80 Day Obsession Phase TWO!! Week 1

So Christmas was nice this year. We all got some lovely gifts and my little nerd heart is overjoyed to share that I got the latest sourcebook for Dungeons & Dragons (5th edition) Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos, and so far it is amazing! I can’t wait to run it with my friends. So here is the start of a new week, I’m still powering my way through 80 Day Obsession, though today I very much had to have a pep talk with myself because I so did not want to get out of bed this morning, lol. Autumn changes things up this week and much of it consists of me asking “What fresh hell is this? Why Autumn, WHY?!?!” lol. But hey my weight keeps going down, and while the inches are slower to move, I can at least see some of the flub moving around, lol!! Anywho! Here is this week’s breakdown!

Day 27: Booty

Well. What the fuji apple was that?!? No really, what was that? Like the moves didn’t look terribly complicated or difficult, but mother of the gods was that a doozy! I didn’t really feel too much the first round, but by round 2 I was like “No more, please! My booty can’t take no more of this!!” (just a hint, I totally could, I was just being a weenie again). So this first week of Phase Two, we’re back to our 2 x 15 rep scheme, so we cycle through all the moves once with 15 reps each, then come back to the top and do it all over again. So that was fun. But I liked the hip hinge variations this phase, so the first one is a squat to hinge and that made me really focus and feel my muscles firing up in the right ways and I kept chanting “man, my ass is gonna look good this year!!” and I’m imaging maybe buying myself a pair of jeans for the first time in the gods only know when. I think the only move I legit hate are those blasted bear fire hydrants. So yeah, I modified those and instead did a regular old fire hydrant. I think next week I will definitely bump up to a heavier band and that will help me feel the muscles more. I’m still pretty sure I’m not going to ever do the bear part of it, but I’m okay with that. Also worth noting, I earned 115 points with my workout this morning, so only 35 more to go before the first point goal is reached!! I think I maybe can smash it today… but for sure tomorrow!!

Day 28: Cardio Core

Okay, so I didn’t hate it… but I didn’t love it either. I actually low key enjoyed it, even if there were points where I was like “Nooooo…. please no!” I still managed to work my way through it and modified the jumping moves and just took the jumps out. Still worked my butt off. Truth be told, there’s really only one move that I truly dislike and that is the bicycle twist crunches. Like who the fuji apple invented those?! Why were they invented? Do people not realize how bad those actually are for your back and neck? Ugh. So I took the crunch part out and instead just kept my shoulders off the ground and focused on my core muscles pulling my legs in and out to get the same kind of workout. Still felt it, and my abs are absolutely going to be sore tomorrow. All in all, I’m proud of myself. Even if it’s only day 2 of phase 2, it’s pretty awesome to know I kept going even when I wanted to stay in bed and watch the snow fall. Yes, it’s snowing like crazy here in Washington, though if we’re lucky, we won’t get another Snowmaggedon like we did in February 2019 where it snowed for weeks and we had THREE FEET OF SNOW. The kids missed a whole month of school and that was before Virtual schooling was a thing. In theory, if the schools are closed, maybe they can do virtual so they won’t be stuck in school until July. Anyway, time to get the day going!

Day 29: Total Body Core

I have a new least favorite workout – it’s this one. What the fuuuu…. just happened? Like seriously, was Autumn on drugs when she designed this one? I mean some of the moves are awesome and I liked them, but others, I even chanted “I’m not a weenie!” before following up with “Okay, yeah. I am definitely a weenie” The moves are complicated and all kinds of bonkers. I especially hate the Turkish Half-Get Ups, though I also hate the French Twist Pikes. Those are seriously the new bane of my existence, and I can only pray that next week when we move on to the 3 x 10 reps it will be slightly easier for me. Well. Maybe. We’ll see. Currently, my cat is going bonkers in the living room. Running around all “Mini-Mighty Huntress” mode and attempting to murder the Christmas tree skirt and a random piece of ribbon that she found. It’s hilarious.

Day 30: Legs

Pretty sure I might throw up after this. Like seriously, WTF?! Lord and Lady have mercy that one sucked, lol. I mean the regular weighted moves were hard enough (even with lighter weights) but the ones she added sliders to? Sweet mother of the gods. I am 1,000% not ashamed to admit I straight up modified and took out the sliders for some moves because yeah, I’m not about trying to fall on my face or blow out my knees. Even with my new knee stabilizer/brace it wasn’t pleasant. Using very light weights felt better on my lower back and took some of that pressure on my knees out, which just shows me that I am not ready for heavier weights yet. I’m okay with that. It’s all about Progress – NOT Perfection! So I will keep going and I will keep trying and pushing myself just a bit more every day. It’s snowing again in here in Washington. I think it’s pretty to look at for the first day or so, but after that it gets old and I just want it to go away. Though I also hate the smell of melting snow. The mix of the stale wet with mud and pollution is NOT pleasant to me and we hates it precious. Not to mention, I don’t drive in the snow, for one my van will not do it and bad things will happen if I attemt it, and two, I haven’t actually had to drive in the snow in about 20 years, when I owned my beloved Toyota Cressida with one studded tire, LOL! That bad boy could handle the snow and I almost never slid out. Anywho, almost done with the first week… just 2 more days until week 2 of phase 2 and I hopefully will like these next couple of weeks more.

Day 31: AAA

Let me just start with, I love this workout! Super challenging, but at the same 1,000% do-able. Even those core sliders (with slight modification) felt good. This one is definitely my favorite of this phase, I really like that up! down, one, two, three movement patterns as it allows me to really focus and feel the different muscles firing the way I need them to. Kept with my lighter weights as there were more reps than there will be next week (I’ll try slightly heavier weights then) and it’ll be a good thing. Tonight is New Year’s Eve, and I for one am glad to see 2021 go (much like the whole world was glad to see 2020 go out, not realizing that 2021 was also going to suck, lol) and am really hopeful that 2022 brings new hope and joy for people around the world. I think we could all use a little hope and joy. Also worth noting is it is my 25th anniversary of being with my partner (more often than not, we have a complicated relationship) and while he thinks it’s silly that I want to celebrate the night he first asked me out, it’s not like we have any other days to mark special like this. Plus, 25 years!! That’s longer than most people I know have been together/married! We’ve spent most of our lives in a reasonably committed and loving relationship, we share three amazing and wonderful boys, who while may bring a whole series of new challenges as they get older, bring no less love and light to our lives. I am proud to be with my partner, and while sure, there are times I don’t like him much, I still very much, very deeply love him. So tonight I send out my New Year’s wish – for love, laughter, joy, peace, good health and prosperity! Not just for me and my family, but for all of you out there as well!! Be blessed my friends, and stay safe!

Day 32: Cardio Flow

Happy New Year!!! YAY!!! Well, mostly yay. Yesterday, the beloved icon Betty White passed away at the age of 99 years old. Three short weeks shy of her 100th birthday. It’s sad, but also not terribly unexpected. I think most people just assumed she would live forever. But here we are, a brand-new year and our chance to start fresh. Cardio Flow was so much harder today, like I was back to calling it Hell Zoo day and feeling ready to give up and just lay in a pile in the corner of my living room sobbing hysterically. She added two more reps to the moves, so instead of 4 reps, we did 6 and those extra two were brutal, I swear! BUT! I did manage to get through it, even though I hit pause multiple times. I’m glad it’s done an over. Tomorrow is rest day, thank the gods!

