I love that quote. Thank you, Kelly. And I am also amazed by a LGBT day in prison. Wow.
Take care, Julia

hi Kelly,

Yes, we spoke Pam and me; at least by email.She ever wrote me a long time ago this: 'Ive known Kelly for at least 30 yrs.He has sent a lot of crocheted items over time and I have not been succesful in moving them along though they are very well made.I purchased many items for gifts in the past. So a lot of the stuff I had no longer is here.The blanket was large and was sold to my niece for 150 dollars two christmasses ago. My sister has a lot of the stuff in her store room at her house. So I will pick it up so I can make pictures of it for you.I do look forward to hearing from you again soon.'
I wonder if you ever got the 150 dollars? :o

Well, she never sent any photos. She wrote another note later. I will have to write it here too.
This comes later, Kelly; I've to search for it on my emails.

I got your letter, but I had still to write to Rubi,first; an inmate on DR, in Texas.
I also write with Joshua, a dear friend to George, an artist. George was transferred to the prison he was in before: Menard! So Joshua and him doesn't see each other anymore.
Joshua got some cards of my art and he made with George a water color of my parents! When they married. Done so good!!!
Not too long ago he sent me 8 paintings by post! I was so impressed!!!:o
George is still in segregation: six months!! His lawyer Jessica does everything she can to undo the period.He spends his time there studying(French and chess), writes (articles and letters, also to his opponents of chess games: many!!), and he reads books and his newspapers.
He keeps strong knowing someone cares for him very much, me!:)))
Today I tried to call his dad! He turns 93 today!!!
I was so very busy:some bike rides (in the 30 km) and walks of 15 km(today!) with the active Flemish seniors,dancing Biodanza in a new group lately. I did also 2 workshops in the Ardennes in the summer vacation:Painting and Biodanza (the origin lays in Chile)/Painting as well.
I even am in a literature group now. Babysitting now and then at my daughter Elke too.
Leslie lives with her family in San Diego, CA; they bought a house there!:)

Me too I love your latest quote. Sorry to hear about the friend you liked. :(

It says here you should receive the note by the 26th of September.Tell me WHEN you got it, ok?

x Rita
Never heard about gay marriages in a prison!

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Dear Kelly,
I am sorry for writing so delayed, though I was very grateful that you mentioned that tropical storm named after me, they totally did not ask me if that is okay, probably they thought I would never know as I live in Europe, where tropical storms are quite absent. It is fun though to read stuff as "The center of Julia has wandered over the Atlantic Ocean". Also, Tropical Storm Julia was the first tropical cyclone on record to form over Florida, says wikipedia.
"Whether or not Julia weakens, strengthens or holds on as a tropical depression will depend on wind shear and the path the system takes over the next several days." Exciting!
"Tropical Storm Julia, a small weather system parked along the southeastern Atlantic coast, wouldn't be especially noteworthy except for one thing: There's never been another storm like it" hahaha mf's. Am I a car or what?
"Interaction with land is traditionally the kiss of death for tropical cyclones," said Eric Snitil, a meteorologist for NBC station WSFA of Montgomery, Ala., who declared Julia "winner of the weirdest tropical storm of the year award." That sounds just like me.
"As for what's next, Julia is expected to creep along very slowly through the end of the week, essentially setting up light housekeeping along the Atlantic coast." I love housekeeping, the interaction with water, movement, creeping very slowly here and there and everywhere and leaving as if a storm would have hit. So yes, thank you for mentioning it. It is fun to be a storm. Have a good day Kelly, x ju

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hi dear Kelly,

How nice to hear you with all the news you've here! At first I'd like to give you my best wishes for an inspirational year with many great moments!Feel the w

