137 12/31/1947 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 3409 Fremont Ave. South, Minneapolis 8, Minnesota Wednesday, December 31, 1947

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Your nice letter came after Christmas and I was so glad to hear from you and to hear you had a nice Christmas. It must have seemed wonderful not to even open up the store. Christmas must have been one of your first full holidays. You certainly sent us swell presents. I love the house coat and didn't have one. Elmer thinks it looks swell. He is crazy about his cigarette case and lighter. He said it is the first one he has ever owned. He is so pleased with it he is going to write to you too. Mary and Jimmy like their things too. The little doll is darling and Jimmy loves books. Everything was very very nice. Christmas Eve Florence had every one out at her place. We decided to go the last minute. At first we thought it would be nicer to stay here and have the house to ourselves. Christmas Day Nellie had all the family out to her house but we stayed here and for our Christmas dinner we fixed things we were especially hungry for, including shrimp. Mary and Jimmy were glad to stay home so they could play with their new toys. We bought Jimmy an electric train and we all like to play with it. Gladys and Cully and girls came over in the afternoon. We went out and showed them the new house and then stopped in at Nellie's a minute so Glad could meet all the Carlson bunch. The time is getting close to our moving day. We have a good chance of getting in our new house in a couple of weeks. If the plumber doesn't disappoint us we will easily. The room upstairs is nicer than I expected and pretty well fixed up. I will be able to use it right away but think I'll use it more as just a playroom until it is more finished. So you see with three bedrooms I'll have plenty of sleeping space for all of you. We won't have much furniture for a while but all we care about now is getting in. At first I wanted the carpeting down and everything but now I want to move in as soon as possible. Mrs. Carlson has been so well and so nice. Of course she sees promise now of our leaving and now she is so afraid Dolores and Bob will move in. Mr. Carlson sure is trying to talk them into it but we all tell them not to for Mrs. Carlson's sake. She needs to be alone and have it quiet. I am so glad you told me about the slippers not fitting. I'll get another pair. What size does Pop wear? If they fit Jim give them to him. Otherwise I can exchange them. Oh Pop what is Dutch's last name that you worked with at the Banner Grain? Is it by any chance Miller? The Marge that was once engaged to Alvin Pope recently divorced her husband and married a Dutch Miller. He is a man about 65 and retired. They are living at the Leamington Hotel. Mary still has a bandage over her cut but the stitches are out. She sure did scream but she told me afterwards she really was just scared. That was when he took the stitches out she screamed. I am so glad it is all over with. I am still typing for General Mills. I am the busiest on weekends. I hope they stay busy for a while as it is a good way to make a little extra money. This is the way we are going to celebrate New Year's Eve tonight. We are going to take the children up to the drugstore and get a butterscotch sundae and then come home and play the Uncle Wiggly game with them. That sounds like more fun to me than being pushed and shoved in some crowded night club and is much cheaper. I hated to see Gladys leave. I hope she had a good time but she was tired out most of the time. She was anxious to get back home. Mrs. Dahlstrom isn't very nice to stay with either. She didn't want Gladys to see me at all and acted horrid when she did. I heard from Aunt Mary too, telling about Grandma. If she does pass away I will make a big effort to get up there so I can tell you folks about everything. It was 6 below this morning. Glad and Cully were lucky as the weather was fairly mild when they were here. We did enjoy our visit very much with Agnes. She had a good dinner and we met her husband too. Her house is nice too and we heard all about her folks. I guess the Closes are pretty taken up with this Nazarene religion. Aunt Annie had a stroke around Thanksgiving but is recovering. The Nazarenes believe in praying and pills. Agnes feels awful about it. Well folks I had better stop but I'm glad you had a nice Christmas. Thanks very, very much for all the nice presents. I hope to write to Stella soon but tell her I'm crazy about the Mt. Rainier picture. Love, Helen