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Bury Me

February 21, 2026 By Annette1 2 Comments

Bury Me is my thought process on the word prompt provided by Miss Kate. To read what others have to say about you’ll have to visit her. I’ve tried to provide a nonchalant view of death since it has no long-term hold over me. I have wishes and desires to see before I’m gone, but really, I’ve no control over it all anyways, so why be afraid?

Bury Me

Bury me in the backyard,
throw me to the moon,
it doesn’t really matter
since I was dead before noon.

You see I’ve a better place
a-waiting, so it don’t matter
much. What happens to the old
remains matters not, when I’m ready gone.

I have to admit, I wanted to
stay and see, what happens with
my boy and his girl throughout
the coming years. To see them, hopefully
come to faith in God.

Concern I had for critters,
and what happens to them,
as I don’t much want them dumped,
but safely cared for or at the very
least euthanized well.

I hate to think of the sorrow
of people left behind, but
hope that Christ’s message
is given to all who would so mourn.

I would that death not be
feared by anyone at all.
That more would see their
salvation which is held
so close at hand.

For death has no sting,
it has no victory. It’s all
been beat back by sacrifice
and God’s planning long ago.

The Red Sister

February 18, 2026 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

I listened to The Red Sister a couple of weeks ago. It’s the first of a three part series where we follow Nona and her life learning with the nuns. These aren’t your typical quiet nuns, but ones that learn to follow the path. For some that’s a life of battle, and for others a life of meditation, and yet different for the rest. I want to continue listening to the series, but it’s a fairly intense storyline so I’m listening to something a little less intense first. Let me tell you about it eh?

The Basic Details for The Red Sister

Title: The Red Sister
Author: Mark Lawrence
Publisher: Ace
Pages: 480 pages
Intended Audience: adult
Genre: adult fiction, fantasy, action and adventure, epic fantasy, fantasy action and Adventure,
Available formats: Paperback, kindle, audio, hardcover
Format Used: audio

About book and author

Red Sister brings us into the world of Nona. A girl given by her parents to a child-taker. Who, through a series events ends up with the sisters. An eight year child accused of murder. At the Convent of Sweet Mercy young girls are raised to be killers. Children take 10 years to become a Red Sister, learning the ways of the Path, trained in the use of the blade and fist. Here she will learn that it’s not until you are broken that you find your sharpest edge.

Mark Lawrence was born in the USA but grew up in the United Kingdom. He came back in to the USA to work on a variety of research projects including the ‘Star Wars’ missile defence programme. Returning to the United Kingdom he lives with his family of four children. He never had ambitions to be an author but here he is years later with several books under his belt. Learn more here.

So What Did I think?

I’d not heard of Mark Lawrence before I started Red Sister. His ice world created in this story is just wow. Like just very interesting. And trying to understand how the old blood works its way into the lives of the current inhabitants of this world. Primitive hard lifestyles that you catch glimpses of never used to be this way. But the ice changes everything and makes life harder.

Nona’s story slowly unfolds.

I can’t say it’s an easy story to listen to. It’s very intense and Nona is a very angry child. So many things happen to her and so many people want to see her destroyed. Her focus…. protect her friends! She’ll do anything she can to help them. A fierce weapon is who she was created to be.

You’ll find unexpected help, betrayal, bad people, good people, an interesting series of teachers (some good and some well… you know), unexpected kindness, and danger. Danger seems to seep in around the edges everywhere. It’s like no place is actually safe. That’s part of lure of The Red Sister, the way it draws you in and you expect to see Nona handle the danger, and to do so with ferocity.

Definitely worth reading (or listening to). I have to admit, I did take a break between listening to The Red Sister and starting (so yes, spoiler alert, Nona does survive for the second book) The Grey Sister. I’ll get my review of that to you later on! 🙂

Zechariah Prophesies

February 16, 2026 By Annette1 4 Comments

Elizabeth and Zechariah have a baby boy named John! ‘ You see on “the eighth day they came to circumcise the child”. That’s when babies get their official names and all. We talked about his naming recently if you recall. 🙂 Today we get to learn more about the prophecy that Zechariah spoke once it was confirmed the his son’s name was John.

Luke 1:67-80

⁶⁷And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has visited and redeemed his people
⁶⁹and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David,
⁷⁰as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
⁷¹that we should be saved from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us;
⁷²to show the mercy promised to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant,
⁷³the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
⁷⁴    that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
⁷⁵    in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
⁷⁶And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
⁷⁷to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    in the forgiveness of their sins,
⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,
    whereby the sunrise shall visit us^[h] from on high
⁷⁹to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

⁸⁰And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Zechariah Prophesies

Let’s see if we can’t unpack all that Zechariah said once he did what God wanted him to. His boy is named John (despite it not being a family name) and his muteness unstopped.

Here he is, filled with the Holy Spirit.

⁶⁷And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

He speaks to God’s action, God’s fulfilling of prophecy. God promised a long time ago to bring salvation from the line of David.

