29 8/15/1944 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 382 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Tuesday, August 15, 1944

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Tuesday Night 11:00 Dear Folks, We just got home from being out with the Deans so I'll start a letter to you but probably won't get it finished as it is kind of late. We went to see some war pictures at the Community Center for Kellex people. I was especially interested in them as they were taken in and around Burma. Some of the pictures showing the Japs slaughtering the Chinese were too horrible to look at. Well Jimmie went to Sunday School Sunday and loved it and can hardly wait until next Sunday. The services are held in the school house and Sunday school is held the same time as church, eleven o'clock, which makes it nice. Sunday school is just for children up to the age of twelve on account of lack of accommodations and teachers but as time goes on there will be lots of improvements. Church is held in the gym. The readers sit down to read on account of the low table they have for their books. Both readers are good. The First Reader is a man, Dr. somebody. There were about 25 people in the congregation which is a pretty good turn out I think for a place like this. Wednesday evening services are held the first Wednesday night in each month. There is a piano in the gym so we had music for our songs. No soloist or ushers but everyone gets along fine. Jimmie's teacher said he was very good the whole time. He wouldn't give up his dime though for collection. So I gave it to the teacher when I saw he still had it. There were about ten children in the class, all real young so no wonder Jimmie liked it. He said he sang songs and talked to a boy named Gerry. I see my days of not going to church have ended now because Jimmie would certainly hate to miss out on Sunday school. I have noticed lately that when I leave Mary and Jimmie alone in the room Mary cries. The other day I decided to watch to see what was going on. Mary was in her basket in the living room so I walked out in the kitchen. Right away Jimmie went over to Mary and pinched her fat little cheek. I asked him why he hurt Mary and he said he didn't like her anymore. I decided the reason was now that she is awake more I give her more attention and he resents it. So now I have him help me bathe her and make him feel useful and not left out so maybe he will decide to like her. I see that he doesn't hurt her anymore though. Wednesday 6:00 p.m. Elmer will be home pretty soon but I'll write a few lines now and finish tonight. The Sentinels and booklets came yesterday and thanks a lot. I read several articles in the Sentinel today whenever I sat down to feed the baby. It rained hard most of the day today so my clothes are still out in the yard. 8:30 p.m. I had a letter from Mrs. Haugeto the other day and she said they were going to get some of that Spanish moss and send it to me. If they do I'll send it on to you. I sent Jim his handkerchiefs last week but had to show his letter at the post office to prove he requested them. Have you thought about his Christmas present yet? I don't know yet what to get him. I had a letter from Glad today and she said Cully fixed your pin and sent it on to you. She is sending me the buggy so I am letting Irma Madle use the bassinet. This bassinet has been in constant use ever since I bought it for Jim. It has been from Massachusetts to Louisiana. Then to Arizona for Ora Dell and now in Tennessee. I know Glad will like the drapes you sent her. I had one pair that I made in Oklahoma and have those in our room. The bedspread I cut in half makes good drapes for the baby's room and I'm using the blue spread for drapes in the playroom. I'm not going to cut it but put it up the way it is. That back closet I use for just a place for junk and odds and ends so that spread uncut will conceal it good. Pop, did you get a lot of wood piled on your vacation? I wish I could go to Minneapolis over Labor Day as Glad says they are going to spend a week there during that time. I guess I won't even think about it though. I am anxious to hear about your visit with Dorothy Matz. I believe I got 20 pounds per person for the sugar stamps. I don't know now if I got all I had coming to me or not. I think I got 60 lb. in all. The first letter I wrote to Jim I told him how Bill Gossard was all set to tell Pop where Jim was but Pop already knew. Jim wrote back and said he had written to you folks a long time before writing to Shirlee and I guess you both got your letters about the same time. That was awfully nice of the operator not to charge Jim for the call to Morgans. You can send express to our house address. How did your permanent turn out Mom. I bet it looks nice and it will be easy to keep being short. You look nice however you wear your hair. We haven't eaten the fig jam yet. I wonder if there is some way of using it. It is still good but I don't like it plain as it is too rich for me. Betty didn't clean my blankets for me but finally returned them. I will air them out good. I am sending you Bob Jenson's letter and you can send it back to me as I haven't answered it. Monday night we went into Knoxville to buy Elmer some shirts as he needed them so badly and I couldn't get his size here. The one I sent you Pop was the only one I could get here and if I had known we were going to Knoxville I would have waited and bought you one there. Monday night was the first time I had been in any of the stores in Knoxville except for the time we went into the grocery store. Across the street from us and just down to the corner they are building a theatre so maybe we will get to a show occasionally. They are doing everything possible here to have entertainment for the people. Every Saturday night there are dances at the tennis courts. Well Folks I want to write to Jim now. It is almost time to put Jimmie to bed too. Yesterday he was sitting on the davenport talking to himself and I started to sit down too and he said I couldn't sit there because Meemaw was sitting there and you were telling him about Enumclaw. Well Goodnight folks and more later. Love, Helen