374 12/27/1938 Sadie Erwin to Helen Erwin

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington Tuesday, December 27, 1938

Helen Erwin 5201 28th Ave South, Minneapolis, Minnesota

My dear Helen, Your nice letter sent the 22nd came today. We had no deliveries Sunday or Monday and with the Christmas rush we did not get it Saturday as we should have. Anyway I was glad to get it today. Jimmie and Jack have gone to the show tonight. He wrote you a letter today. He is really very happy over his Christmas gifts. The sweater you sent him looks grand on him. Papa says he has never seen him have one that looks so nice. Jack’s folks are still drinking tonight. Have been at it ever since last Saturday. A package came from Baltimore today. It had been mis-sent to Eatonville. Jeanette sent me a beautiful handmade crocheted purse (brown), Jim a lovely tie. There is a package for Stella too but we have not opened it. Stella has not been over today. It has rained hard most of the time although it was only 45° above. Radcliffs wanted us to come out there tonight but it was too pleasant at home and too rainy outside to want to venture out. I am glad you liked the holly. It was, and is, very lovely this year for it is so heavy with berries and that is what makes it beautiful. Some of the Garden Club ladies gave me all I wanted. I have a tree planted and it’s growing but will be years before it will have much holly to trim away. $1.50 per lb. is a lot of money to pay for it. We had a big tree – just about to the ceiling. Have it in the living room by the front window. Vivian gave Jimmie a nice blue scarf and he gave her the compact. She is having a party out there tomorrow night. Jim has had the car today taking her around to invite some kids to come. Her folks are going to Puyallup to a party so told their girls they could have a party at home. Surely by now you have gotten my letters telling you I received the 4.00 money order for Jim’s ski things. I got the pants for 7.00 and a pair of heavy wool mittens for 1.00. You and Gladys each sent 4.00 for him so those two gifts were from you two. You asked about our bills. The first of the month things looked pretty bad but we paid what we could and then took care of each bill as it came due. Jim’s work has helped a lot. Today I paid the telephone bill. It is the last of our bills for the month. It was a big comfort to know we could write to you if we had to. The day we went to Tacoma Stella charged some things to our account at Rhodes. She gave me the money and I’ll be able to pay our bill when it comes due. When she works and I take care of the baby she pays me 50¢ and also has lunch with us. Not much but helps us both. Things should go along fine for us now. The interest will be paid each month and $20.00 on the place. There will not be that big amount every 6 months as it has been in the past and in five years we will have the place paid for if not before. We are behind some on our grocery bill but Mr. Swain does not care and we expect to have that caught up soon. I’ll try to answer some of your last few letters. Your packages were wrapped nicely. They looked good to us anyway. It was nice of the boys to use those stamps on the package you sent us. It is nice you are having a vacation from school during the holidays. Our papers tell of the deep snow and cold weather that has hit Minnesota. Hope it is not too hard for you to get to and from work. I thought of you and your Christmas party at work Saturday morning. Did you have a nice Sunday and Monday at Elmer’s and Pope’s? The mill was shut down for one day only. Harold worked part of that day too. He says he can not remember them ever having so much work in December before this. The mill had broken down; not a strike the day they were down. Do Peaches and Chuck get along better now? She won’t have much of a chance to see him when he is transferred to St. Paul. How did you like your new dress after it was made and what is it like? I am so glad you like your fur coat and the skirt you had made over. It was worth more than a dollar to do all that work in making over the skirt. I bet it pleased the lady to have you pay her 1.25. Viola has certainly been faithful to Gladys. She never missed a week all last winter to write her a letter. Hope you can get over to see her some time. I remember Mrs. Nelson on Garfield. She was real nice and she used to tell me about her girl or girls skating. So one of them was in your class at Jefferson. I had forgotten that. Did Wally get his car fixed so he can run it these cold days? Papa had a nice Christmas letter from Pete Merritt that used to work for Banner Grain. Mr. Steward has sold out to Kehoe. Papa wrote and told him about Gladys seeing Gertrude in Chicago. It was funny how they happened to meet down there. I am writing a long letter. If I don’t stop soon it will cost extra postage. Jim has come home and gone to bed. Has his radio on. He thinks it is swell. The reception is good here. He hasn’t had a thing done to it either. So Arnie ___ still works down there. Gladys got him on while we were 116 W. 27th. I think it was the Christmas of 1933. Did Wally’s mother get to go down to see Gertie? Haven’t had time to answer the last four letters from Gladys so have not been sending any on to you, but will soon start doing so again. I am sure Grandma will like the nightgown you sent her. Do hope Aunt Mary saw she got it for Christmas. I sent her silk stockings (1 pair) in a pretty blue velvet box. It went to Waseca too. I got a greeting from her and Aunt Ruth after it was sent. Stella and Harold have a tree. Haven’t seen it yet but will before they take it down. We have been making Jim study more so I think he will pick up in geometry. He takes it from Chuck Smith and Smith is also his basketball coach and has to sign his permit slips each week to let him play. The book you had sent to me on “table setting” is just fine. I like it very much. Thanks again for it and all the rest you have done. Do hope you can be with us next Christmas and of course long before that too. More tomorrow. Lovingly, Mother.