Welcome to Issue #270
by Rachel Brandes
Quote of the Week
“If I cut you off, chances are, you handed me the scissors.”
– Unknown
Feline Tomfoolery
with Brady & Belichick
Dear Humans,
Even though our favorite human is busy packing for our upcoming move and always on the run with friends, she still finds time to interrupt us for photos. Can’t we just enjoy the views outside of our windows? Who can blame her? We are amazingly fabulous.
Utah, here we come, five weeks to go.
Much Love, Brady & Belichick
Brady & Belichick are Rachel’s adorable felines. These two cute boys turned two on May 4, 2025.
Random Photo of the Week
Hello, Hydrangea. Your beauty knows no bounds. Photo by Rachel.
Mental Health Minute
Clutter = Stress
To say clutter = stress is real. Rachel has been decluttering for months in anticipation of her upcoming move. The more she declutters, the better she feels. When she takes a load to the donation center or a friend picks up an item, she feels lighter, happier and more energetic. She recommends giving it a try.
There are many great articles available online about the relationship between clutter and stress. The link below is to a 2024 article from Psychology Today titled, Clutter, Cortisol, and Mental Load. How clutter creates stress and what you can do about it by Elizabeth Earnshaw, MA, LMFT, CGT.
A Hodgepodge of Fun
So, This Happened
How dare you judge them?!?! These two cat ladies took their felines for a walk with pride. Rachel’s black cats are hardly visible but Jennie’s little gal, Charlie, is no scaredy-cat (pun intended). Rachel hopes that next time Jennie brings all three of her kitties on the walk.
Best Use of Summer Days
Rachel and Angeline took advantage of a beautiful day to spend time paddle boarding on Spanaway Lake last week. Okay, so they never even tried to stand up and mostly snacked and gabbed the entire time. What else is a girls’ day for?
Oh, Memory Lane, Thank You
With the recent organizing for the upcoming move, Rachel has come across some great old photos of her kids. They definitely won’t mind her sharing in this issue. Sleeping pictures are the best, right?
First up, Alec couldn’t even make it into his bed before falling asleep.
Next, we have Blake… No clue about this one, just that it’s a funny one.
Trash Panda Parenting
These fun photos are courtesy of Rachel’s friend Jennie. She found this adorable baby raccoon in her yard (pictured right) and then saw the mama watching from the tree (pictured left). It has to make you wonder… Had Jennie approached the baby to get a closer photo, would the mama have taken the dive onto her head to protect her young? We shall never know. They sure are cute, aren’t they?
A Day in the Life
featuring
Rachel and friends… Jennie, Bill, Katie, Shay, Stella, Gretchen (aka Gaga), Kenzie, Shawn, Gracie and Natalie.
Twisted Cider 5k, 12k & 1k
Three winners
The morning began with a 5k (3.1 miles) jog beginning in the beautiful Curran Apple Orchard in University Place, Washington. Jennie and Rachel kept a fair pace at 11:16 minutes per mile, while Bill had a speed day with a 7:56 minute mile average. Each placed in their respective divisions, Jennie placed 4th, Rachel placed 5th and Bill also placed 5th.
A Couple of Beautiful Girls
Rachel got to meet Katie and Tim’s 3-week old baby, Stella. What a doll. She was lucky enough to get to spend time with both Stella and big sister, Shay before the next event.
A 1k with Shay
After the 5k, Shay was set to run the 1k (.62 miles) and wanted Rachel to join her. Why not? Shay’s grandma, Gaga, would also be running. Bill decided to join for part of his cooldown run.
Near the end, Rachel stepped out and Katie joined to finish the run with her daughter. Shay rocked her first 1k, she ran the entire time.
Three Generations of Beauty
Look at these three after crossing the finish line. This is what pure joy looks like. The way Gaga is looking at her granddaughter… priceless.
FOOOOODDDDDDD
After posing for a photo and taking a bite out of a drier than dry pretzel, Bill and Rachel headed to Pine Cone Cafe for brunch. Mmmm, Mmmm, good.
Nap & Rally
Rachel may have accidentally signed up for two different 5ks on the same day. Legit accident. The Owl Together Now 5k was held at Point Defiance Park with runners finishing up with a lap inside the zoo.
Evening runs are tough due to her love of going to bed in the afternoon. She didn’t want to miss out on what may possibly be her last run with friends, Gracie and Shawn, so, she napped and rallied.
Bill and Kenzie joined, as well as a friend of Gracie’s from work. Of note, Rachel usually remembers names, and she met Gracie’s work friend last year at another run. She is ashamed that she has now forgotten his name. He was very funny and enjoyable to be around.
Bonus for the event… Natalie. Rachel immediately asked if she could take Natalie in the jogging stroller for her 5k, allowing mom and dad to really run. Kenzie, Bill and Rachel took turns (mostly Kenzie) pushing Natalie and have a lot of fun along the way. This would be the first 5k that Rachel has stopped to enjoy penguins and a walrus. The distance was just under a 5k, which was fine with Rachel. Her knee was a bit angry by the end of the day. Stretching, here she comes.
Kenzie and Natalie pictured below. Aww, new friends are the best and Natalie hugs are life changing.
Is It Bedtime Yet?
By the time Rachel got home, showered, gave Brady and Belichick a bit of attention, she was exhausted and ready for bed. It was well past her usual bedtime. She was very happy that she had rallied, as the evening couldn’t have been more fun. Until next time, be well.
