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Here is another part. You read the bad news from George, didn't you!?Well, he was placed next to a friend of his.I hope he is okay?I had sent him an orange envelope with a chess magazine, photos of fashion, he likes that!, articles of interesting subjects and a small envelope in it with 33 photos related to me. ;)From different ages.He will like that, I am sure!But... till today I didn't receive anything from him... I am a little worried on his behalf?It was his Valentin's gift. His dad says: they sit on the mail. I hope coming from Bruges, some mail is in my mailbox! :o I can well imagine you adore those puppies!It sounds so nice!
Now I know I will have a solo exhibition at the district house in Antwerp where I live!!! This whole year is already taken and printed.Mine will be printed for the next year. For the whole month of March that is! :))
I went to dine out with a friend Marilou and her 3 artists friends. I now belong to this group too. On March 23 i fly to Illinois.To see my sweetie. :) Oh, I was reading books about shamanes.So very interesting!
Robert,always listen to what your soul inspires you into. Following your own intuition.Here is a nice saying for you: 'For all you have lost, you've won something' - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Kind regards from your friend, Rita! Big hug, Robert! xxx

hello dear Robert,it is always good to hear your comments, and yes, you are grieving,it is still in your system,I do understand oh so very well.:( It will take time to be friends again with your brother,one day... Why was he acting like this?In such a difficult time and you felt so powerless.I am glad you found your way back to your daughter.How short is she then? I've seen a photo when she was still a kid.So beautiful!:)Can she call you?Yes,take any occasion to call your dad, Robert!Before he isn't there anymore.Tomorrow I go to a funeral.She is the second wife of my uncle Oktaaf (he's 95!),aunt Engeline,and she died at 83. She demented.Uncle Oktaaf's first wife died at 36 and they had 4 children. Then he married Engeline,a nurse who cared for his wife and they had another 4 children.Some of his children, come from Switserland and Italy.There will be a lot of family and people in the church,an Evangelian ceremony.My own dad died at 36 too and I was 3 and a half yrs old. Mom had my older brother,Paul(he lives now in Australia),then came me,then my brother Johan(he's a lung-specialist)and at 26 mom expected my youngest sister,Josée, now she calls herself Joke(=like Yoke).Papa died 2 months before she was born.:o Dad was a lot older then Oktaaf.They had a third brother who never married.Shortly after my dad died, mom got to know a neighbor,Renaat and she fled with us to Brussels.Because Oktaaf thought she knew too fast another man in her life!Then mom abandoned the parents of my dad,our great parents. :(( We never saw the family back...My new parents weren't married and we called just his name.I always missed my real dad.Mom forbid us to see my family. We listened when we were small.Later only I visited them incognito.And in that way i knew all my nieces and nephews.:)Paul and me,the 2 oldest children have known my dad,the youngest didn't.Papa died on the first birthday of Johan!And mom so very young;only 26 years,with 4 small children! :((
Uncle Oktaaf taught me to read at the age of 4 and a half!And at 5 I read books.-smile

Eric, you asked if I minded you using my quotes -- not at all, of course. I saw that on your profile page before I wrote you recently and was glad to see it. And in case you didn't know, there are many other people in prison who write on this site, and although Ive only seen a small group of others, they aren't as good as yours.

Thanks for asking around about 60 Days In. From the few episodes I've seen, this "birthday beatdown" stuff seemed like it wasn't necessarily bloody but seemed more violent than a playful punch on the arm. I don't know for sure, of course. IAnd it seems fake sometimes only in that the fights always seem to happen in closed-off rooms, etc. Also, like you said, it's jail, so I assume many of them know of the show, and since the cameramen are actually IN there with them at times doing interviews, they have to know they are probably on a show like 60 Days In. In the show, they take average people and put them in jail for 60 days -- if they can handle it. Usually you'll see a guy who's got a big mouth and thinks he is tough but asks to leave early when he actually gets there.

I am actually quite surprised, pleasantly, that BTB got my msg to you and your msg back to the site in under a month. Kudos to BTB for doing this.

Take care, keep writing!

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Hi Eric, Just writing to say hello. I enjoyed reading the MacGyver story. As a Yankee I appreciate the maxim "if it's broken, fix it, if you can't fix it, throw it out, make do with what you have, or do without." Creative repurposing is a great skill to have.

Keep writing. I'd like to hear about things you're reading, too. I told you a while back about the program here in New York that lets the incarcerated take classes and get college degrees. Any sign of that in Fla. yet? It's worthwhile.
--Best wishes, Bob the musicologist

What a blessing for you to have received forgiveness. What a blessing for the families to have found it in their hearts to give forgiveness. That is, indeed, where real healing is found; not in the act of vengeance and retribution, but in the selfless act of forgiving another their trespasses. It is easy to forgive the innocent. It is the guilty who test our morality. People are more than the worst thing they have ever done.

"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6:14

We must be able to forgive others, even if they have deeply wounded us, so that we are able to receive forgiveness ourselves. Jesus Christ in His wisdom knew that it was important to ask for forgiveness to those we have wronged as well as confessing our sins to Him.

If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
Matthew 18:15

I will keep you in my prayers, and do what I can to educate others on the travesty that is Capital Punishment. It is flawed in many ways and has no place in our modern society. We are not cruel barbarians, we have no business carrying out cruel barbaric acts.