548 2/14/1944 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 1414 Cole St., Lake Charles, Louisiana Monday, February 14, 1944

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I’ve been going to write to you every night but there always seems to be something more to do to get settled or someone comes over to call so I haven’t gotten it done. Jimmie and Elmer are in bed so I’ll write now. The express came last week and everything came through just perfectly. It cost 35 dollars but was worth it and if we had had to buy Jimmie a new bed that alone would have cost around 25. I thought the tubes in our radio weren’t good but Elmer put up a ground wire and it works just swell. He was so glad to see his boots and britches as he works outside now and it is terribly muddy as we have so much rain. Jimmie sleeps in his own bed the first part of the night but always wants to get in with us later on, but he will get more used to it soon I think. We are just crazy about our apartment and I’ve only seen about two roaches since we have been here. We got the living room curtains up tonight and they look nice. There are four windows and I only have three curtains but the windows are in pairs so at one pair of windows I just put up the one curtain and it looks alright. I don’t want to spend much on this apartment because we know we won’t be here so awfully long. I’m surprised I haven’t heard from Jim but maybe I will soon. If he wasn’t sent out there I hope he is still in the South. That was a good idea of sending the ironing board by attaching it to the bed. I’ll remember that when we move. I had a letter from you today with the lecture. Elmer has already read it and thought it was interesting but he wished you were here to explain some of it. You were right about Jimmie not pronouncing s. I tried him on it today and he doesn’t say it in a single word. Maybe that is why he wasn’t so good about telling me when he had to go to the toilet. Now he just says toilet, or wet pants and too often he says wet pants. He still talks about you so much. During the day I say let’s take a nap like Grandma, Sandy and Bernice and he always says – poor Papa, work. Then we go to bed and he always wants me to talk about all of you before he goes to sleep. You must have had a good time up at the cabin with the Collins. I’m so glad you’re through reading, Mom, so you can do more of other things. You still have lots of church work but it isn’t that continual worry about your lesson. I don’t feel sorry for Frances anymore. We just found out that a very good friend of her brother-in-law is on the O.P.A. You know her brother-in-law is the one who owns the house. I’m so glad Elmer told her everything he thought about her and it was plenty. Morning I didn’t get my letter finished last night so will now. I’m glad the bonnet looks nice on Sandy. I just didn’t know what to send them as there wasn’t much to choose from. The mailman has been here this morning but no letter yet from Jim. I certainly have a lot of baby clothes so maybe Glad was right in thinking I wouldn’t need everything. It will be nice having plenty though. I’m so glad I have a colored woman to do my laundry because after the baby comes Elmer can take the diapers and all the baby clothes over to her every night. I think the diaper washing is the hardest part about having a new baby. I have bought several cotton maternity dresses because when I was pregnant before I didn’t have any clothes and I decided next time I was going to have all I wanted. I don’t plan on ever needing them again but maybe Glad or Stella will. I don’t mind having an icebox at all. The iceman comes every other day and everyone said it was practically impossible to get ice. Well Folks I better stop for now but thanks so awfully much for sending all that stuff. I know it was a lot of work packing it and everything. How did you get it down to the depot? Let me know when you hear from Jim. Love, Helen