187 10/17/1948 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Sunday, October 17, 1948

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks: When I wrote to you Friday night I told you about our beautiful weather and it started turning cold that night and was cold Saturday and that night when we left to go over to Recroft's for bridge it was snowing. Just a little and it didn't last long but at least it makes it seem as though winter is here. Elmer put the storms on Saturday and Saturday night when we got home he drained the car. Tomorrow I am going to take it down and have it fixed up for winter driving. Guess I should have done it sooner as we have to drain it again tonight. Today was your birthday and I thought about you Pop. I felt awfully bad that even your birthday card was late. I hope you had a happy Birthday. Suppose you worked hard though. I am glad you close earlier now but it is still a long day. I went to church today and the kids to Sunday school. We haven't been all summer but plan to get back to going regularly now. After church I saw Gwen Winter and talked to her. She has gone back to teaching school out at Deep Haven and takes her little boy with her. They go back and forth every day. I'm glad she has the little boy with her though as John didn't take good care of him. She is fed up with John and really all through with him, I think, by the way she talked. Then I went on downstairs to get Mary and I had a nice talk with Rose. She said her mother was very low all summer and they thought she was gone several times and Rose and Helen took turns taking care of her but she has snapped out of it now and takes care of herself and cooks and carries on as before, although she hasn't much strength. Mother do you know what is wrong with John. Rose evidently thinks I know because she said John was getting better and is reading Science now. She said he feels terrible that he isn't able to work and go around like other people but she seemed to think he is recovering. She said not to say anything to Gwen but that John needed so much sympathy and love and Gwen just was so impatient with him and disgusted but she didn't blame Gwen either. Anyway they are probably both right but a mother loves her son more than a wife loves her husband when things aren't going good I think. Rose told me to please go up and see John during the day. She said it would do him so much good and he would enjoy it so much. When I came home I told Elmer how I was going to start spending my afternoons with John Winter to keep him company but Elmer said he better not catch me doing that. I want Rose over for Sunday dinner when she can come. I told her I would leave the date up to her since she is so busy all the time. She thought in a couple of weeks would be fine for her. She went east the latter part of the summer after her mother improved. She was in Boston and New York and had a wonderful trip and said she needed it so badly and it seemed to have done her worlds of good. Oh, yes I could tell right away there was a little rift between Gwen and Rose, on account of John. When Gwen came down to the Sunday school room for her little boy Rose asked how John was that morning and Gwen said oh, John is all right and she wasn't very worried about him. I guess Rose is so worried about him that she is up there all the time babying him and I don't imagine Gwen would like that very well. Rose was going over there after church to see John but Gwen didn't wait for her but when we got outside Gwen and I were still talking so Rose came and caught up with her. I have to sew a button on Jimmy's school pants so had better stop as we were up late last night and I want to get to bed sort of early tonight. More later. With Love, Helen