REMEMBER THE ALAMO

Hello Mam, how are you doing?  I hope all is well for you and yours.  Not a lot going on here.

Thank you for your letter with the information on Custer.  That was some pretty interesting stuff.   I also want to thank you for the post card from the Alamo.  I have never seen it like that.

There are lots of people here in the prison from San Antonio and Houston.  There are a lot of city boys in these places.

I had my mom call the district clerk's office in Perryton about a week ago to find out about my case and the lady just found it that day and said it had fallen through the cracks!  So it has been sitting there for over a year unseen.  The lady said she would get it in motion so maybe something good will come out of that?

I'm not  holding my breath, but I am hopeful.

I just wanted you to know that I am still chuggin' along.  Keep me in your prayers please and I will do the same for you and yours.

God Bless

Luke 10:25-37--I am not forgotten

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 

DREAMS

I have wondered about dreams for years but haven't been able to come to any conclusions.

Are they angels?  Does our spirit live on?  Are they my guardian angels?

I can tell you this if it wasn't for me having the dreams and experiencing it I wouldn't believe it.

That's what changed my outlook on God and the angels and all that stuff.  The Bible teaches that the dead are conscious of nothing at all, but it does say that there are angels.

My grandparents are both passed on and so is Mr. Miller, but the people who were in my dreams were them with the exact same voices.  It sure raises a lot of questions in my mind.

I dreamed last night that I was at the lady's pond where I fished a lot growing up.  She was talking to me in the dream.  I don't remember what she was telling me though.

I sure wish I could have woke up there instead of in this place, but here is where I live.

I'll have to leave the fishing up to the kids for a while.

Matthew 4:11

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. 

BEES IN TREES

I've had my share of experiences with bees.  I worked for this elderly man on my days off when I was in the oilfield.  He sold firewood.  I cut and split wood.

He got a call from a lady who lived in Gainsville who had a tree with some dead limbs she wanted cut out of the top of one of her trees.  I climbed all the way to the top and attached my saw to a rope and then cut the limbs off.

After I got the limbs to the ground I started cutting them into sticks of firewood.  One I cut didn't look like the others, the center was rotten.  It didn't take me long to figure out just what I was seeing.

The next cut I made brought the bees!  This darn limb was full of honey bees and their nest.  Luckily I didn't get stung and just kept on cuttin'.  Those things were swarming all around me too.  I guess the smoke from the saw kept them from stinging me.

I got a real big surprise last night that I never woulda ever expected.  Sheryl's oldest boy wrote me a J-pay letter.  I haven't seen or heard from him in 6 or so years.  He just wrote me out of the blue. I thought that was pretty neat.  I wrote him a letter back.

Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Proverbs 16:24

BEARDS

In the latest letter from Chuckwa,

he wrote about beards

I have never in the world given a second thought about such a thing

have you?

I sure wish I had some good news to relay.  I got a letter from my mom and one from Amy.  I am currently behind in my letter writing.

I am growing a beard but I've about decided that I'm not a beard person.  I like a mustache but no beard.  The Supreme Court ruled that we can now grow a beard up to 1/2" in length for religious reasons so lots of people are walking around here with beards.

I've got an I-60 siting here addressed to the chaplin to let him know he can take me off the list.  I'd rather be clean shaven.  There are a lot of other things in the world I'd much rather have than a beard or the right to grow one.

N E Wayz...that's the highlight of my life right now

SUPREME COURT RULING

TEXAS PRISONS ALLOW BEARDS

Leviticus 19:27  "They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh" 

EVERY SINGLE DAY

There is no such thing as a typical day in prison

Things differ drastically from prison-to-prison, person-to-person, and from day-to-day. There’s a popular saying among inmates about a prison’s program. The only thing consistent about prison is change.

For instance, it can be a beautiful day outside, guys may be working out, playing sports, cards, or just enjoying the fresh air; and in the blink of an eye you might be in the middle of a full scale riot. Paying attention is a MUST HAVE  in prison; it can literally mean the difference between life and death.

5:30-6:30 AM: Breakfast, a.k.a. ‘chow time’, and the start of most guys’ day. The breakfast isn’t good

6:30-7:15 AM: Start day with a morning prayer and devotional reading

7:15-8:00 AM: Breakfast in cell and prepare for work

8:00 AM-2:00 PM:  Work. I work in the prison’s kitchen at 32 cents an hour

2:00-3:00 PM: Shower grab a bite to eat and prepare for either a self-help group or college class

3:00-5:00 PM: Self-help group or college class

5:00-6:00 PM: Dinner. It tends to be better than the breakfast

6:00-8:00 PM: Another self-help group or college class

8:00-9:00 PM: Socialize with friends or use the prison phone to talk to loved ones

9:00 PM: All inmates are locked in their cells until breakfast.

9:00-11:00 PM: Watch T.V., listen to music or write a letter, and fix something to eat

11 PM-12:30 AM: Homework or letter writing

12:30-6:30 AM: Sleep

There is a perception in society that inmates spend all day doing nothing. As you can see that is not always true. There are more guys spending their time doing something productive than those who are not

How one spends his time---be it in prison or out---is what makes the difference between success and failure. Keep busy!

