Tag: Travel

Helping out

April 26, 2026

Today, I helped one of my guild members with a teen sewing group that she runs. We were at the Peachtree Library in Midtown, directly across from the High Museum of Art. The library’s located on the third floor of an office building, complete with its own free parking (14 spaces) and dedicated elevator. The nearest MARTA train station is the Arts Center (behind the High Museum, Alliance Theatre and Symphony Hall).

Our assigned meeting room was WONDERFUL, with moveable furniture, plenty of electrical outlets and lots of natural light. We even had a visitor stop in to ask how she could join in. The library staff we worked with were thrilled to have the space being used. The only drawback to this location is that free, library parking is extremely limited. Surrounding pay lots charge $16-$25 per session – which they can, given their proximity to the Arts Center District and Midtown.

Many moons ago, I worked as a legal assistant/librarian two blocks up the street. I actually parked in the parking deck across the street from the library. The library branch certainly looks much different today than it did years ago when I stopped in on my lunch breaks. I enjoyed my trip down memory lane – just not the traffic going home.

This group previously met at the Buckhead Library until limited parking and frequent special events at the surrounding businesses became a real issue. Today’s location could certainly work as long as she can secure the 10-2 time slot. As an alternative, I suggested that she look into the Northside Branch – about 2.5 miles away – but with a lot more available free parking (not surprising as this branch is in a much more residential area).

One of the parents in attendance is teacher at Midtown HS. She lives closer to me and asked if her daughter might be able to join a future CraftLAB session. We’ll see.

Today really underscored my desire to find a stitching meet-up space in Smyrna that’s free or charges a nominal fee ($5 per person, drink order, snack purchase, etc.) where we can gather 1-2x per month.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

Stop getting your bloomers in a bunch!

February 13, 2026

A birth certificate shows the name you were given at birth, plus other information such as time, date, city and state of birth.

If you’ve been married, divorced or otherwise gone before a judge to change your legal name, YOU DO NOT GO BACK AND CHANGE YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE – despite what some of the political and media talking heads would lead you to believe.

Instead, obtain a certified copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree or other legal paperwork documenting the circumstances surrounding your name change. Contact the Clerk of Court in the county where the event was recorded to obtain certified copies. Costs and timeframe for document delivery will vary. Keep this paperwork with your birth certificate to document your current name.

Need a copy of your birth certificate? Check with your parents, to see if they still have it. If not, order a certified copy from the Department of Vital Records in the state where you were born. This may cost about $20 and take 1-2 weeks to arrive.

Is it fair that the onus is primarily on women to have to take these extra steps to document a name change? Not necessarily, but I’m the one who chose to change my last name to match my husband’s. Yes, it was a hassle to have to change everything after we got married 35 years ago, including my passport – which I’d obtained in college to participate in a study abroad program.

Keep your important documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree, adoption/guardianship paperwork, passport, deed, car titles, wills, healthcare directives, POA, Social Security card, etc.) in a small locked fireproof box in your home. You can easily grab it in case you need to leave in an emergency situation.

Why do we hang on to these documents? That certified copy of our marriage certificate finally saw the light of day again in 2021 when I added hubby to my health insurance plan during open enrollment as part of our preparations for early retirement.

Small lockable fireproof box available as mass retailers for about $35.00

Myrtle Beach Quilt Party

January 25, 2026
Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean at Springmaid Pier, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

The Myrtle Beach Quilt Party celebrated its 36th year this past week. I discovered this event about five years ago when I began compiling a list of all the quilting events I could attend once I left teaching and was longer tied to an academic calendar. I officially retired at the end of 2024. My goal is to knock 1-2 events off my list every year.

Myrtle Beach Quilt Party offers attendees the choice of taking instructor led classes or BYOP for the entire 3 days. I chose the Checks & Blossoms class, which is based off the Pecan Blossoms pattern from Fig Tree Quilts.

A completed block for the Checks & Blossoms class project.

Classes met in various rooms of the conference center at the The Ellie/Doubletree Springmaid Resort. About half of the classrooms had an ocean view. Unfortunately, mine did not. 😦 However, I did have a nice, sturdy workspace all to myself, plus a group of very nice ladies around me to chat with while I worked. My set-up is pictured below. See the lady in the pink top? The ocean view was behind the gray panel dividers opposite her.

A highlight of my trip was getting to have lunch and hang out in the vendor area with Sharon. Our paths last crossed at the 2024 QuiltCon in Raleigh, N.C. Perhaps she’ll be able to attend the MBQP in 2027? If a class catches my eye, I’ll definitely be back!

My set-up at the retreat.

My time in Myrtle Beach was cut short due Winter Storm Fern. I’d originally planned to extend my stay an extra day to avoid the bad weather at home. However, increased ice accumulation predictions for my side of the ATL had me heading back mid-day on Friday ahead of the storm. No regrets about that decision. We did get freezing rain, sleet and snow on Saturday night. My metal front porch rails look like glazed donuts right now. There are power outages near us, but thankfully our power is still on. Temperatures have warmed to the point where the predicted icy mix for us this afternoon will be all rain instead. That’s a good thing. Other parts of the ATL did not fare nearly as well.

I stayed on The Ellie side of the Springmaid Resort. The rooms are nice. However, they are arranged in a horseshoe configuration where every balcony overlooks the pool area. I could see straight across into all of the rooms on the opposite side. Not quite the ocean view I was expecting. If you, like me, prefer a more private ocean view from your balcony, consider the DoubleTree, which is adjacent to The Ellie.