Reflections Post Lift-Off

Shades of Green left its secret Word Press home on September 13th via a flurry of emails. The response has been amazing. Our blog appears to have some buoyancy!

A BIG thank you to the folks who said “Let’s Do It!” And then walked the walk, despite a full plate of other things to do – first and foremost, Jordan Dale the 350.org Divestment Chair in Rockland, who edits and advises with remarkable talent and sensitivity; Suzanne Moskowitz, who offered up her Word Press/IT skills and then grew them to give the blog substance, clarity and a face-lift; Jerome Wagner, the 350NJ-Rockland President, whose enthusiasm and energy rock, and the Sierra Club Wonder Women, Peggy Kurtz and Gale Pisha, who have inspired me with their commitment and knowledge re: climate change and their support for the blog.

While I’ve read a blog or two over the years, it’s only in the last two months that I’ve socked lots of time into reading and following a variety of blogs. It takes a while to get the knack, so please indulge me while I make a few suggestions:

• I am following a number of blogs – some come often, some not so much. Shades of Green will come roughly once a week. I take a quick look at some, others I flag for when I have time to digest a pithy post. I’ve unsubscribed to a few – not what I was looking for. You can always unsubscribe. Click the green “follow” rectangle on the lower right corner of any page to follow – Voila! The software does the rest. You get each new blog post delivered with your email.
• Shades of Green has blog posts prominently listed on the home page. It also has page headings (divest, reinvest, etc.) which link you to cool articles on subjects that can help you green your portfolio, or simply enlighten you on how quick things are changing – a lot of great news and some not so great news.
• The Blogroll – these are blogs I’ve found to be useful resources – check them out.
• Sharing – we are adding social media buttons to the blog – help us get the word out.
• There’s a contact button on top also – please feel free to contact me. (Next to it is About Mimi, another way to get to know me.)
• Word Press gives daily statistics, here’s what we’ve learned: We’ve had 125 visitors so far, and 351 views (post/pages viewed). People in the know think that’s a strong start. Blogs like this one, focused on social action, rely on a loyal following to make a difference – so please help us grow. The average visitor spends 3 minutes on the blog. Some take a quick look, others stick around long enough to read a few posts. The most recent post about the pipelines got double the views of the others. Wondering if you clicked on the most recent post or did the title or subject hit a chord?
• Biggest surprise – we had 5 visitors from Great Britan, one from India and one from the Czech Republic. Some of you must be doing some international forwarding – many thanks!
• We’ve gotten a few comments – just hit the reply button to write a comment – we’d love more of your feedback, knowledge, and life lessons.
• Followers – we only have 8 so far – we think that’s because many of you didn’t see the button, or didn’t know the drill – so, before you leave this post, find the follow icon near the bottom of this post and please sign up to be a follower.

Bottom Line – I’m excited to be a part of the divestment movement, to make my portfolio greener, and to find ways to keep you engaged. Glad you found us. Next blog or two, a bit about the banks.