463 2/28/1943 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 401 Alexander, Monroe, Louisiana Sunday, February 28, 1943

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I’ve fallen down on the letter writing again this week but it’s not because I don’t think of you. One night we went to the show with the Facklers and a couple nights I went to bed real early because I felt like I was getting a cold but it never did amount to anything. One day I scratched my finger with a pin and that night my thumb was all swollen up and red and two red streaks went right up my arm and every time I looked at it it had gone higher. I called a practitioner the next day and in no time at all everything was back to normal except for the sore place around the scratch but that is drying up just fine now. I wasn’t worried about the scratch but Elmer was and thought I should see the doctor right away. All my treatment cost me was a dollar and I hate to think what the doctor would have charged. Saturday Jimmie and I walked over to Mrs. Herring’s house (the practitioner). She lives just about three blocks from here and is just awfully nice. I went over to pay her and she wanted us to come in so we did for a while and I enjoyed talking to her. Last Sunday I went to church but didn’t get there this Sunday because on account of my sore thumb I didn’t wash diapers for over two days so just had to hurry and get some washed and dried because Jimmie was almost out of them. I will be so glad when he doesn’t wear them anymore. Glad must be out there by now. I hope the trip didn’t bother her and I certainly thought of her a lot when she was on the way. Tell her I am going to write to her soon and to Stella too. Every time I look at Stella’s picture I want to get out there so bad. I think it is so good of everyone of them. The Jewish girl had a baby boy the other day and the little baby already looks like a Jew. Anyway Saturday Sarah and I stopped up to see her and she invited us over to the house Wednesday afternoon for the big event of circumcising the baby. Louise the Jewish girl has to leave the hospital Wednesday although it will only be her seventh day and bring the baby home for the party and then she and the baby have to go back to the hospital and stay a few more days. I guess it is really a big celebration with lots of stuff to eat and drink too. Sarah and I will no doubt be the only ones there who aren’t Jews but we thought it would be fun to go and see what it is like. Louise has a table cloth that cost a hundred and fifty dollars and Sarah asked her if she was going to use it and she said she was. You could tell they were Jews just by seeing the inside of their house because all the lamps and ash trays and things like that are all crystal and everything terribly showy. Louise is awfully nice though and doesn’t seem to have the disagreeable Jewish traits but her husband is really one. They are naming the baby Solomon. I’m glad Jim heard something about the army and feels anxious to go. I hat to think of it but the practitioner said she has a son who will have to go but she was proud of sending a son to help get rid of this error but I don’t feel like that. I still hate to have Jimmie go. Saturday I didn’t get to the store until afternoon so I couldn’t buy a bit of meat for today so we have just been lunching all day and I guess after while we might go out and get something. It’s the first time this has happened. I told the butcher I better get to the store earlier after this and he said they had very little anyway, and probably nothing I would want. They had just lunch meats and sausage. Anyway the meat man wasn’t busy so he wanted to hold Jimmie. He said he had been wanting to hold him for a long time. Jimmie always acts especially funny in the store. He hollers and laughs and seems to like the meat man a lot. Every time I go into the bathroom I find something else thrown in the toilet. Now I can’t find our mailbox key anyplace and it was on a key ring so I’m afraid it was thrown in there too but I’m hoping tomorrow when I am cleaning I will find it. How do you like your new permanent Mom? I have to get a new one soon too. I guess I better stop and give Jimmie his supper as he is getting hungry but will finish this afterwards. He just pulled the table cloth off the table. Morning 11:30 A.M. Dear Folks, I didn’t get to finish this last night because I gave Jimmie his supper and was getting him ready for bed when the Deans came down so that ended my letter writing. I found the mailbox key this morning in the box I keep Jimmie’s toys in. I had a letter from Florence and she told us about the cold weather they are still having there. She expects her baby in June and feels fine and she said her mother had been feeling pretty good lately too. I’m glad Stella and the bunch had a good time up at Ken’s cabin. He didn’t have to go into the army did he? If Jim is sent south I surely will go to see him. Bob was at Camp Claiborne in Louisiana for a long time and that isn’t so very far from here. I would write to the hotel in whatever town he was near and make reservations for a room so I would be sure and have a place to stay and then take either the bus or train. I would have to bring Jimmie along but I think Jim would like to see him too and I would love to have him see him so someone in the family would know how nice he is. As much as I would love to have him sent down in this part of the country I still hope he isn’t because it does get awfully hot here and Bob didn’t like the camp in Alexandria (Camp Claiborne). Jim probably wouldn’t mind the hot weather though. I am so glad he doesn’t mind going. Isn’t there a chance of him getting deferred on account of his work? It is cloudy out today but very warm. I got a cold after all but it isn’t a very bad one but my nose runs all the time. When I think of the terrible ones I used to get this one isn’t anything, and it is the first one I have had for just ages. Gosh if Jim had to take his physical March 5th that is this week. Will they let him have a few days off before sending him away or what. I know it used to be if they passed their final physical they didn’t get to go home again and they didn’t get a chance to write for two weeks because they were kept in quarantine but it seems now like they get a few days to get ready to go to camp. Well Folks, I guess I will stop for this time and write a letter to Jim. Now Jimmie is in the buffet taking out everything. I have a few dime store glasses in there I don’t want broken so guess I better move him away. More later. Love, Helen