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!
I’m sad to see you leave, but I understand your decision. I hope you get to feel a little more balances soon!
Aww: I’ll miss you and I love reading your ramblings even if you don’t have time to read mine. 🙂
I hope the 80% chance comes true…I’ll really miss the Classics Circuit as well. Enjoy your reading and living Rebecca!
We will miss you!
We’ll miss you Rebecca, and the classics circuit. Take care of yourself. I hope you’ll stay in contact even if you leave blogging for good. 🙂
Enjoy your break, however long. Enjoy your books!
Enjoy your extended vacation, sweetie. :0)
Enjoy your hiatus…I hope you come back.
Enjoy your sabbatical! We all need to take a breather and rest up to enjoy life again without feeling pulled in a thousand different silly directions! I have you on my blog roll so that when you next post it pops up at the top of the list! I will be keeping my eye out for when you hopefully return!
Enjoy your time with your son and husband as you take your break!
Take all the time you need, Rebecca! A break could be exactly what you need to recharge. Of course I’ll miss all of your wonderful insights, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that you’ll be back at the end of summer.
I’ll certainly miss you but I won’t be removing you from my Google Reader so if you do come back you can bet that I’ll be here. 🙂
Enjoy having more time with your guys, Rebecca! The bloggy world will be waiting if you want to come back. 🙂
Oh, I’ll really miss your blog, and the Classics Circuit! Of course I completely understand. There’s no way I could have read this much and blogged as well with a small child. Hope to hear from you again when you have time.
I’ll miss you–I always enjoy reading your posts. I hope you have a wonderful break. Of course I’ll be thrilled if you return, but I’ll understand if you aren’t able to.
I completely understand, having just done something similar myself. But I’m back blogging and enjoying it again, because it turned out that what I really needed was a break and a rest. Blogging is like a love affair – it’s so all-consuming. There comes a point, I think, when we all reassess, step back a bit, see if we can tame the schedule. Perfectly natural. Enjoy your husband and son and I hope very much to be reading you again in a few months time.
I’ll really miss you, but at the same time I completely understand, as lately I’ve been struggling as well. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that you do return in a few months.
Rebecca, I will miss you and your thoughtful posts. But I also completely understand your need for a break to get things back into balance. I hope you have a fabulous time. I’ll anxiously await your return.
Enjoy your break, and I hope you’ll be back! I’ve been feeling the read/blog/community balance thing lately too.
I’ll miss you, but I completely understand. I’ve been struggling to blog the last few months as well, and have been terrible at commenting. Today I was quite tempted to just go in and delete the whole thing but I’ll stick around for a little while yet. Enjoy spending more time with your family and I hope to see you online again when you’re ready. Take care!!
I’ll be missing you and hoping you come back soon, but mostly I want you to find the balance and joy you deserve 🙂
Like Karenlibrarian, I have trouble imagining myself able to make time for blogging when my children were pre-schoolers. But I hope you come back anyway.
Rebecca, family is important! Like others have said, I don’t know how I could possibly have the time to blog (with the quality you have been doing) before my kids were in school full-time.
Although the community among book bloggers is a wonderful thing to have, sometimes I think it does put pressure on book bloggers to visit and comment on other book blogs (not to mention the read-alongs and challenges) in addition to reading and blogging on your own. I think eventually a balance will fall into place for all book bloggers….those who are still around when that happens, that is.
Your fans (including myself) will still stay in touch with you, whether you keep blogging or not :-). Take care and enjoy the rest of your summer!
Hope you have a great time off.
My sentiments exactly. We both have been struggling with our time.. I might stop blogging for a while too. But I’ll really miss you.. but at the same time happy for your family..
I will certainly miss your posts, but I can understand. Blogging takes up a lot of time and I also find that it is hard to keep up with all my other obligations in addition to posting regularly.
I wish you the best and hope you find your way back!
And just when I discovered your blog 🙁
But I totally understand, blogging does take up a lot of time; not so much the posts, but all the social interaction that is required to maintain a blog.
Looking forward to your posts when you do return.
I hope you are enjoying your break, and time with your family, and reading for pleasure, Rebecca. I have been in and out lately too, and am relearning how to blog when I want to, while keeping in mind that reading is my first love, and that I blog because I love talking about books, and talking with people who love books.
I hope you figure out something that works. I know there are different opinions out there, but I’m okay with blogs that don’t post regularly (of course I am one of those, so I guess I’m biased :-). Take blogging breaks, jump in when you want, and find joy in your life during the journey!
I get all busy with school and fall behind on my blog reading and look what happens! I hope you have a nice break and enjoy time with your son and lots of good reading!