568 3/16/1944 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 1414 Cole St., Lake Charles, Louisiana Thursday, March 16, 1944

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Elmer and Jimmie are in bed and Jim has gone over to a couple’s house who he met when he used to come down from Shreveport. Tomorrow night we are invited out to dinner and Jim is going too. I have the day bed up in the dining room for him to sleep on. We just keep it down all day instead of bothering folding it up every morning. He said it is a pretty good bed. I hope Jim is enjoying his visit but there isn’t much Elmer and I can do to entertain him since we don’t do any running around but Jim knows a few people here and he said he doesn’t care about doing anything anyway. His summer uniform was dirty so my laundry woman did it all up nicely for him in one day. In case she doesn’t want to do the diaper wash I am going to use disposable diapers. Today I went to the Dr. and as it was raining hard I left Jimmie with Jim. They get along swell. Jimmie calls Jim the soldier boy. Jim is thin but looks real nice. Mom, Elmer says he hopes you will come the last of May because he hates to have some stranger in here to look after Jimmie and everything, if we should be able to find one. I think we still could get around and see things. I won’t be in the hospital so long and then I want to have some luncheons so you can meet everyone I know and we’ll have to get down to the Gulf. I hope you will get to see Jim before he goes overseas. He has to leave here Tuesday night and the time is going so fast it seems like he hardly has arrived. I wonder how Cully came out with his physical. I’ll be anxious to hear. Elmer’s father is home now but has to use crutches to get around. He fell while at work. Bob worked for five days carrying in the dead and wounded from the front but is back at the headquarters office now. Just think of the terrible things he must have seen. Ever since he was wounded he has been working at headquarters which is from 10 to 50 miles behind the front. Well Folks, I guess I will stop for now and read a while and maybe wait up for Jim. Love, Helen