732 4/1/1942 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson Box 582 Newburyport, Massachusetts Wednesday, April 01, 1942

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, We just finished eating a few minutes ago and I did the dishes so will write to you now. I had a nice long letter from you yesterday and also one from Jim. I had another nice letter from you today and also a long one from Ora Dell Allen. She answered my letter right away so I won’t wait long before writing to her again because it is swell getting letters. She said she no longer goes with Jess Black but is engaged to Bus Thorset. That ought to work out a lot better because he is at least her own age. It is too bad he had to go away to the army but a lot of girls have to put up with that and by the way things are going the married men will probably have to go too. I sure hope it doesn’t come to that but war is a terrible thing so I guess anything can happen. Today Doris had Mrs. Walker and me over for lunch. Doris gave me the pin and powder and oil set and Mrs. Walker gave me a little hot water bottle. We had a good time just talking and not doing much of anything. Mrs. Walker looks enough like Mrs. Ellsworth to be her twin sister almost. They are about the same age too and Mrs. Walker is refined acting like Mrs. Ellsworth too. I wrote to Mrs. Ellsworth the other day and I suppose she will get it even if she has moved because my letter hasn’t come back. Yesterday George had to meet Mr. Radway from the Boston office but he didn’t have anything special to say. George will be going to Virginia in about a month but may not have to stay there long. Doris plans to stay here anyway. You are good too about writing, Mother so don’t feel bad if you fall down on it once in awhile because I know you are busy and you do just swell anyway. In Jim’s letter yesterday he said he didn’t mind thinking about having to register for the draft but he hated to think of Pop having to. I guess that is the way we all feel, Pop, but maybe you won’t have to make any change and I certainly hope not. It will be wonderful when this war is over. I bet it seemed nice to have Jim home again. I know he will be glad when school is over. The boys were lucky in getting rides. Jim certainly lost a lot of weight but I hope he won’t try and lose any more. I don’t think he was too fat in the first place but I guess he was kind of worried about it. Losing twenty pounds must make him look much thinner. He probably lost it all in his face too like I always do. No we certainly won’t have far to go to get sand to cover any bombs because it really is thick around here. The tide was real high today and rough and it is a little cooler out but still not cold. I would be glad to hear from Mrs. Martel all right. I know you will be working for me though and I’m not the least bit afraid. I hate to think of the two weeks in the hospital though and I think that was a swell idea of yours when you said maybe I could get a private room for the first week anyway. I am going to find out all about that when I go into the doctor again. I wouldn’t mind the ward if Elmer could come up evenings but I think it would be especially tiresome staying there if I couldn’t look forward to having some company more than two times a week. I have lined my basket in blue and also have blue ribbon and a blue bow on it. It looks real pretty I think and I have so many things for the baby that you and Stella have sent me and then I have gotten some things myself and Elmer’s mother sent me some things. Yesterday I got that other package from Gladys and it was a nice navy blue dress. It is one she had and I liked it so well when I saw it in Chicago and am so glad to have it. It seems impossible that I was ever thin enough to wear small dresses like that but I sure hope I will be that size again before long. Now that you don’t have your car what will you do about reading with Mrs. Radcliffe. She will have to come in now I imagine. I hope everything will work out o.k. It was really wonderful that your face wasn’t discolored, mother, because you bruise easily. I bet your yard looks nice after all the time you folks spent working in it. I think of you all so much and how nice it is there and Ora Dell’s letter today made me want to get out there too. I certainly wished we lived out there. Today I was ironing some smocks and I thought how that was another thing I hadn’t had to buy. I’ve gotten along with the smocks Stella sent me and wear that dress all the time now. I just bought one smock and Elmer’s sister sent me one. Living on the Island here has been just perfect because I haven’t had to dress up at all. I am glad you got the flower book, Mother. I remember the picture I took of Bernice the day we went to the ocean. I just got all my pictures out the other day and looked at them all. I want to get a big Kodak book like that one you have and put all my pictures in that one book. Elmer has a cold so doesn’t feel so good tonight but his colds never amount to much and he will be working in the office for a few days anyway so will probably get over it real soon. Today Doris had the best cake with a stork on it and babies all around it and she gave me the rest of the cake that we didn’t eat which was a lot. They are leaving tomorrow for her home since Louie doesn’t seem to have the measles. She thinks he had them and she didn’t know it because the other two boys hardly broke out at all but their eyes got red and that’s the way the baby’s eyes have been. Well Folks, I guess I will stop for now and write some more letters. I have some sewing I want to do tonight too and then we usually play a game or two of chess so I have a lot to do. I will write more tomorrow. With Love, Helen