Phase 2 Week 1 is DONE!! HUZZAH!! Monday the kids go back to school, and I will return to my usual time of working out in the mornings. I’ll miss the extra hour of sleep, but really, I just need to go to bed at a decent hour and all will be well. I’m just glad that the routine will return and that helps keep me sane, those little touchstones during the day that just provide stability for me. Winter is hard on me, I don’t like being cold, I don’t like the dark, damp, wet and grey of the season and it just sucks the life out of my soul. I cannot wait for spring and summer, so these workouts and this routine of mine helps keep me grounded and lifts my spirits up just enough that I’m not lost in a sea of depression. So yeah!! Anywho! I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year celebration and that you are all blessed with love, light, joy and peace!!

Much love,

~ Ravenna

80 Day Obsession: Phase One – Week 4!!

Here we go! The last week of Phase One!! OMG! It’s been a hot minute since I got this far, and I can even see the last day (Booty) I got this far before whatever reason I had for giving up all the time ago. So I am determined to finish this phase and move on to the next (my mind has blocked out the insanity of Phases 2 and 3, lol). I’m excited to see how it goes this week, and I am happy to say that my progress photos yesterday *did* show some small changes, so huzzah! Rest day was nice yesterday, and I am only slightly panicking that Christmas is this Saturday and the Winter Solstice is tomorrow. The whole family is looking forward to Solstice as we all know it marks the halfway point through winter, and that the sun will be up later and later, just a few minutes every day. I cannot wait for spring and summer.

Day 21: Total Body Core

I can honestly say, I was not thrilled to return to the 2×15 reps today. Autumn has always had the moves grouped up into different series, and to change it up from week 1, we did each series two times before moving on to the next series. Everything was burning, lol. I also felt only a little bad when she kept telling everyone they should be lifting heavier and I’m chanting “no, no I am not, Autumn. I’m not trying to be a hero!” Haha! I mean, okay, I *did* go heavier bands on some moves because I knew I could handle it, though I did drop down in a couple moves because I burned out my triceps too much before the evil triceps push-ups. It felt good to finish today, and I am still loving my fitness watch. It’s kind of fun to compete against myself each day, the Halo View has a “point” system where you earn a certain number of points each day based on your activity level, and you have a goal each week, that as you hit those goals, the points go up. So it starts with 150 points, then it goes to 300, then 600 and so on. So I am really hoping to smash those weekly point goals this week. I knew I was a little competitive, but sometimes it surprises me, lol. It also keeps me relatively motivated to keep moving during the day because you lose points if you spend more than 8 hours sedentary. Can’t wait for Booty day tomorrow!

Day 22: Booty

Thank the gods that one is over, lol! Well, at least for this particular series of moves. Next phase will be a whole new set of moves, and if I recall, those ones were pretty brutal, haha. Today was still fun, because in the video, one of the cast members (Donald is probably one of the best parts, his facial expressions are everything, haha!) was making Autumn laugh so hard she was crying. I couldn’t help but laugh too. Those 2x 15s were murder today with the quad/ped series. Like, my butt muscles were burning something fierce and I kept trying to stop, but I didn’t. I’m happy to also report that I blew through my first Halo View point goal, so now the goal is 300 points before the end of the week. I think I will blast that one tomorrow, woohoo! Today is also the Winter Solstice and I am sincerely glad for it. Longest night of the year and it can only get better from here on out (in theory)! The new year also is coming up fast, and I really hope that 2022 is better than the last 2 years. I’m okay with wearing masks in public (totally okay with not getting head colds!) but it’s also starting to wear thin. I want to say that the pandemic is getting better, but I also am realistic and know that it’s still hitting some people and places really hard. I’ve been lucky so far and haven’t gotten it, but 2 of my kids and my partner have all gotten it, though they luckily also managed to skate by with fairly mild symptoms. Anyway, enough of the sadness. Today is a day of celebration of the Light returning and for bright new blessings to shower down upon us! Happy Solstice!

Day 23: Cardio Core

Lord and Lady have mercy!! I am SO glad that I don’t have to repeat this particular workout again (unless I repeat the program that is)! It was absolutely brutal today. But, I managed to get through it and curtesy of my fitness watch, I knew when to slow down, so that was ridiculously helpful. I only needed to pause three times, which is a new record for me, lol. Another neat thing, is Beachbody OnDemand actually remembers where you left off when you’re doing a program, so I know that the last time I did 80 Day Obsession (last year I think?) the last workout I managed to get in was Day 22, so here I am at Day 23 and I’m still going!! WOOHOO! Even through the hard parts, I kept going and I keep pushing myself and doing my best to inspire my own self to improve. Some not fun things today is the fact that my middle boy is sick, and I honestly suspect he has covid (again!). Fever, sore throat, stuffy nose, chest pressure… yep. I am not happy about him being sick, especially this close to the holidays. Also bummed that he is in fact vaccinated, so it seems my boy is unlucky enough to possibly have it again. In my area, there are no tests to be found and all the testing centers are booked solid for weeks, which doesn’t help me at this moment. I don’t want to take him to Urgent Care in the hopes to get him tested because, if he *does* have covid, it would be kind of an asshole move to take him to a place with other people who may or may not be sick and run the risk of passing his illness on to them. So it’s home monitoring and hoping he doesn’t get worse. I’ll have to call his doctor’s office here in a bit and get guidance from them I guess. Wish us luck!

Day 24: AAA

Whooo! I felt this one today!! I woke up with a sore back this morning (I fell asleep on the couch and it is not comfy, lol) but after some stretching, I decided to get my workout in anyway. So I definitely felt my shoulders burning, and I am GLAD I chose to stick with my lighter weights, so I could feel that burn without actual pain. I also find it amusing how often I sassed back to the video and kept chanting to myself “I can do this. I am not a weenie. I can do this. I am capable. I can keep going and finish this!” on the two slider core moves. I absolutely felt like my shoulders wanted to give out and I talked myself through it, so yay me!! Christmas is in two days, and I am 1000% not ready for it. I just felt like it kept sneaking up on me, even though I am perfectly aware of when it is, I just couldn’t bring myself to care. I’m trying, and I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s reactions to their gifts, but as for decorating and making food… I just can’t bring myself to prep and do anything for it. I’m trying, really I am. Here’s to hoping I find my holiday spirit in the next couple days! In the meantime, tomorrow is leg day! Woot Woot!! (PS, I actually hate leg day, hahaha)

Day 25: Legs

Last Leg day of Phase One!! WOOT WOOT!! The 2 x 15 reps are 10,000% BRUTAL! My legs were ready to give out more than a couple times, but I had my snazzy “Suck it up, Cupcake!” headband on and I kept chanting “I can do, c’mon you can do this!” and it helped a little. My balance was definitely off today as well. The Single Leg Good Mornings (I think it’s actually a yoga pose that she turned into something like cardio, lol) had me falling over a couple times, and even with modifications it was a struggle. I also changed up the front diagonal lunges and took out the diagonal part and just did a front lunge. Definitely felt better and I got better range doing it that way. I’m feeling pretty good at the moment, though I know that my stress levels are going to go through the roof today as it’s Christmas Eve and we are *not* ready. Still have to finish shopping for food, have to pick up middle boy’s girlfriend so she can attend the family gathering tonight (first one in 2 years, yay!) oh, and I still haven’t finished the cross stitch project for a cousin’s new baby, though I will be honest, it’s just a bit of detail work left at this point. Still. I’m half tempted to pretend I left it behind rather than bring it tonight and feeling like I rushed it. It’s been a challenging project and with limited threads, I really had to be careful and stay as perfect and neat as possible with my stitches. It’s a cute project so hopefully I can finish it in time. Anywho! Time for me to be off and get the day going! Happy Christmas Eve everyone, I hope your day is filled with many great and joyous blessings!

