496 6/4/1943 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 401 Alexander, Monroe, Louisiana Friday, June 04, 1943

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I had a nice letter from you today and will answer it now. I don’t know what has happened to Jimmie’s eye. Tonight I noticed it looked a little funny and it began swelling and in just a few minutes after that it was almost swollen closed. About seven o’clock I carried him into the bedroom to change his pants and he fell asleep while I was putting dry ones on and he never even wants to go to bed at eight o’clock. I sure hope he will be alright tomorrow. Today the case came up against Mrs. Walter and the Hakems and I had to go as a witness. Mrs. Walter was suing Louise on account of breaking her arm. When we were in the judge’s office and the trial was ready to take place Mrs. Walter decided she didn’t want to go through with it. She said she had never been in court before and wanted to get out of there as fast as she could. When she walked in the court room she walked with a cane and looked like an abused old woman with her arm up in a sling, but as soon as she got back outside she didn’t even use the cane. She is leaving town now and going to Houston to live with her daughter. She tried to run out yesterday but they found out she was planning on running out on the trail and made her stay. You know those three linen skirts you sent me Mom? Well I took them to an alterer today because there was a little bit too much to do to them for me to figure out how. These two women I took the skirts too are just opening up in business and I think they will do good work. I can get them back tomorrow already. I had Stella’s white skirt fixed to fit me and am sending it to her because I think we are about the same size so I hope it will fit her now so she can get some wear out of it because those skirts are a swell piece of material and don’t look worn at all. If I like the way they are going to fix the yellow jacket I’m going to have Stella’s white jacket fixed the same way so she will have a whole suit. I just wrote to Betty Anderson last night so was surprised to have you mention her in your letter today. She expects her baby next month. I’m making a terrible lot of mistakes but it is terribly hot out so I can’t seem to concentrate. I had a practical nurse take care of Jimmie this afternoon because I couldn’t get my regular lady and she recommended this nurse to me and she didn’t charge any more than the others. She came over in a white uniform and looked and was real nice. Jimmie went right to her and didn’t even cry when I left. She said he fell asleep in his highchair when she was fixing his lunch so she put him to bed and he ate when he woke up. I’m so glad you can use my sugar stamps. This month I’ve given away about fifteen pounds of sugar and I just hated to do it knowing that you could use it. I gave three pounds to Annie and five pounds to Mrs. Barrow across the hall and still have a lot. We don’t use it for anything except lemonade or something like that and I didn’t want to keep so much on hand when so many people were really short on it. I’ll find out which ones are good and will send them to you right away. Today Elmer’s boss’s wife came over to see me but I was just getting ready to go to the court room and Louise was here so I didn’t get to talk to her much. Her husband is the superintendent and she usually lets out some secret so I like to see her but I didn’t get a chance to find out anything today. If we got out there I think Jimmie would live out in the yard with Stella’s dog because he just loves them. Every morning he can hardly wait until I take him outside to go and look for dogs. Yesterday we went after groceries and when we came back I took him out of the car and put him down so I could hurry in with the groceries and I was in the house about two seconds but Jimmie was already gone when I went out to get him. The lady next door has chickens and he loves to watch them too and had run over there and was standing there watching them. He calls them turkeys. He is beginning to put two words together now. He says see doggie all the time. Sarah’s brother who has been in Guadalcanal is being sent home on a furlough. He is in California now in a rest home but as soon as he is released from there he is getting to go home. I know Sarah will want to leave Wyoming now and go to see him and I hope she will be able to. I bet the Dahlstroms hate to think of Wally having to go overseas. Bob never did say how he received the Purple Heart. The candy I got back was quite melted and since our weather was even hotter when it came back I knew it would be in terrible condition if I sent it back to him. Everyone in the apartment said they were sorry Jimmie never received it but since he didn’t they were glad I got it back because we all ate it. The Barrows who live across the hall are being sent to Lake Charles but Mr. Barrow is one of the big shots so they will find him a nice place to live in and if the rent is too high they will pay him more to offset it. Tell Glad I had a letter from Irma Houck today. I guess she was trying to talk like a Texan because she called me gal all through the letter. At the 1st dance I started dancing with one of the fellows from work and when we first started I stumbled all over him and he said Ah reckon you ain’t used to dancing with anyone with boots on so I looked and he had regular cowboy boots on. Afterwards I asked Elmer what his name was (he was sitting at our table) and Elmer said the only name he knew him by was Texas Jones. Well Folks, I guess I will stop for now and make some lemonade and read a magazine. Work for Jimmie will you mom so his eye will be alright. With Love, Helen