I hope you all don't mind but I'm going to have a little moan as I need to get this out of my system.

I just had a letter from Tony, dated 23rd December and he ends it by saying that, although he will still be writing every day, this will be the last letter to leave Menard before the holiday. The next time he can send me a letter will be when the mailroom re-opens on the 2nd Jan.2004!!!

Now, I know this is because all mail for overseas has to have extra postage added. Tony has to submit a voucher requesting the extra postage and the people who can process this will be taking a long holiday. This is US Mail, for goodness sake, and they even have their own post office at Menard!!

It's bad enough at this time of the year just not being able to see him. We are NEVER allowed phone calls, again as overseas calls are forbidden, and now, it seems, I'm not even allowed to get my usual letters. I feel this is just another discrimination we have to endure.

OK, so I know I have to expect this sort of thing, after all, Tony is in prison, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier.

Rose

Rose -

I just got some cute little notes from Nick today postmarked December 23rd too. He is in Danville, Illinois. I just wonder when I'm going to see my next letter :(

As is all too obvious, we are being made to suffer as well as our loved ones inside.

I don't know if this is isolated to Menard but I somehow doubt it. I do wonder if it's just overseas mail that won't be going out for over a week, I have no way of knowing. If it's all mail then, as you say, it's just another way to make us all suffer.

Rose

Rose-So sorry to hear that. Just what you dont need at this time of year. Hope his letter was a good one. Just keep reading it, over and over again until you can get another one.
Mail runs slow in Kentucky also, but not that slow.
The mailroom where my husband is processed outgoing mail the day after Christmas but didnt deliver any mail to the inmates. Go figure.
Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

I looked up last years mail earlier, and this didn't happen then. Mind you, Tony was still on Death Row and a good postal service was one of the only things it had going for it. Their mail was always handled separately to the general population and sometimes I'd get letters within 3 days. Now I'm lucky if it takes as little as a week.

Rose

Rose-So sorry. I just dont understand. I am 35 miles from my husband and mail takes one day, however the prison he just came from was 198 miles and it took 3-4 days. Go figure that one. Unbelievable. No wonder the Post Office is hurting. Telephone calls and email are taking over.
Then again in your case you cant have either.
Oh wouldnt it be just great if we could email them? God, I would love that for real.
Have a good one and happy Holidays to you.
Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

i hope you get a letter real soon. the last one i got from mine was dated on the 19th...and i got it on the 27th. :argh
stupid holidays. anyways, off to buy his 31 bday cards. (good lord, i was thinking about it lastnight, at 2 bucks a card. and 31 cards. ill be spending an arm & a leg. might end up throwing a fit in rite aid. pray for me. lol jk) :D

toodles
melissa

Rose, just an update - I got two things from Nick today, a letter and a card, postmarked December 27th - so it may just be Menard. Hopefully you'll get something soon.

I suspect it's just overseas mail because of this voucher thing. I know there's always trouble with it and that delays my mail and, if the people who deal with those are taking an extended holiday, then I haven't a hope in hell of hearing until around 7th or 8th Jan. Still, there's two letters in the pipeline I haven't received yet, posted before the one I got this morning!! I might get them tomorrow and that will cheer me up no end.

I've been working myself into the ground to try to get rid of the mood I was in and now I ache from head to toe so that will occupy my mind intead.

Thanks everyone.

Rose

Try taking a hot bubble bath Rose and relaxing in the tub, maybe some nice music and a candle or two. Hey it works for me.
Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.
Those missing letters just may be in your mailbox tomorrow.
Just have to hope.

I'm going through the same thing and believe me I am not all that happy about it either. I haven't gotten anything from him since the 23rd and I know that nothing will be going out of there again tomorrow so I know what you are saying. The only thing that has kept my spirits up is that I got a visit yesterday and I have one on Friday. Otherwise I would be going nuts.

msv. I'm hoping we won't have to spend another Christmas apart but if Tony's not home next year I think I'll have to make the trip across becuase I don't think I can stand this again!!

Babygirl. I think I'll have to try a soak in the bath. I usually just have a shower because I have a disability and find it hard to get out of the tub but this is one of those times where needs must. And I have some very calming lavender bubble bath so I'll be doing that tonight, after I finish my letter to Tony.

Rose

I'm waiting also hon...I hope we get one very soon!!! :)

Rose

I guess we are in the same boat. I also received a letter from Joey postmarked 12/23, and he said "this week and the week after are both 4 day week-ends" :(

Hang in there.
(((HUGS)))

Phil

Hello Rose, I am in Australia and my mail usually takes about a week to get here (from FL). I did not know about the voucher thing, what I do is buy my stamps from USPS (on the website you can order international stamps) and I just send my husband stamped self addressed envelopes, so he has no excuse for not writing. I know it is a little more expensive but at least I have the peace of mind of knowing he can write. I think it costs like $5 delivery to Australia. Might be an idea. I do get my phone calls though I use Telenet (Prison calls online) so he only dials a local number to call me once or twice a week. It works out like around $11 (US) a call but I think it is even cheaper if you are in UK. I can understand how hard it is for you, to go without the visits and everything.
Good luck.

I am sorry about the slow posts; for a few reasons my husbnad and I have had to depend on mail only communications between visits (once a month) in the past and it was awful when he didn't get his mail or I didn't get mine. We jokingly? curse the Monday holidays that crop up during the year.
Right now the problem isn't getting mail out, it is getting mail in....he had a parcel delivered to the facilty on Dec11 and Dec22 he still hadn't gotten it, (has it now only because I traced it out here and he was able to show them it had been delivered), then I sent him an 8X10 envelope on the 15th for his birthday Dec. 29th but, so far that hasn't arrived either. It usually takes two days for our mails to get back and forth.
I think the unfortunate truth is: many don't care whether our guys get their holiday mails or not....as long as they are punching their timecards and racking up their pension credits. (I have to stop, I am being mean)
Caprione

My last letter was on the 18th.. and he said he had to hurry and get that out because he couldn't send another for a few days.. He didn't say how long though.. I hope it's not Jan 2nd.. that would suck.. I didn't get this last letter until Dec 28th, when mail usually takes 3 days.. it does suck though..

be strong Rose!!!

~TeRe~

Well, thanks everyone it seems we're all in the same boat except.... I got a letter this morning postmarked the 26th Dec so what the hell this is all about I don't know.

I'm sending a letter this morning and telling Tony not to put me through this!! There are a couple of letters still to come so perhaps he wrote telling me he was wrong about the mailroom, I just don't know.

Nemesis - I can't send stamps or stamped envelopes to Tony, I wish I could because it would save him money, but it's just not allowed where he is and I'm certainly going to have to look into the phone business. I've been told by quite a few people there are ways around the problem.

Thanks again, everyone and I'll let you know what excuse I get, if I ever get one!!!!!

Rose

Rose-Oh Lavendar is the best, very calming to the body, mind and spirit. I hope that suggestion of Telenet is something that could work for you and Tony. I know is just HAS to be tough on the two of you.
Be well my friend and Happy New Year to you.
Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.