Day 26: Cardio Flow

Y’all. I did it!! I finished Phase One of 80 Day Obsession!! WOOHOO! *does a happy dance* It’s the first time I’ve made it this far since 2018 and I am feeling AMAZING!! Hell Zoo day felt insane today, Autumn moved at a brutal pace and I had to pause a few times because my heart was racing. And at the end, it was just boom. Done. So I had to step in place for a bit to let my heart come back down again. But I managed to make it through and knew when I *could* push it, and a new “win” for me was I was able to do some moves without modifying in the last round, so yay me! Monday starts Phase Two with all new moves and Autumn changes up the rotation as well, so Monday will be Booty day instead of Tuesday. If I can remember right, this phase has some seriously wacky moves and I know for a fact I will be looking for modifications for several of them. I have a feeling I’m going to be yelling “Who Hurt You Autumn?!?!?” at my TV on more than one occasion, lol!

With that said, HUZZAH! Phase One DONE!! Today is also Christmas, and so my workout was delayed some, but that’s alright. We are having a quiet one this year, no extra family coming over and we’re not going to a bazillion other places, either so I’m content with it. We don’t need the extra stress, lol. We all got some nice gifts from one another and no one really went all out, which is good. I got some new makeup supplies, new socks (YAY!! SOCKS!! I am legit ecstatic about that) and a really nice, soft new sweater. The kids got some nice things as well, and they are pleased as can be, so that’s always a bonus. We’re going to put a roast in the oven soon, since it’s just us, I want to keep dinner simple, yet delicious.

Happy Christmas everyone, I hope it is filled with many bright blessings and much joy!

~ Ravenna

80 Day Obsession: Week 3 of Phase 1

Here we are in week 3! Two more to go… of phase one that is. Not a lot went on this weekend, though there was another Seahawks victory, so woohoo!! Last week also saw youngest son’s first in-person school concert in 2 years, which was very exciting! He plays trombone and is very, very musically talented (and that isn’t just mommy pride speaking, he is legit talented in multiple musical ways). It was a little strange having to social distance and wear masks, not to mention audience was limited, but still! It was such a wonderful concert and it was truly a blessing to see all the kids play again.

I did a lot of stretching over the weekend, in order to make sure I was nice and “loose” for this week. Now, on with the reviews of week 3!!

Day 15: Total Body Core

Another 3 sets of 15 moves, 10 reps each. This week Autumn is changing up the order of the moves, grouping them into 5 “series” of 3 moves. So you do the first 3 moves, 10 reps and then go back to the top of the series and repeat those 3 moves, 10 reps and then one more time before moving on to the next series of three moves. It made it a little more challenging and I struggled with finding the correct weight and resistance loop strength levels. Like I used my 5 lb. weights for the first set of each series, but dropped down to my 3 lb. weights for sets 2 and 3 of each series. With the loops, I did go heavier and at one point decided that I needed to double-band some of the moves. So about the loops. There are 3 colored loops: yellow = light resistance; green = medium resistance; and blue = heavy resistance. A lot of the leg moves I can use a blue, but this week just wasn’t providing enough resistance and I was just swinging my legs around instead of lifting like I should have been. So I double-looped with a green/blue combo and that was the sweet spot for me. I was also on the struggle bus with the triceps pushups, but I managed to get through them. I’m feeling a little sore, but nothing serious, so yay me!

Day 16: Booty

It’s like Autumn is doing everything in her power to absolutely kill your butt muscles. Like what the fuji apple?! Another 3 sets of 10 reps, 15 moves. She also grouped them into a series of 3 moves… so 3 moves, 10 reps each and repeat it 2 more times. So by the end of each series, you are begging for mercy. Well, I wasn’t begging for mercy until the quad/ped moves. I was over those by set 2. Also, those duck walks are *still* murder on my quads. So used my blue resistance loops for most of today’s workout, except for the standing hip/butt moves. Those I used my green loops. For the last set of those I did wind up dropping down to my yellow loops to focus on form better. Also stuck with my blues for the quad/booty moves, and once again dropped down to green for the last set to focus on form. Altogether, I am a sweaty mess, but feel good. Tomorrow is cardio day, so I’m hoping it will be better than last week’s shit show. Fingers crossed!

Day 17: Cardio Core

Modification, thy name is Ravenna! I am happy to report that today was not nearly as bad as last week. I paused a little less, but took out the jumps in most of the jump rope/HIIT parts and only modified the circle over teasers for core work. I made it a point to really concentrate on engaging my core today, so hopefully I’ll actually feel that burn a bit tomorrow. As much as I loathe cardio days, I also really like how I feel after I finish it. Like I feel really good and while I feel good after most workouts, there’s just something about conquering my least favorite workouts that makes me feel like a goddess. I am also excited today, because one of my Yule/Christmas presents is going to arrive (yes, I bought my own gift to ensure I actually got what I wanted, lol)! I ordered my very first fitness watch/band and I am pretty excited to try it out. It’s from Amazon (even though Bezos is evil, I have instant gratification issues) called an Amazon View and it has some neat functions that other fitness watches don’t have. It was also considerably less expensive compared to Fitbit, Apple Watch or even the Samsung fit watches. But it will be cool to actually see what my heart rate really looks like in the middle of my workouts. Being able to know for sure that it’s where I want it to be will be a good thing. Though I suppose I could do some of my Witchcraft 1 exercises on heartbeat control and that would be enough… I prefer to actually see what my heart is at, lol. Tonight is the season finale of Masked Singer and I am really excited to see who Bull and Queen of Hearts are, plus I have no idea who is going to win, so fun times! Also making a shrimp and chorizo paella for dinner, so yum yum yum!!

