Good-bye, Hello: The Green Study on Break

The Green Study will return to regular posting on September 1, 2015

canstockphoto10226535It might have been the all-nighter I just pulled trying to help my kid through a painful orthodontia transition. Seriously, look up Herbst device. Marquis de Sade would have been impressed. It could be that Japanese beetles are now devouring my gardens. They eat 200 species of plant. Welcome to the salad bar, you little bastards. It might be the impending kitchen remodel, which will nicely suit my lack of desire to cook anything that doesn’t require a microwave. Or it could be that it’s so hot, my hot flashes seem inconsequential. Whatever it is, I need a break from all things.

Let’s slap a smiley face on this break and do something different. I’ve held on, trying to post regularly through the summer and as a consequence, have noticed an uptick in legitimate readers (Hello buysexforcheap!). It helps that so many other bloggers have taken a break. My blog has been remaindered with a black tick mark on the spine. I guess I’ll read that one, at least it’s cheap.

At this point, my blog’s ever-shifting, ever-questionable numbers put subscribers at around 8,600. At least 137 of those are legit readers who would love to see what other blogs are out there.

In order to not let this space go to waste for the month of August, let’s introduce ourselves. Every week, I’ll post a list of blogs for you to check out. Here’s how to get introduced:

  • Use this comment section or my Contact page by August 10th. Send or comment with a summary paragraph of what you or your blog are about, along with a list of 1-3 posts you’ve written that you think would best introduce you to readers. I’ll include links in the final post.
  • Since this is still my little piece of real estate on the internet, I retain subjective editorial control. Blogs for the sole purpose of promoting products, hate speech or anything that I’d be embarrassed to be seen with at a party, will likely not be introduced.
  • Introduction posts will be published on Wednesdays throughout the month of August.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!



42 responses to “Good-bye, Hello: The Green Study on Break”

  1. Almost Iowa Avatar

    It helps that so many other bloggers have taken a break

    It does. Who wants to be cooped up inside in the summer? Even on those hot, muggy days, there is something that makes you feel guilty about not being outside. Enjoy your time off.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Michelle at The Green Study Avatar

      Thanks, Greg. For me, August is the month when things must get done. Lots of house maintenance on the list this year before winter comes. It’s too challenging to switch from intense physical labor to writing, so I just need to chop down the “to do” list. Enjoy the rest of your summer as well.

      Liked by 2 people

  2. fransiweinstein Avatar
    fransiweinstein

    Enjoy the rest of your summer as well, Michelle! See ‘ya later …

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Michelle at The Green Study Avatar
  3. rossmurray1 Avatar

    I’m heading off for three weeks in the Maritimes and Newfoundland and am considering curtailing for the duration. But travel is such fodder for stories!
    Regardless, enjoy your break!
    And follow numbers are bogus.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Michelle at The Green Study Avatar

      Wow – enjoy your trip, Ross! You’re right – travel is great fodder for writing. Those stats no longer make any sense to me, but they don’t need to, since I’m not trying to sell anything.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. rossmurray1 Avatar

        Keep on keepin’ on, Michelle.

        Liked by 2 people

    2. pinklightsabre Avatar
      pinklightsabre

      Dude enjoy your time! You’ll be much closer to 50 at the end of it. Looking forward to hearing your travails and sharing more tales as the story of our lives unfolds.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Pheonix Avatar

    I love the idea of recommending other blogs! That’s so generous. Enjoy the rest of your summer. We’ll still be here when you get back :).

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Michelle at The Green Study Avatar

      I used to do more of that, but lately all my blog posts have been real navel-gazers. Hopefully this can go a little ways towards catching up!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Outlier Babe Avatar

    Enjoy, Michelle. What a generous way to use your break, to showcase the blogs of others.

    After looking at the Herbst, I knew it was from the Fatherland: Berlin, 1904.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Michelle at The Green Study Avatar

      Thanks. Bloggers have been kind in mentions of The Green Study over the years, so I like to do the same for others.

      I had to look up that history after your comment. It really is quite a little contraption and my daughter was not amused when I called her a cyborg. A classic case of adding insult to injury. Fortunately, she is starting to feel better, albeit still not finding me funny. There may be no help for that.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Outlier Babe Avatar

        You’re welcome. You did that kindness for me.

        My children never found me funny after they reached double digits. When that zero place-holder pushes that single digit over into the tens column, mitosis occurs. The twinned zero migrates up to the child’s mouth where it forms the first phoneme of the Mom Isn’t Funny Anymore phrase you will hear for the next five years:

        “Oh, Mom.”

