Saturday night…
Hi J.P. (and Speak Up for Hope Blog Readers,)

Just not falling asleep, so I thought I’d write.  It’s nearly midnight here in our Gaylord home that we’d like to sell – we haven’t lived here for four years.  It is a unique situation to visit a place with your old furniture and your own pictures on the wall.  Maybe it will sell this year.

I found some Cheetos from when I was here a few weeks ago.  A great midnight snack except for being soggy stale – but 30 seconds in the microwave and they are better than fresh.  You should try it some time.

Bonnie & I are spending a few days here because I am redoing the drywall in a kitchen of our rental that had water damage.  Renters just moved out returning to the Upper Peninsula.   I removed the old drywall from two walls, bought new, cut and installed it, taped and mudded the first coat, all in a five-hour period that included dinner.  I once paid a renter for doing the same exact job in 15 hours, and I paid him by the hour.

Tomorrow is Sunday and we will attend our old church for the first time in four years.  We are excited and a little nervous.  When we left to do the house project in Fremont, we thought we would come home each weekend.  That didn’t happen.

Sunday afternoon…

It was great fun to see old friends that we hadn’t seen in years.  Surprising how much some people changed, and how little others changed.  I wonder what category I fall into?  I guess I know the answer to that one!  My hair is still getting comments.

Uncle Ron

Blog Readers – this is how you could write to your special inmate.  Tell them what you are doing.  If you write to someone regularly, it is almost like a journal.  When you get a letter back, you find what was interesting and you write more of that.    And you find yourself looking forward to the return letters.  Because most inmates never have access to the Internet, email is not available, and the old fashioned letter is a treasure.

You could do this.  Add some pictures and it’s almost a National Geographic.  Or, start with pictures as a writing guide.  You can make a collage of pictures at Wal-Mart or Walgreens for under 50 each.  It a great way to give that person a “slice of everyday life” on the outside.  Give it a try.  You’ll like it!

Ron Emmorey (Dedicated to staying connected.)