Day 18: AAA (Arms, Abs, A**)

So the fitness watch is actually pretty freaking awesome!! I got it all set up yesterday and it is insanely helpful in monitoring my heartrate, estimated calorie burn (those are usually pretty all over the place depending on the fitness watch you use), my sleep patterns (I knew it! I knew I wasn’t spending enough time in a deep, restorative sleep!) and a whole lot more. So yay!! So today was AAA, and it is the same as the others this week, 3 sets of 10 reps, 12 moves divided in to 4 groups. One set is done three time, then the next set and finally to the third. Used lighter weights this week as I’m feeling a bit of a pinch in my shoulders, so lightening those weights definitely improved the pinch and allowed me to have a better control and range of motion. I did use a double band for the last 2 sets of the fourth grouping. I definitely got a better feel of the muscle, and the challenge was just right. Not to mention, it really helped me hold proper form for that particular move. It’s crazy to believe I’m halfway through week 3 and next week will be the final week of Phase 1. It’s been so long since I made it even this far, depression almost always hits and while I know exercise is good for depression, sometimes that funk hits too hard and I just don’t have enough spoons to devote to working out. My spoons are prioritized with family needs coming first. I’m not sure how to describe the spoons bit for those that aren’t familiar with the term. I am actually neuro-divergent, so I guess the best way to describe the concept is that each day we have a certain number of “spoons” (energy? drive? will to do anything?” and each activity you do requires a number of spoons. So for me, getting the kids up and fed, dressed and out the door to school takes like 2 spoons. Feeding the animals takes 1 spoon. Working out takes 3-4 spoons. Granted that’s just me, and some days are different. So it’s just finding the spoons to do what needs to be done, while also taking into account my needs. Worth noting, our kitten (she’s actually like 6 or 7 months old) is finally getting spayed today, which means she’ll be able to go outside in a few weeks. The birds taunt her from the window, and she has a need to become the next Mighty Huntress in the family. Midna is a tortoiseshell, who strongly resembles our dearly departed Cookie, who passed in 2020 (Cookie was a spry 20 years old, but unfortunately developed a profound cognitive dysfunction which led to her having several seizures a day. Her entire life cycle was the kitchen at the end, so we did the kindest thing and let her go and rest). So anyway, Midna is a goofball with a strong prey drive, so it will be interesting to see how she handles the out of doors when the time comes! Oh! I almost forgot! I found baby biceps muscles in my arms the other day and I squealed with excitement, because I can see some definition in my arms happening! WOOHOO!!

Day 19: Legs

Today was good. Got a bit of a later start than I prefer, but that unfortunately is usually the case on Fridays during the school year. For whatever reason, our school district determined that a 90-minute late start on Fridays was somehow going to improve the academics of students. I haven’t noticed any improvements, and this has been a thing since the oldest boy was in 2nd grade. But it’s whatever. Either way, once the boyos were off on the bus, I finished my coffee, poured myself some water, turned on my super awesome workout playlist and pushed play on my workout! I don’t need to repeat how this workout went as it is the same as the other as far as repetitions. Today I stuck with mostly lighter weights and whoo boy! I felt it so much more! I could feel my muscles burning (in a good way!) but I didn’t overtax them to the point of being unable to continue. I also want to say that my new Halo View fitness watch is a game changer. I am so much more motivated to work out, since it tracks my heartrate, my blood oxygen levels, the level of intensity of my workouts and so much more. Also the point system, which a lot of people seem to hate, is actually kind of fun. Apparently, I am very competitive, lol. I like competing against myself and seeing how many “points” of activity I can earn each day, and strive to get and stay more active (you lose a point for every hour of sedentary time outside of sleep) and it’s just kind of fun, so yay!! Tomorrow is cardio flow and I’m almost excited for it because of this watch. I’m eager to see just how hard Hell Zoo day really is for me. What is my actual heartrate on this day? What is the actual intensity level? Am I really pushing myself as much as I can, or am I really just a big weenie? Who knows? But time will tell!

Day 20: Cardio Flow (Hell Zoo, We Meet Again)

Today is the end of week 3, and it was actually really good. I mean, yes, Cardio Flow is killer, but it was nice to see what my heart rate looked like today, to really know when it was too high and slow down. I hit pause less often today because of that small thing. I told myself, “You can do this, you can keep going, just breathe and you can do this,” and it really helped. I still modified where I needed it, mostly came up off the ground for the last few moves, because let’s be honest, I have no desire to fall over or faint because my blood flow is going up and down, up and down. I’m feeling pretty strong, too, which is great! It’s not a “Whoa, my muscles are huuuuge!” but a “wow, I can really feel like I can get through this without feeling like I’m dying,” lol. I’m definitely sore in a few places, though mostly my shoulders are sore, and my left knee is achy (I really need to find my knee brace for that) but I know when it’s too much and when I can push it just a bit more. Anyway, so Hell Zoo day is done and in the books and it was a good one. I’m proud of myself for pushing where I could and for not giving up!

Tomorrow is rest day, and I will do my weigh in, take my measurements and do my progress photos so I can see how things are going for me. One more week of Phase 1! We’ll return to a 2×15 rep scheme, but like this last week, it’ll be in groups of 3-4 moves each day. Happy week before Yule/Solstice/Christmas everyone!! May you all be blessed with joy and light!

~ Ravenna

80 Day Obsession, Phase One: Week 2

Well, here we are with a new week of working out!! The way it’s set up is kind of different this week, but I’ll explain as I get through each day! Also, I didn’t write anything about yesterday because it was foam rolling and rest day… plus the Seahawks!! Happily, they finally broke their losing streak and after an ugly game, won against the 49ers. Huzzah!! Go ‘Hawks! (Yes, I am a Seattle sports supporter, even if they lose).

Day 8: Total Body Core

Okay, so same moves as last week, but a different rep scheme, 3 sets, and theoretically heavier weights (high weight low reps!!) So in keeping with that mindset, I did my best to lift a little heavier today. So yeah, there are 15 moves, with 10 reps repeated 3 times. You do all 15 moves once, then go back to the top and repeat twice. I actually did really well, I think. I did two sets with my heavier weights before dropping to my lighter weights for the final set. Still modifying some moves because yeah, my body doesn’t do that, lol. Well, I suppose it could… but then my face would kiss the floor and it wouldn’t be pretty. I also find it slightly amusing that Autumn talks about how hard it is for women to build their triceps and then I look over at mine, and they’re relatively strong, and have always been so. Probably since my late teens when I would be hauling around several gallons of milk for my job as a barista (sometimes I miss that job, but then I realized I wasn’t getting paid enough to deal with all the assholes out there. Like that is a whole other rant right there. People, have some gods damned grace for those working in service positions. You do NOT get to be a twat waffle because you think they are less than. That goes for how you treat people working in the fast food. DO NOT treat those kids (and adults) like they are dirt because it’s “only fast food”. Cool, well, they don’t have to serve you food. There isn’t a labor crisis, there is a “holy shit, I’m not paid enough for people to treat me like shit.” It takes almost nothing to calm down, breathe and be kind. So yeah, random rant over.

Today’s workout was good and I feel stronger… even if visibly I don’t see any changes. Looking back at the 2018 round, It took until about day 27 before I could visibly see changes. Can’t wait for tomorrow! Right now, I’m off to go find something to eat, because I am super hungry now, haha!!

Day 9: Booty

Well. That was painful. Well. Not actually painful, but mother of the gods, is my booty sore! I know it will be more sore tomorrow, but I could definitely feel the burn today! Much like yesterday, the moves are the same as last week, but in the 3 sets, 10 reps each of 15 moves. Since it’s booty day, that means every move is designed to work that booty as much as possible. I used heavier bands this week too, because I knew I could handle it. Certainly made each move a little more challenging and even lessened my range of movement on some, but it was good because I could really feel the muscles firing, so yay! As much as I hate duck walks, I also noticed this week they were a little better, but mostly because I slowed down and focused on the movement in order to maintain form. Favorite moves are pretty much the same as last week, but I *did* notice that a couple of moves that I usually dislike were a little less hate-able, lol. Tomorrow is cardio core day… I am already sort of dreading it, but at the same time, weirdly anticipating it (those core moves are killer but in a I guess good way, haha!)

