Having received Bryan’s 3-27-10 introduction letter, I sent a postcard letting him know that I got his letter and planned on writing to him as soon as I looked up the CDCR rules for mail at Pelican Bay.
He sent this postcard back I(Dated 4-21-10) :
Julie,
Just a quick thank you for the nice Mt. Rainier post card and the heads up that all is well. :-) Sending you the mailing rules from here totally slipped my mind. It's fairly straight forward...no glitter, lipstick, perfume, paper-clips, stickers, rubber bands, guns, knives, explosives or terrorist manifestos. Oh, and no newdy flicks. ;-) I say most of that with a wink and a smile but in all seriousness it's not my style to ask anyone for anything, so just hearing from you will be great. And I won't hold it against you that you're almost Canadian. I promise. Aye. All my best, Bryan
Hahahaha… his humorous style already had me chuckling so I sent along my “introduction letter”.
For the most part, I can’t put my letters into this blog because they were all handwritten. But it doesn’t matter because the prison style of correspondence requires a lot of repeating and listing. Letters take time to be screened and often cross in the mail so Brian always lists what was said in my letter, then responds to each item. Also, he is very careful to list every little item I send, whether it’s a picture, puzzle or other. I learned that he did this so I would know that those were the items the mail room and/or the Institutional Gang Investigators let through. If he didn’t mention something, I knew it was removed. Nothing has ever been removed yet, a testament to my ability to read and follow the mail rules. :-)
Given this list and respond style, you will learn a lot about me just reading Bryan’s letters. But I do have this tidbit to give you an idea of who I am. As a way of introducing myself to Bryan, I also included a profile I had previously written about myself:
Julie Tackett:
I assume the best of people and am rarely disappointed. I bring my best self to any situation and am rarely bored (or boring). Although I am not materialistic, I appreciate fine things. I enjoy sharing what I have with others and graciously accepting their gifts of time and self.
I defy description, but in the past you may have labeled me....
Farm Girl I grew up in Minnesota on a farm which means time spent baling hay, milking cows, butchering chickens(!) and the like... hard work is second nature to me. Thankfully, I escaped to the big city and love urban life.
All-American Over-Achiever In school, I was an athlete, musician, thespian - I joined everything...but, hey, it got me off the farm!
Catholic School Mom a variation of soccer mom, minivan included. With both daughters in college, I'll have to get a zippier car. (August 2009 update - I just bought a new Jetta! Got some cash for that clunker minivan...)
Military Spouse If you have served, I understand that commitment and sacrifice... I appreciate those who serve and those who love them.
Goody Two Shoes I volunteer all the time....coaching kids, making sandwiches for the homeless, helping friends out.... I spent two years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a Red Cross Volunteer providing companionship and support to families attending to their severely wounded warriors. Seriously, I love making a difference by just giving my time
Liberal Politically informed and active, I volunteered for the John Kerry, Hillary Clinton and then Obama campaigns. I believe we are all accountable to each other and that government, with proper oversight, can serve the common good. I now go by "progressive" LOL.
Uppity woman I am a pro-choice, feminist Catholic and serve as a cantor (song leader) for our parish. As nice as I am, I'm not afraid to speak my mind when it's important. Although I'm not judgmental, my friends usually know where I stand. God forbid you pick on the underdog in my presence.
I defy description, but in the past you may have labeled me....
Farm Girl I grew up in Minnesota on a farm which means time spent baling hay, milking cows, butchering chickens(!) and the like... hard work is second nature to me. Thankfully, I escaped to the big city and love urban life.
All-American Over-Achiever In school, I was an athlete, musician, thespian - I joined everything...but, hey, it got me off the farm!
Catholic School Mom a variation of soccer mom, minivan included. With both daughters in college, I'll have to get a zippier car. (August 2009 update - I just bought a new Jetta! Got some cash for that clunker minivan...)
Military Spouse If you have served, I understand that commitment and sacrifice... I appreciate those who serve and those who love them.
Goody Two Shoes I volunteer all the time....coaching kids, making sandwiches for the homeless, helping friends out.... I spent two years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a Red Cross Volunteer providing companionship and support to families attending to their severely wounded warriors. Seriously, I love making a difference by just giving my time
Liberal Politically informed and active, I volunteered for the John Kerry, Hillary Clinton and then Obama campaigns. I believe we are all accountable to each other and that government, with proper oversight, can serve the common good. I now go by "progressive" LOL.
Uppity woman I am a pro-choice, feminist Catholic and serve as a cantor (song leader) for our parish. As nice as I am, I'm not afraid to speak my mind when it's important. Although I'm not judgmental, my friends usually know where I stand. God forbid you pick on the underdog in my presence.
***
In addition to my introduction letter and the above profile, I sent him one of my “entertainment packets”. These packets usually include crossword puzzles, a “word of the day”, a wikipedia article on an artist along with 8 ½” x 11” color prints of that artist’s work and other such items.
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