Thoughts between sets at the gym. I am about a third of the way through this workout and every single muscle in my upper body is quivering. I somehow gritted out 9 pullups my first set then barely did 5 each following set. I went up in weight on the upright chest press and now…More
Marking seasons in a relatively seasonless Hawai’i
Is it autumn? It doesn’t feel like autumn. I know I’ve already complained about it, but seriously. It is not anything one would recognize as autumnal around these parts. The trees are still green as ever, the temperatures have not discernibly dipped, and even though pumpkins are EVERYWHERE, it feels a little like I’m violating…More
My heart is yearning for seasonal change
I miss the feeling of change. I miss slow-motion kaleidoscope landscapes. I miss visible transformation that reassures me the way of things is to transform, to change. I miss returnings. Returning to winter coats, returning to sundresses. Returning to coziness, returning to lazy, sun-drenched beaches, returning to cool, brisk jogs. The familiar that becomes new…More
In-between thoughts: trusting myself
Thoughts in-between sets at the gym. OH MY GOSH WHY DID I TAKE A MONTH OFF FROM LIFTING. That was so dumb. So, so dumb. I am markedly weaker. But I guess this gives me a goal (my former strength waahh) so I’ll embrace it. Also, only one of my Bluetooth ear buds is working.…More
SEP, what do you want from me
Ready for a pointless mental wandering that probably interests only me? I PROVIDE. My husband studies SEPs: Solar Energetic Particles. One of my go-to study tools is the SEP: the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Do the letters S, E, and P exhibit some kind of magnetic or guiding power over my life? If I had…More
In-between thoughts: WHY DID NONE OF YOU TELL ME ABOUT BUTTERMILK
Thoughts between sets at the gym. It’s starting to be a theme. A couple weeks off from the gym, one or two sessions, then a couple weeks off. What can I say, I take rest and recovery VERY VERY seriously. But I’m here, I’m lifting, and I’m looking forward to being VERY VERY sore the…More
Our bodies tell us what it’s like to be ourselves
There are so many little ways I inhabit and experience my body. Which is just another way of saying there are so many little sensory experiences that add up to “what it feels like to be me”. Typing right now, my thumb nail is digging slightly into the skin around it, making a strange scratching…More
The wonder of being witness
I was listening to contemporary Hawaiian music on our TV the other day, and the album cover of the track playing showed a Native Hawaiian man, with tribal tattoos and half-tied-back black, wavy hair, standing on a beach smiling at someone off-camera. I was filled with a sense of awe for the remoteness and richness…More
Recipe: Spiced Cherry Muffins (and they’re vegan!)
I bought a can of OREGON Dark Sweet Cherries a few week ago, intending to make my favorite Chocolate Cherry Loaf from the steely-eyed Paul Hollywood. (It is seriously so, so good.) However, when later in the week Chris told me that chocolate hasn’t been sitting well with his stomach lately, I decided to switch…More
In-between Thoughts: HIITing the reset button
Thoughts between sets at the gym. Whoosh, I took two weeks off from the gym and today is ROUGH. In some ways I feel stronger (breaks are where the muscle rebuilds!!), in others decidedly weaker. Oh muscles. You are quixotic little buggers. I took some time off because I was performing a little experiment. I…More
Jana M. Light 