515 8/1/1943 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 401 Alexander, Monroe, Louisiana Sunday, August 01, 1943

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, We just ate a few minutes ago and I did the dishes so will write to you now. It is hot out but cloudy so we are hoping it will rain and be cool again. We had a few cool days lately and they certainly were wonderful. Last night we went to the show and Addie Ruth came over and took care of Jimmie. She is Mrs. Wilson’s 14 year old girl. Everyone around here watches out for Jimmie when we go out which isn’t very often. I hope by now you have had a telephone call from Jimmie and know where he is. I am anxious to hear too. The show we saw last night was about the fighting in Africa and all true pictures and it certainly is terrible. I don’t like to see pictures like that but it was very interesting. You sure are getting a lot of canning done Mom and it will be swell to have all that good stuff. I could have given you several more stamps except when I thought we were going to move I gave all my extra sugar I had already bought away because I had quite a bit of it and then I started baking a cake about once a week and making lemonade and ice tea all the time so pretty soon I had to start using my stamps. I hope you had plenty of sugar for your canning though. I certainly would much rather have you get my extra sugar than anyone else. I know Jimmie will like the cookies you sent him. When I said to send him all his money he wants I happened to think afterwards that he probably has already used it all up. Anyway it will be nice to have when he comes home if he does have any left. I shouldn’t tell you what to do anyway, Mom, because I’ve always found out sooner or later that you were right. I haven’t heard if Annie has left for California or not. It wouldn’t surprise me if she is still here. Whenever we asked her if she had heard from her husband lately she always said she had just received a wire of a special. She never had gotten just a plain letter. I’ve been letting my clothes soak like you said and then hardly scrub them at all and they come out nice and clean. I don’t mind doing the washing at all and I like it much better than having a colored woman around here all day. Jim said if he gets a furlough maybe he could some way or other come this way too. I don’t suppose he would have enough time for that but it sure would be swell to see him. I would just love to get out there but aside from the expense it also is terrible traveling now. Everyone says don’t travel unless you just have to and I read articles in magazines about how terrible it is on the trains and everything. It wouldn’t be bad for me but would be hard for Jimmie. Elmer says we might still get out there when he is through with this job. I hope so. Do you ever hear anything of Bus Dibley. I wonder if he goes to see his child much or if he is in the army. Wasn’t that a strange coincidence for Jimmie to run into Richard Frederickson. In a large city like Los Angeles it is almost an impossible thing to happen. I got goose pimples all over when he told about seeing him and how he suddenly realized he had just passed Richard and turned around and ran back and jumped on him. I bet they were awfully glad to see each other. Last night when we left for the show and turned Jimmie over to Addie Ruth he started hollering as usual and the lady next door came over and took him and said she was going to take care of that baby. She took Jimmie in her house and he played the piano and Addie Ruth said he had lots of fun and then later she took him for a ride in his tailor tot and all the kids in the neighborhood went along and Jimmie fell asleep before they got home. Well Folks, I’m just melting so just have to go and get in front of the fan. Jimmie and Elmer are on the floor playing with the blocks. Will write more later. With Love, Helen Morning There is a letter out in the box from you but I can’t find the key so I hope I can catch the mailman this afternoon. Elmer has a key but I don’t want to wait that long.