729 3/27/1942 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson Box 582 Newburyport, Massachusetts Friday, March 27, 1942

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Elmer will be home for supper before long and I have things on cooking. I am going to have baked pork chops tonight and hope they turn out as good as yours always do. Well I guess we had a successful blackout last night. Before it started Elmer had to take posters around so I went with him. We went over to the clam plant and the lighthouse keeper was there and he invited us over to his place any night we wanted to come. He said he would take us all through the lighthouse and show us pictures of big tuna that he and his son have caught out here. He said he thought there would be a lot of things over there to show us that we would be interested in so we are going over some night real soon. He certainly was nice and has been the lighthouse keeper for eighteen years. Doris and I were over to Walker’s during the blackout. We were down in the basement and had a light on and blankets up to the windows but the boys could still see a little light showing and I guess we were the only ones on the Island where they saw any light coming from. We broke another rule too by going outside and watching the two planes that were flying around taking pictures. After the blackout Mr. Walker and George and Elmer came back and we sat around and talked and had something to eat and came home about ten thirty. Today Doris and I went into town and did our shopping. It has been a wonderful spring day out. I had a nice letter from you and a card from Glad. She said they were leaving for Florida Sunday if the Hawks lost last night and I think they did so I suppose they will be on their way before long. I think it is nice they can take their trip and certainly wish they could come up here too. Tonight Blakey and Esther are coming over so I bought a Re-Kop game in town today. This one is called something else but is exactly the same thing. I am going to have chili and coffee and cookies for a lunch. Esther always has especially nice lunches but I thought this would be all right. Ducret’s might come over too but Doris said George was tired this morning so they may stay home. I think Jim and that other boy did pretty good to bake apple pies. They certainly will learn a lot about housekeeping by living like that. Eden likes Detroit now but she evidently hasn’t changed much because she said Wally had to work awfully hard at the office learning new work and everything and in the next sentence she said she and Wally had to do the washing that night. She had even said that she didn’t have much to do during the day so I can’t understand why she makes him do so much housework. Bob is still in Fort Dix and I owe him a letter and just have to get one written this weekend. He likes it in Fort Dix because he is so close to New York that he can go in there often. One time he was on top of the Empire State building and he saw a kid who lived right across the street from him in Minneapolis and who he has always known. They were both up there looking around and out of all the people in the city it is funny how they happened to bump into each other like that. Gladys said in her card that she was sending me another package. I will have enough things to clothe several kids with all I have now. It sure is nice to get all those things. Well Folks, I will stop for now and get the table set and I may get to add on some more before morning. With Love, Helen