Quote of the Week
“I heard a bird sing in the darkness of December, a magical thing, and sweet to remember: we are nearer to Spring than we were in September.”
– Oliver Herford
Feline Tomfoolery
with Brady & Belichick
Dear Humans,
Meow! Belichick here… I am doing much better these days (the human tells herself).
The great news is that she figured out why, since our move, I have experienced balance and coordination issues (she hopes). To keep a long story short… I am a long hair cat with a lot of hair on my paws (see photo below). The flooring in our new place has no traction and the rugs she put down are slippery. Basically, I have been sliding all over the place, unable to control my movements.
This has caused me to become lethargic due to the inability to do anything without falling over, which has led to weight loss, and muscle loss (she hopes that is all).
When she came to this realization, she quickly trimmed the hair on my paws and saw a difference in my falling over. Next, she ordered new rugs. Traction will solve the problem (she hopes).
Good things are on the horizon (the human has her fingers crossed). Oh no, I just tipped over.
Much Love, Belichick
Brady & Belichick are Rachel’s adorable felines. These two cute boys turned two on May 4, 2025.
Mental Health Minute
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Awareness Month
This is one affliction that Rachel is grateful not to experience. With her earlier than early bedtime and earlier than early wake time, the amount of daylight in any given day is inconsequential. It is the introvert in her that enjoys the quiet and inactivity of the world in those early hours.
If you think you may be affected, here are some tips from the National Institute of Mental Health.
All Good Things
Blake is Rachel’s eldest son and a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. He has been stationed in the middle east for nearly a year now. He has bounced around between Qatar and Israel for the majority of his assignment. He is on the move again…
Pictured above: Blake poses for a photo on a bronze sculpture by the artist duo Gillie and Marc. It is titled ‘They Were on a Wild Ride in Doha’ and is located in the Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar.
Blake peddled (flew) from Qatar to Jordan last week for a short trip. He and a fellow airman, Levi, made good use of their time and got some exploring done. As you see, they visited the Dead Sea, took mud baths and even a donkey ride.
Speaking of donkey’s… if you look closely enough at the last photo, you will see a donkey that looks like it is in timeout. Poor guy. Enjoy the photos from Blake.
Rachel took a walk last week in search of an art installation she heard about recently. A troll situated on an old piece of railroad track. She did this while on her weekly talk walk (you know, a call with a friend while taking a walk) with her friend, Jennie, in Tacoma. It’s a good thing Jennie was on the line because Rachel needed moral support to find her way. That’s right, even with her map telling her were to go, she still got lost. After all, what would a Rachel adventure be without getting a bit lost?
She was pleasantly surprised when she found more than she bargained for. Not only one piece of art, but two. Thanks to artist Garth Franklin, the Granary district of Salt Lake City now has a 15-foot-tall wooden troll called Hoodah and a 20-foot steel Kosmoceratops called Kosmo. These two pieces of art were simply incredible to see in person.
Click here to learn more about these amazing creations.
Rachel’s wish finally came true (one of them); she got to take a walk with Winston. If you read last week’s issue, Rachel is photographed with Winston, and you can see just how big he is. He lives with Rachel’s son Alec and his human mom, Victoria.
No shame on his size of course. We all have our ups and downs with weight, don’t we. While he looks good at any size, Winston is on a diet for health purposes. Victoria says he has about 15 pounds to lose.
Rachel was sure to share his photo with her old walking buddy in Washington, Nemesis. If you are a regular reader, you will remember Nemesis. She is the beautiful Samoyed puppy. Nemesis said she thinks Winston is handsome. Awe.
Pictured above: The view as Rachel prepares to cross the street into Trolley Square. OTF and many other shops are located in Trolley Square. She loves to see the sky change from day to day.
If you are a regular reader, you will know that the My Monday Memo used to have a monthly OTF (Orangetheory Fitness) update. Rachel used to attend the 0500 class Monday through Friday. She loved the early morning workout crew. It was there she made some incredible friends that will forever be a part of her life.
Before she moved from Washington to Utah, she was so close to reaching her 400th class at OTF. At one point she had planned to really push it and get to her 400th before moving. Well, as you see, that didn’t quite work out. She is happy to report that last week, she did it. She now has 400 classes in the books.
She is back on track and hitting the gym at least three days a week now. As she continues to fight through pain and physical limitations, she does what she can and is grateful for the opportunity to continue moving.
It has been quite a week here in Salt Lake City, Utah. Can you believe there are only 31 days until the New Year? It’s crazy to think how slowly time moves on any given day but how quickly a year can pass. Thank you for reading My Monday Memo. Until next time, be well.