It’s common knowledge that what you are looking for is probably in your own backyard.  We’ve been disappointed on this trip that we hadn’t seen the ‘quaint little villages’ that Cape Cod is noted for.

But today that changed.  The weather was very cloudy and the threat of rain showers persisted all day so we didn’t want to plan any all-day outside activities.  Instead we decided to walk around the town of Wellfleet.  We are camping just outside of town.

The town has an “abundance of quaint rural seaside character and charm.”  Just what we had in mind with the beautiful landscaped homes that line the narrow streets.

Many of the houses have been converted into art galleries showing upscale artwork from pottery to original paintings.

The first gallery we came upon was Glenns Gallery.  It houses a unique display of oil paintings along with handmade lace.  I couldn’t believe it – something for both Tom and I in the same place.  We enjoyed talking with the artist, Maria Lopata who shared her appreciation and love of nature with us.

I couldn’t resist taking a picture of her paintings and the original lace she had on display

There's always time to quilt!

My cousins and I got together this past weekend to sort through the numerous pictures and handmade lace that we found while cleaning my grandmother’s house.  The house will be demolished soon, so we spent three days recently going through it to see what could be salvaged.  What to do with all the treasures?  The solution – a family reunion.  We decided to get together last Saturday.

The day was  perfect-  from the weather to the great food and sharing  of memories.   It had been humid most of last week.  On Saturday, the weather cooled down to the high 70′s, low humidity, with a slight breeze to make what I think is just a perfect summer day.  Every one bought dishes to pass.

What an array of salads, each one better tasting than the last.  Such fun!

We looked through family pictures and so much other memorabilia.  The highlight of the day was a baby book belonging to my cousin.  Her mother had died when my cousin was 13 months old.  She and her father lived with my grandmother for most of her childhood.  She had never seen the book.  Most of the entries had been filled in by her mother.  We all enjoyed looking at it with her.

We also found a purple heart fr0m World War II that belonged to my uncle who was killed in a tank explosion.  In addition there were things like school report cards and letters from Italy and her sons during the war.

The ‘broomsticks and old lace’ is really ‘a rolling pin and old lace’.  I remember helping my grandmother  roll out the pasta with this rolling pin. It was the one item I really wanted.

She would also crochet by the hour.  At the reunion, we were able to sort through and share many of the pieces she had made.

One of my cousins chose a lace tablecloth that my grandmother had made.  Unfortunately it needs some repair, so I’m on a mission to find someone to fix it. I’ve washed it with quilt soap and laid it on a sheet on my lawn to dry.  I think it is beautiful.

I also chose a large strip of lace that must have been made for a bed-sheet.  Not sure how I can incorporate it into a quilt, but I’ll do some research – You never know what I am going to come up with.

A beautiful day to share memories with family!

There's always time to quilt!