Day 10: Cardio Core

Well. That was a bit of a shit show. Same moves and routine as last week… just with fewer breaks between moves. I almost felt like I could do the full intensity of the cardio/HIIT moves, but then my asthma was like “Not today, Tiny Satan!” (Autumn Calabrese is like a tiny little energizer bunny devil person, haha), but I *did* manage to bring *some* of the intensity up, so yay me! It was those core moves… the moves that last week I was able to power through like She-Ra… today was like nope! I was letting out tiny screams and definitely some grunts and for sure more than a few tears as I sobbed on my floor “No more. Please. I can’t!” I did do them, eventually, but I had to pause the video several times just to lower my heartrate a little and sip some water. I am also a gross, sweaty mess at the moment as I continue to sip my water and debate if I want to eat half a banana or a small bowl of oatmeal. Something I haven’t mentioned about this program though, is the nutrition plan. It’s… regimented. Like very regimented. Autumn calls it “Timed Nutrition” and essentially depending on where you are with weight and your calorie deficit needs, she tells you what to eat and when. For instance, I am supposed to be in eating Plan B. Using her little portion control system that means I need to eat a “yellow, red, green, teaspoon” (carb, protein, veggie, teaspoon of oils or nut butters) roughly 90 minutes before I work out. An hour after the workout I need to eat another Yellow, Red, Green, Teaspoon, plus a Purple (fruit). Following that post workout meal, I need to eat three more “meals” every 3 hours. Combinations of those meals include a Red, Purple, Teaspoon; a Green, Purple, Blue (healthy fats); and a Green, Red, Yellow, Orange (seeds and dressings), Teaspoon. The food list for those containers is also VERY strict. Like there are approved foods otherwise, you’re going “against” plan and there are NO cheat days built into this program. The first time I did 80 Day Obsession back in 2018, I followed the Timed Nutrition plan. I honestly got amazing results. And it was nice to essentially be told what to eat and when. This time round, I am mostly doing Timed Nutrition, but this time I am on a more extreme calorie deficit. While I am actually following doctor’s orders and it won’t last the whole time, it feels a little weird, lol. Anywho! So today was a train wreck and I am feeling completely wiped out, at least I can say I did my best and pushed as much as I could!

Day 11: AAA (Arms, Abs, A**)

Well, after yesterday’s shit show, today was much better! I have always maintained that I really like AAA, probably because of the up, down, 2, 3, up! down 2, 3! As the other workouts, this is a 3 sets of 12 moves, 10 reps each. I felt stronger today, and I did up the weights for the first 2 sets, before lowering them again for the third set. I have a feeling I’ll be feeling all these moves more tomorrow and I’m only a little sore today… so yay? Haha. Tomorrow is leg day and I am only a little looking forward to it. The 3 sets of moves 10 reps each really seems to work better for me than the 2 sets, 15 reps like in week 1 (and we’ll return to that in week 4). Anywho! That’s all from me! I have an appointment to get to this morning so off I go!

Day 12: Legs

Today wasn’t too bad. I mean, I was able to increase my weights again, at least for the first set (remember 3 sets of 10 reps each move). It felt good, but much like Autumn in this particular workout, my grip strength was giving out on me, so I lowered the weights for set 2 and again for set 3. I feel like I got more from set 3 with the lightest weights as I was able to really feel form and felt really good about it. It wasn’t a struggle and I didn’t feel any pulling on my back, which is something I am constantly dealing with. Lower back pain is no joke! Also learned a potentially interesting if not kind of shitty thing about a thing in my family. “Double-jointed” has been a term thrown about in my family since I was a kid. I grew up hearing stories about my grandmother and my mother’s double knee surgery because their knees were always popping out of place. I was told I couldn’t take ballet or be a gymnast because “I have bad knees.” Which is funny, because my knees were just fine. I wasn’t double-jointed like my sister or my mom or uncles. Sure, I could do weird bendy things with my fingers, and I was reasonably flexible for a short period of time, but eventually I wasn’t able to do those things. Come to find out our family has a genetic mutation in our collagen gene sequences that causes us to have varying loose joint disorders. That it is a strong possibility that I also have this issue and that over the years, my brain forced my body to compensate for those loose joints and now my muscles are constantly “on” and constricted to support those joints. Meaning I am the furthest thing from flexible. It also explains why my muscles are always sore, why I always have back pain and why my ankles roll so easily. I have told people over the years that I have never actually been fully relaxed and that my muscles are always tight and unable to relax. People couldn’t understand it… until now. It’s called hypertonicity. So what I’ve learned is, don’t push those stretches too much, lighter weights are in fact the best option and really focus on form above all else. It will protect my joints, and help my muscles learn to be strong in different, better ways. Instead of being tense but not actually toned, which is terrible really… I need to teach my mind and body to tone the muscles which will in turn properly support my loose joints without me being in pain all the time. I am also getting a referral to a genetic counselor as there are 2 specific gene mutations that we need to look at, particularly as one of my children is showing signs of a pretty significant gene mutation which could lead to very serious and dangerous heart conditions as he gets older. It’s kind of frightening, but I’m working my way through it and learning more about these mutations in order to have more information when I do manage to get into genetic testing so see if we have this collagen mutation. But for now, Leg Day is done! Feeling pretty good and considering if I want to make myself some pancakes for a very late breakfast, haha!

Day 13: Cardio Flow

While it most assuredly still Hell Zoo Day, I feel it wasn’t as bad as last week. Still had to give myself a pep talk, but I didn’t drag my heels as much this time around. Definitely had to hit pause more than once, but I got through and even pushed myself a little bit. Also did wind up modifying some of the last moves, because well… I needed to modify so I didn’t die, haha. Once I was done, I drank some water, rested for a few minutes and then made some breakfast for the whole family. Simple, bacon, eggs and toast. I decided since I am still struggling with food intake, I would experiment with calorie counting just to see where I’m actually taking in the calories and hopefully I can rein in that lack of wanting to eat and change up a few things. It’s not good to be on this extreme deficit that I’ve been on for too long, so yeah. Gotta change some things up!

Tomorrow is rest day, thank the gods! I am definitely in need of it as my butt muscles are STILL sore from all the work last week. Technically, tomorrow is also the last time Autumn counts a rest day as part of the calendar of workouts, so tomorrow will technically be Day 14 and she calls it “Stretch and Release” so it’s pretty self-explanatory. Lots of stretching. Which I probably need. Since everything hurts.

Monday is Week 3 of Phase 1! It’s going be another 3 sets of moves, 10 reps each, but this time she changes the order of the moves to make it a little more challenging. Should be fun… maybe!

Have a blessed week everyone!

~ Ravenna

80 Day Obsession – Week 1, Phase One

So here are my random thoughts about week one of 80 Day Obsession. I know I said I was going to try and do daily posts… but in the end, I figured a weekly run down was a little better for me, and if anything really interesting happens, I’ll be sure to write about it in a separate post.

Day 1: Total Body Core

I literally just finished the first workout of 80 day obsession. I remember the first time I did this program, way back in 2018, right as it launched and I remember being on the struggle bus big time with it. There were points this morning where I felt like it was too much, that it “hurt” too much (there’s a difference between muscles burning, muscle soreness and legit pain. I was not in legit pain, just being a weenie). But I remembered to give myself a little grace and reminders that I while I’m not completely and utterly out of shape (I have been doing milder workouts for the last 5 weeks) I made it through. I gave myself permission to lighten the weights, to soften my movements, go slower, maybe not as deep on some of the moves and it was better. Like pushups are one of my nemeses and there were 90 of them today. 45 regular pushups with leg lift and then 45 triceps pushups… so my arms are kind of dead right now. I also low key hate bear crawls, especially when you add the resistance loops to the move. But there are moves that I do enjoy. I like the boat pose lat pull, and I also really like the side v leg kicks with a lift. I also like the single arm loop extension. Then there are moves that I don’t love, but I don’t hate them either. So hey, progress!

