128 11/4/1947 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 3409 Fremont Ave. South, Minneapolis 8, Minnesota Tuesday, November 04, 1947

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Yesterday Elmer, Pierce and Mr. Carlson worked on the house. They had to get the windows on because the lathe man started Friday and the union says they can't work on any house after November 1st unless the windows are on. We haven't had any cold weather yet but it's bound to turn cold any day. The lathe man will finish this week and then the plasterer comes. He is all ready and it will take him a week to plaster and then the plaster has to dry from 2 to 3 weeks so that will bring it up to December 1st. Then the finishing work, like the electrician and plumber and heating men have to come back. Their finishing work won't take long so if we are lucky we might just get in before Christmas. I certainly hope so as I sure want Glad and Cully to stay with me. I just hate to think of when I have to tell Miss Lindeberg I'm going to quit. I have worked into a pretty nice job. Molly Anderson, the woman I work for, is out a lot so I've taken over the correspondence. I sign the letters and put them through the stamping machine too, which is fun. Molly is to be retired from General Mills next June so I could have her job then if I wanted it. I keep hoping they will train someone else for it as I know I won't be working too much longer, but they are short of help. I hope the baby is sleeping better. Maybe if Ruth kept him awake after four o'clock he would be ready for sleep by six. Are they sure they put all his bubbles up. It sure must be hard on the kids to lose so much sleep. Halloween night I took Jimmy and Mary and the little girl across the street out for trick or treat. Jimmy's teacher had told them they should only go to houses of people they know so that's all Jimmy would go and then he quit. I took Mary and Patsy part way around the block and by then they were tired and had had enough. Elmer went in and asked for a raise last week and they gave him a small one of 25 dollars a month but told him they would make it more in a short while. No we haven't seen John and Gwen at night yet as planned. I started work right then and since then we don't go out much. When I get my house I will have them over. Rose too. I was glad to hear from both of you folks last week. The time flies so and we are all so busy that I know how hard it is to get many letters written. The only letters I write are to you and the girls. Bob and Dolores are getting along a little better now. We think they were married by the Priest but didn't tell us because Dolores goes to church all the time and she would have been kicked out of the church if she hadn't been married by the Priest. Well Folks I had better stop. I have to wash out my stockings and do a few things before going to bed. Oh, every payday, which is twice a month, over eleven dollars is taken out of my check for tax. But I'll get it all back the 1st of the year so am putting it toward my trip out there next summer. I already have almost 50 dollars coming so it counts up in a hurry. Well I'll write more soon and I hope you're getting more rest, all of you. Love, Helen Nov 5 - A warm rainy day. Makes me homesick for Washington.