editor’s note...

As we put together the April issue, March was trying to decide whether to leave as a lion or a lamb. We went from nearly 60 degree weather down to temperatures in the teens and back up to the high 50s again, all within a matter of days.

And while a lot of people complain about daylight savings, coming home from work and having a few hours of daylight to go for a walk or start doing some yard clean up is nice.

This issue is all about those spring cleaning chores, from cleaning the ducts in your home, to getting your yard ready for spring planting, and how to have fun after all the work is done.

BethAnne Brink-Cox tackled sprucing up our homes in two articles, one on getting those ducts clean, which makes it easier for your HVAC to do its job, the other on getting the yard prepped to make spring planting easier. She covers everything from techniques to warm the soil to what tools we need to get the job done.

Julie Young wrote an article about popular yard games. It’s not all about corn hole and if that’s not your thing, she provides several suggestions that sound like they would be fun to try. And the nice thing about these games is they are all pretty inexpensive.

Julie also wrote about something close to her heart... Music. Vinyl is making a comeback and to make those studio albums sound their best, you need the proper sound system. Julie wrote about a number of systems available covering a variety of budgets.

Loanne Harms, this month’s Michiana Master Gardener, wrote about one of my favorite plants, orchids. I love how long their blooms last and they aren’t as tricky to care for as most people believe.

As some may have noticed, I haven’t mentioned Turquoise in several months. After being my partner in crime for 9 years, Turq crossed the rainbow bridge last September. At the end of February, I adopted two 9-month-old kittens, Ace and Bromley (formerly Amy) from Catsnip Etc. a trap, neuter release organization in Elkhart County. So I have new supervisors when I’m doing yard work or home improvement projects around the house.