428 2/18/1942 Sadie Erwin to Helen Carlson

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington Wednesday, February 18, 1942

Helen Carlson Box 582 Newburyport, Massachusetts

My dear Helen, I did not get to write to you last night. Now I wonder if you will get this letter Saturday. I did not get the package off to you yet because I noticed nearly all the corners on the blankets needed to be caught down. They had frayed at the corners. Will surely get them sent tomorrow. You should have the other package by now. Monday night Buster Dibly’s wife died. I think you heard when you were here that she was in a Seattle hospital with T.B. Her mother has her baby. We had another nice letter from Jimmie today. He seems quite happy about everything now. Says he is studying hard. Next Monday is a holiday. We plan to go up to the cabin Sunday after church and stay until Monday evening. I think that will be fun. Tomorrow our sewing unit sews out at Gossard’s. She has a nice big room upstairs with heat where we are going to sew all the time instead of going to different houses as we have been doing. Tomorrow I am furnishing the coffee and dessert. Next time someone else will. We each will bring our own sandwiches. That was nice of Doris Gray to send something for the baby. By the time the baby comes you will find you have a lot of things. I guess most beach people throw their garbage in the water. I know they do down at Redondo. They even throw old stoves and such things out for the tide to take away. I sent Jimmie the picture you sent me of those high waves. I knew he would enjoy seeing it. I like the map you drew for me of the island. We heard Henry Aldrich last Thursday night too. He is always good. It is too bad Mary’s little kids have to be such a bother. She should understand that you would not want to have them running in and out of your house. Suppose they get cold and want to get in where it is warm. I am glad Elmer is getting some good out of those ___ pajamas. They really are the only thing for cold weather. Your writing that you loved the smell of coal oil reminds me how I use to like the smell of gasoline. It cost you a lot for heat right now, but it is nice you can keep the place comfortable. You could spend a lot and still be cold. Most summer cottages are nothing but shells. No we are not burning coal now. That was just for the time until we got our wood. I am glad you found the car keys. What did you have to pay for smelts? Papa said they had some in now for 10¢ per lb. I am going to buy some this weekend. You will have to put a padlock on your icebox. That will keep the kids out. It is midnight so I’ll go to bed. Hope you feel alright since that upset from eating cake at Ducret’s. Will write again this weekend. Much love to you and Elmer. Mother.