75 6/24/1946 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson Box 281, Sparta Pike, Lebanon, Tennessee Monday, June 24, 1946

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Your nice letter came today. I love getting your letters and hearing about all of you. It must help a lot to know other store owners so you can trade things back and forth. Won't it be nice when you can get more things? It's nice Ralph could get out to see the kids. Their place sounds wonderful and I hope I can come out there before long and you know I'll come as soon as I can. The money problem is the only reason I haven't come sooner and then of course we may have to give our house up in November and that is something else we have to consider. Anyway, tomorrow I'm going down to the depot to pick up Elmer's ticket to Knoxville and then I'm going to inquire about the price of tickets out there. That's all I think about is getting home. When I do get out there I'll do your washing and ironing and housework, Mom. You must have looked swell in your new clothes, Pop. I forgot to tell you before that the shirt could be sent back if it didn't fit right. That was the only color I could get but I'm glad it got there in time. I'm glad you like the stationary Mom. Yesterday, Sunday, we drove into Nashville and looked at several of Elmer's jobs. We also looked at a house Elmer has a chance to buy. It isn't completed yet and sure isn't worth 8 thousand dollars. Just two tiny little closets and right next to one side of the house is a ditch so close you can't even walk on that side. We're not going to buy it but wanted to look at it anyway. I don't like the idea of buying a house in Tennessee but Elmer says that doesn't mean we have to live here forever. Anyway we hope we can get along without buying a house until prices go down. Mary and Jimmie slept until nine o'clock this morning so I had all my work done before they woke up except their breakfast and the bedroom. I started at 5:30 though and can get things done so much faster when they are sleeping. Tomorrow morning I hope to get my ironing done. Our weather is very hot but so far has been cooling off nicely at night. Do you save any of your hard to get items for special customers. I got a box of marshmallows today but gave them to Mrs. Jackson as Mary and Jimmie don't like them. I knew if I kept them I would eat them all myself and I had another box a couple of weeks ago. Mrs. Jackson's husband is coming this weekend for a couple of weeks. He will be at his mother's, out in the country, so Friday night one of his sisters is coming to pick up all the kids and bring them over there. He seems to be crazy about his children and is always writing to them and sending them things. Everyone says he divorced Mrs. Jackson because she had this fifth baby by somebody else. It's too bad the children have to suffer. The baby looks just like pictures of the starved children in Europe. Jack has been at his grandmother's ever since school got out. I asked Mrs. Jackson if she missed him and she said no because she knew he was getting enough to eat. Everybody asks me if I see cars over at Mrs. Jackson's during the night. I had never thought of looking and always said so and told people I didn't think she was as bad as everyone said. But now I finally got curious so whenever I get up during the night with Jimmie I look over there and sure enough there is usually a car. She keeps a lamp burning all night but always told me it was because she was afraid. All the people around here keep a good pair of sheets and pillow cases and nightgown, all of which have never been used, put away in case they die suddenly. Well Folks it is getting late so I had better stop for now. With Love, Helen