Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
October 12, 2016
Kurtis has started doing bead work and is doing a great job! The clover is an actual 4 leaf clover found on the yard...no, it is not attacked to the Seahawk medallion.
Friday, October 7, 2016
October 7, 2016
When people see me they don't see my heart, they see my situation but not the man that its torn apart. Criticisms begin, judgmental thoughts,and opinions take shape.
When I think of a plant, I know it needs nourishment.It needs nutrients, rich soil, clean air and water and sunlight in order to thrive and bear fruit.
A child needs nurturing, vitamins and nutrients. A boy needs affection, healthy food and water. And a man needs fertile soil if you want him to not just grow but to thrive.
The greatest tree, the sacred oak could never go from that tiny seed to reach its massive awesomeness if it was stiffled, neglected and deprived of all the essentials. You can not look at the acorn and say "why wont you grow?" anymore than you can look at the prisoner and say, "why wont you learn?!" As soon as I start to set roots the ravenous search to rip them them up. As soon as I start to bud, the ruinous kick me over before can bloom. And when I find the elusive ray of sunlight to absorb, the adversarial throw me into the darkest depths......
But I've found, in my dispair, in the darkest murkiest swamps, grows the most beautiful lotus. That in the gloom of the most violent storms, a rainbow can burst through. And elements enduring the most intense pressures, turn into diamonds shining forth.
And so to do we, the oppressed, the silenced, the malenourished and abused, everything lost to prison fires, like California, the wind spreads the ashes and tempered seeds from all the trees before, enriching the soil once again, where now stands giant majestic Redwoods that would be held down no longer.
I must be that tree,
that the powers that be,
wished that they would never see.
By Kurtis Monschke
When I think of a plant, I know it needs nourishment.It needs nutrients, rich soil, clean air and water and sunlight in order to thrive and bear fruit.
A child needs nurturing, vitamins and nutrients. A boy needs affection, healthy food and water. And a man needs fertile soil if you want him to not just grow but to thrive.
The greatest tree, the sacred oak could never go from that tiny seed to reach its massive awesomeness if it was stiffled, neglected and deprived of all the essentials. You can not look at the acorn and say "why wont you grow?" anymore than you can look at the prisoner and say, "why wont you learn?!" As soon as I start to set roots the ravenous search to rip them them up. As soon as I start to bud, the ruinous kick me over before can bloom. And when I find the elusive ray of sunlight to absorb, the adversarial throw me into the darkest depths......
But I've found, in my dispair, in the darkest murkiest swamps, grows the most beautiful lotus. That in the gloom of the most violent storms, a rainbow can burst through. And elements enduring the most intense pressures, turn into diamonds shining forth.
And so to do we, the oppressed, the silenced, the malenourished and abused, everything lost to prison fires, like California, the wind spreads the ashes and tempered seeds from all the trees before, enriching the soil once again, where now stands giant majestic Redwoods that would be held down no longer.
I must be that tree,
that the powers that be,
wished that they would never see.
By Kurtis Monschke
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
October 4, 2016
Trooper has been adopted and Kurtis is heartbroken. He has become very attached to Trooper and as you can see by the picture below, Trooper really likes Kurtis as well! Nothing like a big, wet, doggie goodbye kiss! Trooper will be going to live with a single older man that lives on a farm. Good luck Trooper and have a great life! May you live a very long time and give a lot more doggie kisses.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
September 22, 2016
Kurtis sent me a couple of new pictures and I wanted to share them with you. The first one is of him and his favorite dog in the program, Trooper. The second one is a painting that he did. He didn't mean for it to come out so gloomy, but that is what happened. I am sure it is that place.
Sadly, Kurtis is unable to continue painting because his brushes are shot and he is out of paint. Breaks my heart because he is really good at it and needs to keep doing it! If anyone would like to help him out with these things, feel free to write him and ask him how you can help. Thanks! God bless!
