To Touch a Heart

Memorial Day...2011

2011-05-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

Wow! Amazing how time flies by. It's spring here in Minnesota but by all accounts it would be very hard to tell as on this day May, 25,2011 my furnace is still running....and running! But we are blessed with tons of rain instead of tornadoes..or lemon sized hail. Instead we are a bit chilled and wet. Better then most I dare say. By the time summer actually shows up we'll whiz right through it directly into fall!
This memorial weekend had been filled with ideas of camping, swimming, and having family fun out at Hickory Hills campgrounds where we have our camper parked. With impending rain though, plans have been a bit changed. I will be here sharing a few hours with my youngest granddaughter who will be staying over on Friday night. Then Sat. we might take a chance at spending time at the camper....hopefully a few hours with a bit of sun.
The most important thing about this weekend however, is to remember all those special people who have given their time, dedication or their lives to insure our freedoms...freedom to complain about the weather, to go camping or just to spend time with our families. God Bless you all!

Old Friends, New Friends on Facebook

2010-05-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

It's funny what facebook can bring into your life. I recently went away for a weekend and came home to find a friends request from a very dear old friend....one from elementary school! We were friends from about 2nd grade until sixth grade when I moved to another town. So it's been about 42 years since we have seen one another. I accepted the request and we have been catching up, little by little, on what has transpired in our lives since we had been seperated.
The funny thing is that so many times we develop friendships because of common interests or similar ways of thinking. 42 years later I find that my friend is also an author. Marynell Lund has written the book called, The Normal Side of Insanity. The book contains life experiences about several types of abuse she has suffered during her lifetime.
I on the other hand, have not. But what I have also done in my book is bring to light the different facuets of abuse, but in a fictious manner. There Should Have Been Roses deals with physical and mental abuse suffered by a woman at the hands of a man who professes to love her. Her inability to leave and the consequenses she suffers because of "love" are the heart of my story.
Both books are well worth reading. Both deal with issues that need to be exposed. I hope someone, somewhere, will pick up one of our books and pass along the information that could save someone's life.
So Marynell, it's wonderful to have you back in my life and much success with your new book!

Christmas...it's a coming!

2009-11-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

Well the season is sneaking up on us so grab on to the vitamins and get your self in shape for all the holiday events! It's hard to think ahead when the weather is balmy and there is no snow on the ground to remind us that Santa will soon be on his way! But when you start the countdown you'll realize that Christmas will be here before we know it!
Last year I had the pleasure of winning some Heartwarming Vintage cuts from Crafty Secrets. At the time I recieved them I really didn't know what I would do with them...use them for cards? Use them in a scrapbook? So they were tossed in a drawer. Well this year I pulled them out and had so much fun making Vintage Christmas cards that I just had to share them with you!
I don't know why I stayed away from the beautiful designs when all my life I have loved Victorian styled anything! Lace, ribbons, feathers and vintage buttons! Most of the embellishments I had laying around my craft room just waiting for this moment! So here are a couple of my Vintage Christmas cards! I hope you enjoy them!

There Should have been Roses

2009-03-25T05:19:00.000-07:00

Finally the journey to complete my first romance is over and the book is now available at barnesandnoble.com borders.com or amazon.com It's been a thrilling adventure with many changes and challenges!
There Should have been Roses is the story of Sarah who travels down many paths to find true love and an fullfilling relationship, but not without bumps and bruises that we all suffer when finding our one soulmate!

Little Prints

2008-03-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

Well spring is just around the corner..it's kind of peeking it's way around the last of the winter weather and with more sunshine comes more energy! I am talking about spring house cleaning. I've been restlessly waiting for warmer temps so I can get to it and get the windows sparkling again too! I see the little prints my granddaughter has left behind and those however, are going to stay! They are a gift she left behind proving that she was here and that once again we had a wonderful time together! Here's a gift for all you parents and grandparents who look at those little prints that are left all over your house!

Little Prints

Little handprints on the wall
They don't bother me at all!
A little child left them there,
For me to see that they'd been here!

Little prints on a chair,
Remind me they were sitting there!
We shared a meal and talked a bunch!
About important things like toys and lunch!

Little footprints by the door,
Some days I wish there would be more
For visits from that a little child
Are filled with fun and hugs and smiles!

Little Prints for all to see
That blessings were bestowed on me!
For little prints are gifts of love
From someone special up above!

Enjoy the little prints! And don't forget to visit www.cafepress.com/totouchaheart

Friends!

2007-10-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family! This is so true. Sometimes it's our friends that are the ones who pick us up when we are down. They are the ones who oft times offer the best support when we venture into a new field or a new experience. Sometimes friends are closer then family because we have a tendency to pick friends that enjoy the same types of activities, attitudes and attributes! I have many friends with different types of status. I have a best friend, good friends and acquaintances. I have a couple of new friends that I would like to share with you. Please feel free to visit "my friends" at their place in space! http://natureinspired.blogspot.com and www.embellished-dreams.blogspot.com

They love having visitors...and you can stop by here anytime!

