Loretta Riddell (Elohi)'s Blog (399)

So many tell me they are strong and independant

Yet they cannot close the door on the past

So they can live for today

They refuse to forgive hurts

Dragging those hurts into each new day

Blinding them

From the truth

Jeanne Robertson

1 hr · time posted 6:04 PM

Friday. September 29, 2017. Delta #1814. Atlanta to Pensacola. Packed plane. And on the plane with us was an American who made the ultimate sacrifice. And was going home. A coffin draped with the American Flag was in the underbelly of the plane. It was being escorted home by a member of the military, full dress, carrying a folded American flag & other special items for the family. A passenger in first class gave up his seat for this…

After Years

Of battling the war in my head

Of walking with my dead

Of reliving them all over once again

Of trying to run away from them in the bottom

Of every bottle I could find

Of popping every pill I could ever get my hands on

Of trying to run away from those places

Of where I once had been

Only to find

When that run was over

I was right back where I started from again

Nothing in this world could

Take away from me what…

At one time a Soldier, Friend and Brother was going to set these words to music, but a war and the ensuing medical issues took it's toll so this is the results of doing it without his gift of music

Wasn't to long ago I shared about the rock painting Group I belong to in my little town..

I have seen many rocks with beautiful flowers, animals, flags, anything you could imagine.

But this morning as I checked on our group I saw a rock that grabbed my heart and embedded

itself on my soul...

Definitely painted by a man who knows the Price Paid for Our Freedoms

And the Freedoms of Others…

Thought I would share what I posted on my local pages..

Did you Kiss your Mom this morning ?

Did you tell your Dad how much you appreciate him ?

I really wonder whose talking to who and reminding Family how important they are...

In my car I have a tarp, a blanket and a first aid kit... But I am not prepared to deal with telling a Police Officer someones Loved One passed me on a curve and hit someone else or lost control of their car...causing pain and suffering for…

Heaven was a Little Brighter Last Night

As Family and Friends welcomed their Loved One home.

One shooting Star towards the heavens and Stars Dancing in the sky

Another Star in the sky watching over all that he Loves and Left Behind

But have no fear for he knows one day

He will be there to Welcome You…

Minutes, Hours, Days

Minutes seems like hours

Hours seems like days

Days seems like fleeting moments in time.

So many precious moments pass thru a persons mind

The memories of good times

Yet I still wonder as He lays there

Is he remembering his time as a Soldier or

The precious times he spent with Family

I really pray it's not the struggles endured

All medical advisors say it could be ,

minutes, hours or a couple days

We all…

The Rock

So many in this world are known to be the rock in peoples lives.

Always there when times seem to be unbearable and hard to deal with alone.

Some rocks will be lucky and find another rock willing to help carry some of the load.

Other times they have to shoulder the load alone.

If you are a rock you will eventually crash and burn.

If you were lucky enough to have a rock to give you some support you count your blessings.

Because when everything is…

Have You Forgotten

Have you forgotten about me

And all those with me and those after us

Few knew us except for those we called Brothers

Some of us came to be in the name of Freedom

Those who followed us fought to keep that Freedom

Have you forgotten that we were the ones who never returned

Never got that last chance to say we love our Country,

We all fought under our Free and Flying Flag that we love

We fought so our…

The power of a rock and simple words and painted pictures.. Recently joined Astoria Rocks.. when I joined there were about 40 of us and it has grown to over a 1,000...

So many people painting rocks with ladybugs ships and everything one could imagine... but I painted a few that just held words that hold meanings for me such as Hope, Faith, Courage, and Smile.. today one special little Guy with a beautiful Smile found the Smile Rock...

Through this group I have witnessed Families…

There has been a question I have wrestled with for many years.. As I get older I get tired of relocating this creature that many times creates frustration during the growing season...

So now I pose this question to all of you

What is the benefits of leaving slugs to roam free in gardens??

Do they really have a purpose other than they are a living thing..

This morning I found a young one slithering up the metal pole to my hummingbird feeder..

If you know their…

The Anzac on the Wall

I wandered thru a country town, 'cos I had some time to spare,

And went into an antique shop to see what was in there.

Old Bikes and pumps and kero lamps, but hidden by it all,

A photo of a soldier boy – an Anzac on the Wall.

'The Anzac have a name?' I asked. The old man answered 'No'.

The ones who could have told me mate, have passed on long ago.

The old man kept on talking and, according to his tale,

The photo was unwanted…

I knew the poppies were for our fallen soldiers, but I had no idea of the true meaning!

Today I saw a man selling poppies stop a lady and asked if he could reposition her poppy. While doing so he told that lady she should wear the poppy on their right side; the red represents the blood of all those who gave their lives, the black represents the mourning of…

If I could turn the clock back
I would return to the days when life was good
Survival was hard and required work
But life was Good..
We believed and trusted in God..
To show us the way

For You There Is No Wall

For you there is no Wall, there is only my fading

memories that grow weaker with time

These solemn fading memories are slightly

brightened by my nightmares in the night,

nightmares that recall the horror of your

deaths and the extreme sadness I feel

because I couldn't save you

For you there is no…

http://www.dickpritchettrealestate.com/eagle-feed.html

Well having a Old Fashioned Christmas was the greatest thing to happen in quite awhile...

No phones were used, no computers were available and our only form of communication was to Talk, Hug and Hold... Games were played with the children, walks and snowball fights were lots of fun and everyone survived not having a electronic device in their hand...

Three days and I will miss them all hearing their voices instead of receiving email updates.

But we all agreed (even the young…

I still have yellow roses growing even with the cold and Robert is still finding red roses ..We call his red roses The Roses of Love and my yellow The Roses of Peace which is our Wish for Everyone