Noel Piper » Personal

Sabbatical

Noel Piper — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:59:52 +0000

The first day of May was the first day of the leave of absence that my husband has spoken and written about. I told you how much this means to me.

Wise friends suggested that I should take a sabbatical from blogging and tweeting, just as he is. I really didn’t want to do that–strongly didn’t want to. So that was a good clue that I need to follow their good advice.

For the next few months, I won’t be posting or responding to website emails and comments. I have gotten some very good suggestions and questions from your comments and emails that I want to post about sometime, but not now. I’m saving them for later.

I don’t want to lose you internet friends, so I hope you will do a couple of favors for me.

1. Please maintain your email or rss subscription, or subscribe if you aren’t already. There will be a couple of missions-related short seasons during the sabbatical when I will probably blog. If you’re subscribed, you won’t miss those posts. And then you’ll know when I’m back at the end of the leave.
2. Check my Recommendations page once in a while. Lord willing, we two will be doing some reading together and individually during these months, and I’ll be adding suggestions to the Recommendations along the way. Also I’ve sorted recommendations into categories so it is easier to see what’s there.

Thank you so much for your prayers for us and our family. God is good. All the time. And you are part of his goodness to us.

More photos

Noel Piper — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:23:44 +0000

Our talented tenant, Jenny, has posted a few of the photos she shot of Johnny and Talitha before the Father Daughter Tea on Saturday.

Cut once, sewed once, dress done

Noel Piper — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 15:57:55 +0000

I finally pushed through my silk-terror and cut out Talitha’s dress for the Father-Daughter Tea. And I worked with my procrastination perfectly, getting the fasteners sewed onto the jacket 45 minutes before Talitha needed the dress this morning.

At this moment, father and daughter are in a festive hall filled with glittering daughters and proud fathers.

Measure twice, cut once

Noel Piper — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:03:26 +0000

When I went to China a few months ago, Talitha sent me with one gift request–red silk to make a dress for this spring’s father-daughter event at church.

The event is soon–very soon–and if it looks like I’m blogging to put off cutting into the silk, I am. Here’s the mental conversation.

Me: I’ve never sewed with such expensive material before.

The other me: You’ve already cut the dress out of an old tablecloth and fitted it on Talitha, so you could make your adjustments there, so what’s the problem?

Me: Yeah, but to actually touch scissors to the silk. What if I mess it up?

The other me: How many yards to you have?

Me: More than I need.

The other me: So-o-o?

Me: Well, I guess I could cut another piece if I mess one up.

The other me: And how many years have you been sewing?

Me: Since I was Talitha’s age.

The other me: So close that computer and get off your . . .