28 8/8/1944 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 382 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Tuesday, August 08, 1944

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I just finished a letter to Glad that I started last night so will write to you now. Jimmie and Mary are in bed and Elmer is working but should be home before long. The package came Saturday and thanks so much. You wondered if the frog would drive me crazy. Well at first it almost did because Jimmie would purposely put it someplace where I would step on it and I would step on it every time and jump a mile and he would laugh so hard he would almost fall down. He likes it so much that I decided it was a pretty good frog. I like the cover for the davenport and am so glad to have it as it will save the davenport so much. We don't have so much dust anymore because the road has been fixed up but when it rains everything is mud for a couple of days after and it would get on the davenport no matter how carefully I watched Jimmie and besides his hands and legs are usually dirty. I will wear the ankle sox but think you should have kept them. Today Jimmie was looking at Stella's family picture and not saying a word. Pretty soon he said, "Momma you look just like Stella." Yesterday I was brushing my hair and brushed it up and he said now I looked just like Moomaw. I went to a bridge luncheon this afternoon and had a very nice time and met several different women. I could really go a lot if I didn't have two children but I guess I'll keep my two children. I don't know how I'll ever get any place when school starts though as I'll lose my nurse girl then. Wednesday I didn't get your letter finished last night so will add some more to it before I start supper. When Elmer came home last night he brought me a nice letter from Bob Jenson. I'll send it to you after I answer it. Mom, I've meant to tell you to keep on using the word flop if you want to. So many do and I asked Elmer why he didn't like that word. He said when he was working for his dad they worked on one of those old hotels on Washington Avenue in Minneapolis where bums could sleep for 25 cents a night. He said the place was called a flop house and the odor and filth was so terrible that every time he heard the word flop it made him think of that. This McKim was fired yesterday so he evidently did something he shouldn't have. Elmer doesn't know the reason yet. Sunday night we drove over to see the Moores who we knew in Monroe. Irma Moore's sister was visiting her and she is from Alexandria, Louisiana. Remember, Mom, that is the town we heard that by taking a cut off we would save about 45 minutes by not going through the town and when we turned off the main highway there were all these winding roads and we had no idea which one to take so went back to the highway and on through the town. I asked her about those roads and she said they confused everyone. The army built them but whichever one we took it would have eventually gotten us across the river and around the town. I had a very nice letter from Jim a couple of days ago. He asked for some handkerchiefs so am sending him some. I told him to be sure and let me know when he needed anything. Everyone here is suddenly going house crazy as Kellex was allocated more houses and they are pretty nice. Some are those flat tops which I don't like but some have a screened-in porch and laundry room which would be pretty nice. Most of them are in among the trees which would be especially nice. I'm going to be satisfied with my 30 dollar a month house though, so we can save a little money. We are still having hot days but the nights and mornings are very cool and nice. Elmer has to work two or three nights a week until nine so we haven't been going out much at all. We still haven't been to a show. Well Folks I guess I'll go to bed and I hope you're fine Pop. I'm mailing a package to you both tomorrow. Love, Helen