130 11/11/1947 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 3409 Fremont Ave. South, Minneapolis 8, Minnesota Tuesday, November 11, 1947

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I wanted to try out the typewriter tonight to see what needs fixing on it so I'll write to you. I want to take it to the repair shop tomorrow and have a few keys fixed that stick and get a new ribbon. I have to get it fixed up since I am going to be doing my work here at the house starting the 1st. I think I told you that Miss Lindeberg wants me to bring home work to do and come to the office on Saturdays. I think that will be fun and a swell way to make a little extra money. They sure are hard up for help. Molly had just started breaking another girl in on the work after I said I was quitting and she quit today with no notice at all. She was a girl about my age and two small children and started in about the same time I did. She just got a divorce a couple of months ago and I think she was worried about that and she hated to leave her children. Finally she started getting so nervous that she had to quit. That day we had the snow storm we got out of work at 3:30. The snow was really deep. When I got back to the house it had stopped snowing so I went out and shoveled the walk. Saturday we bought the kids a sled and Sunday we took them to that hilly square across the street from the Art Institute and they had their first sled ride. They thought it was wonderful. Today the temperature went down to 16 above so it will probably be nice and cold by the time Glad and Cully get here. The house moves along so slowly that it doesn't look like we can possibly be in by Christmas. The plasterer was supposed to start today but he didn't, although he says he will be there tomorrow for sure. The heating men haven't brought the furnace out yet and Elmer called again today and they said the shipment was suppose to be here the 15th of last month and it still hasn't arrived. Everything is tied up along the line. We bought our electric stove tonight and will get it Saturday. Selma's sister-in-law had one for sale for 60 dollars so Selma called me right away. Selma said she knows it is in perfect condition but when this girl moved to the house she is in now she had to use a gas stove as it wasn't wired for electricity and they couldn't get the cables so she had to buy a gas one. So far we have paid cash for all the furniture we have bought so we won't owe anything on that. Now I'm in the market for a studio couch. We won't get our carpeting until after we get in the house because the main thing is just to get in and then we will get things as we go along. Does the baby have a car seat? Be sure and tell me because I will get him one for Christmas if he doesn't have one. Is he sleeping any better now. I certainly hope so. Eden and Wally and Alvin came over Saturday night and we played cards. It will be fun when we can have friends over in our own house. Florence came over today and took care of the kids. We will bring Mary out to her house some of the days and Florence says she will keep on until the first. Tomorrow I get out at 12:30 because it is Armistice Day. Today Jimmy went to school but before going in he decided he didn't want to go so he came back home. He wouldn't go back and he wouldn't tell Florence why he didn't go to school. When I got home everyone was making such a fuss about it I told him he didn't have to tell me why until he felt like it so we went upstairs and he said when he got to school he was cold and they couldn't go in until the bell rang and he didn't want to stay out in the playground so came back home. They did have that rule this summer but I'm sure now that the weather is cold they will let the kids in before the bell rings. He gets to school about half an hour early because he walks with the girl across the street. Well Folks, I had better stop for now but I hope you are all fine and tell all the kids hello. With Love, Helen