Day 2: Booty

So this is actually one of my favorite workouts. This one really makes me feel my booty, in a sore, but good sore sort of way. Plenty of challenging moves that are designed to work different parts of the booty muscles, which is a nice change. Most programs focus on the bigger muscles, where this one really hones in on all of them. Some of my favorite moves are the glute bridge movements and there are several variations in the whole program. Even though I struggle big time with the 1st position glute bridge, I can still manage to do it. I also like the quad ped moves and the side lying moves – even if my legs are burning by the time I’m done with them. Pretty much the only move I legit hate is the duck walk as it’s just a difficult move for me to do. My knees are not fans of it, haha! Either way, today was a good day and I’m happy with my progress.

Day 3: Cardio Core

*hisses* Cardio is hard-io my friends. I hate cardio days, lol. However, in 80 Day Obsession, I seem to hate the cardio core days less than usual. Even though they challenge me and I might feel like I’m dying by the end, it’s still a good workout. The way it’s designed is 3 minutes of cardio followed by 10 reps of different core exercises. The cardio are set up with 30 seconds of a “jump rope” style movement (like single leg jump rope or heel jump rope) and 30 seconds of a HIIT style movement (such as skater jumps or single leg squat jumps) and you do those 3 times for a total of 3 minutes. Then there are 10 reps of a core movement like a pike or slow-moving mountain climbers. All of the core movements use floor sliders, so you *really* feel your core during these movements. So you do about 10 rounds of these and then once you finish the last cardio and core round… you go back and do 10 reps of all the core exercises to finish it off. By that point I am ready to keel over and wonder if perhaps I may be dying (I’m not, just being a total baby about it). The only moves I really hate are the ones that involve the HIIT jumps as those are hard on my knees and the circle over teasers core movement. I don’t have the ability to really bring my knees up to my chest with my legs crossed over like that. Anyway, like I said “cardio is hard-io” but I survived!

Day 4: AAA (Arms, Abs and A**)

Truth be told, I also like this workout, though I think it’s mostly the name that makes me giggle. But whoo boy! It is a challenging one. Mostly because after yesterday’s cardio core… I REALLY felt my core today, haha! Everything is very sore. But I felt good and with my super awesome and absolutely random workout music playlist (seriously, it’s super random. Everything from DMX to Justin Timberlake, Pussycat Dolls to Eminem, Fallout Boys to Iron Maiden and more… very, very random), it helped push me when I was ready to give up. Mostly it was towards the end that I was feeling over it, but I kept going as much as I could, even if my range of motion was lessened. So AAA is all about isometric movement… or something like that. Basically it’s “up on 1 and down to the count of 3”. So, for example, a pushup was “up! Lower 1, 2, 3… up! Lower 1, 2, 3. It’s killer because you don’t even realize until it’s time to repeat the set. I was okay with the frog slider moves, which made me happy. Even if my right hip makes an odd popping sound on occasion, it was still a move I was proud to do and finish even if my abs were on fire. The pushups even surprised me, because usually those are usually something I have to heavily modify. I fractured my shoulder many, many years ago and the strength and range of motion never truly recovered. It was the weighted ab sit ups and the knee tucks that made me want to throw in the towel. I would up doing weighted crunches instead because going all the way back into a sit up hurts my back way too much. In the end, I finished and I am feeling pretty good about now!

Day 5: Legs

UUUUGH. Leg day. Autumn Calabrese really LOVES her leg days. It’s like she designs these to absolutely kill your quads. Like mine were burning and on the edge of collapse. Leg day is pretty much the one day where there are times when I say to the TV (or computer screen in this case) “No, Autumn, I literally cannot do this move. Physically, I cannot do it. I will fall over and hurt myself.” So these are the ones I give myself a lot of grace with. Especially the weird diagonal lunges. There are times where she’s saying “C’mon! I know your legs are burning! Push through! Don’t say ‘I can’t’, you CAN!” and I’m shaking my head and noping and then just step it out until she’s done with her reps. Maybe I can get the full 15, but often times I’m lucky to get 10. Plus, I tend to wind up with much lighter weights by the end. It’s better to use light weights or no weights than go heavy and have shitty form. Anyway, today was leg day and while it was really tough, it also felt like it flew by (it’s an hour-long workout). Lots of lunges and squats and a couple of hip hinge style movements. Honestly, the ones I hate the most are the front diagonal lunges and the curtsy lunges where she keeps us in the lunge and has us pulse up and down for the 15. Legs are dead by that time, haha. I also remember doing the Buddha squats way back in 2018 when I did this program the first time and I slammed my knee into the ground because I used too heavy weights and lost form. That sucked and it legit hurt for a hot minute. I wound up modifying and I am so glad I remembered the modified move because I could already picture myself falling into my knees and that would not have been a fun time for me. I did manage to get through most of round one using my 8 lbs. weights, but round two I dropped to my 5s and I felt much better there. I hope by the end I can go a little heavier, but I know my own limits and can only push so far before things get wonky. Tomorrow is Cardio Flow (aka Hell Zoo day) and I already know I am absolutely going to have to give myself a pep talk to even start that one. I LOATHE it. We’ll see how it goes!

Day 6: Cardio Flow (Hell Zoo Day)

I have seriously been giving myself pep talks all week in order to do this work out. Like I remember it back in 2018 and I hadn’t realized at the time, but I was the first one to coin it as Hell Zoo day. All I can say about it is really “Who hurt you, Autumn?” Hahaha! Almost all the moves are named after animals (2 are just what the move is) and when you first look at it, you’re like “oh it isn’t that bad,” until you get about half way through and you’re like “wait. whut? I gotta do it all again?!?! Who hurt you, Autumn?!” But once you get it all done, you feel pretty good. It’s challenging yes, and there is one move that I literally, physically cannot do. Those are the times I feel the most guilty, because everyone else can do it, why can’t I? But then I remember again, when 80 Day Obsession first came out in 2018, I was in the big coach group on Facebook, doing the same program, at the same time with like 20,000+ other people and I wasn’t the only one who physically could not do some moves. There was this one lady who was a physical therapist by trade and she gave better modifications for a lot of us that still worked the same muscle groups, did the same things, but took out the impact on the knees, or lessened the movement, or even here’s how you can do the crab dips if you can’t do it on the floor! It made me feel so much better and I was able to fall back to those modifications this time around. So moves I like in today’s workout are shockingly the spider push-ups. I typically hate push-ups but these ones are kind of fun and it makes me feel like a bad ass. I also like the flamingo leg extension, the gorilla squat modification moves and I actually super like the step throughs, which is kind of like a side plank where you step one leg through. I know that this particular workout is going to be the same moves every single week, but as the program progresses, the number of reps increase, making it that much more challenging.

