Stone Soup Mondays: Best Blog Posts from July 25th to August 1st

Back again for another installment of Stone Soup Mondays, an open thread that collects the best things you read on the Web and compiles them in one space to extend the lifespan of a great blog post by two weeks. If you missed this series in the past, please click here to read more about the impulse behind the idea.

Second Helpings

Before we get to a new pot of bloggy soup, let's revisit last week's posts for some second helpings.

• "Syndicate Me"
• "The Eyes Tell the Stories"
• "Explaining North Caicos"
• "Why Typepad is the Devil"
• "Hott Family Finishes 5K..."
• "Finding My Sight"
• "Right Where I Am"
• "Livin' the Dream"
• "Biking Adventures..."
• "Surviving 5 Kids and a Social Life"
• "Don't Assume When You Don't Know"

The Current Thread

Want to participate?

I'll start it out each week by placing in the stone, a great post I read while I surfed from blog to blog. You'll add all the vegetables -- great posts you read -- in the comment section and people will be able to jump from post to post, reading and commenting.

This thread will remain open until Thursday and then next Monday, we'll start it all over again.

In addition to including a permalink to the blog post, please write a few sentences about what drew you to the writing in the first place.

Answers to Questions that Might be Bubbling in Your Mind

• Can I nominate a post from my own blog? Of course -- why not? We all write great posts and we should stand by our writing, proud of what we're putting into the blogosphere.
• Can I nominate only one blog post? No, if you read more than one fantastic blog post this week, please put in a link to more than one blog post. Just make sure you write a few sentences about each post.
• What if the blog post I liked was written by a man? Include it! We don't discriminate over here at BlogHer and we're always happy to read great posts by a BlogHim.
• I'm really shy and don't want to boast about this great post I wrote, but I want it on the thread. Then email it to me and I'll add it in. Or ask a friend to post about it for you.

Just to recap: each week, make sure you bookmark this open thread and check back regularly to find great posts to read. The thread remains open from Monday until Thursday. I'll always start it off with a great post I read and then open up the comment section so that you can add a link and a few sentences about a great post (or two) you read. Please make sure the post fits within the thread's timeline (this week: July 25th to August 1st).

The Stone (otherwise known as getting this pot of blog soup started):

Sunny in Seattle has a post about the first time flying without her kids. Let's just say that I could relate a lot, and I'm assuming others will too as they get on flights that will take them this week to BlogHer. My stomach has been in knots for months. The post is funny and touching and will make you feel less alone.

To read more great posts written between July 25th to August 1st, please peruse the comment section below. And while you're reading these great posts, make sure you leave a comment to let the writer know that you agreed with the original sentiment that they wrote something thought-provoking, moving, or informative.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens and Lost and Found. Her novel about blogging is Life from Scratch.