We know that Tuesday is a weeknight and an odd time for celebrating, but that is the day St. Valentine’s falls on this year.

    So the city is throwing a party!

    The idea came about when brainstorming with Meridian Parks & Recreation Director Mark Naylor and newly appointed Frank Cochran Center Manager Brandon Bridges about what activities we could put on to let people know we appreciate them. What better time than Feb. 14th!

    The idea is to first go out to eat at your favorite restaurant that evening to show you how much you love yourself or your sweetie. Then at 8 p.m., come to the Frank Cochran Center for dessert, entertainment and dancing. We’ll have fresh coffee and sweets to choose from

    Brandon knew about the Meridian Community College entertainment group The Dimensions, and enlisted them for entertainment. And for those reluctant to take to the dance floor, Elegance Ballroom staff and clientele will demonstrate several dances as encouragement to work off a few of those sweets!        Appropriate taped music will be played for dancing. Dress up or down. There is a $3 entry fee for singles, $5 for couples.

    We look forward to seeing you Tuesday night. Come with a group of friends and take a table together. We’ve planned an entertaining evening for you and we hope to have more in the future.

 

More ‘crazy’

happenings

    Coming March 3 is a treat for all you quilters out there.

    Alabama ’s Kathy Shaw, known for her crazy quilt patterns, embellishments and embroidery will show us slides of her techniques. She has developed an easy method to create neat, straight and precise seams –without a lot of work or time.

    Ms. Shaw has just published her first book, “Embellishing Crazy Quilts,” and will have several copies on hand for sale. Her quick techniques are included in the book, along with 150 charts for beautiful seams; designs for 104 gorgeous monograms; and 60 embroidery motifs. Also, as an avid blogger, some of her work can be seen at her blog SHAWKL (www.shawkl.com).

    The fee for this event is $20, payable to Magnolia Quilters, the quilting group responsible for bringing Ms. Shaw to Meridian Activity Center. She will begin the slide show at 10 a.m., with discussion, lunch and a showing quilt samples.

    Call the center to reserve a space at this fascinating “show and tell” with Kathy Shaw.

 

Crazy, but true

    Something wonderful for free? Why leave work each day dragging your feet, feeling tired and haggard? At 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday evenings, you can slip into your comfortable sweats and experience a free yoga class with Pat Wilson.

    Pat is our instructor who trained at Kripalu Institute in Massachusetts. Now she wants to share all she’s learned (using blocks and straps!) with the rest of us. Kripalu emphasizes breath work, which should energize you at the same time as relaxing your body – so you can go home feeling you have done something really good and wonderful for your body and mind. Imagine that!

 

Happy feet

    Slimnastics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4:30 p.m. is still going strong at the MAC. The best thing about this class — aside from the great workout — is the music. There’s nothing quite like boogie music to get you moving.

    We’re hoping to get enough interest in a Weight Watchers class to follow our Monday afternoon class. Weight Watchers would begin at 5:30 and last an hour or so.

And …

     Don’t forget the Mardi Gras celebration on Feb. 11 downtown. There will be some good gumbo eatin’ going on.

 

    Meridian Activity Center is located in the heart of the city – off 29th Avenue and 36th Street at 3300 32nd Ave, (previously Lamar Elementary School). Phone (601) 485-1812 for information or to sign up for any computer classes which begin again at the end of this month.

    • Barbara Wells is director of Meridian Activity Center. You may e-mail her at mactivitycenter@gmail.com