Today, April 27, I feel compelled to share a photo of my spring flowers.

Confused? Well, this shot through our front window, including screen, shows footprints where my husband took off the drenched coverings I put over the flowers yesterday, and added new dry sheets. And an old bathrobe.

Under these lie the flowers I so tenderly planted the other day. And on top…that would be snow.

Oh joy…Iowa weather strikes again!

A friend sent this photo of her yard, with the comment, “I wish I were back in Arizona!”

But we do still have flowers. Our Christmas cactus blossoms in our south window, extra bright against the snowy backdrop of our deck.

Yesterday I was planting lavender and mesclun on that deck. This could be depressing. Yep. But it’s happened before, and probably will again.

Our local flower wizard tried to warn me. She DID warn me, but obviously the warning didn’t “take.” ARGH!!

And this leads me to Stan and Twila, hero and heroine of All For the Cause… World War II dragged on and on for them…just when the Allies enjoyed a victory, one enemy or another did, too. It was a long, slow slog, like an Iowa winter. (And I didn’t even endure all of it.)

But winter does end. The war did, too. And in its unfolding, Twila and Stan grew in self-understanding, in skill, in purpose, and in faith.

This week, a loyal fan wrote me such an encouraging note:Your new book has awakened my awareness of how much we are indebted to men and women who have sacrificed so much for the benefit of many.You are a gifted author!

Ah…music to my ears. This is why I write…to awaken awareness…to honor the “Greatest Generation.”

May you enjoy this story.