442 3/9/1942 Sadie Erwin to Helen Carlson

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington Monday, March 09, 1942

Helen Carlson Box 582 Newburyport, Massachusetts

My dear Helen, Two nice letters came from you today. Sorry you have had to wait so long for a letter. Sent one Thursday afternoon, then the packages Friday morning. Since then have been so busy or too tired to write. Friday I went to Bryn Mawr to have lunch with Lilly. Had such a nice time. We went for a little ride upon the hill so to see the new airplane factory at Renton, on the lower end of Lake Washington, then went to Renton for a root beer. That evening there was so much to do around here for I knew Mrs. Martel was coming to town Saturday. Saturday I cleaned the whole house besides working with my lesson. She called about 4:30 to find out when I wanted her to come down. As it worked out she came home with us from church yesterday. Had dinner here, visited during the afternoon with us and we then took her to Auburn to catch the 6:10 bus from there. When we got home I took some bedding over to Stella’s so she could fix Bernice’s new bed for her to sleep in last night. Stella will get more bedding as soon as she can. By that time I was plenty tired. I fixed supper, looked at the Sunday paper, marked up my lesson and went to bed without writing a letter to anyone. Jimmie seems to be getting along fine in the new place. I think it is going to work out swell for them and be much cheaper than boarding. We will be glad to get the pictures you have taken of your cabin and of the water. You both must have enjoyed your rides along the coast into New Hampshire a week ago very much. By April the weather should be getting more settled and warm. You do not have to burn so much oil too. It has rained hard here most of the day. If the sun comes out in the next few days our pear tree will be full of blossoms. I like days like this has been for when the sun does shine everything seems to have grown so much. I want to plant some carrots and onions in among my flowers. Would like to find a place for as few string beans too. Am sure you have heard from Gladys and know Cully was hurt again and will not be playing in Boston tomorrow night. It is a shame, we were so sorry to hear it. Hope his knee gets alright soon. This has been a terrible disappointment to him. He was going so good, and wants to play so badly. I hope you can get that woman the store lady told you about or someone to help you for a little while after coming home from the hospital. It is grand you feel so well, and there is no reason for you not continuing to prove everything is harmonious and the natural unfoldment of life. When a person is sick most of the nine months that is what makes them dread it and the time drag for them. The next few weeks will go by quickly and the baby will be here. Have Elmer let us know right away. The large bassinette will be nice to have. Let me know the length and width and I’ll make you 3 or 4 sheets to cover the pad. No, you had not told me before your Tuesday letter about hearing from Aunt Ruth. She wrote to me too. She is a good soul. Do not get to write her as often as I should like to. Papa would surely like it there when it is stormy. Everytime we go to the Pacific ocean he says he wants to come again in the winter when they have real high tides and it gets real wild. As long as the coast guards watch your road you really do not have to worry about it at all. The clerks at Swain’s went to Franklin Café tonight for dinner. Papa has not come home yet. It is nearly nine. Cliff has been having a meeting each Monday night right after work to talk store business and how to improve things around there. I could tell him fast enough. Well, tonight he decided it should be a dinner. Guess he is to pay for it. If he does it is alright. Mr. Swain will get wise someday, I think. He came up last Wednesday as soon as he heard Carl had quit. Was up all day Saturday. Stella said they were looking at a new house across the street from her. Sounds as though they might consider coming back to live here, at least part of the time. Jim hasn’t much faith in you having a boy. Well, you may fool him. What Cliff said to Carl was just too dirty to write. He wanted to know if Carl was planning on quiting for he had heard he had been down to the shipyards in Tacoma looking for work. He couldn’t ask in a decent way, and Carl just wouldn’t take what he said. Carl got work up at the mill and now has his Saturdays free. Justice will catch up with Cliff someday. I think Doris meant you would need 36 diapers. Some people have less, and then always have a worry about having diapers enough to run them from one washing to the next. There is some way to draw the fish out of the star shell so it will not smell. Do you have any pretty stones on the beach or is it just fine sand? How was the fish chowder? Did it taste anything like clams? I shall be glad to get the flower book. I have never gotten any of them. The first two are lovely, and I know book 3 will be too. I have intended sending for them each time they are out, then put it off until it is too late. I do enjoy working in the yard, but do not have much time now. After I am through reading I hope to have a beautiful place. I never heard before of cats not having ears or tails. What kind are they? They charge too much there for developing pictures. It will help if Mr. Ducret will do it for you at cost. Did Jim tell you that there are five of them in their apartment? One boy said this was the first time he had really been happy since he started school there. When Jim wrote they had been living on less than 40¢ each per day and hoped to cut it down. He had made jello one night and said it was so easy to make they were going to have it often. They all take turns doing the wash. He said one of the boys turned off the refrigerator one night thinking it would save money. Said they put him straight on that. This has been a lengthy letter. I may not write tomorrow. Much love to you both. Mother. P.S. Papa has come. Cliff paid for the meal. They had a lovely chicken dinner. Jim said you had sent him some lovely walnut fudge. Do not try to do too much for him. He enjoys the letters you write to him. The other means too much when you are so far away. Nevertheless, he thought it was swell.