Date: Wednesday, April 15

Time: 1:00pm Meeting • 2:00pm Guest Speaker:Marjorie LaFont

Place: Extension Office

Topic: Marjorie LaFont is the Extension Educator, EFNEP Peoria County Unit and she will be speaking about the Inner City Nutrition Program Gardens. Note: Have a topic of MG interest or a guest speaker you would like to have at any our meetings? (Please contact either Pres., Margie Karl or V. Pres. Norm Meyn.)

Well, April has arrived with spring in tow. I don't know about you but I've been a little spoiled by the warm weather. It has also brought on a raging case of the "playing in the dirt itch". Seriously though, it's always amazing to me to see everything starting out fresh again. The buds swelling and plants starting to emerge from their winter nap. It is a time of joy and rejuvenation. A hope of new things to come and a revisit to old friends.

And speaking of old friends, thank you for your thoughts and prayers for the loss of my husbands' brother. He will be remembered fondly and missed greatly but there are no doubts in our minds, he is in a much better place.

Our Master Gardener projects are moving along very well. We should all be very proud of the project leaders and the volunteers working on the projects. There is a lot of effort and thought that goes into each project to try to assure its' success and it is really showing.

We have received many requests from the community for our help with vegetable gardens this year. I am hopeful the Master Gardeners are able to meet the need of the community as economic times worsen and more people look for ways to feed their families. If you have an interest in helping to educate people about vegetable gardens, let Norm or me know. As new requests come in, we may need your help in filling them.

A last note of business is the selection of a Marketing committee and a Project committee who are both a part of the Board. I want to thank Stan Strickler and Bonnie Williams for volunteering to be Peoria County's marketing committee. They will be responsible for getting the word out for event media coverage. I also want to thank Kathy Hasselberg and MaryWhittaker for volunteering to be the project committee. They will be responsible for keeping a list of authorized projects and for authorizing new Master Gardener projects.

So get your cold crops going and soon it will be planting time. For now I leave you with this: "Snowflakes melt alone - but together they can be traffic stoppers! Teamwork allows common people to attain uncommon results. Some people want it to happen, some wish it to happen, others make it happen. Volunteers aren't paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless." — Anonymous

- Margie Karl