Sadly, Kurtis is unable to continue painting because his brushes are shot and he is out of paint. Breaks my heart because he is really good at it and needs to keep doing it! If anyone would like to help him out with these things, feel free to write him and ask him how you can help. Thanks! God bless!
Saturday, September 17, 2016
September 15, 2016
hi. i just wanted to send u a picture of me and my new little friend hugo. he is a french bulldog mini. i call him high powered howard because he thinks hes the biggest baddest dog of all time . serious napolian complex as they say. but he loves me to pieces and we are fast friends.
i really believe stongly in this dog program because it also acts as a form of pet therapy. prison is full of broken people bust most of in here never talk about it. we all want to apear as tho we have it altogether. to talk about it shows weakness, or at least thats what we all think.
the dogs help me to excercise compassion. i say excercise because ive come to see it as a muscle tha if we dont excercise it we become bad at it. this is a real threat in prison where we become desensatized to violence and such and compassion or affection is very rare.
the dogs give each of us a fresh start, a clean slate. they dont judge us for our past, and i do believe they have a keen sense to detect the b.s. too. i have a need for friendship, companionship, trust and loyalty. ive used all the wrong strategies in the past maybe to meet thiese needs, but these dogs meet this for me and i never have to worry about them stabbing me in the back. they r just genuinely happy to see me.
my prison life has sucked for me yrs, but these dogs are one of the best things to have happened to me .
just wanted to share this with u and intro u to huge
kurtis
i really believe stongly in this dog program because it also acts as a form of pet therapy. prison is full of broken people bust most of in here never talk about it. we all want to apear as tho we have it altogether. to talk about it shows weakness, or at least thats what we all think.
the dogs help me to excercise compassion. i say excercise because ive come to see it as a muscle tha if we dont excercise it we become bad at it. this is a real threat in prison where we become desensatized to violence and such and compassion or affection is very rare.
the dogs give each of us a fresh start, a clean slate. they dont judge us for our past, and i do believe they have a keen sense to detect the b.s. too. i have a need for friendship, companionship, trust and loyalty. ive used all the wrong strategies in the past maybe to meet thiese needs, but these dogs meet this for me and i never have to worry about them stabbing me in the back. they r just genuinely happy to see me.
my prison life has sucked for me yrs, but these dogs are one of the best things to have happened to me .
just wanted to share this with u and intro u to huge
kurtis
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
September 9, 2016
Yesterday morning I moved to the medium security side of the prison. Around the afternoon the joint got locked down over a fight. I hate how this place locks down over a bloody nose or fat lip. Anyway that's why I haven't been able to get to the computer to send this email, and I was busy moving, dialing in my cell etc. This is very different than the time I've done. I actually have a key to my door, so I can get in and out as I please pretty much and that eliminates a lot of my stress which comes from trying to get in and out of my cell.
I already spent a lot of time with the dogs. two of them love me and one is shy, I think a little scared and nervous. but I fed her treats and she was licking me, so I am very patient with her. I am going to get a job training the dogs. and I will send u some pics of me with the dogs.
The hardest part about being out here is not having a sink and toilet in my cell. Its communal bathrooms and it makes me super uncomfortable.
We get to go outside a lot more and we can order bakery goods and there's a lot to choose from but it costs money, its not free, and they sell pizzas! So Im looking forward to buying one eventually. Lots more phone opportunities. So I think so far I'm able to stay focused on the good stuff.
I already spent a lot of time with the dogs. two of them love me and one is shy, I think a little scared and nervous. but I fed her treats and she was licking me, so I am very patient with her. I am going to get a job training the dogs. and I will send u some pics of me with the dogs.
The hardest part about being out here is not having a sink and toilet in my cell. Its communal bathrooms and it makes me super uncomfortable.
We get to go outside a lot more and we can order bakery goods and there's a lot to choose from but it costs money, its not free, and they sell pizzas! So Im looking forward to buying one eventually. Lots more phone opportunities. So I think so far I'm able to stay focused on the good stuff.
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