very (((warm hug))) I enclose hereby, Kelly!!! May you have a happy New Year and may our friendship be a good haven.:))
All good news from you is good news for me!
Well, I spent 24 days in Indonesia! With a Dutch organization, I flew from Schiphol airport to Sumatra (very poor!), next to Java, ex-colony from The Netherlands and with a boat to Bali.
We were 8 people: two Dutch couples, my friends who invited me to do the trip, Veerle,53 and Scott, her American fiancé, a chiropractor. They live in Holland; she's is Belgian.I know her for a long time!We were with each other in a pilgrim walk towards Compostela, in Spain, from France.I did a test of 10 days; 200 km in all, while she walked the 800 km till Compostela.I did a bad fall there on my cocsis!On a pointy stone before doing a deep descent.it had rained and I slid. We had 40° in France!But we carried not too much in our backpack, since our group was meeting and our food was brought by a little bus.So great to hike in nature!Going into small churches,etc
Later on Veerle (speak out Varle) cam to visit us in ARG and the two of us went together to Brasil.We had a splendid time there!!
Then in our group of 8 were Dagmar and me, the two singles.She was two yrs younger than me, of Swedish origin, she spoke German fluently, lived as a Dutch speaking woman in Portugal, in the Algarve.She cooks there in a restaurant, also Indonesian food.We became good friends. I even gave Anneke,(Dutch), Reiki. Her husband Hans asked me. Since their 3rd daughter died on Dec. 22 on her 36th B-day from cancer.
She told me later she was able to sleep well again.We also became good friends.:)
Indonesia is such a beautiful country!Rice fields terraces,big plantations, craters,a lake, the jungle-there we saw uran utans from nearby!-they were captured and befreed again and trained to live back in the jungle.They kept the link with humans.
People are so friendly!!!They greet you holding their hands in front of their hearts.The food is sublime!I made again two friends aprt of the group.I hope I've the right addresses?Audry a painter, Indonesian.And Josephine,a French lady I met on the flight to Holland.She likes to return to Bali.Who knows with me?
Kelly, your note is so nice!So sorry you lost some property!nice you can do crochet work.And type for friends.George was out of seg after 6 months!On Dec. 15th. He has a good cellie, an ex- military.His friends gave him stuff coming out of his long ordeal.:)He wrote an article complaining about his oval diet tray.His dad sent it to me as well. what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, he told me.He is doing okay.Some younger kids came, so it's more chaotic.He is looking out to buy himself a MP3 player!!Top download his preferate music.(!)

kisses, from Rita x
In some restaurants they ate chicken, cats and dogs!!

Dear Kelly,
I am sorry to hear you've been to the hole and lost some of your stuff. Sounds like some hurricane hit you and yours. I would not have expected the hole be with a cellie, what is the difference between hole and unholy? 24 hours locked up? Oh yeah the 2 questions, I am living in the Nehterlands and I read about BtB in a Dutch newspaper. Thats how it al started for me... What about you, how did you come across BtB? Have a good day, Julia

Oh, and best wishes for 2017 Kelly!

hi Kelly,

Today we''re the 13th of February, and it is the birthday of my oldest daughter,Elke. She turns 38!They tell me here you'll get it on Monday, 13th.
How is life, Kelly?Do you have a good friend?Perhaps a new job?
I heard from Leslie I can come to America on October 7th!She has visits in July and August.September for her would be just too much.Hans and Anneke, Dutch friends from Indonesia still write now and then a note to me.Sometimes a photo too.They still speak daily from that extraordinary land, Indonesia!Most friendly people too!Did I tell you that in some restaurants they eat cat and dog!?That we saw uran utans?Did you get my letter from Indonesia, Kelly?Lots of islands! And many vulcanos!I took some massages and a scrub with chocolate and milk!:)
They possess the art of giving massages!
Yesterday I went to one of the most nicest films I've ever seen!The Danish Girl.A m

... married man likes to be a woman. In Denmark,year 1926... He was the first transsexual ever.It was filmed extremely well!At times I got tears in my eyes.:o
It could be? that Belgians in the future also need a Visa.I visit George on April, 21 and am back May, 8th.2 letters from George got lost! I noticed it at the numbers.He numbers them. On purpose? Could it be of what he wrote about Trump?There is really a small chance they still show up... I don't know how everything went when he came out of segregation for 6 months!In the month of January I didn't get any letter!:((

My ticket for Chicago is booked, my Amtrak isn't yet.Still have to book the hotel in Chester. Where the writer of Popeye was born. :)

I called George's dad and we spoke one hour and even more!I always do.