        At that point, an additional split occurs, and the two zeros migrate further north to the orbital zones, where from ages fifteen to nineteen, the child will express the same thought by a mere tracing of the zeros with the eyes:
        🙄

        Liked by 4 people

  6. Alison and Don Avatar

    I love your navel-gazing posts! Have a great summer Michelle. Hope your kid is recovering – I didn’t dare investigate Herbst device. You made it sound bad enough that I felt I didn’t need to know more. I wish you summer rest and fun time. At least you won’t have to cook, which I so relate to 🙂
    Alison

    And I’d love to introduce our blog.

    I’ve put in links to the three posts I want to use – I hope that’s okay. I didn’t quite get if you wanted them in or not. Anyway it saves you from having to search for them.

    When I, Alison, was 61, and Don, my husband, was 69, we sold our car and apartment, and sold or gave away all our furniture and other possessions. We felt we had no other authentic option as to how to live our lives. We certainly had no other financial option. It came down to ‘have a home or have a life’. Since that time four years ago we have been travelling the world as intentionally-homeless nomads. It has been the most rewarding, challenging and enlivening thing we have ever done. Our blog is the ongoing story of our journey, both inner and outer, a mixture of travel stories from around the world, and the inner changes and adjustments that this lifestyle has compelled us to make.

    Three posts:
    Together twenty-four seven

    Together twenty-four seven: a working relationship


    Empire of the Sun God: Machu Picchu and Pisac, Peru

    Empire of the Sun God: Machu Picchu and Pisac, Peru


    Tent City: the Mela at the Pushkar Camel Fair, India

    Tent City: the Mela at the Pushkar Camel Fair

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Michelle at The Green Study Avatar

      Great, Alison – I might add the HuffPo link with your interview as well, if you don’t mind. You’re one of my favorite travel bloggers, not just for the great observations and gorgeous pictures, but also the thoughtfulness you and Don share with readers. Delighted to introduce you to others!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Alison and Don Avatar

        Thank you so much Michelle! And yes, please add the HuffPo link.
        Alison

        Liked by 3 people

  7. Honie Briggs Avatar

    Well, you know I’ve been absent most of the summer, most of 2015 for that matter, but it hasn’t been for lack of interesting posts here. Breaks are good. They refresh us, energize us, and give us a much needed cooling off period when life begins to boil over. Unfortunately, my break has been filled with summer classes, but there will be a glorious four day break before the fall semester begins. I think I’ll sleep the entire time. As for your instruction to share what our blogs are about, I can only say that HonieBriggs.com is a mashup of rants and poetry and photography with some navel gazing thrown in for good measure. Here’s hoping your break delivers inspiration, or at least relief, to you for the remainder of the summer. See you in September.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Michelle at The Green Study Avatar

      Thanks, Honie. Any specific posts you’d like to share with readers?
      I’ve missed you in the blogosphere and am glad when you pop your head up now and then to say hi.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Honie Briggs Avatar

        I think maybe these three are a fair representation of what readers will find on my blog:

        The Long And Short Of It

        Remembering Longfellow

        Caution: Contents May Shift During Mood Swings


        This was a great idea. Thanks for including me.

        Liked by 2 people

  8. Catherine Cheng, MD Avatar

    Hi Michelle!
    Wishing you peace and restoration on your break!
    And may the orthodontic work pass by quickly and leave its orderly results as planned. 🙂
    Thank you for offering to share others’ work, it’s so generous and inspiring.
    I only started my blog in April, and the learning curve has been steep and fun. The community has welcomed me and I look forward to contributing as a good citizen.
    I am an internist in Chicago, mom of two, and seeker of connection. I started my blog and aim my writing to reclaim the healing physician-patient relationship. I approach it mostly through self-reflection, and a desire to start conversations between people about why we do what we do, what we all need, and how we can serve one another best.
    Below are three representative posts.
    Thank you again for your generosity, and looking forward to reading more from you in September!

    The Premise

    Bring What Ya Got

    Gratitude, Generosity and Peace

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Michelle at The Green Study Avatar

      Thanks, Catherine. I’ll be delighted to add you to the introduction posts. From what I’ve read of your blog, you have some lovely insights to offer readers. Enjoy the summer!

      Like

      1. Catherine Cheng, MD Avatar

        Thank you, Michelle! Peace to you!

