207 2/21/1949 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Monday, February 21, 1949

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks: Your nice long letter came this morning so I will start a letter to you but Jimmy will probably be home from school before I finish it and then I have to run up to the store for some bread. The temperature is over 30º and a fine snow is falling. I think our winter is going along so awfully fast and I haven't minded the cold spells a bit but suppose that is because I have been kept so busy and have had a good time this winter. What a winter you have had out there. I heard over the radio today that maybe the Russians were doing something to change the Japanese Current so winters have been bad there but that sounds awfully silly to me. Mother, maybe you should move to Washington, D.C. to escape winter. George Ducret has been there for over a month and of course wore his Minnesota clothes. And the weather there has been in the 70's. He is due back to the Minneapolis office this weekend. I saw Rose in church Sunday and told her about Justin and Mabel. She said she was going right home and write to you. Hope she did. Poor Gwen is surely having her troubles. Yes she is still teaching at Deep Haven but also takes baby sitting jobs at night. John is supposed to do the housework during the day but Rose, who really can't spare the time, goes over every day and does it to spare John. If she can't make it one day, Gwen says not even a dish is washed. Gwen says there isn't a thing wrong with John except he is just plain lazy and thinks he is a genius and is still trying to write a book. She said maybe he can write, she doesn't know, but she thinks first he should support them or at least leave the apartment once in a while and try to get an inspiration. Friday night Gwen spanked little John for something and Rose was there and had a fit about it so went home. The next night she came back but wouldn't come in but instead just stood in the doorway and talked to John a long time (Big John). Oh yes, what I meant to say before was that Gwen said Rose thinks John is physically unable to work and Gwen says everything is so maddening she would like to take the little boy and go away. I certainly don't blame her at all. I called the ticket office last week. The day coach prices are 78 dollars for mine and 39 dollars for Jimmy. I should buy Mary a ticket too but would like to skip it as she will be just barely five. I want to come as soon as school is out. Maybe there will be rates on then. I hope so. Did I tell you about Jimmy's sore throat last Thursday. Anyway he had all the symptoms of scarlet fever and that is going around here so of course I thought of it. Anyway I talked to Frances Woodfill that night and told her about it. She told me every single one of them there had the same thing a few days ago and it lasted a couple of days and that was all. The next morning his fever was gone and he just had a light sore throat so I didn't even call a practitioner and he is back to school O.K. today. Mary and I didn't get the mumps. Everyone said we would but we made up our minds we weren't going to. How is Ruthie? I'm glad Gladys didn't have to miss her shower. I spent most of this morning painting. I got the entry way closet done and the windows upstairs in Jimmy's room and the stairway railing. Yes, my vacuum cleaner was really a bargain for 10 dollars. It works just wonderfully and I'm crazy about the attachments. Why before I started painting this morning I ran the cleaner and had things looking presentable in a hurry. Selma missed the luncheon that day so she wouldn't have to hire a baby sitter. Her baby is in the hospital now. He got a bad cold last Thursday and it turned into asthmatic bronchitis and he has been under an oxygen tent. I bet the hospital bill will hurt. She was going down to the hospital to see the baby this afternoon so wanted me to be over there by the time her girls got home from school so they wouldn't be alone. The are 6 and 8. I said, well then Jimmy would be home alone when he came from school. She said well he won't mind once in a while will he but I told her that her girls shouldn't mind once in a while either. I don't believe I've been over there since the coat deal. No Mrs. Pope hasn't rented a single room yet. I know her price is too high. Well Folks, Jimmy is home now and I hate to go out to the store but just looked in the bread box and really don't have bread enough to get by with. Goodbye for now Folks. With Love, Helen