Did someone ask what a package is? Here at Club State, (as opposed to Club Fed) you are allowed to have "things" sent to you from people and companies in the free world. There are some limits on the amount of property an inmate can possess or receive at one time.

There are basically two different types of packages: food and non-food.

You can receive up to thirty-five pounds of foodstuffs a month, either in one package or divided into two shipments.

Non-food packages can be sent at any time and can include allowable clothing, stationary supplies, books, and hygiene items. I am allowed to have up to twenty-five books at one time and will probably maintain a permanent collection of ten books, with the remaining fifteen being general reading, which I will donate to the library as I am done reading them.

The type of food we are allowed to have sent in is basically anything that is in a can (up to sixteen ounces), fresh fruit and vegetables, and sealed, processed foods that do not need to be refrigerated until after they are opened. For example, there are now several companies, such as Oscar Mayer, that make ready-to-eat bacon. Since it says to refrigerate after opening, we can have that.

While I always thought cooking bacon was a fairly easy task with paper towels and a microwave, I am grateful to the laziness of Americans. I have been treating myself to a tuna fish salad sandwich, with a slice of American cheese and bacon on it. Yum Yum. I do use mustard instead of mayo for the tuna, thus saving the fat calories for the cheese and bacon.

I was also treated to some delicious pasta in white clam sauce. You can boil the pasta in the hot pot. The hot pots hold about a quart. When you get together with one or two other inmates, you end up with two or three hot pots. We use one for the sauce, the other two for pasta.

We do not have access to microwaves. All cooking is done in these hot pots. Sometimes inmates can use six or more pots at once to cook a feast for a whole tribe.

My parents recently sent me some fresh oranges and grapefruits from Florida while they were down south visiting relatives and friends.  ¶ 12:46 PM