has been a family joke whenever you point out something unusual. But the joke also has a truth in it that we sometimes don’t pay attention to things right in front of us, and it does add to our life experience to notice them.

For example, mailboxes.

My husband decided to take a challenge at work to walk 10,000 steps a day. I joined in. We walked in our neighborhood every morning. During these walks I started noticing mailboxes that I never noticed while driving through the neighborhood. It actually started with one particular mailbox. I loved this mailbox at first sight!

This mailbox was the beginning of an obsession!!! Stay tuned…