Hello, my dear Frankies!

One of my favourite kinds of people are the ones who are so ridiculously passionate about something, no matter how random it seems, that they somehow make you fall in love with it too, just by listening to them talk.

This week's Frankie Feature is exactly one of those people!

Meet Kathy Chase, Franklin's resident fascia geek! I promise, by the end of her story you'll not only know what fascia is, but you'll probably be wondering if it's been the cause of those annoying aches and pains you've just been putting up with all these years. And if it is...lucky for us, Kathy absolutely loves helping people fix it!

In other news...it is freezing in our little corner of the world! 🥶 I saw someone heading to the gym before sunrise this week and it was just 3°C. That's commitment!

Winter always makes it tempting to hibernate under a pile of blankets, so I've made sure this week's events list is packed with reasons to venture back out into the cold.

If I had to pick just one, I'd go for Waiuku Softball's Beats by Bingo night, assuming there are still tickets left! They always put on such fun (and incredibly well-organised!) events, and you'll be helping New Zealand's top softball club get their kids REPs softballers to tournament at the same time. ♥

It also got me thinking...what are your favourite ways to support local businesses without having to brave the weather?

A few friends had some lovely ideas: pick up a candle from Little Batch Wax Co. or Sandle, grab pastries from the local market, or buy a bag of coffee beans from your favourite café and make yourself a cosy café-style morning at home. (Most cafés will happily sell you a bag if you ask!)

I'd love to hear your ideas too. What are your favourite ways to support local while staying warm?

See ya out there! (If it's not too cold 🤭)

R. and the Frankie team xx

Meet Kathy Chase: the local who wants you to fall in love with your body again ♥

Most of us have something we're so passionate about that we could talk about it for hours and hours...

For Kathy Chase, that thing is fascia.

She'll happily admit she's a bit of a fascia geek. In fact, if you get her started on the incredible web of connective tissue that wraps around every muscle, bone, nerve and organ in your body...well, you might be there for a while!

The reason Kathy finds fascia so fascinating is because when it becomes restricted through injury, surgery, stress or poor posture, it can contribute to pain, stiffness and limited movement.

But talking to Kathy for this story, I realised it's not really a story about fascia at all.

It's a story about people.

It's about the woman who's come to accept pain as "just part of getting older." The mum whose body doesn't quite feel like her own after having children. The man recovering from surgery who just wants to move comfortably again. The woman navigating menopause and wondering why everything suddenly feels so different.

And it's about Kathy, who can't stand seeing people live less-than-full lives because of it.

After more than 25 years working in health and rehabilitation, Kathy has made it her mission to help people understand what's happening inside their bodies and, more importantly, to show them that feeling better is often possible.

From her Waiuku clinic, Kathy Chase Wellbeing, she blends her background as an Occupational Therapist with yoga, gentle hands-on therapies and health coaching. Every treatment is tailored to the person in front of her because no two bodies, or stories, are ever quite the same. (Check below for a description of what she does!)

She works with people experiencing everything from persistent pain and headaches to scar tissue, swelling, jaw tension, pregnancy and postpartum recovery, menopause and post-surgical healing. Whether she’s using myofascial release, lymphatic drainage, scar tissue therapy or another gentle treatment, Kathy’s focus is always the same: helping people move more freely, recover well and feel more at home in their own bodies.

One of the things Kathy loves most is seeing that moment when a client suddenly understands why they’re feeling the way they do.

“That makes so much sense,” they’ll say. And for Kathy, that’s just as rewarding as the physical changes.

Because when people understand their bodies, they stop fighting against them and start working with them instead.

If you’ve ever been curious about fascia, or wondered why Kathy gets so excited talking about it, you’ll have the chance to find out on 25 July, when she’ll be presenting a seminar on Myofascial Release Therapy at Living Being Well in Pukekohe.

Whether you’re dealing with pain, recovering from surgery, or simply interested in learning more about the remarkable way our bodies work, Kathy would love to see you there.

​Book your tickets here! ​

You can also learn more at www.kathychase.com or follow Kathy Chase Wellbeing on ​Facebook. and Instagram!​

Who knows… you might just leave as fascinated by fascia as Kathy is ♥

Kathy's services

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Unscramble the letters above to find the Dear Frankie--related phrase! Answer at the bottom of the newsletter!