        Liked by 1 person

  9. pinklightsabre Avatar
    pinklightsabre

    Cool idea Michelle – like it. August is a good month to take off — we arrived in Germany yesterday and seems the holiday month just started here at the same time. All of us up at the break of dawn today with our time zones out of wack, up with the last of the bats. “All Good People” just came on the Shuffle and I’ll leave it at that, with you. ‘Take a straight and stronger course to the corner of your life — make the white queen run so fast, she hasn’t got time to make you a wife’ — Best to you and yours.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Michelle at The Green Study Avatar

      Glad you have arrived safe and sound and from your blog post, have jumped right into the experience. I’m going to lay low, fanning myself while sweat dribbles down my face, reminding myself that in 3 months it could be snowing. Enjoy yourself, Bill. Schönes Wochenende.

      Like

  10. Donna Cameron Avatar

    Hi, Michelle,
    Wishing you a wonderful, rejuvenating August break—with smooth sailing on the teeth, beetles, and kitchen remodel (hah!) fronts. I enjoy your blog and will look forward to your quirky stories and observations resuming in September.
    Thanks for your generous offer to introduce some of us less-widely-known bloggers to your readers. After about a decade of thinking about how important kindness is in this ever-shrinking planet, I decided to publically commit to “A Year of Living Kindly” (http://ayearoflivingkindly.com/). It’s not that I’ve been a bitch all my life and am now trying to change my ways; I’m actually a nice person, but nice isn’t enough if we want to change the world. One can be nice without expending too much energy or effort; one can be nice without risking. Kindness sometimes takes risk, courage, and a willingness to be vulnerable. It also takes a good dose of humor whenever possible. So that’s what I’ve been exploring. Here are three representative posts:

    Choosing to Be For or Against…

    Kindness and Curiosity

    Extending Kindness to All


    Thanks for thinking of showcasing other bloggers. I’m looking forward to finding some new blogs to follow and some wonderful people in the blogosphere. May August be kind to you.
    ~Donna Cameron

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Michelle at The Green Study Avatar

      Thanks, Donna. I’m so glad that you have jumped in for an introduction!

      Like

  11. Sandy Sue Avatar

    Hey, Girl.
    Is it really August? Crap.
    Thanks for not leaving white noise in place of your Voice. I can’t wait to talk behind your back with your other readers!

    As for me, here’s some shameless self-promotion (This was HARD, by the way. The posts I like are WAY different than the posts that seem to get the most hits. I have a feeling this has to do with whether or not they have photos of Chris Evans or Christian Bale, but who’s to say?).

    A Mind Divided: Artful, Conscious Living with Bipolar Disorder
    Managing my mental illness is my spiritual practice. I try to be honest about the weird convolutions it takes while finding a few answers and even more questions. I stick my artwork on most posts, and there’s also some fan-fiction for those so inclined. My life is an Adventure, and I share it all.

    Here are some samples:
    http://aminddivided.com/2015/07/10/radar-day/
    http://aminddivided.com/2012/08/21/failure-seeds-tidal-waves/
    http://aminddivided.com/2011/02/18/a-case-against-kindness/

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Alice Avatar

    Hi Michelle:
    What a great idea, to promote blogs by your followers who comment and interact — and are looking for others who do the same. I look forward to the introductions, and thanks so much for “hosting” this party! (Of course, now that I’m tring to pull a quick introduction together for my own blog, occurs to me that maybe it’s time for another overhaul to all my “Hello! And here’s Alice!” sections…)

    Coffee and a Blank Page: I am a feminist memoirist and academic who writes about sex, bodies, minds, and violence. In that process, I also think I write about hope.

    (Most of my posts fall into one of three categories, so I’m linking to a sample of each.)
    ATTN: Men, This Is Not How Doors Work [feminist and ranty]
    http://coffeeandablankpage.com/2015/01/25/attn-men-this-is-not-how-doors-work/

    Portrait of the Statue as a Young Girl [memory project]
    http://coffeeandablankpage.com/2015/06/10/portrait-of-the-statue-as-a-young-girl/

    This Is Not a Poem [though yes, it actually is a poem]
    http://coffeeandablankpage.com/2015/04/14/this-is-not-a-poem/

