The Great Dead North

There's something happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear. There's a man with a gun over there telling me I got to beware.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

The Black brothers ask about my late husband. They want to learn more about who he was. The kids and I are more than happy to oblige.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

Young Hank recites Kiddush. He’s getting good at it. Their ‘girlfriends’, Eden, Tess and Shara, are having Shabbes dinner in the Cottage.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

The Black brothers are our guests. Luckily, we have an abundance of deer meat so there is more than enough food for everyone in the house.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

Even with the sun setting later, we don’t spend much time in town. We head back to the Holy Land as soon as we can and get dinner ready.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

We bump into Dr Cho who is still scowling over not being able to examine the biters in the old winery in Niagara. Cho: Have a good Shabbes.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

JL: We’re alive because of you, Daddy. DD: We owe you so much. Me: Grow into strong, good, independent women. It's what he would have liked.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

We go into the cemetery and stand before the grave of my late husband and their father. I see that Susan has already been there. Crocuses.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

Fight Class. I tell the kids to gather firewood and that Eden and Tess will be teaching them for Science Friday. DD, JL and I go to town

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

Friday April 27, 2018. My late husband would have been 63 years old today. May his spirit look down on his widow and his family with pride.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

I lie in bed, cuddling my daughters. Toots tries to wriggle his way in. He’s jealous but tries not to show he is. I pray to the Creator.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

It won’t be long before we can plant the seedlings in our garden. Ashley, Billie and I make sure they will be ready in three more weeks.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

DD: Not that He needs reminding or anything. JL: Still, it never hurts to have someone upstairs putting in a good word for us. Me: Right.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

Me: Every day. JL: Do you talk to him? Me: Yeah, I do. JL Me, too. DD: So do I. I ask him to remind HaShem to watch over all our family.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

JL goes next door. She and DD return. DD: I’m in. We can go to town right after fight class. Me: OK, then. DD: Mom? Do you still miss him?

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

JL: We should go to Daddy’s grave for his birthday. What do you say? Me: I’m in. Just us? JL: DD will want to come with us, too, I’m sure.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

Tomorrow is my late husband’s birthday. JL talks to me after breakfast. She was the first of the adopted daughters. She knew him the longest.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

I won't say that we are rebuilding the old world. We are building a new world – hopefully, a better world. A world worthy of God’s people.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

We witnessed the horrid creatures that the Almighty sent to purge our world. We faced them. We fought them. We killed them. And we survived.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

I pray to the Almighty Creator to continue to bless and protect my family and the people of this area. We’ve suffered and we’ve survived.

[The Great Dead North @GreatDeadNorth]

I, Calandra Annabelle Colt, unworthy servant of God, sinner, widow, single mother, hapless religious leader of two Christian congregations.