It’s Haiku month with the In the Spring Is the Dawn Hello Japan mini-challenge! I am still waiting for my book of haiku to read (it’s on its way!) but I thought I’d write my own haiku to join in.

Happy memories,
pleasant friends, and blogs: good-bye
until I write next.

I’ve decided to stop blogging for a while. There’s an 80% chance I’ll come back at the end of August or maybe September. I’m going to try to write up some thoughts on the things I finish reading in the mean time just in case. I am still going to be reading. I have my twitter account and probably will tweet now and then. The Classics Circuit is on a permanent vacation.

As you know, I’ve lately been struggling to keep up with reading blogs, writing posts, and otherwise being an active part of the blogging community. I know that to expect comments, I must make them on other blogs, and to expect someone to want to read my literary ramblings, I must go read yours. Having a blog and yet not participating in the community is completely unfair. I love your blogs, and I’m glad for the friendships I’ve made through the web, but I also feel blogging and the friendships I’ve developed are taking me away from the friends and activities I should be enjoying in my day to day life (especially that of my toddler son and wonderful husband), and it doesn’t feel right. As I mentioned, I may come back, but only if I can keep balanced. My son is getting older and there are yet three years before he enters kindergarten, so I’m not sure when my life will possibly be balanced! I’ll have to see.

Recently, I’ve finished Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell and Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. I’m going to read some haiku and finish I Am a Cat by Soseki, and I’m reading Mark Twain’s Tom and Huck books this month (so far so good). If I feel like it, I’ll come back and give you some mini-roundups in a few months.

In the mean time, enjoy your summer and fall!