    Liked by 2 people

  13. kirizar Avatar

    My blog is a platform for all the voices in my head. I’m tired of listening to them and they need a new audience, so it’s a win-win, really. You can listen to the inner nattering of my SciFi Geek Girl finding humor in embarrassing situations in To Boldly Go: http://wp.me/p4K3CH-9r. Or, you can enjoy my whimsical (read: borderline bad taste) humor in The Jolly Green Obituary: http://wp.me/p4K3CH-2H. Lastly, you may admire my honesty or scorn my openness in: How To Shave Your Legs When You are Middle Aged: http://wp.me/p4K3CH-1Q. Giving you a window into my soul will give you a greater appreciation for people who keep their drapes closed.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. kathryningrid Avatar

    Have a superb time. A restorative, marvelous, productive, *peaceful* time. Happy August, Michelle!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Almost Iowa Avatar

    Most often, the comment section of a blog is a place for readers to interact with the writer and while that is a great idea, it is a greater idea to ask your readers to “talk among yourselves” while you take a break. So with that in mind, I will leave a few links for “yourselves” to talk about.

    My Lawn Tractor

    The Clutter Cycle

    The Mosquito Refuge

    Liked by 2 people

  16. Mingle at The Green Study Summer Social | The Green Study Avatar

    […] ← Good-bye, Hello: The Green Study on Break August 5, 2015 · 12:47 pm ↓ Jump to Comments […]

    Liked by 1 person

  17. eb3627a Avatar
    eb3627a

    Hey Michelle, great idea. I run a blog about urban vertical farming. Through vertical farming, I truly believe we have a way to save the world. Agriculture contributes a third of all greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the highest water polluters in the world. But, there are tons of awesome ideas bouncing around about how to save the planet through farming. I try and share those with people and give them some inside information about how they can get started themselves. Check out:

    The first vertical farm showdown: Why you need to know what’s happening in Singapore (https://urbanverticalproject.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/the-first-vertical-farm-showdown-why-you-need-to-know-whats-happening-in-singapore/)

    Fresh Water Greens: A Hydroponic Success Story (https://urbanverticalproject.wordpress.com/2015/07/06/fresh-water-greens-the-success-story/)

    and, for a summary of the potential for vertical farming in general

    How to convince your friends vertical farming is the next big thing (https://urbanverticalproject.wordpress.com/2015/03/10/why-vertical-farms/)

    Many thanks,

    Evan

    And anyone who checks this out, feel free to get in touch and ask me any questions you might have about vertical farming.

    Liked by 2 people

  18. Tippy Rex Avatar

    Hey Michelle! Thank you for you for this community-oriented thread!

    I write a blog about addiction to male attention. It’s about sex and travel and breakups and the need for connectedness. As my ex would say, “everything is a love story.”

    A recent dispatch from Rome (I’m out seeking geographic solutions to my problems): http://whenyoustopdigging.com/2015/08/01/minimal-baggage-rome/

    Two favorites:
    http://whenyoustopdigging.com/2015/07/06/like-lord-of-flies-but-with-more-alcohol/

    http://whenyoustopdigging.com/2015/07/03/ten-completely-awesome-things-about-being-single-2/

    Liked by 2 people

  19. Philosofishal Avatar

    Thanks for doing this, Michelle! An excellent idea. Here’s my contribution.

    Philosofishal: My blog spans reviews and reflections on the arts; teachings and resources on writing; samples of my creative work; my thoughts on dogs, birds, and sea otters (all things that eat fish, oddly enough); and tributes to free speech, reason, and blogs I enjoy.

    Three posts provide a good starting point:
    1. Play-Write: A Reply to “On Treating Writing as a Form of Play” – A core theme of my artistic philosophy includes links to several posts on the topic:
    https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2015/03/24/on-treating-writing-as-a-form-of-play/
    2. Wild Verses: Bits of Nature Poetry, 6 of 10 – A poetic sample links to the first 5 showcased excerpts of my nature poetry. I’m currently featuring a similar series of famous poets’ work.

    Wild Verses: Bits of Nature Poetry, 6 of 10


    3. Scotland’s Burns and Outlander Rival Shakespeare’s Bawdy – A fun, racy resource, and a related post, decodes and glosses a slice of the TV show Outlander: https://carrielt21.wordpress.com/2015/05/14/scotlands-burns-and-outlander-rival-shakespeares-bawdy/

    Liked by 2 people

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    […] was a pleasure to introduce and meet so many bloggers this month. I’ve tried to keep my interaction to a minimum, but I wanted to say thank you to those who […]

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  24. renilumora Avatar

    Nice Sun in The Morning

    Liked by 2 people

    1. renilumora Avatar

      Thanks fr like my comment here 🙂
      You can go to inbox 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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