Welcome to Issue #256 of My Monday Memo
by Rachel Brandes
Quote of the Week
“I believe that the privilege of a lifetime is being who you are… Truly being who you are.”
– Viola Davis, American Actress
Today is Monday, April 21, 2025
National Bulldogs are Beautiful Day
Happily Ever After
https://www.everafterphotographypnw.com/
Ever After Photography PNW is owned and operated by photographer extraordinaire, Mira Nachtigall. Mira specializes in birth, maternity, and newborn photography.
Random Photo of the Week
This canopy of vibrant flowers showcasing the beauty of spring. Photo by Rachel.
Feline Tomfoolery
with Brady & Belichick
- Brady– What in the world is she doing now?
- Belichick– I’m not sure but it feels like she is preparing for something big.
- Brady– She has basically gone through every inch of the apartment and either trashed or given away things she doesn’t use.
- Belichick– She will keep us, right?
- Brady– Duh, she uses us for entertainment and affection all of the time. We are safe.
- Belichick– Phew.
- Brady– I have fun playing in the empty cabinets when she’s pulled everything out of them to organize things. And the closet is more fun to explore now that it’s organized.
- Belichick– That is true. I suppose she doesn’t need us supervising when she’s doing her organizing then (see below photos)?
- Brady– No, it is important that we continue to keep a close eye on her. She seems to be having way too much fun getting rid of things. Maybe she will tell us why this is all happening at some point.
- Belichick– Let’s hope.
Brady & Belichick are Rachel’s adorable felines. Brady is a short hair and very dominant and athletic, much like his namesake (Forever Patriots). Belichick, aka Beli, the long hair, was the runt of their litter and is much more passive, until provoked. These two cute boys turned one on May 4, 2024.
Mental Health Minute
Rachel overhead someone talking about panic attacks recently and they stated that anxiety attacks are one thing and panic attacks are another. She has experienced panic attacks, which are horrific, and had never thought there were both an anxiety attack and panic attack. She turned to Google for answers.
With an overwhelming amount of information to be found on the Internet, she prefers to only click on links from reputable entities and came across a 2019 article on health.clevelandclinic.org by Regina Josell, PsyD, titled, Are Anxiety Attacks and Panic Attacks the Same Thing? Fascinating read. According to Dr. Josell, there are only panic attacks. Click on the above link to read more about the scary world of panic attacks.
The first time Rachel realized she was having a panic attack was on an airplane as an adult (and no, she isn’t afraid of flying at all). She recalls it to be a very frightening experience, as at the time she didn’t know what was happening to her. After a good deal of reflection, she realizes she has been having panic attacks since she was a teen. She is more aware now of her triggers and alters many things in her daily life to avoid those triggers.
For anyone that has never experienced a panic attack… please don’t tell someone who does to “get over it” or “just calm down.” It is very unhelpful to the person in the panic. Please share the article with a loved one and watch for warning signs that a loved one is in distress. There may be more going on than you realize.
Sunday RunDay
with Tacoma Run Club
Another fun Sunday run with the Tacoma Run Club at Point Ruston in Tacoma, Washington. Rachel was lucky to be joined by Alanna, pictured left of Rachel above. How beautiful is Mount Rainier in the background? That view never gets old.
Spring Bloom Tulip Festival
As the holiday weekend approached, Rachel knew she had one day to enjoy by herself and one day she would be taking a long run with friends. For the day to herself, she decided to take an adventure like she did in the earlier days of the My Monday Memo. She would visit the Spring Bloom Tulip Festival at Knutson Farms.
Knutson Farms is located in Sumner, Washington, only a 16-mile drive from Rachel’s home in University Place. The farm is a family run business spanning three generations. They are known for their rhubarb and flowers and are also a known destination for family/friend events. They host field trips, and photography sessions, too. As if that doesn’t keep them busy enough, they also have four annual events throughout the year beginning with the Spring Bloom Tulip Festival in April. Rachel was excited to visit the farm on this beautiful day. It would be just what she needed.
Where in the World?
Do you see that yellow arrow on the far left? That is University Place. Rachel doesn’t often adventure inland, as she much prefers the water, but Knutson farms was worth the visit.
Why would it be just what she needed that day? That very morning, she received news that she lost someone dear to her, her Momma P. It was not unexpected but a very difficult morning, nonetheless. She had already purchased her ticket for the farm and had planned to go after work. Being able to get out in the sunshine and around people was a great help to her that day. She didn’t feel alone yet didn’t have to talk to anyone. She had time to process and reflect. If you visit the My Monday Memo next week, you will get a peek at the amazing person she lost. Now, let’s get into the tulips.
Ahhh, tulips (and some daffodils). Rachel loves the variety of flowers and greenery in Washington. Having lived in Southern Nevada for years prior, she didn’t quite get her fill of this sort of thing.
Aside from the fantastic fields of flowers, there were so many activities at Knutson Farms, Rachel spent nearly three hours enjoying herself. Anyone that knows Rachel knows she loves being around little humans and there were plenty of those in attendance that day. She loved watching the young families participating in the children’s activities and enjoying the many fun things that Knutson Farms had to offer.
Pictured above: The Bubble Barn. Several of these structures were lined up and there was no shortage of bubble creators sending out joyful bubbles for the kids to pop.
What else did they have to offer? Well, we simply can’t list everything, can we? Why not… There was a hay pyramid, digger pit, ball games, bubble barns, people mover (that would be the tractor with carts to move people around the farm. Rachel got to ride this one), grain train ride, u-pick tulips, trike course (Rachel wanted to play here and ride a tricycle but didn’t want to look like a huge werido), Colt’s corn pit, gem mining, jump pad, animal barn… Hold on. Animal barn? Yes, you bet Rachel spent plenty of time in this area. Let’s see what she found.
Hello, mini donkeys. There are two donkeys in the photo below. These adorable little guys were sticking their head through the fence to get more hay. You may see that little arm on the right side of the photo, that would be a child offering them more hay. Hopefully she walked away with all of her fingers.
There were plenty of other animals in the animal barn but what held Rachel’s attention was the pig pen. She can’t recall ever having the opportunity to be up close and personal with piglets before. What a treat. There were eight of them and they were about the size of a small dog.
Their oinks were precious. Do you want to hear? We bet you do. Check out the below videos. We have the oinks, and we have a feeding video that looks rough on mom but is sure interesting to see.
Oh, right, we got stopped at the animal barn. There were also ducky races, a tire pyramid, lasso the longhorns, draft horse rides, cow train rides, coloring tables, Lego and car tables, farm hoppers (bouncy toys), sand boxes and a mini jump pad. Lots of fun stuff.
The food options were also impressive, but we’ve gone on long enough. Just to loop back to the beginning of this story, Rachel mentioned four annual events beginning with this one. What are the others? Next up is the Sunflower Days Festival, the Patch Fall Festival, and finally Christmas at the Farm. Another thing, they also have a summer day camp and four large Artisan Markets throughout the year. That about sums up Knutson Farms in a nutshell. Worth the visit? Absolutely.
In closing, this was a great day to think about her Momma P in a beautiful setting. She will forever associate her memory with vibrant and lovely tulips. The last photo is one that her Momma P would have loved. Rachel didn’t feel much like being silly on this day but knows it would have been appreciated. Until next time, be well.
