34 9/7/1944 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 382 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Thursday, September 07, 1944

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I had a nice long letter from you today and will write as much as I can but still haven't bought paper and am practically out. I will be glad to have the pillow slips because I haven't bought any since I have been married so they are wearing out now and the laundry helps to make them go faster. Mary will always make use of any dresses because now that the weather is cooler she has to have a dress on all the time. It was so chilly today I even put a shirt on her. It really would be swell if you could burn oil after the war because all that wood to pile and cut and carry in is a lot of hard work. Wouldn't it be wonderful Pop, not to have to do that anymore? Yes I did get my camera back and just finished the roll that was in it a couple of days ago and am going to take it down to the drug store tomorrow. I especially hope the one of you, Mom, taken in Monroe is good. Mary is just a little doll and still as good as gold. She is so much fun I hate to put her to bed at night and when I do she doesn't even cry but soon goes to sleep. She evidently is still getting enough milk since she is so good. When I play bridge I leave a bottle for her two o'clock feeding but she doesn't like it and never drinks very much of it. For a formula I just boil the whole milk. Jimmie always calls her Mary Helen. He is always talking about what they will do when she is bigger. Tonight he said when the war is over he wanted a big bicycle for him and a little one for Mary and he would get on his and pull her. Last night he picked up a blank piece of paper and said it was a letter from Meemaw. Elmer told him to read the letter so he did and the letter said that Meemaw thought he was a good boy. He mentions Linda Rose occasionally but now Doug is the main one and he will really miss him when school starts. People have moved into the two next houses on the other side of us so it is getting more populated around here. Edith Smythe is the only one I know though but don't have time to see her as much as I would like. Gladys sent me the large picture of Jeannie when I was in Lake Charles, quite a while ago. Also the one of Ruthie and Jeannie together so they must be the same ones you planned to send me. I thought maybe you had a large one of Ruthie to send me. I wish Blessings would move as it is a nuisance having bad neighbors. So many here get neighbors just like the Blessings but so far we have been fortunate in getting quiet ones. My house smells just like yours and Stella's in this cold weather. I don't know how to explain the smell but I can almost make believe I am living in Enumclaw. I sure wish I were. Edith Smythe hasn't noticed so many fleas since the exterminators were there but the weather has been cooler too and that chases them away. I don't see any in our house any more. Elmer hasn't started driving yet and now they are going to give us enough gas to allow us two trips to Knoxville a month and three trips downtown on the area a week. Now I hope to be able to send you a coupon off and on. Did Glad send you some sugar stamps. She said she had so many and I told her I thought you could always use more. Mom, remember I gave you that piece of cloth and the sunsuit patterns so keep it. I'm tired of sewing by hand so don't plan to do much of it. This is all my paper so will have to stop for now. We played chess until midnight last night so I am sleepy too. Love, Helen