192 11/18/1948 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Thursday, November 18, 1948

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks: Elmer is working again tonight but gets home about 9:30. Mary is in bed and Jimmy is still up listening to plays on the radio. There is a strong cold north wind blowing outside and half snowing and half raining so I expect the ground to be covered by morning. After lunch today Mary and I went out and I bought a new pair of shoes up on Chicago and Lake and also a pair of overshoes. Afterward we drove over to Doris's. She lives on 53rd and Chicago. She had just finished making a dress for herself so I pinned up the hem for her. George is out of town on a job but gets home weekends so that seems wonderful to her as she is used to being without him for month after month when he is sent out on a job. After they finish this job up George will be in at the office all winter because it is too cold for them to survey all winter in this part of the country. For the Thanksgiving dinner we planned to both chip in on the turkey and I was to bring the salad, but since turkey is so high this year we decided we would rather have a good chicken dinner instead so that is what Doris is going to get. Then when they come over for Christmas we are going to do things the same way only for my dinner I thought I might have duck if that isn't too high. We had the car in the garage again this week. We have been spending a lot of money on repairs but the car is getting put in pretty good condition now. Yesterday right after lunch Mary and I got ready to go down to the garage and get the car and then I was going to the bank and deposit Elmer's check and get some money and buy a shower present when suddenly I remembered that the shower was right then and I was supposed to be over at Johnny Hinch's house for a one o'clock luncheon and it was one o'clock then. I ran over to Nellie's and told her the spot I was in. You see I had forgotten the shower was yesterday and I thought it was today instead but then I just happened to look at my calendar and saw it was yesterday. Nellie told me to leave Mary with her and she gave me some money to buy a shower present and I called Johnny and told her I was having car trouble but would be there as soon as possible. Then I hurried down to the highway and caught a bus and went to the garage and got the car and then stopped on Lake and Hennepin and bought a baby present and the clerk was so nice. She wrapped it up nicely for me and I finally got to the shower almost an hour late but they were still drinking coffee and talking so it turned out all right anyway. Nellie is relieved today because last night she took some pills and this morning she wasn't pregnant. I think she must have been just late because I've read that pills don't do a bit of good. Elmer just came home and said it is still blowing hard out but it isn't snowing now. The weather stripping man has been working here the last three days but is all finished now and we can certainly tell the difference. He said our windows and doors were so bad he doesn't see how we lived here last winter. Mr. C. put on our windows and this weather stripping man said they were put on sideways and upside down and any old way and he said he had to make them practically all over and on one window he thought we would have to replace it because it was so bad. We are so glad they are all fixed up now. Tomorrow night we are invited over to Viola and John's house for bridge and then Saturday night we are having Eden and Wally over. We play pinochle when we are with them. That is lots of fun I think. Last Saturday the Recrofts came over for bridge and Ruth Recroft kept getting just terrible cards down and said she was going right home but her husband wouldn't move and he was mad at her for acting so bad. I was enjoying the whole thing though because you are always reading jokes about people getting mad over bridge games but I would never have believed that anyone would really carry on so. She was Elmer's partner and Elmer was getting mad too because when he had a bid she wouldn't say anything but pass and here that time she might have plenty of points to bid but she was just getting horrid. Tuesday night though she called me up and invited me to lunch downtown but I couldn't go. She wanted me to have lunch with her the next day. It's a good thing I didn't accept because that is the day the shower was. Eden and Wally just bought a 36 Pontiac. We are happy about that too because we always went over after them and brought them back home again whenever they were coming over. They will be moving to Anoka as soon as they find a house to rent. Wally starts his new job there the first of the year. Jimmy is coming along very good with his piano lessons. Mary surprised us the other night. She sat down at the piano and said, "I guess I'll play the Birthday Song." That was Jimmy's first piece. Anyway Mary played the song all through and sang the words too. It's just a little short piece but she had learned it by watching Jimmy. We praised Mary so, that Jimmy just couldn't stand it and he acted just terrible because he had been the important one as far as the piano was concerned and here Mary comes along and spoils everything for him. Why he cried and hollered and hated us all and told Mary she played the piano just lousy. Anyway we told him he still did fine even though Mary is learning too. Now during the day Mary says teach me the next piece so I can make Jimmy mad some more, so I am but I hope we have better luck with Jimmy. Well Folks, I'm gong to put on some coffee. Both the kids are in bed now and I should do some hand work on my sewing but since Doris gave me several magazines today I think I will read them instead. In case you see Gladys before I write tell her that Helen and Ed Erickson just had their fourth girl. More later folks and I hope you are fine. With Love, Helen