469 3/16/1943 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 401 Alexander, Monroe, Louisiana Tuesday, March 16, 1943

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Jimmie is in bed and Elmer is asleep in the big chair so I will write to you now. I had a nice letter from you today with the one from Jim enclosed. He certainly writes good letters. When I read he might get in the air corps I really got excited because there is a great big air corps training camp right here in Monroe just outside of town and with all the planes they have out there they certainly need ground men. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Jim were sent here. I certainly hope he gets placed where he will be satisfied. I think of him all the time, especially at night, and wonder where he is and how he is getting along. I think it is nice they have men from the C.S. Church in the camps to give the boys a set of books. I didn’t know that before. I sure would love to see Jim in his uniform because I know he will look awfully good. That graduation picture of his is so good but ever since I have had it whenever I look at it I see him in a uniform instead of his suit. I guess because I felt like he would have to go sooner or later. I feel good about him knowing so many of the boys from school. There is certainly an advantage of living in one place most of your life when something like this comes up. If Elmer had to go he wouldn’t know anyone probably in his outfit because his draft board is in Oklahoma but I suppose he would be inducted at the nearest induction center. Have you bought Jim the wallet yet. I would just love to buy it for him but won’t do it until I know if you have already gotten it. I would really appreciate knowing about anything like that he wants because I want to get him things so anytime you think of anything at all or if he ever mentions anything please tell me what it is. What were the cases you bought him. Were they some suitcases? It doesn’t seem right that Jim has to pay income tax now that he is in the army. Will he have to pay all four quarters? Making out the tax return is a job alright. Elmer put off doing ours until the last minute too. Gosh I bet Jim was tired after 14 ½ hours of kp duty. I am so glad though that he is a good strong healthy boy because he will be able to take things like that better. You hadn’t mentioned Ruthie being sick but said in this letter she still coughed hard so I guess she must have had a bad cold. You told me about Sandy being sick so I was just wondering if you meant Ruthie instead. I didn’t know new diapers had to be washed before being used on a new baby. I didn’t wash any of Jimmie’s diapers before putting them on him. I have a nice clean house again tonight since that woman named Mary was here today but when she comes next Tuesday I am going to tell her I won’t be needing her anymore because I decided it was silly and a waste of money to have this place cleaned so thoroughly every week. She does a regular spring housecleaning and that isn’t necessary so often and now that the house is in good condition it will stay that way for a long time because dust doesn’t get way under the rugs and places like that in one week. I don’t care if there is a little dust around in my house anyway. She only charges a dollar a week and that doesn’t sound like much but it amounts to over five dollars a month and I would rather spend that money on Jim. Today it was so hot out, that is it was this morning and in five minutes time the wind came up and it started to rain and turned cold. Just think next month Jimmie will be a year old and I just can’t believe it. It is still a little over a month for his birthday but he sure is growing up fast. I wanted him to walk before he is eleven months so bad because Sarah’s baby started walking when he was ten months old but then he is real thin too while Jimmie is fat. Tonight at the table I was reading your letter to Elmer and when I finished Jimmie grabbed it and held it and started reading it too. He has started to copy everything we do. The little Jewish baby is getting along fine and is only three weeks old and can pull its head way up high when they put him on his stomach. He also pushed himself up on his arms. I didn’t believe it when Louise told me but then stopped over there the other day and saw him do it. I suppose they think he will be the Savior, because you know they don’t believe in Jesus and they always think maybe their son will be what Jesus is to us. Louise certainly has things easier than I did when I had Jimmie. She has two maids, a cook and general housekeeper and a nurse. She doesn’t have to do a darn thing but I wouldn’t like that at all because when ever I do have a woman over here to help me I’m always so glad when they get out of here. I have to fix my ledger up tonight because have gotten behind this month and have just jotted things down on pieces of paper so I would like to get everything written in the book. I’ve quit keeping one every once in awhile but am always sorry when I do. Tomorrow I am going to get my permanent and will be so glad to have it. Thursday I am going to play bridge but am going to make that about the last game for me this summer because when it is so nice out I would rather be out walking with Jimmie and I don’t enjoy playing cards in warm weather. I had intended to quit a long time ago but then decided maybe it was a good idea to know women outside of the company so I wouldn’t see the company women all the time but I don’t care anymore. That one woman who argues all the time still plays at most of the games and she spoils it for me. No one else likes it either so I don’t know why they play with her. Tonight we wanted to go to the show and I called Mrs. Craig this morning but she already had another engagement so we didn’t go. There are two other women who go out now and stay with children but we decided we would rather go Friday night. Sunday night Elmer and I stayed up until almost midnight playing that good kind of solitaire. Elmer won several times. We played pinochle the other night too and having a regular pinochle deck is much better than having to sort out the other deck. Well Folks, I guess I better stop for now but I will be awfully glad to read all of Jim’s letters so if you will send them to me I will send them back to you. He will probably write to you more and tell you more of the details and I don’t want to miss out on anything. With Love, Helen