A day in the life of Chuckwa is almost the same 

every single day

"Hello Mrs. G.  How are ya?  Not a whole heck of a lot going on round here...just another day on the farm"....begins every single letter...

I know and understand what you're thinking...

He committed a crime and he deserves to be in jail.

No heat and air

No internet or computers

Limited TV

I agree, but still I find it hard not to feel a sadness for a lives wasted

"You spoke of being free and listed some circumstances that could be worse"

Chuckwa will come up for parole in 2030...I will be 73

Here's an interesting concept that I ponder over and over....

Chuckwa and I are so similar

1.  We both have committed crimes against God and government (as we all have)

2.  We both regret those crimes and seek forgiveness

3.  He lives in a compound that has a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and yard

4.  I do too...mine is gated as is his

here's the difference...he is unable to leave

and I would be happy if I never had to

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

CHUCKWA LIVES HERE

The James V. Allred Unit is a prison for males located on Farm to Market Road 369 in Wichita Falls, Texas, United States, 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of downtown Wichita Falls. The prison is in proximity to Iowa Park.  

The prison, with about 320 acres (130 ha) of land, is a part of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Region V.

It opened in the summer of 1995 and is one of the largest maximum security units in Texas housing approximately 3600 offenders. It consists of four departments, General Population, Administrative segregation and one of the first "Expansion cell blocks" (High Security) to be built housing some level ones Seg overflow and close custody offenders. It also contains one of Texas's "Safe Keeping Units", which are designed to house prisoners that would be in danger from other inmates.

James V. Allred (March 29, 1899 – September 24, 1959) was a United States politician who served as the 33rd Governor of Texas during the New Deal era. He was thereafter a United States federal judge. He is remembered for his unwavering support of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

 roses in a hedge of thorns

a hedge of thorns....

with roses?

yes...it is possible!

He has sent me to provide for all those who grieve in Zion, to give them crowns instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of tears of grief, and clothes of praise instead of a spirit of weakness. They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, the Plantings of the Lord, so that he might display his glory.

Isaiah 61:3

*.....so.....*

that He might display HIS glory

THAT FATEFUL DAY

When I first began this blog, my plan was to take the reader through the details of this case.

In my visit with Sheriff, I asked him if he would allow me to use the crime scene photos...he didn't immediately say no, but instead that he would consider it since the case was closed.

He said, "they aren't pretty."

In some of the writings of the blog, I have had emails from family members about things that I haven't gotten exactly right (I am trying very hard to do that) and things that were written, that while there were no complaints, I could tell they were hurtful.  True, but hurtful.  I don't want to hurt. There has been enough of that.

So...as I have come to this day, I have changed my mind about the crime scene photos on that fateful day.  You and I have all watched enough tru tv to know what a gory crime scene looks like.

THAT FATEFUL DAY

I was very depressed at this time due to all the heck I had been going through and then to top it all off Mr. Miller was an alcoholic who liked to scream, hollar and cuss.  Three things I can't stand.

I wiped his butt, cooked his meals, cleaned his home, mowed his grass, took care of his dogs, washed his clothes, and anything else he needed and all I got for my services was disrespect.

All I wanted to do was to go back home to my kids and my family but Mary Jane (bail bondsman and Miller's aunt) wouldn't allow me to go home.  She told me to come up with $500 and I could go home.

My friend Jack told me "I don't know how you let that man talk to you like that.  Him and Mike didn't get a long.

One day my mom called and and wanted to talk to me and when I got back from work he told me "that bitch called and wanted to talk to you."  I thought he was talking about my girl friend--that's when he said "I was talking about your mom."

I cooked him something to eat and forgot to put a spice he wanted on the food and he threw the plate of food on me and then he said "screw you, why don't you just take that shotgun and go blow your brains out."

The next day Jack took me to Lipscomb County Courthouse for my arraignment (DWI) then we went to Beaver for Jack to get some rum and Mike some beer.  And I decided to grab me a bottle too.  I drank some that night and the next day.  Jack didn't come get me for work the next day, so I started drinking with Mike.

I remember sitting in his room talking to him about how he wanted his steaks cooked that day and then later on I woke up on the couch and found Mike in his bed, shot in the neck with a shotgun.

Jack told the police that he came over that morning to bring me peppers and tomatoes to use with the steaks and he heard Mike tell me to blow my head off.  I don't know for sure what happened.

....and then later.....

only God knows....maybe Mike wanted to die due to the physical state he was in and had been for the past 10 years. Maybe he used me to accomplish his mission.

Here are the things I wonder....

1.   Would Mike still be alive today or was is health in such decline he would have died on his own?
2.   If Chuckwa was getting the gun to kill himself and tripped and the gun went off? (the wound was in the back of the neck)
3.  If a person who accidentally kills someone should spend their life in prison or be given a chance after they have paid time for the crime?
4.  If Chuckwa would have opted for a jury trial...where would he be today?

what....what do you wonder?

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.  Psalm 139:16