64 4/11/1945 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 382 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Wednesday, April 11, 1945

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Your letter came with Jim's enclosed and I'll write to Glad right away and send it on to her. Remember that neighbor I told you about who was going to leave her husband. Well I just heard tonight that she has been in the hospital because she drank a bottle of iodine and tried to kill herself. Her husband is staying out of work to take care of the little girl and do the house work. She is four months pregnant and if she didn't kill herself she hoped to get rid of the baby. I had Jimmie and Mary's picture taken last week finally and got them today. Only one of the poses turned out but I think it is cute. Mary was crying and stopped while Jimmie got her interested in some toys so neither one is looking up but they look perfectly natural and you can at least see how they have grown. I'll send Stella's in with yours. I had a letter from Eden the other day, the first in ages and she told me about hearing from you at Easter time. She sounded very pleased. Her baby is a year old now. Time goes so fast. We had another dancing lesson last night and that made our second jitterbug lesson and it is lots of fun. Elmer belongs to a chess club here and next week the tournament starts and they will play Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights and all day Sunday. Then Sunday night they are having a dinner dance for the players and their wives and girls so we plan to go. I am making a victory garden, a very small one out in the front of the house where the soil is better. I have planted some flowers around and thrown grass seed around but don't expect that to come up through all the stones but it is fun working out in the yard anyway. Doesn't the war news sound encouraging though. We had a letter from Bob last week and he was even enthused about it. I never could find that one letter of his I said I would send you. I took care of Doug Monday and Tuesday during the day as Edith went to Chattanooga shopping. Doug is such a good boy and more of a help than trouble because he entertained Jimmie all the time. Whenever anyone calls Jimmie - Jim, he says, my name is Jimmie and Jim is in the army. Friday afternoon Betty and Jeanne and their kids came over. Saturday night Hartmans came over and Sunday afternoon while we were all sleeping Davies came over. When it got to be after six I told Betty I didn't have a thing in the house to fix to eat. I don't cook on Sunday and we just lunched and I had planned to just open up some soup. Betty said she would go up to her house and bring over her food so she did so with what I had to add to it we had a pretty good supper. Whenever I see any of that bunch at the door it always surprises me because they come over so much. The dust is terrible here again like it was when we came last summer. They say they are going to oil the streets and I will be so glad when they do. Yesterday you had your Progressive Club Mom. I bet you are glad you can stop thinking about it now. Did you have to serve a lunch? I should dig out some clothes to mend so guess I will while I'm in the mood. I'm sleepy too so am going to bed early. More later Folks, With Love, Helen