Don't miss Waiuku Softball's Beats by Bingo! Tickets here!​

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Thursday

📸 $25 Photo Pop-Up Day — Buckland Hall, 9am. Grab a bargain photo session for just $25 — More info here​

🎨 Rock Painting Drop-In Session — Rise and Shine Cafe, Paerata Rise, 10am–12pm. Pop in for some creative fun painting rocks — Check it out!​

🍸 Cocktail Happy Hour — Little Ed, 6–7pm. All your favourites, just a little bit cheaper!

🧠 Quiz Night — Pukekohe Golf Club, 6.30–8.30pm. Round up your team for a night of trivia — More info here​

Friday

📣 Battle of the Codes — Level 1, Franklin Arts Centre, 9am–2.30pm. A free event for all youth in the Franklin Local Board area — your chance to have your voice heard and amplified, with guest speakers, workshops, and catering provided.

🎬 Movie Morning — Rise and Shine Cafe, Paerata Rise, 10am. Settle in for a cosy morning movie at the cafe — Check it out!​

🎲 Board Game Day — Card Merchant, 7 Hall Street, 11am. Bring your friends for a day of tabletop fun — All the details here​

✂️ Make-a-Mini Session — Waiuku Library, 2pm. Get crafty and create your own mini masterpiece — More info here​

🎶 Waiuku Softball Club Beats by Bingo Fundraiser — Waiuku Rugby Clubrooms, 7pm. Test your music knowledge across all decades while fundraising for our NZ Reps heading to the ISA Tournaments — with nibbles, cash bar, pizza pre-orders, raffles and spot prizes (contact Waiukusoftball@gmail.com) — Check it out!​

Saturday

🏺 Mould Making Workshop — 87 Settlement Road, Puni, 10am. Learn the art of mould making in this hands-on workshop — All the details here​

💃 Franklin Indian Cultural Club Open Day — Stevenson Room, above Pukekohe Library, 10am. Enjoy dancing, craft, stalls, and more!

🖌️ Abstract Landscape Painting Workshop — The Stable Light Gallery, 12.30pm. Explore your creative side with a guided abstract landscape session — More info here​

🚲 Free Bike Mechanic Workshop — 1 Roulston Street (old youth hall), 3–5pm. Learn bike maintenance skills for free with Bike Pukekohe — Check it out!​

Sunday

🥕 Franklin Country Market — Pukekohe Park Raceway, 8am. Homegrown produce, handmade crafts, antiques, collectables, food trucks, live music, and great deals from the general market and more — All the details here​

🧘 Sunday Stretch Sessions — RxFitness235, 42 Belgium Street, Waiuku, 9am. Join The Stretch Collective for a 45-minute session to loosen up and reset — Check it out!​

🌿 Waiuku Predator Trap Library Open Day — Waiuku Zero Waste, 2pm. Find out how you can help protect local wildlife with the trap library — All the details here​

monday

🏃 The Wellness Run Club — At Your Local Coffee, West Street, 5.45am. Start your week with a 5km loop — all levels welcome!

🍳 Good Food, Bright Minds — Waiuku, 7–9am. A collaboration between Cafe Queen and Sanctuary Retreat serving up a nourishing brekky for school kids every Monday during term time — because sometimes families need the village to make that happen.

🧠 Quiz Night — The Good Home Pukekohe, 65 Edinburgh Street, 7pm start. Gather your team for a fun night of trivia — booking recommended.

🧶 Waiuku's UFO Crafting Circle — Waiuku Zero Waste, 7pm. Bring your UnFinished Objects along for a sociable evening of crafting — More info here​

Tuesday

☕ Coffee Cupping — Your Local Coffee Brew Bar, 10am. Discover new flavours at this guided coffee tasting session — Check it out!​

🎨 Painting Club — Franklin Arts Centre, 6–8pm. Bring whatever you're working on for two hours of dedicated painting time and connect with other local artists (term time only).

👟 STRIDE TRIBE Run Club — 21 Martyn Street, Waiuku, 7pm. A fun, free, pressure-free 3km walk or run at your own pace — come for the run, stay for the community — All the details here​

Wednesday

🏃 Fire Station Run Club — Fire Station Eatery, Pukekohe, 5.30pm. Choose the 2.5km or 5km option, with spot prizes and bar menu discounts afterwards.

❓ Malt N Steel Quiz Night — Malt N Steel, Waiuku, 7pm. Teams of 2–8 with prizes to be won — book now!

🥃 Ireland vs Scotland Whiskey Showdown — Little Ed, Pukekohe, 7pm. A guided tasting with welcome cocktail, four tastings, four paired courses and a dessert cocktail — All the details here​

Word Scramble answer: Connective Tissue

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