Preserving Family

2007-07-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more important in our lives, in our world and for our existance as, family. And second to family, is preserving the treasures that make up the memories that are so important to pass on to the next generation. Many people capture those moments in pictures and many like to arrange them into scrapbooks or memory books so the children of this generation will have the history of their ancestors. Recently I discovered on my computer a program that many may already have knowledge of and that is the Window's Movie Maker. The program in itself is so easy to manuver that even small children can create a video, with a musical background and pick and chose which memories they would like to capture and preserve. I am now making videos of each one of my grandchildren starting with pictures of their births until the present day. For Christmas I am going to make a video for each one of my own children with pictures from the past and call it Heritage. The video will include pics of their greatgrand parents, their grandparents and myself from birth to present. I hope you will take advantage of the wonderful world of videos presented to you through Windows!

Fourth of July: Our Independence

2007-07-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

I attended a very large event this last Saturday in Souix City Iowa. They began the event, a very large Jazz Festival which featured B.B.King with the National Anthem. I looked around and was disappointed to see that many people in the crowd did not stand or put their hand over their hearts. We are on the cusp of the celebration to end all celebrations and are looking forward to the picnic, spending time with our families, the parades and fireworks while halfway around the world our troops are spending their days protecting the independence we will be celebrating! Let's not forget the reasons for the celebration. Take pride in your country! Stand when they play the national anthem and stand when the flag of our great country passes by, for so many are giving up their lives to Stand Up for America!

2007-05-23T14:01:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day

2007-05-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

With the end of May approaching we look forward to Memorial Day. The celebration of the rememerance of those who have gone on without us whether it be family, the troops who have sacrificed everything for us or those who died on 9/11. To all of those who are survivers of a loved one, this one is for you!

Memories

There's a silence in your life today

A place no one can share.

A missing part, within your heart

for one that was so rare.

Where memories now must fill the gap

for the voice you'll never hear.

It's soft refrain, will now remain,

Just an echo in your ears.

There's sometimes disagreement,

Between the people that we love,

But time can heal, no one can steal

Great lessons from above.

So when it's time to say "goodbye"

there is no easy way.

Forgive, forget, shrug off regrets

For there's nothing left to say.

There's a silence in your life today

A place no one can share.

But their in your heart, those missing parts,

For love is still so rare.

Tribute to the troops

2007-04-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Being the mother-in-law of two career military "sons" I can relate to the pain and heartache a family goes through with the seperation from their loved ones. "Waiting for you to come home" was written for my own two while they served their time in both Afghanistan and Iraq. To all our troops and for their families, We'll be waiting for you to come home!

Waiting for you to come home!

In all our lives, we never thought
You'd go so far away.
If we had the choice, I hope you know
Close by us you would stay.
But the time had come, a call you heard
To keep our country free.
With your head held high,
No last "goodbyes" a soldier you must be.
So you went away to that foreign land
Where turmoil stirs our peace.
You left behind the land you love
To calm a threatening beast.
Our hearts are filled with so much pride.
We're free because of you.
No words express the love we feel
Or the gratitude that's due.
Tonight you'll sleep in that foreign land
And if you feel like you're alone,
Remember first, a million prayers
Because we'll be waiting for you to come home!

Mothers

2007-04-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

While we are concerned with saving Mother Earth we also have to pay tribute to all mothers with a special day in May. Precious Gift was written for all the mom's in the world who are certainly a special gift to us all!

Precious Gift

In His hands, he mixed all good things,
Like angel dust and butterfly wings!
The fluffiest of clouds and softest down.
A fragrant rose, and baby’s sounds!
Then added just a pinch of dew.
Rainbow colors and laughter too!
Then he said to the world,
“Are you ready for this?
For she can heal with just a kiss!”
She can walk the earth to save a child.
And never mind the “extra mile.”
While the rest of the world is sound asleep.
A constant vigil she will keep.
She’ll touch a flower and make it bloom,
Her radiant smile will warm a room!
She’ll calm a world of hurt and fear.
And though she’s strong you can see the tears.
For a mother is filled with a special love.
She’s a precious gift from heaven above!

Jill Holmes

Mother of all mothers!

2007-04-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

Today is Earth day. The day to celebrate and learn more about saving our great planet. Each little thing we do to conserve our natural resources helps. So celebrate and do what you can to preserve our planet for our children's future.

To Touch a Heart

2007-04-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I'm Jill Holmes a Minnesota author and poet. I am the author of An Ax in the Sandbox, and To Touch a Heart. Ax is a contemporary novel and To Touch a Heart is a collection of short stories and award winning poetry. This is my first blog but have a website www.totouchaheartbyjillholmes.com and my books are available from my webpage. Hope I can stir up some interest and meet other writers and create new relationships!