Today is Monday, May 11, 2026
Issue #311 — By Rachel Brandes
“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.”
– Amy Bloom, American Writer and psychotherapist
Brady & Belichick’s
Feline Tomfoolery
Why can’t humans tell us apart? We are two cats, brothers, one fluffy and short like a miniature lion, the other sleek like a panther. Who is who? Despite our obvious differences, no human can seem to tell us apart. We hope this side-by-side helps. Aren’t we handsome?
Much Love, Belichick (left) & Brady (right)
P.S. Why is our human packing a suitcase???
Brady & Belichick are Rachel’s adorable felines. These two cute boys turned three on May 4, 2026.
Moments by Mira
Ever After Photography PNW is located in Gig Harbor, Washington. It is owned and operated by Mira Nachtigall, a long-time friend of Rachel.
Salt Lake City Sights
A look at the SLC City & County building from the SLC Public Library lawn.
The Phobia Experiment
As part of mental health awareness, for the first 26-weeks of 2026, Rachel will explore her phobias A-Z. This experiment is to bring awareness to why the fears exist and attempt to reduce the impact they have on her daily life.
Phobia List Website — Check it out
Wiccaphobia is the fear of witches and witchcraft. This is not a phobia for Rachel but was the only W phobia on the list. Speaking of witches, did anyone else see there is a Practical Magic sequel coming out in September? Amazing.
The Good Intentions Club
A Sunday Surprise
It was several months ago that Rachel’s massage therapist, Josh, told her about this club that meets weekly at a local park. She found this group on social media and watched. Entering a group that can be a couple of hundred people would cause this lady a good deal of anxiety. Why was she intrigued? With a name like Good Intentions Club, who wouldn’t be?
The Good Intentions Club meets every Sunday morning at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s open to everyone and focuses on community and connection. A young man (turning 31 this year) by the name of Josh started this club in the spring of 2024. Within a couple of months, the number of those attending grew significantly. Below is a share from Instagram in Josh’s own words.
Speaking of Josh, there he is below with Rachel.
When she finally decided to make a go of it, Rachel (an always early sort of person) intentionally showed up at the last minute. She wasn’t sure she would stay. When she walked up, there were so many people stretched out on the lawn, she almost aborted her plan. She didn’t though. She settled underneath a giant tree in the very back for a yoga practice.
Towards the end of the yoga practice, she spotted a little black cat. It was a sign; she was meant to be here. Poncho is a 3-month-old that is being acclimated to crowds early.
We wouldn’t want to exclude Jasper. Jasper is a five-year-old Bengal cat that had his own tent to hang out in.
We can’t introduce Jasper without introducing Esper. Esper was fascinated with Jasper and wouldn’t leave him alone. Esper’s human kept picking her up to remove her from Jasper’s area.
Back to the story… For anyone that practices yoga, you may agree that the end of a practice is the best part. Shavasana, also known as the Corpse Pose, is primarily used at the end of a practice for relaxation. Rachel is most comfortable with her eyes closed while lying in this pose. However, on this day, when the yoga instructor provided the suggestion to open the eyes and take in the beauty, she did. Below was her view. Not too shabby.
After the yoga practice and meeting Poncho, Jasper and Esper, Rachel moved on to a smaller group to make connections with others. Josh had the entire morning planned out perfectly. While doing yoga, a helper walked around and placed a small stick with a number in front of each attendee. Small flags with corresponding numbers were placed in the grass. Rachel had number 25. This means at least 25 groups of people where there, that is a lot of people.
For this group breakout, Josh had asked that everyone introduce themselves and take turns answering three questions.
1) Who do you love the most right now?
2) If you had unlimited funds, what would you do to make the world a better place?
3) What was the worst part of your week and the best part of your week?
Kyler, a regular, led group 25 with a welcome smile and upbeat demeanor. It was easy to feel safe in his presence. Rachel was feeling more emotional than usual as she tearily answered that first question. She felt extremely uncomfortable being so vulnerable, but as she looked at Kyler, all that she saw was compassion in his eyes. She then looked around at the others and saw nothing but the same.
As the group shared their answers, Rachel learned that she was surrounded by likeminded people. People that have struggles and are showing up and sharing. This experience was special. It showed Rachel that it was safe to be vulnerable in this moment. This is not a familiar experience for her. She was happy she showed up and happy she stayed.
Rachel was thankful to the others in her group for their support and encouragement, not to mention their wonderful answers. Kyler, Tim, Jess, Rain, Peyton and Anna made up group 25, and she looks forward to seeing them all again.
Once the groups all began to break up, everyone made their way to an area of interest. There were several options. Rachel enjoyed roaming around to take a look at everything up close. She started with the dinosaur. This was no blow-up costume; it had to be transported in a horse trailer. It even made automated noises.
What all did the Good Intentions Club have to offer this Sunday?
– Free Yoga
– Potluck Lunch
– Games
– Opportunities for connection
– Cold Plunging (Freshwater Creek)
Rachel was extremely touched by this experience. Will she go back? Of course. What a nice Sunday surprise this turned out to be. Until next time, be well.
