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I hope you and yours had a chance to take in this year's Home Show. The numbers are still coming in, but overall, it looks like this year was better attended than the past few years. I was lucky enough to talk with quite a few attendees, and everyone seem to be in agreement that we as a nation seem to be coming out of this financial doldrum. There was a similar tone throughout my conversations, that message was this recession is going to teach us how to be fiscally responsible and only do things we know we can afford.

I really believe that to be the reason these home and garden shows have picked up steam over the years. Instead of putting their homes up for sale, people are now figuring out ways to make their homes more enjoyable to live in. Whether it means an addition to the home, tiling the kitchen, or purchasing a new lawn mower, people are staying local, and that is good news for Chisago Lakes.

The 2010 Home Show was the place to be this weekend. I really hope you made it out there. Thanks to the great people that made it another successful show. I help these folks whenever I can, and I can tell you that no one works harder than they do.

Keeping on the Home Show subject for a moment, I would like to congratulate some people on winning a free one year subscription to the Chisago County Press. Carla Burwitz of Chisago City was the lucky winner of our booth drawing. Carla will receive a one year subscription beginning this week to the Chisago County Press.

The other winner was Irene Orton of Lindstrom. Irene was a lucky basket winner in the Chisago Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce drawing. I was lucky enough to talk with Irene for a few moments on Sunday. What a terrific woman. She told me that she has had a subscription to the County Press for over 40 years. I would like to thank Irene for her loyal readership and I hope she enjoys a free year of reading the Press.

I was out in the yard yesterday, just enjoying the sunshine, when I noticed something. Our trees are starting to bud. I could not believe it, budding already? So there is hope. I realize that we have had a very snowy cold winter, but in all reality, it has been close to what we are supposed to be weather wise.

If you are like my wife, when things start to bud, she gets the gardening itch. Although it might be a little early to get your tillers out, there is a place that will help you satisfy your need for greenery. The Chisago County Master Gardeners will be holding their 12th annual Spring Gardening Bonanza on Saturday, March 13. Held at the Chisago Lake Lutheran Church in Center City, the bonanza features a wonderful marketplace where you can purchase plants and other gardening supplies. You can get anything from bare root trees to lawn ornaments and everything in between.

They will be offering free nitrate water testing for your tap water. They just ask you to take a sample no sooner that 24 hours before it is tested and it must be refrigerated.

There are many, many wonderful seminars for you to take in as well. One that I will be attending is "Going Native". If I have learned one thing while trying to plant trees in a new yard, it is buy native. I can't tell you how many dollars we have thrown out the window on trees that last for a year or two and then perish.

If you would like to attend the Bonanza, it begins at 9 a.m. For a schedule of seminars, please go to www.extension.umn.edu/.../2010_Bonanza_Brochure_and_Registration.pdf. I know that is a lot of typing, I just type in 2010 Chisago County Master Gardener Bonanza on the Google machine and it is the first link.

One of my favorite people who runs a local business is doing something really special. Deann Alsaker, who runs Recycled Wardrobes in Lindstrom is once again holding her annual prom dress event. Listen to all the great deals she and other businesses are offering local girls who want to attend this year's prom. With everyone trying to stretch their dollar as far as possible, how does $25 for a prom dress sound?

When you purchase a dress from Recycled Wardrobes you also receive discounts at Chisago Nails, Designers Salon, Forest Lake Dry Cleaners and Totally You. All of these great businesses are offering fantastic discounts so prom can be enjoyed by everyone. I have seen some of Deann's dresses and they are beautiful. Stop in a take a look, you will be glad you did.

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