Well Kelly, I hope to hear from you pretty soon!I am tired and I'll take a siesta right now. ;)

Take care, stay healthy and I wish you a Happy Valentine!
x Rita

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hi Kelly,

Yes, the movie was gorgeous! I would like to see it again and again!That actor plays fabulously!
Kelly, George thanked you for your nice words of encouragement.
I loved what you wrote of meeting someone special! How did it happen? I am curious!:) Did you find a job by now?Do you have a reasonable cellie this time?Kelly,are you still being a pen pal of Martine? I wondered. Hey, I am going to assist to a cuddle party pretty soon, the day before my coming Birthday.To close my age of 68... My last number with a 6 is arriving.I will be out of the country celebrating the next...:( Life goes too fast! I am writing on this blog with two new friends: Robert, 44? an Italian-America. It's a very nice person. And Henry, a 63 old man, not exactly an Adonis, but a very gentle man.I will help him finding his youngest daughter.He was battered by a police and abused by him at the age of 8 yrs! Now he has problems with it. He has two lawyers now; also one to help him with this latter problem.He doesn't belong in a sick unit, as they misread him.He brings the situation in NY on the blog. So much corruption there!Criminals who take care of criminals. They don't have heating in the cells and it's like living outside!Half of the toilets are broken. Ceiling falling down, bricks of the outer walls falling down like flies. A real dump!He is punished for things that are not correct. He doesn't belong there, he says.
He's a cook and it's his only income.

Well, I've to go. Take care and receive a warm hug from Rita! x

hello Kelly,

George could buy himself also an MP3- player. He looks up all his favorite singers and downloads them. He's so happy with it!
Before I forget:Here is my address in the States. I stay there from April, 23rd till May 1st. Best western Chester Hotel. 2150 State Street Chester, Illinois 62233.So, don't write to Belgium!
From May 2nd till May 4th,I am at Hospitality House 120 Ferry Street, Chester, IL. 62233.
I am back home on May 8th. A long way to go to my destination, in Menard!

It's late here and I am very busy preparing everything for the voyage.I leave early in the morning of April 21st.Hopefully we've no lock downs! I have only 5 days /month to visit and maximum 4 hrs to see George per day.
But we are truly happy to see each other! :))

How about your friendship? Hope all is going for the best!

love and friendship from Rita! x and take care, Kelly!

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Ah, a cuddle party: I wasn't in it, i had a cough.So,I can't describe it.
Too bad you never hear from Pam.... What is going on with her!....

By the way, Kelly are you still writing with Martine?

I wish you the best! xxx Rita

Ps. George thanked you for your kind words.:))

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hello dear Kelly,

Know that you are very 'dear' to me.:))) One day we'll meet. When George is free, I could visit you in the future.Remember, ok?
i just got your letter in 12 days; the letters from George also arrive about that time.
I heard from Jessica that he has a new parole board in the summer of 2018.She tells me this:'I am so very sorry to hear of the difficulty you and Mr Peter Sr had in getting into Menard. I cannot even begin to imagine how frustrated you must be.I believe that Mr. Peter will be before the parole board in the summer of 2018, although it would be difficult to specify the month because they often cancel the monthly meetings during the summer.We can talk more whether it makes sense for you to attend when the time is closer. Your continued support of him, as always, helps to keep his spirits up and helps him in his quest to parole. I hope you are doing well.'
I just wrote her to keep me updated and tell me in 'time'(!).To book my flight in advance and to hear if the time is right for his dad and the driver, John.- (I listen to the marvelous music of John Prine!!)I got the name of George. He sings right now about a big old goofy world. ;)If you can, listen also to the music of John Gorka and Christine Lavin, Kelly!Also Tish Hinojosa is great!
Kelly, I heard from your misadventures!:(( Too bad this happened.I won't ask why.;)No books to read? No MP3 player in your hole?I Just hope you can get another job. Real trouble with not be permitted to go to the Commissary either; for that long!!Yes, we always have some problems when visiting.But one can't fight Mother nature,eh.I will see him again in October, after the visit to Leslie (and the kids and their black puppy Kona; half a labrador).In Menard we have less hours(4 max) and even a day less(5). :(My friend from England, Win, my age, couldn't visit her husband Les when he was there!Now G.'s dad comes to bring me to Chester.But she hadn't anybody.We knew each other by visiting 'man'. :))We email regularly. She says longer at her mother in law.When our men were in different prisons already, she and her m.i.law came to see me in my hotel in Illinois. She had visited a friend in the neighborhood.Her country suffered so very much lately!Deadly attacks and now that tower building that burned as a torch!!
Better news here.Lately I did Contemporanian Dance last weekend.We got two teachers on both days.SO GREAT! On the floor-black thick plastic- we rolled, did fast movements on our butts, slide etc. We had to make our own invented movements in small groups to create our special creation.Like a choreography so to say.We danced from 10 am till 5pm!1 and a half hr to take a break and eat our lunch. It was difficult,but felt oh so good! My buttocks hurt the next day.i knew why;).I was surprised again about how much I was able to do! I've danced a Biodanza again.And this Friday, I will dance in the Carwash theater again,with a new Biodanza group.I know 2 people from my other group.

