502 6/16/1943 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 401 Alexander, Monroe, Louisiana Wednesday, June 16, 1943

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I have a late start again tonight with my letter writing but I let Jimmie stay up until about 8:30 now because it stays light so late and then he is good and sleepy and goes right to sleep. Tonight I fixed a picnic supper and we went out to the park and ate. Jimmie had lots of fun running around and we went to see the animals at the zoo and he called the all dogs and kitties. He doesn’t like to swing at all so I guess he takes after me because I don’t like to either. Yesterday morning I took him swimming before giving him his nap and I noticed everyone was looking at us and smiling and everything so I looked at Jimmie and he was sound asleep. It really looked funny because we were way out in the water and Jimmie was sleeping so good so I had to leave and bring him home and put him to bed. He is getting as brown as an Indian and loves to go swimming. I hold him on his stomach and tell him to kick his feet and he knows what I mean now. Bill Gossard really wrote a swell letter. Instead of being a business letter it was just a nice friendly one. He typed it but then wrote a note in long hand and said he didn’t think Elmer would find the work too hard or his boss too tough and he said they could even put me to work. He did tell him though about the same as he told you, how he didn’t think Elmer would be satisfied with that type of work. He said they could give him a job alright but it wasn’t in his line at all but he said Cully seemed to like his work and that Cully was really a good man. Elmer talked to his boss here today again and his boss told him to stick around and they were almost certain to find him a job someplace that would be satisfactory. The reason we don’t want to go on the job in Lake Charles is because they aren’t paying enough. They work shorter hours there and living is higher so Elmer wouldn’t be making as much there as he does here. Elmer said if this company thinks you are valuable enough to them they will do just about anything for you to keep you so he feels he might just as well find out what they think about him. He said he will go to Lake Charles under the conditions they give him more pay and find us a house before he even goes down there. Elmer told him how he was thinking of going out to the West Coast and Mr. Tourek said if Kellogg had any jobs out there they would send Elmer there but the one they did have in California has been discontinued and the next closest one is in Salt Lake City, Utah. Florence Carlson had a baby girl the 11th of this month. We just had an announcement so I don’t know how she got along. I’m going to get a letter written to Glad soon but will you tell her I bought her robe today. I think it is awfully pretty but she may not like the color. It is white but can be washed just as often as she wants to wash it and all you have to do is slush it up and down in sudsy water so it isn’t hard to keep clean. She said to pay from five to seven dollars for it but this one only cost three but don’t tell her because I don’t want her to send me anything for it. I wasn’t sure if she wanted a better one or not but I saw one in one of the expensive shops in town just exactly like it for eight dollars so I didn’t see why I should pay that when this three dollar one couldn’t be told apart from it. I am going to mail it tomorrow for her if the lady upstairs will take care of Jimmie because I won’t have the car. Morning: I stopped last night but will finish this now and get it out in the mailbox so the mailman will take it. Elmer just called me and said Mr. Tourek just talked to him and said they would like to keep him here for about two more months, working half in the field and half in the office. Elmer will like the field work for a change and he told him he would like to stay. I am glad too because the longer we stay the more we can save if we do make a change. The trouble is I have everything packed but I got out my bedspread after Elmer called and put that on the bed but I don’t think I’ll put the curtains back up. Will have to hurry and get this out now but more later. Love, Helen