Having a prisoner as a friend.
Your books and the fact that a letter finally arrived today helped lift my spirits. To be able to share my tuna fish with John tonight (and I even threw in a bag of M&M peanut's) is because in part of my support system. True, at this point that is mostly you and my Mom and Dad. But once I get my radio, typewriter, NY Times, etc. then it will be extended. Until that point PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.
I know I put myself here, but you must understand that your support has truly enabled me to grow and "thrive" to some extent because of all your efforts. The good news is that with a few possible exceptions (like you cannot send newspapers)
NY State is going to make things a lot easier for you to send me books, letters, and even the visiting is simpler.
So now that you are just getting really tired of
the system making your efforts difficult, it is actually getting easier. So see, cheer up. Things might actually be getting better as far as having a prisoner as a friend.
Oh, I know I have been remiss in my stories about your Dad, but I will write some specific stuff over the weekend. A lot of my recollections on the surface are not specific occasions as much as an overall feeling of his reaching out to me and his interaction with you, but I am assuming that buried deep are some of the specific incidents that nurture the warm feelings I have of your Dad.