So this is the end of week 1, phase one! Tomorrow is a rest day with added foam rolling to help release some of those tight muscles. Before I did 80 Day Obsession, I had never done foam rolling and holy oh my geez is it a game changer!! I *love* foam rolling now. Like everything hurts and I’m dying, but it feels so good, lol. So yeah, this was week one. Tomorrow I will rest, and then Monday begins Week 2 of Phase One. So much fun to be had.

~ Ravenna

Started Working Out Again, so here’s Day 0 of 80 Day Obsession

It’s been another hot minute since I last wrote, but here I am! I’ve been busy with life, and well, I’ve come to some realizations about myself. Mostly that I am very overweight. I also learned that I have the beginning stages of kidney disease brought on by years and years of excessive obscene amounts of ibuprofen use to manage pain levels. So something has to change.

I also acquired a wedding dress a few weeks ago and it mostly fits… but it’s a tight squeeze. I need to breathe when I eventually wear it for my commitment ceremony (we finally set a date!), so more changes need to happen.

So I decided it was time to start working out again. And tightening up my nutrition because let’s be honest, I kind of eat like garbage… or I don’t eat at all. Which is a holdover from my youth when I was battling an eating disorder. So I need to keep working on that.

Once upon a time, I did a Beachbody program that not only kicked my arse, but gave me results that I wanted for myself. So that’s what I’m going to do. I like the program, it’s challenging, but not so much that I can’t do it, though there will be days that I feel like it. I just keep chanting “I can do hard things!” so that is my mantra for the next 80 days. I will do my best to write every day. My thoughts, my feelings, and even my opinions on the moves. I’m so not looking forward to Cardio Flow (aka Hell Zoo day), but I’ll get through it!

Tomorrow is Day 1 and I need some sleep, so I’ll see you tomorrow!!

Blessings

~ Ravenna

Pandemic Sucks and I am soooo Over it

Granted, I know I’m not the only one thinking and feeling this right now. Just like many, many others, I am very much looking forward to a time when things can feel a little more “normal-ish” (because anyone who thinks life is going back to the way it was pre-Covid is deluding themself).

Schools are starting to re-open, which frankly, in my opinion, is a huge mistake. Anyone who thinks that kids don’t spread disease has obviously never had kids in the public school system. They are cesspools of illness. We teach ’em young, “show up even if you feel like you’re on death’s door. Feel free to infect everyone you come in contact with, with your nasty cold/flu.” Because our society sucks like that.

Both my kids asked to continue virtual learning until the end of the school year. I was fine with that. I’m still fine with it for my high schooler. But my middle schooler… well. I have opinions and things to say about our district’s “plan” and none of those things are pleasant. Because of his special education program the district is in an “all or nothing” plan which means he’s either in all day, every day, 5 days a week in a “self-contained” classroom that will further isolate him from his peers… or he can continue virtually but be “transferred” to a new school, with new teachers and new special education instructors…. WHO WE DON’T KNOW!! They haven’t even tried to reach out to us. They haven’t responded to my requests for more information. Just transfer school or continued isolation. So currently, he’s not on any class roster and all the work he’s been doing this year up to this point is gone. Because you know, initiating psycho changes like this at the end of the year is sooooo ideal. Like we didn’t learn last year during THAT dumpster fire. We’ve been patient and understanding, but holy shit. Enough is enough.

I am so fucking over it.

That is my rant for the day. I return you to your regularly scheduled activity of your choosing.

I promise to try and write something uplifting sometime soon. Like holiday stuff or something.

Peace,

~ Ravenna

Random Thoughts before Samhain

Not to mention, it’s also the end of Daylight Savings time, is the weekend before the US Presidential Election and also the weekend before my 40th birthday. PLUS! We’re still in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. There’s a lot going on right now.

With the pandemic, a lot of “normal” activities are being discouraged, and truth be told, for good reason. I know it sucks, and trust me it really sucks. My kids are just barely still in the range for trick or treating and with Halloween on a Saturday, they were really looking forward to it this year. We’re having to think of alternatives, because a lot of people are just going to “cancel” the holiday. We might hang out at home and do “Boo Buckets” (a thing I saw on Facebook) which is like an Easter basket, but for Halloween. We’ll just fill them up with candy and call it good. Maybe we’ll watch some spooky movies and tell scary stories. I also have a good idea for a Halloween one shot Dungeons & Dragons campaign to fit in with the season. 

It’s just going to be really strange this year. Covid-19 is a very real threat and to be honest, I do not want to get it.

Group Samhain rituals are also being discouraged. And while zoom gatherings are nice and will do in a pinch, I do miss physical and in person gatherings for ritual. This year’s Samhain Blue Moon is also a really awesome time to work some bad ass magick. I’m hoping to do some ancestor connection work, since it’s a thing I’ve been doing a lot of focus on the last couple years. 

I have a couple ideas for solitary ritual work, so it’ll be okay. I’ve been working on a make-do philosophy (something one of the Temple of Witchcraft founders reminded me of back in April/May) so instead of focusing on all the things I think I need, I’m going to work with what I already have, which to be honest, I have a lot of craft supplies to work with.

Finally, the Presidential elections are coming up in the U.S. It’s a battle for the Soul of the Nation. I despise Donald Trump with every fiber of my being. I despise the vast majority of Republicans in power with every fiber of my being (looking at you Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham). Joe Biden was not my first, my second, or even my third choice. He’s still better than Trump and so I will be voting for him. I don’t have a problem telling people that either. Normally, I would keep who I’m voting for private, but not this year. I believe Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have the best chance to bring the U.S. back to a level of sanity that we seem to be sorely lacking. 

Unfortunately, I also have a nagging suspicion that Trump will somehow manage to win the presidency again. I hope and pray that I am wrong and that the U.S. will do the right thing, but it’s hard. I do feel it in my bones that no matter how the presidential election turns out, the Republicans will lose the Senate, just like they lost the House in the last election. I’m hoping that if they do and Moscow Mitch and Lindsey Graham are removed we may finally have some people with the cajones to keep Trump in check. The checks and balances that are supposed to be there have been blocked by Trump Humpers the last four years and we need people to stand up against him.

So yeah. This is my moment of political soap boxing.

I may have more to write later as we get closer to Samahain, but right now I just needed to get this out of my head.

Bright Blessings.

Lughnasadh and the Harvest

So today is the pagan festival, Lughnasadh (also known as Lammas), celebrating the first harvest and the end of summer.

We’ve still got a few more weeks worth of warm and sunny weather, which makes me happy. I still think this has been the weirdest and least fun summer of my life, thank you ever so much covid-19. Seriously, I will be so glad to go back to a reasonable level of normalcy, though we will never go back to pre-covid days. That’s me facing reality. Most of the world, and hopefully most of the U.S. have come to the conclusion that it actually is a good thing for us to actually give a damn about the people around us. 

So anyway! Tis the season of the First Harvest! Traditionally speaking, this is a time when the first grain crops would start being harvested, along with some fruits and vegetables. It’s also a time traditionally spent on outdoor activities, which is probably why some of my favorite festivals and faires are in August. I remember going to the Scottish Highlands festival here in Washington a few years back and it was so much fun! Log and boulder tossing, foot races, games of strength and endurance! It was awesome, and it makes me think of some Celtic legends that talk about Lughnasadh, Lugh’s Feast. Sometimes thought of as “funeral games” as it was meant to be in honor of the god Lugh’s foster mother Tailtiu’s death. She was said to have plowed the whole of Ireland in preparation for the harvest in one day and then died of exhaustion. So Lugh established this festival to honor her memory and the harvest. I guess it was still celebrated in Ireland all the way up until the 18th century.

