195 12/19/1948 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Sunday, December 19, 1948

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks: Your nice letter came the other day with the dollar in it to buy Mary some furniture. Mother, you certainly shouldn't have bought her something else besides. Well, thanks very, very much and I'm going downtown tomorrow to get all my last minute shopping finished up. I was sure I told you the size of Elmer's shirts but must have gone on about something else but 14 1/2 is the right size so you guessed just right. Jimmy will be crazy about the monopoly game. I've been going to buy one for the family for some time. That will be a good game for all of us to play. Well, thank goodness the Christmas party is over with and it seemed to be a big success. It's always a little worry before, I think, because the house has to be clean all over and then I had to bake many, many cookies as that was my refreshment. Then I had a case of orange pop. I'll tell you about it from the beginning so I hope you aren't too busy. First they all came, 21 kids and nine mothers. We had the Ducret's movie camera and they have lots of cute little comics, so I had the basement all fixed up with the chairs and everything ready for the movies. All morning Gene and I popped popcorn and put it in these little sandwich bags. Then when the kids all went down to the basement I had them walk over to the table down there and take a bag of popcorn and then I told them where to sit so the little kids could be in front. Louie Ducret ran the movie camera so that kept the kids all quiet down in the basement so we mothers had a chance to visit upstairs. Every few minutes I would go down to see if they were tired of movies yet and they all hollered No. In the meantime Elmer had agreed to be Santa Claus and Wally Haemig came over too to give him moral support. They stayed upstairs and worked on the train as Elmer is mounting it on wood so the rails won't get bent. Anyway, after the kids had seen about an hour's worth of movies, I went up to get Elmer fixed up in his Santa Claus suit. After we got the pillow tucked in him he looked real good and then I pasted the cotton eyebrows and cotton whiskers and beard on him. I made the suit and it turned out just swell. I had bought a ten cent present for each kid and we had all the presents in a white big flour sack and Elmer had some jingle bells so when he walked in the basement the youngest children were certainly all eyes. Elmer called out their names and they went up to him for their presents and then afterwards the little ones went over and told him what they wanted for Christmas. Elmer said afterwards that Clara Jenson's little boy Ricky cornered him and said, "are you really Santa Claus or are you Elmer?" So Elmer told him who he really was. Then after that each child who wanted to say a Christmas poem or something like that did and then they had their cookies and orange pop, still down in the basement, and upstairs the mothers had cookies and coffee. Then before long the 21 kids started milling around, although they were all good, except the boys would start to get wild and we would have to calm them down. Anyway it was after four o'clock by then and nobody seemed anxious to go home and finally they started going and it was six o'clock before the last of them left. I was so glad I had beans in the oven baking all day because then I didn't have to bother fixing much of anything else for supper. I have been anxious for Mabel Bray and Doris Ducret to meet because they are so much alike and I knew they would get along wonderfully and they certainly did. It's funny but Charlie Bray and George are also the same type so I know they will get along fine too. Right now before I forget it I want to tell you that nothing was really wring with our oil burner that night it went out except some part of it had gotten clogged up with dust and soot and that had put the fire out. Elmer cleaned it out and started it going again and it has worked fine since. Then today, this afternoon rather, the Art Institute was showing the movie of Scrooge for free so I took Mary and Jimmy and Gene down to see it and it was very good. Then tonight Elmer just carried the Christmas tree up from the basement (this machine suddenly isn't spacing right on the margin) where I had had it for the party, and we heard this loud Christmas music outside so we looked out the window and here was the St. Louis Park fire truck with a beautifully decorated lighted Christmas tree on the truck and playing the Christmas carols. The kids ran to the door and men flashed the spotlight on them and pretty soon here came Santa Claus. He came right in the house and asked them what they wanted for Christmas and the kids were so dumbfounded they couldn't think of a thing. He gave them each a candy bar and left. We watched and the fire truck stopped at every house. I thought that was so nice that I should write a card to the fire department thanking them. Oh, yes, another thing, now don't think I like Minneapolis because I still don't, but when we got out of the Art Institute this afternoon it was five o'clock so was dark out. I drove down 26th street to Lake of the Isles and was it ever beautiful. In the first place there is a lot of snow out and then this year, for the first time in several years, they are having that contest again for the most beautifully decorated yard and house. Remember how pretty they used to look. It certainly is a sight to see, I think. Most of the houses haven't finished their decorating yet so I want to be sure and drive around later on. I had a note from Ruth, and Fanchon is going to be home for Christmas so she must be recovering. You've probably heard from Ruth too and that she found a place in Waseca to live. Our house is so warm since we had it weather-stripped. The other day it was four above zero with a strong wind blowing and not one bit of that wind came in the house. Jimmy wears long underwear this year and although he catches the bus right out in front of the house he still waits outside for it but that windy day he could only stay outside a couple of minutes before he had to give up and come in. For three days the streets and all the ground and everything was just a solid sheet of ice and it was just almost impossible to stand up. All day the storm warnings said don't drive unless you have to so I hated to send Jimmy to school but I guess those bus drivers know how to be careful don't you think? Back to the oil again. They don't watch our tanks and we have to call up when it gets down. Our tank holds 200 gallons but sometimes later on in the winter you can only get 100 gallons at a time, or less. I'll bet the Bensons had fun up at Ken's cabin. Oh, I know how beautiful it is up in the mountains after a big snow storm. I had a letter from Jane Tourek last week. Jimmy Tourek was Elmer's boss in Oak Ridge and anyway Jimmy has been in the New York office for the last eight months and Jane and the two little boys have been with Jane's folks in Chicago. But Jane said right after Christmas Jimmy is coming to Chicago and they were packing their gear and two kids and leaving for Richland, Washington. Elmer told me I might just as well write to her and give her my sales talk. Well Elmer is just as anxious for me to keep in touch with all those people as I am. You never know when they might have something good to offer. How is your house cleaning coming, Mother? Aren't you taking on an awful lot? I wish we could be there with you all. The Carlson house is getting pretty well finished up. They may even get some of the inside painting done. About the only thing he is waiting for is the plumber to come and put in the toilet and the hot water tank. That man in Elmer's office who is an alcoholic is still o.k. now and Mr. Magney didn't fire him but this fellow is thinking about taking a job in Alaska. There is another alcoholic in the office and he is going with him. They should get along fine. Well Folks, I must stop right now but have a wonderful Christmas and I certainly will be thinking about all of you. I wonder what time you will be home. Anyway I'll try to get my call through Christmas Day. With Love, Helen It is getting late now and Elmer is still upstairs running that train. We bought switch tracks for it this year and extra track and two signals so it's a pretty good set now. Jimmy can't sleep or go up there all this week because we want it to be a surprise. Love, Helen