461 2/19/1943 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 401 Alexander, Monroe, Louisiana Friday, February 19, 1943

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I had a nice letter from you day before yesterday and another one today. So Jimmie got his notice and expects to go around March 5th. I sure hate to think of him going and hope he will be deferred but had no idea his eye was so bad. I can’t understand why glasses wouldn’t help him. They would at least relieve some of the strain it seems. Maybe the army doctor will think he should have glasses and then they will probably pay for them. I am glad though that Jim wants to go and that makes me feel so much better. I will write to him all the time and send him things too. Maybe he won’t ever have to leave this country. Well today I actually got the peanuts wrapped so am mailing them for sure tomorrow because it being Saturday I always go downtown so won’t be putting it off. I also bought you four boxes of tea today and am mailing that tomorrow and am going to buy you some more tomorrow so you can get stocked up a little bit. If there is anything else you can’t get that would be easy to send be sure and tell me because I don’t think most things are as limited here as they are out there. In all the stores now all the butter you can buy is a fourth of a pound and some times I have a hard time getting it if I don’t get to the store in time but every time just as I get down to my last dab I manage to get some more. There is a fellow from work who lives in the country and he brings us eggs every week and we get a dozen for 45 cents. Yesterday he brought Elmer a whole pound of butter and I sure was glad to get it because I was completely out right then so we still had butter for supper. Lida and Lee and their baby left for Canada early this morning. I was up there last night helping a little and I washed out diapers and folded the dry ones and helped them a little I think. I also put Sherry to sleep. She has been so good about going to bed without rocking at all but is almost five months now and is starting to want a little more attention. Her bed was packed so I brought up Jimmie’s bassinette for her to sleep in. The Deans, the couple who took our garage apartment, got Trahan’s apartment and sure are glad to get away from Mrs. Walter. When Esther Dean (who is about the dumbest person I have ever met) came over to move in the apartment this morning I told her I would come up in a few minutes to get the bassinette out of her way and she said she had already thrown it in the trash pile for the nigger man to haul away. I sure was mad about that because even though she didn’t know it was mine she could see it was a nice bassinette and could have asked me about it. I got it back before it was taken away and am going to send it to Ora Dell the first of the week because I will have the car then. Lida Trahan sure was disgusted last night about husbands who have construction jobs because she had to leave so many things. I knew just how she felt because I always have to leave practically everything I own except the bedding. She had to leave Sherry’s highchair and a bunch of dishes and all her food in cans and everything but she gave everything to me. One of the women from the company, the superintendent’s wife, is going to have a baby next month so I gave the highchair to her and she was glad to get it. It’s funny how all our husbands raise the dickens whenever any of us buy anything because they are always worrying about moving but we hate to have our children have to go without everything. I told you when we moved here I bought two little table lamps and I’m going to move those with me someway because they are the only thing in the way of furniture I own except the radio. Today Jim was to leave for Salem to see Shirley Morgan. I hope he has a swell time. Did he take the train? I am just sick about not getting to see him before he leaves too. I certainly hope we won’t have to move before the job is finished and am keeping my fingers crossed but I am so satisfied here with the apartment and I know so many people that I never stay home in the afternoons hardly. Today Sarah and I took Jimmie and Tug out all afternoon and then bought some chocolate cookies in the store and went over to the drugstore and got some ice cream and ate cookies. Jimmie plays out on the back porch all morning long. I hook the screen door so he can’t get out and then I have that little folding gate Lida gave me that I stretch across the porch to keep him on our side and I put his toys out there and he has the best time. I leave the kitchen door open so am right there to watch him. Our weather has been wonderful and I guess one reason I like it so well here is because it reminds me of Washington. Mom, be sure and take pictures before Jimmie leaves. Did you know it is hard to get films now. I haven’t been able to get any all week now but hope I can get some when I am downtown tomorrow. I would like to have a picture of your car too. Today Glad was to leave Chicago too. I hope everything goes all right for her and think she is plenty brave to make that long trip when she is so far along but then she probably will get out there in time since it won’t be due until about three weeks after she gets there. I hope she gets her boy but either one will be nice. Jimmie certainly has a swell mattress now. It is big and thick and solid with no lumps or bulges in it. He seems to sleep better too. It only cost 3.50 and I think it was well worth it. That is really terrible about Onie Hannus jumping off the bridge. I remember him. His poor wife really must feel awful and I don’t think a person in his right mind would do such a terrible thing. Had he been teaching school right along. It must have been a big shock to all of you. Elmer’s mother is better by the last reports and I guess Mr. Carlson has talked Florence and Art into staying on for a while longer. I sure am glad we don’t live in Minneapolis because although I feel sorry as everything for them all I just wouldn’t move in and take my turn and I know they would expect me to. If it were you instead I think we girls would be the ones to take care of you and not Jim’s wife. This is a picture of our apartment and we live on the lower left. See our front porches are all entirely separate from the ones across the hall. There are just the four apartments. Our landlord never bothers us in any way and he never even comes near the place. As long as he gets his rent he won’t bother anyone. It seems nice to be able to hang up clothes without someone telling me just where to put them. You asked me if I ever heard from Hilda. I never answered her letter but had another one from her today. She said she is in the army now and is a guard at some place but I can’t know if it is true or not. Mom, I have never told you about how much Elmer likes his birthday present. It came last Saturday and that night we were going over to Calora’s where the men played pinochle and we girls bridge. They didn’t have a pinochle deck either so Elmer brought his. He has been wanting one ever since we learned how to play so you couldn’t have thought of anything he would like more. He also wore his new tie and it looked so nice. He wanted me to thank you for him and he thought it was swell you sent him a birthday present. The last letter I wrote I wrote in a hurry and then after I mailed it I realized I didn’t tell you about the present and I bet you have been wondering if I got it or not. Well it certainly was a nice one and I like the cards and tie as much as Elmer does. When Jimmie rolls over on his back he still waits for me to come and pick him up. Do you think he looks like Jim when he was a baby? I think he does and I call him Jimmie Erwin half the time and if Elmer hears me he reminds me he is Jimmie Carlson. It seems like Jimmie Erwin fits him better. Jim must have been plenty cramped up from sleeping in the car all night but then maybe when you’re only twenty you don’t get stiff from sleeping in an uncomfortable position. I’m so glad I’m through nursing Jimmie because I’m beginning to feel like my old self again. I really was dead tired the whole time I nursed him but feel swell now. It sure must be hard to have two children, in fact I don’t know how a mother manages with more than one child. Well Folks, Elmer has already gone to bed so guess I will stop for this time and you can look for the peanuts and tea because since they are all wrapped I’ll get them mailed for sure tomorrow. Tomorrow is the last day for canned foods without a ticket so am going to get my allotment and also stock way up on baby foods since you don’t have to declare how many cans you have of that. Do you ever see Bernice Swain’s baby? Gosh in two more months Jimmie will be a year old and I just can’t believe it. Last year at this time I didn’t even have him. Goodnight Folks, and I’ll write more later. Love, Helen