735 10/10/1942 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 1705 North 4th, Monroe, Louisiana Saturday, October 10, 1942

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

1705 N. 4th St., Monroe, Louisiana Dear Folks, Jimmie is down on the floor playing so I will write to you. I had a nice letter from you today and it was swell hearing from you too, Pop. Thanks for sending those addresses. I bought you a birthday present today and the store wrapped it for mailing for me so it is on the way now and should get there by next Saturday. I hadn’t bought the card yet so there isn’t any in the package but I will send that separately. I’m not sure but I think I addressed the package to Elmer but if I did you know it is for you anyway. Thanks for the snapshot of Ruthie. She is so cute and still looks just like Cully. My party seemed to be a success yesterday except Mrs. Haugeto brought Robert and everyone almost passes out when they see her coming with Robert and the clerks in the store and the beauty shops and just everyone in town knows Robert because she takes him every place with her and he is just terrible. He is five years old. When we were playing re-kop yesterday he would throw our chips on the floor and grab the board and kicked everyone and Mrs. Haugeto never says a word to him. When we were eating he grabbed things from all of our plates and couldn’t have acted worse. I was so surprised when she brought him because I really thought she would leave him at home this time. She has two other boys and a colored girl to take care of them but Robert can do anything he wants. I think it will be swell if the kids don’t have to go back to Chicago. How do they feel about it? Isn’t it swell about Jimmie getting a raise. Pop and Jimmie are bringing in a lot of money each week now. Elmer makes 68 dollars a week. Gosh do Pop and Jim get time and a half for time over 40 hours? Elmer is going to sell our two extra tires we have because they are no good to us at all since our tubes won’t fit in them, and we can’t pick up any tubes anyplace. He is going to sell them to a man at work for the price of a bond and then the man is to pick Elmer up every morning and bring him home at night and right in front of our place too and Elmer will deduct what his rides would cost from the cost of the tires. The meat pie and huckleberry and apple pies you had for supper the other night sounded wonderful. I sure hope we get out there and if Elmer is offered a job we will come unless they pass that law that you have to work where you are needed most. I know how hard Pop must find it to write letters because Elmer is the same way. He just doesn’t get letters written to his folks or Bob even. It’s after seven now when he gets home because the fellow he rides with now obeys the 35 mile speed limit and he has to walk so far from the ride so we just don’t have any evening any more at all and are ready for bed about nine or nine thirty. Jimmie is still on the floor and is trying to chew the edge of the dirty rug now. I have some beans on cooking and am going to have baked beans for tonight. I like to have them on Saturdays because they are easy to fix. We were going out every Saturday night to eat at the spaghetti place but got tired of spaghetti so now we will have beans for a while. When I take Jimmie downtown with me I certainly meet lots of nice soldiers because whenever we go in any store if there are soldiers in there they always come over to talk to Jimmie. They make him laugh and have a lot of fun with him. I’m sending you some pictures I just got. From the whole roll only these three turned out. Elmer gets home at 4:30 today but is going to play golf. I just ordered a pint of ice cream and am going to eat it all myself. I’ve lost 15 pounds since coming down here so guess I don’t have to worry about my weight yet. I bought Bob’s Christmas present today because I hear over the radio and read in the paper how you should get overseas packages sent now. I bought him a soldier’s package already made up and they mail it for you too. It was a great big box with candy, cookies, a fruit cake and razor blades and shaving cream and a game in it and lots of everything for 2.98 and that includes the mailing costs so I think that is alright don’t you. Florence is mad at us again because we didn’t remember her mother’s birthday. I didn’t even know when it was and Elmer didn’t think of it. If I write to her again I’m going to tell her that she and Nellie can remember her mother’s birthday ad my sisters and I will remember my mother’s birthday, without having to explain to her why. If I were like her I would be mad at Nellie for not sending Jimmie a present because I gave her three kids something when they were born and send them something every Christmas. Well Folks, Jimmie is getting sleepy so guess I will put him to bed and by then maybe my ice cream will be here. I’ll write more later. Love, Helen