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
Salvation PromisedThe purpose of this salvation is to save his people from their enemies.   Saved from the hand of all who hate those who are called of God.  So here’s my question.  Is this just another way of saying the same thing but slightly differently, or are our enemies not always those who hate us?  Do some just hate us for the sake of hating anything that is called of God?  I took that question to the Matthew Henry Commentary where he says “it is a salvation from sin, and the dominion of Satan over us, both by corruptions within and temptations without.”
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
To show mercy promised, to remember his covenant with them, and to keep his promises to Abraham.
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
Why?  So that we can serve him with no fear, and in holiness and righteousness all our days. 
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

John a Way-Maker

And this his son, will go before the one, before the Lord, to prepare people for him. John is a way maker for the Most High. Preparing people to hear the message the Jesus brings.
⁷⁶And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
⁷⁷to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
⁷⁹to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

John Grew Up

And so John did what all children should do. He grew up! He became strong in spirit. Part of me wonders what exactly this means. Does it mean that he became closer to God, filled with the Holy Spirit and growing awareness of God’s call upon his life?

The wilderness became his home until it was time for him to do his job. Would it have been necessary for John to grow up in the wilderness? Would it help to centre him better to not be distracted by other people, events, or the busyness of town life? Did it mean that Zechariah and Elizabeth had to give up their lives as temple priest and town dwellers? Or was the wilderness just his home once he was grown enough to move from his parents home?

⁸⁰And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

The Lord Bless You

February 14, 2026 By Annette1 14 Comments

The words from Numbers 6:22-27 immediately popped up into my brain as soon as I saw today’s word prompt. I’ve heard this Aaronic blessing for most of my life at least two times a month in church services. It doesn’t seem to pop up as much in the current church I am attending. They use other scripture frequently to close a service. Have you ever pondered the words of this benediction? The Lord bless you… there’s much to consider eh?

The Lord Bless You

These words popped into my brain
the moment I saw the word
benediction.

Through a restless night of sleep
pondering the words to
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace

The Lord Bless You
Just who is this Lord to
whom we call upon?
We know that he is the
maker of covenants, the creator
of the world, and the one by whom
all things are held together.

The Lord Bless You
What does it mean to be blessed?
Is it a inner feeling of well-being?
A prosperity of our soul?
Or unhindered fellowship with God?
What does it mean to you if
someone says “bless you”?

defining bless you

To me it’s different if a person
says it, then if I hear God
saying it through scripture.
When I hear The Lord bless you…
it’s like I know God wants the
very best for me and He’ll be with
me to see it all through.

If a person says “bless you” I don’t
really know what they are meaning.
Are they saying “have a good day” but
just using Christianease to say it?
Or are they basically saying
“good luck” with your day? I don’t
really know what is meant and no one
has ever clearly explained when asked.

The Lord bless you.
Me… blessed!
It’s specific and yet
global at the same time.
Me, part of the people of God,
being held and watched over
by the God of the universe.

Doesn’t that fill you with amazement?
I know how much you matter to
God in part of his whole global
care of the world and his
chosen family of peoples?

What does the word
benediction stir up for you?

Longing for Connection and Purpose

February 7, 2026 By Annette1 6 Comments

I started this post last night and then fell asleep with the laptop humming in my ear. It’s just early afternoon now and I’ve found time to sit and finish. My focus changed overnight so poem “my longing” changed to Longing for Connection and Purpose. Anyways, I hope the words given me this day to write find a spot of thought in your brain today. 🙂

Longing for Connection and Purpose

Longing fills my heart
a heart weeping with need
for rest, time, and connection.

Nah, not really.

What is a longing in my life?

That’s the question I suppose.
or perhaps the question is
what is the longing
of the human soul?

Connection. To be able
to have relationship with
others in a way that works
for a given individual.

Purpose. Having a purpose
in life has saved more people
than it has not. Purpose gives
folk a reason to keep going.

The thing is, people let us down,
whether those people be external or
just ourselves. Distraction, internal
conflict, and more threaten.

For people to truly
thrive our connection and purpose
needs to be greater than ourselves.

If it isn’t, we are just
setting ourselves up for disaster.

So truly our longing is for
something greater than ourselves
to impact our lives meaningfully.

Find a way to be connected to something
more. Read God’s word. Think on it.
Focus on truth. Find others who seek
to understand God’s word to walk alongside
of, and find your longing for connection
and purpose fulfilled.

Oh baby it’s cold outside

January 30, 2026 By Annette1 8 Comments

-19 it said on my thermometer this morning. That’s Celcius for you non-Canadian folk. So a touch chilly. As I came back inside shivering I sang to my hubby “oh baby it’s cold outside”. He agreed and then said “I don’t think I’m going to work again today. I’m still not feeling well.” This cold is kicking his butt and making me feel miserable. Unlike him, I don’t get paid if I don’t go to work, he does. So off to work I went! 🙂

Oh baby it’s cold outside

Oh baby it’s cold outside,
and has been so for the past
two weeks. A cold that reaches down
into your bones and makes a
body shiver quickly.

