A tough time of year. The enclosed posts were sitting in the typewriter memory for a bit and I finally got around to printing them out.

I hope the "Selfish..." one responds in a positive way to the recent comment by the individual who claimed his brother was in a maximum security prison. You had asked if any of the points mentioned might have led to my behaviors that landed me in prison.

I would like to answer your question not only by some of what I said in the enclosed post, but also by asking you some further questions.

I know we started our writing back a while when Reverend Paul sent me the website you had put up about me. I do not remember the date we started writing. How long have we been writing?

[Editor] It has been five years this month.

If you review my earlier letters and compare them with my more recent letters, do the more recent letters contain less "me" writing? I would hope that the amount of writing in my letters that talks about general things, or offers comments and concerns about things specific to you, has grown over the course of our letter writing.

While I realize I am sort of a captive audience, I certainly feel this is the most effort either of us has expended to firmly establish our friendship since I moved away way back in the 1960's.

I know both of us have 'worked' at this latest relationship, and I am hopeful that I have grown over the time. I still have many rough spots and hopefully will always be on the lookout to smooth those out.

This is always a tough time of year, and this year is looking to be the toughest in terms of the total isolation I am experiencing. I need to get cracking on making my Christmas cards, and that hopefully will keep my mind on 'happy' thoughts for a bit.

I have not answered my dad's latest letter, the one with the comment about not contacting my brother.

I did get a pen pal page letter from Bobbielou this Monday and sent her out a letter that evening. I have been spending most of my time reading, but have gotten out in the yard three out of the last five days for an hour of walking in the snow.

Well it is now almost 8:00 PM and I will print this out and then head off to the shower and start dinner.  ¶ 12:13 AM