204 2/8/1949 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Tuesday, February 08, 1949

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I've had an awful time getting letters written because Jimmy has been under the weather with the mumps and I've been spending most of my time waiting on him. When he first came down with them and the rest of the week he felt just wonderful and was up every day and then Friday he started throwing up and had a fever and really felt awful the whole weekend. I began to think he was coming down with something else again and Elmer said if he wasn't better by morning, Monday I should either call a practitioner or doctor so I intended to call a practitioner in the morning but he was much better and today he is practically back to normal. As long as it is so cold out I'll probably keep him home from school all this week too. He has his school book home so can keep up on his reading lessons. You probably had an announcement from Elizabeth Close telling about her baby girl. She has a nice family now. Gladys hasn't much longer to go now. I know she will be glad when it is all over. Maybe one of you will send me a wire when her baby is born as I'm awfully anxious to hear about her. Tomorrow night I'm having two tables of bridge. Just women, whose husbands either work, bowl or go to school on Wednesday nights. I'm so glad Jimmy is feeling O.K. now so I didn't have to call it off. I haven't been out of the house for over a week so don't know much news. Mrs. Pope has her four bedrooms advertised for rent at ten dollars a week a piece. She is puzzled why she hasn't rented them right off the bat but I think that is plenty high for just a room with no kitchen privileges. She will move a cot down in the dining room for herself and Eden and Wally expect to leave soon. Alvin borrowed all their savings of 4,000 dollars for the down payment on his house he bought when he got married. Nothing is down on paper at all and he was supposed to give paper payments of 50 dollars a month but so far has made none. I can realize how tough it is to make those payments but still they should make it all very business-like and get it down the right way. If anything should happen to Alvin, his wife would have the house and maybe forget about the 4 thousand, but then I don't think she is that way. I made some new kitchen curtains Saturday night. They are white with a wide red strip at the top and at the bottom and the tie backs are also red. I think they look awfully nice. I made them by hand but now since I have my vacuum cleaner, the next thing I get is going to be a sewing machine. Have Stella and Harold found a house yet. Here in our neighborhood new houses are going up all the time and for a two bedroom house the price is about 13,500. The yard is graded but no lawn put in and the houses also are not selling. There are three completed houses now in our neighborhood and have been unsold for quite some time now. I think I told you a new house is going up between us and Carlson's. A young couple is building it. My it is tiny. Only one bedroom too so I don't know where they will ever put a baby but the house is probably costing them over ten thousand. Stella and Harold will certainly be giving up a lovely home. Selma has been having her neighbors take care of her baby during the day when she wants to go out. She doesn't go out socially, but there is always shopping, dentist or something. I guess they must be getting fed up because she is invited to a luncheon tomorrow and asked four different neighbors and they all had an excuse. I told her I couldn't understand why she didn't call the Peter Pan, which is a very reliable baby sitting agency here. John Winter's wife belongs to it. She said she hated to pay the 50¢ an hour they charge. Well then she should just stay home. When my two were babies I never asked my neighbors or friends to take care of them. Well Folks I had better stop for now. It certainly is nice getting the Monitor. Makes it seem like home to have them all over. Good night for now. Love, Helen