hey Kelly, recently I met two interesting persons. I came from the film Michelangelo- famous! and sat on a tram where I met Geertje.Pronounce the double ee like the a of gate.She is Dutch, married without children. They like to live in Antwerp(en)!Culturely you are bombarded with activities!We are so very spoiled here.
We drank something afterwards- t is so hot! en remain friends. Her husband writes poetry.
Then when I went babysitting at Elke's children, Lynn 3 and Lars, 1,while waiting for the train I helped a Swedish man. I told him I studied Swedish and he also was the very first Swede I met. We sat together on the train, he gave me his email and he invited me to Sweden!!When I am up te it. :o He had been here to graspop, a well known festival.
WHY do I meet so many interesting people?
I had so much fun with the grandchildren! I remained at Lynn's school, un der the roof on the playground, because it's soooo very hot!! 32 degrees.
Too much for us; we're not used to those temperatures.

Have a better time, Kelly. I wish you much energy and positivism... I know it's difficult. :( Listen if you can, to John Prine; he's good! and Tish Hinojosa and John Gorka. George's faves. :))

love and blessings! Rita xxx

Dear Kelly, I hope this notice finds you well...
as you lost your quotes book, and I also love quotes, I send you some of an author I love, Max Frisch. A swiss man.

“Technology... the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it.”
― Max Frisch, Homo Faber
“Time does not change us. It just unfolds us.”
― Max Frisch
“A joke is a good camouflage. Next best comes sentiment... But the best camouflage of all - in my opinion - is the plain and simple truth. Because nobody ever believes it.”
― Max Frisch
“To write is to read one's own self”
― Max Frisch

warm greetings
Julia

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hi Kelly,you mean I've to fill in a form saying I never met you before?Like that other form, remember!?I guess this prison is more open and less severe,no?You can't be at a better place, am I right?The more we search for a friend, the less we find one.Let all go it's way; it'll come.Kathleen recently met a man in Holland, when she least expected it!I never would have found George when one day I hadn't decided to write an American inmate a letter.Just because I had lived in America before, and be a friend to somebody who most probably had a hard life in prison.Tending a hand... and look what happened.:o Your energy attract similar people; that is a law: the law of attraction. Well, it has actually another name as well.In Biodanza(roots in Chile)you
cuddle a lot!One gives kisses, hugs, caresses, etc Yvi leads our group.She was taught to be such a coach.She demonstrates always a small part of a particular type of dance; f ex: a fire dance.It is very free dancing, with two people, more or single. New members announce themselves.Men and women all ages; danced barefoot. We drink a lot too.It takes always one hour and a half at a nice place.Kathleen will introduce me in a Dutch group.She drives me to Holland then.Next time Leo will try such a dance.I guess he like me very much.But I only love George of course.:))Nevertheless he will join us for a Biodanza, although he doesn't see himself hugging a man; he loves women.I met him lately on my bike and we drank some teas in a close by restaurant.it was late when we came home!He is very smart in history!And he draws cartoons.His friend Lorette is crazy about him, but he doesn't like to tell her she doesn't attract him.They live in apart apartments, but as brother and sister.He doesn't like to hurt her feelings, as she is a wonderful human.Love is soooo very complicated!
Well, my slow juicer arrived her today: August 31. I will drink only juices(veggies and fruit) for 7 days. Then restart slowly solid food again. I should loose 3kg at least.Also purifying my body. I'm looking out for it!
Stay well, have confidence, and above all, feel loved.
The saying for today:'Ninety percent of wisdom consists in being wise at the exact point of time'. -Theodore Roosevelt

Ps. I will imagine your presence at my next Biodanza!:)