Some mailboxes come alive in the spring and summer when the flowers bloom around them. Here are a few in my neighborhood that are hidden gems.
My old favorite, the Mack Truck bulldog mailbox, has provided entertainment throughout the changing seasons. I especially love the Russian hat!!
Where can you go for an anniversary trip that you didn’t give yourself enough time to plan for: the Finger Lakes!
We live a few hours away from the area, we have never been there, and I enjoyed Sonoma when I visited our son. Reasons enough! (Also, it was fall, and we were able to get a hotel on short notice.)
We had a great trip and are looking forward to going again soon.
Here are some benches we noticed between wine tastings!
Montour Falls
Montour Falls
Montour Falls
Elmira College
Hill Top Inn Restaurant
Glenora Wine Cellars
Ravines Wine Cellars
Urbana
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
Buttermilk Falls
Buttermilk Falls
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Happy 4th of July!
We explored Michigan last summer, my husband and I. I mentioned we grew up in the Detroit area, but despite spending our childhoods in Michigan, we have never really explored the western half of the state. Our opportunity to rectify that came in the guise of the Row by Row Experience 2015.
Since the theme for 2015 was water, what better place to participate than Michigan? (Okay, maybe Minnesota.) My husband started planning out our trip, and because he is an engineer, he designed our itinerary to maximize the number of shops we could conquer.
Let’s just say, I have more than nine rows.
Here are some of the benches I came across in the beautiful state of Michigan (yes, I know I am partial!)
I began noticing more mailboxes after my initial appreciation of the Mack bulldog.
My morning walk with my husband is about 3 miles. We have walked 1 of 2 routes for about 3 years now. Despite having lived in the same neighborhood for decades, I never paid very much attention to my neighbor’s mailboxes, unless of course I collided with it with my car (which did actually happen. Another story for another day. Let’s keep this post positive!)
But once I started walking the same route consistently, I began to appreciate the creativity and care that a surprising number of my neighbors put into their mailboxes.
Here are some from my neighborhood:
This picture says it all. Enjoy the view.
I am not sure I would have noticed this bench as part of the view if I hadn’t gotten into the habit of appreciating benches in my neighborhood.
A rush of affection for the person or more likely people who made that effort to provide a bench to the traveler came over me. Like the well laid trail I was walking on to get to this view – this bench felt like a kindness.
I’d like to share with you some other benches I noticed while visiting Northern California.
Tilden Park, CA
Tilden Park, CA
Tilden Park, CA
UC Berkeley Campus
UC Berkeley Campus
UC Berkeley Campus
Timber Cove Inn, Jenner CA
Sonoma, CA
Marin Headlands, CA
Marin Headlands, CA
Marin Headlands, CA
The benches were simple, roughly hewn and part of the beautiful view.
I grew up in a suburb of Detroit. The homes in my neighborhood were all ranch houses, with a choice of either red or white brick.
I enjoyed being invited into friends’ homes and was always surprised to see how different each house was on the inside when they were essentially all the same on the outside. The interiors reflected each family– unique, personal, and different.
As I was walking in my own neighborhood, I noticed the homes here had more variation in style, but people still put their own touches on their houses that make them uniquely theirs.
One surprising way was front porch benches. I had never really paid much attention to them before, but one day I noticed them, and once I did I couldn’t stop. As I noticed benches, I was surprised to realize how many different types there were!
Here are a few I saw in my neighborhood.
Mini bench
Isn’t this adorable?!
Looking at my neighbors’ benches made me reflect on the people themselves and the community I live in. Having a bench on the front porch or on the front lawn is inviting, welcoming. The bench chosen tells you something about the people who live inside!
I think the people who live in the house with the little sleeping puppies must be a hoot! I just may introduce myself to them!
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