67 5/26/1946 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson Box 281, Sparta Pike, Lebanon, Tennessee Sunday, May 26, 1946

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Today we stayed home and Elmer got several of the screens painted and also cut the grass or weeds in the yard that had grown so tall by now. We got the book, The Egg and I, the other day and I have never enjoyed a book as much as that one. I haven't quite finished it yet but wanted to write to you first and besides Elmer hurried and grabbed it as soon as we finished eating. I think her description of everything is just wonderful. Elmer took the book to work Saturday to read on the bus and he said several times he almost laughed out loud. It's fun to read about the things and places she mentions that are so familiar. Last Thursday I took Mary and Jimmie to the park. They have a nice children's pool there so they went in swimming and had lots of fun. I hadn't brought the suits along, otherwise I would have put mine on too, but they just went in with their white pants on. Mary hollered and yelled when she had to get out and go home. Saturday we went into Nashville after Elmer but came right home again and had something to eat and then went to our usual cowboy show. I received the box of clothes from Glad, so Mary is well-supplied with clothes again. She has so many dresses and sunsuits and everything else, all that Glad has sent, and Stella has sent things too, that I have never bought a thing for Mary except shoes. Mary's feet have caught up with Jeannie's now because the shoes Glad sent this time are half a size smaller than she wears so she and Jeannie probably wear the same size. We have the three hundred miles on our car now so I have to take it to the garage tomorrow to be checked on. It sure runs swell. Elmer and I went over to look at the new house next to us. I told you they aren't having a bathroom. Elmer also noticed that the windows on one side of the house aren't made to open. It is hard to get a house built right these days because everything is so hard to get. There are no closets in the house at all and they may not have any lights. I think we were so lucky to get this house and appreciate it more all the time. School was out last week so Jimmie looked forward to playing with Jack a lot but he went to his grandmother's yesterday and plans to stay for quite a while. Just think he is eleven years old and just passed into the third grade. He'll probably go a year or two longer and then quit. That is the way with all these country children. They don't start school until they are eight or nine and then seldom go farther than the fourth grade. Does each one of you work certain hours or how do you do it? It's a good thing the train strike didn't last very long or that really would have been hard on business. Well Folks, I want to write a letter to Glad tonight so had better stop for now. I hope you are getting along fine and aren't getting too tired and I'll write more soon. With Love, Helen