The in-betweens

Dear Blog Friends,
It can't have escaped your notice that I haven't been blogging regularly these past few months and my visits to your blogs have been way too few and far between. It has been a choice I had to make out of necessity, as I haven't had much 'me' time since I don't remember when. I have a hard time wrapping my head around all the twists and turns of 2012, so far.  It's been challenging, it has been worth it, it has taught me a new and deeper understanding of patience. It has brought me closer to friends and family near and far, and it has shaken the foundations of my sources of comfort. And it has even brought an unexpected  positive turn in my health. It hasn't been easy but it seems that the hard work is about to pay off.
Despite all the goings on around here, I have not forgotten you and do miss you. And I look forward to sharing all these new silver linings with you.

This makes me think of a joke my friend Elena shared with me, when we first met:
 Due to austerity measures having been imposed due to the worsening financial crisis, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off, until further notice...
:)

Endings and new beginnings are never easy, and it feels that this year has all been about that uncomfortable and unsettling transition time 'in between': the old chapter not yet resolved, and the new one starting to reveal its clues and pushing you forward. 
And all this time, as I have been stretched and compressed, I have been waiting for some kind of version of normal to come along, a place and time when  I could get back to stitching and blogging :) 
Am I the only one longing for that beautiful and blissful state called 'Routine'? In my case, a routine in this brand new chapter, which now will include planting a new cottage garden and supervising six year old's homework! In Greek! 
oh... 

The boys will be starting elementary school next week. An exciting (and somewhat terrifying) time in our little family's life. Being their mom and seeing them grow up to the little men they are today, has been the greatest honour in my life. I can honestly tell you, that I like them, enjoy spending time together and laugh so hard at the goings on of those young brains. They are happy, sensitive, with just the right amount of naughty to keep things interesting, :)

This also means an official end to our 2012 summer, the summer when I first visited my ancestral home of Spain, and the summer we nearly completed our new home.

Something we used to sing as kids:
We zijn er bijna, we zijn er bijna
Maar nog niet helemaaaaal!!!

Translation from Dutch:
We are nearly there, we are nearly there
but not entirely...

So, I'll see you when I get there!
:)

Big hug and kiss, especially to all of you that sent me the most beautiful emails, notes and tokens of your love and friendship during this long dry spell, Thanks again.
with Love Always,
Valentina

Hooked...

I was going to tell you how I have been busy talking to builders, electricians, placing final orders for kitchen and bathrooms... You know, all that exciting and terrifying stuff; decisions that need to be made and that you hope you will not regret.
I was going to tell you how I have missed you, missed visiting your blogs and knowing what you have been up to.
I was going to tell you it snowed in Nicosia 2 days ago: thick fluffy cotton-balls dancing outside our windows. I was hoping to put into words the excitement we all felt: from grandparents all the way down to the 5 year olds...
:)

I wanted to confess to you that I have fallen into temptation,  and have not been able to put down my crochet hook... (once again: Thanks Nadine!)

So in the past few weeks those 'in between/otherwise lost moments' have turned from this...

into this...

Now I am on a forced break waiting for some silvery grey to tie is all together...
:)

and just in case you feel like getting hooked yourself, this is the fabulous Tutorial I have been following, Thanks Sols(tr)ikke !

I wanted to tell you how happy I have been to be back working on my little Farmer's Wife blocks---

Oh, how I have missed these little cuties... and how I have added 4 more to my growing stack...












Alas---
I was left utterly speechless this morning...
Arriving home after yet another whirlwind morning running, errands to find this on my front step-






and everything stopped.

Thanks Tineke of Quilt & Zo for the lovely article.

I had no idea she would be a Cover girl!
oh my...

:)

I hope to translate some of the article for my non dutch speaking friends, but give me a little time to settle down a bit, okay? I am still in a state of disbelief! :)

"Mama, did you win, that's why your quilt is in the front?"
:)

Look! It's Mama! Hurray for Mama!
:)

Happy Valentine's!

Sweet friends, how are you!

yesterday I found something that gave the me intense urge of sharing it with you: a tulip! I have missed you, and to my horror I realized it had been way too long...

it took me by surprise to find this little tulip, in my 'soon to be cottage' garden, and it let me know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that hibernation is over! 

:)

It has been a long cold and wet winter for Cyprus standards, and our favourite past-time has been to go for long drives and discover all the little streams and enjoy the lush greens. It feels like the earth is refreshed, and helping us all get ready for the hot summer ahead.

Making the best out of the cooler temperatures, also means that we have enjoyed cosy home time: sitting by the fire offering me the opportunity to hand-quilt to my heart's content. It has been years that I have been so focused on Handquilting and I had really missed it. Not that my stack of Quilts waiting to be quilted has noticed much of a difference, but hopefully I can keep at it for a while longer and make a bit of a dent.

I will soon be able to show you the results of this year's efforts, as my little Camelot is to be featured in the Dutch Quilting Mag QUILT&ZO coming in march.

(i'm so excited!)

:)

The other big news for our family, is that despite all the daily bleakness of these uncertain times, we are building. 

And what a difference 6 weeks makes. So I have been 'measuring twice' and applying all my quilting skills in a much larger scale than usual. And I have been loving it. And I hope so will you, as we share some tea, and a stitch or two, in the years to come :)

The boys have already been enjoying exploring the woods, and I have been dreaming about the garden. But all in due time, and I have been practicing being patient.

So, happy Valentine's, 

May you know how much you are loved today and always,

:)

your Valentina

:)

I received some very special flowers from a friend, and I wanted to pass the joy of these lovelies on to you. Enjoy! I bet you cannot just play it once... :)