CARTHAGE, Mo. — I trust that everyone set the clocks forward an hour on Sunday and made it to work on time this morning. I’m looking forward to those longer daylight hours. It’s time to shake off winter hibernation and see what’s going on around us. Spring is just around the corner.

For starters, the McCune-Brooks Regional Hospital Auxiliary will meet at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. This is the first meeting since the auxiliary opened the Pink Rose Gift Shop in the new hospital, and Carthage Chamber of Commerce officials will mark the occasion with a ribbon-cutting. New members of the auxiliary and gift shop staffs are to be recognized, including Nan Borg, Sandy Cox, Susan Dunn, Jean Fanning, Vicki Lundy, Mary Beth Campbell, Virginia Terry, Becky Copeland and Ruth Hess.

Mary Bethel, a master gardener, will be the guest speaker. She will discuss spring cleaning, planting and general beautification. The meeting will be in the Employee Life Center near the cafeteria.

Speaking of master gardeners, it’s good to know that a new “crop” of Ozark Gateway Master Gardeners has been raised. Twelve new members (should we tag them “The Dirty Dozen”?) will participate in a graduation and recognition banquet at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the fellowship hall at First United Methodist Church. Some of their training will extend beyond the graduation date because a few classes had to be postponed because of weather. Reservations: University Extension office, 358-2158, no later than Tuesday.

The gardeners expect a busy spring, including a work day March 29 in their demonstration garden at the Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center in Joplin’s Wildcat Park; a road trip April 5 to Arnold’s Greenhouse in LeRoy, Kan.; and planning meetings for their annual plant sale on May 3. The trip to the greenhouse sounds like a lot of fun — if you can get up and be ready to go at 6:30 a.m. Pack a picnic lunch and dine al fresco under one of their shelters. Arnold’s is a sponsor and exhibitor in the annual Wichita Garden Show, so viewing the plants should be quite a treat.

Two Carthage Chamber of Commerce events are scheduled this week. Between 5:30 and 8 p.m. Tuesday, a Business After Hours session will be sponsored by one of its newest members, Chatters, 1010 S. Madison St., Webb City.

On Friday, chamber members are invited to an “Eggs and Issues” breakfast to hear members of the Missouri Legislature. The breakfast will begin at 7 a.m. at the First Assembly of God, 1605 Baker Blvd. Reservations should be made for each of these events with the chamber office, 358-2373.

Finally, to prove the point, Powers Museum is coming out of its two-month winter hiatus and reopening Wednesday. A new exhibit is slated to debut on March 28. With chautauqua on its way to Carthage, it’s going to be a busy season for the museum.