Lammas, (hlaf-mas or “loaf-mas”) is another name for this festival, and it is an old harvest festival celebrating bread.  Christians would bring the first loaf of bread made with the first crop of grain to be blessed by their Church. I don’t know if this practice is still done, at least here in the states, but maybe in other places around the world. Either way, baking bread is a good and fun activity to connect with the seasonal energy.

Something I saw today on Facebook was about this time of year and had a series of questions.

What had be sacrificed?
What has been harvested?
What has been separated?
What has been used?
What has been saved?

Great questions and gives me something to ponder on. The sacrifice part is easy. We sacrificed our “normal” activities in order to keep ourselves and others safe from covid-19. We didn’t go to the lakes like we did last year. We haven’t gone to the river as much, and when we do, we have to find places where there aren’t other people. We didn’t have as many BBQs. We didn’t have people over as often, we practiced social distancing so our hugs were few and far between. But the sacrifice was for the greater good, so it was worth it.

What has been harvested? The answer? I don’t know. I don’t know what I “planted” for myself this year that has actually come to fruition. Maybe my health, though that has slightly been in question as we discovered I have a pretty extreme reaction to mosquito bites. My mental health? It’s okay, I have my moments. I guess the thing that I really am harvesting is friendship. My friends and I have had to change how we interact with one another, so it’s been weird… but we check in on each other more often. We share more moments and stories with one another.

What has been separated? I’m getting more involved with my Temple, one thing that has been cool is that they are doing more virtual activities which means I get to participate and connect in ways that I never have before, which is great! I am recognizing new boundaries with myself and my spirituality as well. With covid-19, I realized that there are some roles that I need to take a step back on. I love my work with the Temple, but it’s time to rest from one particular thing and focus on another. 

What has been used? Time maybe. It’s hard to say.

What has been saved? Energy for sure. I mean, physically I’m tired, but I’m in a different and slightly better place mentally.

So yeah, good questions to chew over and I‘ll keep thinking about them over the next few days. In the meantime, I’m going to finish prepping for my Lughnasadh ritual, I have a couple decorations that I made and I bought some flowers for my altar, too. I have my “Grain King” to “sacrifice” during ritual. I have the ingredients to make a delicious meal for my family. I’m going to enjoy my day. I hope the rest of you out there do the same!

Blessed Lughnasadh!

~ Ravenna

 

Summer is coming to an end

I know it seems a bit early to say this. Summer is coming to an end and I’m not sure how I feel about it. Summer is my favorite season. I crave the heat and the sunshine, I thrive in it. This year has been so strange though. In the United States, we’re still smack dab in the middle of a pandemic and there seems to be no end in sight. For moment it almost looked like we were finally on a downward curve, but then, we have a bunch of fools drinking the Republican/Trump koolaid and gathered in large groups, didn’t wear masks or do the social distancing. They cried out “muh freedomz!!” and got shitty because they wanted haircuts and bars, so some states started prematurely opening back up. Then we had (and are still in some places) Black Lives Matter protests and riots (here in the Seattle area, a group of protesters took over a whole city block and called it the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone).

So in response some states were like “okay you don’t want to do the social distancing? Fine. You have to wear a mask to go in public!” Cue more shouts of “muh freedomz!!” So here we are mid-July 2020 and still trying to get ahead of covid-19. Several states are getting hit hard right now (particularly Florida) and it being summer makes it especially hard. I knew this would be the case though. I said it months ago. People are going to collectively lose their minds come summer, not being able to go out to the lakes, rivers, pools, restaurants, vacations. It’s sad. Now the new school year looms on the horizon and families are facing new crises: send the kids back and roll the dice that they and/or their teachers don’t get sick, or do virtual full time and take a financial blow because someone must stay home with them to supervise the learning. In our family, we don’t know what we’re doing yet. Part of me wants them back in class, because orchestra and band are things that can’t be done virtually and music is a huge part of who they are. At the same time, I’m not really willing to take a chance with them. Last year’s full-time virtual was a god forsaken disaster, so I worry about that too. My previous post included a meme about what went wrong… I very sincerely hope the school district has figured it out since “break” started. I just don’t know what to do in this case, so I feel frustrated.

One bright spot, is Lughnasadh/Lammas is coming up. I always enjoy the harvest festivals. Something about them just makes me feel… connected. I’m not someone who does a lot of gardening (that’s the hubby’s job, lol), but I do enjoy working with fresh produce. Lammas is the first harvest, the grain harvest. We recognize the end of summer by the gradually diminishing days. We still feel the heat, but the days grow shorter.

I found this website ages ago that has little journal prompts for the seasons and I came across it again recently and really felt it this time. The words resonated.

This is a time of uncertainty; a time when we face our hopes & our fears.

It really fits right now, the uncertainty, the hopes and the fears. Especially as we continue to face the very real dangers of covid-19. I fear the isolation and the madness. I feel the stress and the worry.  I fear for my family’s safety and health. I feel so much fear and it’s hard to hang on to the hope. It’s hard to look past the uncertainty. It’s hard to keep trying to get people to see sense. If we all do the things (wear the stupid mask – if I can do it with panic and anxiety attacks, so you can you!), practice the social distancing, don’t go to the stupid bar, enjoy some contactless takeout food. Stay home as much as you are able.  Just use common sense and realize it’s not just you, it’s all of us! If we all do the things, we have a greater chance of beating this. It’s not political. It’s not conspiracy. It’s common sense and actually caring for others.

Ugh. I’m sorry. I’m just feeling so tired. So worn out. I’m trying.

So the Lammas season is fast approaching and I find that I am doing my usual seasonal prep work. Meal and menu planning (I’m thinking hazelnut crusted grilled salmon), ritual planning, which is looking different than the last few years for me. I always kept things simple, with little prep work and mostly just meditation. This year I’m going to plan an actual ritual, with full altar set up and decorations! I even have a cute little banner to put up around my altar. I do wish I could still fit my ritual garb (my boobs are not as small as they used to be, lol) because that would be nice, but it’ll be just fine with me in my comfy clothes, because the gods are pretty understanding like that.

I’ve got a couple of ideas that I might do to help celebrate the season, if it’s possible. I’m not sure if any farmer’s markets are open this year, but I’ll look into it, because it would be cool to visit one and get some local produce. Our garden is certainly almost ready for us to harvest more than green peas and green beans, lol.

I have my music playlist, though I’m adding and removing songs from it all the time. I actually found this incredible version of Scarborough Faire sung by the Nordic singer Aurora and I absolutely love it. People suggest songs for it, or I’ll read about someone else’s suggested songs and I like them. I like other versions better in some cases. Like Steve Winwood’s acoustic version of John Barleycorn (Must Die) is probably my all-time favorite.

I also plan to do some seasonal divination, to try and get a greater understanding of the seasonal energies, and maybe see what sort of things I need to look out for, or perhaps nurture through the harvest seasons.

So yeah, this is what is currently going on in the mind of Ravenna. Hopefully, I will be in a better mental space the next time I find my way here.

Much love to all, Stay Healthy, Stay Blessed!

~ Ravenna