It’s hard to avoid feeling our yard has very little to offer in the way of beauty right now, but here in Northern Iowa, beauty comes in small doses, it seems. 

My husband found an early butterfly, for one thing. These usually don’t show up for a few more weeks,and with the forecast predicting frost and temps in the lower thirties next week, I don’t know how long this beautiful winged creature will last. But right now, we get to marvel at the intricate artwork of these wings. 

And I never can get enough of daffodils. Late last fall, I ran out and planted some miniature daffodil bulbs minutes before the first winter storm blew in. Now, we’re feasting our eyes on their cheery blossoms as some purple tulips join in. 

Then, we look over at the bluebells we transplanted from our friends’ creekside pasture a few years ago. What a shade of blue to regale us! 

The trees may be just leafing out, but there’s nothing quite like that early spring green against the sky.

And from a high branch, we hear a cardinal’s call. Takes me back to reading The Secret Garden with our daughter when she was young. Such a lovely story, where simple springtime delights mean so much.

Maybe this season would be a good time to re-read that one. It’s never too late to enjoy a good book all over again.

Sometimes we can start feeling as though we don’t have much to offer, like our garden. But when we take a closer look, we find our gifts can meet needs in ways we might not have realized.

I would love to hear how this concept has proven true for you during this shelter-in-place time.

We associate flowers with spring, including the traditional Easter lily for this Sunday when our thoughts turn to resurrection. But in this blustery wintry storm in Northern Iowa, we need some cheery pansies.

The word pansy comes from mid 15th century French from the word penser, and  pensee is the feminine form, meaning to think or ponder over something. The French word pensee derives from the Latin word pensare which means to consider or pendare which means to take measure of a situation, to take everything into consideration.

I can’t help but think of those who went before us, who spent their holidays…often several years’ worth of Easters far from loved ones, on battle fields, in field hospitals or other dangerous situations. They must have thought again and again, “this will one day be over.”

So taking into consideration all this day stands for–Hope instead of despair, light to replace darkness, life triumphing over death–a joyful Easter to you in spite of a nasty virus and in the midst of a snowstorm.

Welcome April! Even though you bring us frightening news, we’re glad for the warmer weather. This morning in Butler County, Iowa, on the way to work, my sister captured the sunrise, and had graciously allowed me to share her photos.

I’m so glad she took the time to pause on the roadway and snap these shots, in a season when we all need reminders of beauty and hope. And what signifies hope better than a gorgeous sunrise?

Maybe this can remind us, too, to PAUSE in the midst of bad news. To take the time to do what we can during this period. A ninety-four year-old said the other day, “This makes me think of the polio scare back in the late forties early fifties.”

What a recollection–the polio epidemic struck fear into the hearts of Americans everywhere. This woman’s sister developed partial paralysis from the disease–she experienced the effects of this disease firsthand.

It’s almost always a good thing to PAUSE and consider history–realizing how we worked together to survive other scary times infuses courage. and courage has a lot to do with that wonderful four-letter word H O P E.

May you sense hope right now, even in the shadow fear casts over us.