179 8/19/1948 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Thursday, August 19, 1948

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks: I just got Mary and Jimmy into bed so will write to you now. Jimmy isn't feeling very good tonight. We had planned a trip to Como Park for this morning with Nellie and her kids and Jimmy woke up sick. He wanted to go anyway so we did and he walked around but laid down in the shade every chance he got. We didn't get home until about four in the afternoon so he was pretty tired out. I shouldn't have taken him out but he says he wants to go back again when he is feeling better. Last week Agnes and Fred came over for dinner. We had a nice evening. It was after seven before we ate as they couldn't get here until seven and then we just sat around and talked and I made coffee again later on. When I invited her a week before I told her I would send her a map of how to get to our place and then I forgot to do it and thought of it the last minute. Tuesday morning I tried all morning to call Fred at the lumber office but their phone was out of order so I jumped in the car and drove to Hamel. Agnes had been looking for the map all right but they were coming even if it didn't arrive. I was afraid they wouldn't even come if they didn't get the map. She gave me a lot of garden vegetables too. Did Aunt Ruth write you about how she has to move from her house. I certainly hope she finds another place but the letter I had from her a couple of days ago she hadn't even been able to find a room. It will be hard for her to have to live in one room after being used to a house. George has moved over to his own house now but his family hasn't arrived yet. His boy is due in next Tuesday and Doris and the little boy will arrive about a week later. I went to a radio broadcast last week. I went with Ruth Recroft, the girl from Atlanta, and friends of hers visiting from Mississippi and Florida. One of the girls from Mississippi was called up on the stage to answer questions and she won several prizes. The audience all got a kick out of the southern accent. I had even forgotten how southern the southerners talked because after we lived there for a while we didn't even notice the accent. We have been having hot days but regular fall nights. I have been taking the kids to different parks an awful lot because school will soon be starting and then we won't be able to run around like this. Last night was Elmer's night to work so Selma and I and the kids went on a picnic at Lake Harriet and then had a ride on the launch. Stella and Harold were there too but everywhere I go I think why didn't we do this when Stella was here. I thought of her today too when we went over to Como because when she was here she kind of wanted to ride down to the business section of St. Paul when we went over to look at our old house but it was 100 out that day and I didn't encourage it any but now it seems like we did waste a lot of time. The heat was so terrible though and we haven't had any weather like that since they left. Tomorrow night we are having a bridge party. Just two tables. Clara and Vernie, the Recrofts and Warnie Martin and his wife. Vernie has had to almost give up his work for the last several weeks as he has gotten some kind of infection in his fingers caused by some stuff he uses in his work. Clara said things are really getting bad now because he can't clear it up and he is losing lots of his patients as they are going to someone else. Stella asked me how my pictures turned out I took the morning they were leaving. I forgot to tell her about them but the sun was so bright that morning that they aren't very clear. I did get one of her that is perfectly terrible and I was going to have it enlarged and send it to her but decided she probably wouldn't appreciate it. I'll have to send it to her anyway. I bet Jim and Ruth love their new car. The new Fords are really beautiful. I would surely love to have one too. Carlson's house may not be finished all winter but Mr. Carlson is going to sell the house he is living in now and move in with Nellie. I don't know where Nellie will put them. There is no reason at all for him to sell his house now. He could just as well wait until spring. They never come over here and I am so glad. Grandma Carlson usually runs over when she is over at Nellie's, for a few minutes, but I don't mind her. Florence's little girl was knocked down by a car last week but not hurt badly just skinned up. She ran right out in front of a car but the man was going very slowly, in fact almost stopped, but then he decided Barbara wasn't going into the street but she ran right out into his fender. Well Folks, I want to get several letters written tonight so had better stop for now. I have been wanting to get a letter written to Ruth and Jim for so long but just haven't been writing letters like I should. Goodnight for now and I will write again soon. With Love, Helen