It brings to life this line
from a book I recently finished,
helping me picture it well.
“She’s as sane as running
stark naked in an ice storm.”

Can you imagine how absolutely
freezing that would be? Naked?
No protection. In a cold as brutal
as these past two weeks have been?

Gives me a new line to say when
people are acting a tad insane. 🙂

Anyways, I have three piggies
that are heavily pregnant.
Wee piggies don’t do well
in extreme cold, so in the house they came.

piggies in the house

Two weeks they’ve been in
and I started threatening to
throw them outside again… and the next
day… BABIES!!!!

Two ladies had six babies between them.
Babies safe from the cold, but
not safe from genetic defect.

Brandi’s youngsters have
something not quite right
with them. So far only one of them
has a bit of a chance but not a
great one unfortunately. In the cold
it would have perished already. So
I’m glad it has a fighting chance.

But Rilla’s singleton is
running around and just starting
to make the characteristic wheek.
So I think that five day “see how
they do” will pass quickly for him.

mystery to unravel

I love having strong healthy
babies, but enjoy the mystery of
trying to understand genetic
issues and exactly what the problem
is so I can prevent it in the future.

I can’t repeat the breeding, but
I can monitor the other sow bred
to the same boar. Hopefully
her youngsters will be strong
and healthy. And then I can hopefully
find an unrelated boar and see how
mom does with him. Help me track
down where the genetic issue lies.

And to think that if it weren’t so
very cold outside I would have
taken an educated chance and let
the ladies pup outside in their safe
and fairly warm housing. I would have
assumed that death happened from some
odd reason, or small kits due to large
litter size and not realized the
genetic situation.

Again, God at work.
Helping me know I have
some problem solving to do.
A genetic mystery to unravel,
for the benefit of my piggies.

image: genetic code
text: oh baby it's cold outside

Unusual Emotions

January 26, 2026 By Annette1 8 Comments

Miss Kate has given us the word unusual this today for a word prompt. This week has been filled with ups and down and so unusual emotions might be a good title… time will tell. This is my second try with this prompt. Shall we talk? See usually I’m pretty steady in the course of a week. I get up, go to work, come home. Life is pretty steady and rather boring in a lot of ways. 🙂

I have to admit, I ran a bit long, but sometimes when you are tired after a long week and have a show running, things happen. Today a bit of length happened. 🙂

Unusual Emotions

Monday morning
meh I think,
why do I want to work?
Why do I HAVE to go
to work? Can’t I just stay
home and hide away in bed?
Tiredness sweeps through and
almost overwhelms.

The work day goes on,
energy gained as movement flows
more easily. Get home, and decide
that yes, today I will get pushed
into doing something I don’t want to.
I will listen to someone’s story
and take in their rabbits.
Dread and hesitation fill me,
knowing that three of them
will be fluffy buns.

Anyone who knows me,
understands that I have
a connection with the hoppy
ones, with floppy or erect
ears. They make me smile
most of the time, the rest of the
time is filled with vexation. 🙂

Fuzzy coats a no

I never do fuzzy coats in rabbits,
I’ve neither the patience or time
to deal with the issues that
fluffiness brings. I’ve also seen
the results that such neglect creates
for these small livestock.

Four days to prepare, to ensure
I have the spacing needed, wondering
with some alarm, if that space
will even be needed.

Laughter at work with shared
jokes and a steady workload.
Quiet, yet productive days,
as storms and deep cold keep people
home or determined to only get
the necessities required.
A strong sense of satisfaction
abounds within.

Coldness deepens, snow
becomes a steady, squeaky
crunch instead of light whispers
slipping off a winter boot.
Pregnant guinea pigs into
the house. Oh, the house
feels crowded, with nosey cats
and lots of squeaks.

Plans Made

Friday arrives, plans
solidified, meet at a store,
get the bunnies. Hear the story,
health problems abound, and a
loving partner who tried but
didn’t really have a clue.
Sorrow for her situation.
Relief she reached out.
Delight with new cages and
interesting bunnies.
Reservation as haven’t done
a good intake yet.

It’s hard you know,
when health interferes in life
plans and bunnies get shafted,
until sick owner says, this isn’t good.

Exhaustion hits driving home.
The roads are slippery, the
weather hard, and boy, is
it cold!!! Relief the piggies
are in the house. But the day
longer than expected and the
travel home harder than anticipated.

Anger builds

Home. Unpack. Process rabbits.
Two of six in good shape.
Anger builds.
Why wait so long?
It was obvious these six
had not received good
care in too long.

Overwhelmed and exhaustion,
Energized, and happy.
Anticipation and Delight.
Reserved and Angry.
Curious and sad.
Unusual emotions flooding
a week, exhausted by the end.

Blog

Bury Me

Bury Me

The Red Sister

The Basic Details for The Red Sister

About book and author

So What Did I think?