208 2/26/1949 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Saturday, February 26, 1949

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks: We are staying home tonight and I am glad because it is half raining out and then freezing so makes driving just terrible. Mary did get the mumps after all. Like Sandy she didn't swell up much at all but has been "lackadaisical" all week and eating has bothered her. I hope she is O.K. by the first of the week because we are invited to a luncheon Tuesday, and Wednesday is Circus Day for Jimmy's school so I'm planning on taking the children. Each school has its day to attend the circus and Mary and Jimmy are awfully excited about it. Thursday I called a piano tuner to come out. Poor man was blind and I felt so sorry for him. I picked him up at the bus stop though and made him coffee twice and tried to be real nice to him. He came at 1:30 and didn't finish until 8:00 that night. Seems like an awfully long time to me. When he finally finished I drove him up to Hennepin and Lake to catch his street car. Wednesday night I played bridge up at Dorothy Habata's house which is up North. Five of us who play in this group live in St. Louis Park. Two are neighbors. Jan Martin picked us up and it was a terrible night out. We got lost when we hit North Minneapolis and got in the Negro section. We finally did find Dorothy's house, though, and had a good time playing bridge. Her husband plays in a night club downtown. I knew her first husband real well, and he was killed in the war. None of us had met this husband but he came home about one o'clock while we were still having our coffee and he is a full-blooded Jap. He seemed like a very nice fellow, though, and sat down and played the piano for us and he was just wonderful. Oh, yes, I had gone to Central with him. I remembered him and he had played the accordion at all our assemblies. Anyway, we finally left and got out on the Belt Line and got headed the opposite direction from St. Louis Park. We finally got straightened out, though, and arrived home O.K. Stella will remember the Belt Line. She and Harold got on it and were so confused. We have practically had spring weather this week. The temperature has gotten up to 35 during the day. The night of the bridge party the night was rainy and foggy and it made Jan Martin and me lonesome for the West Coast. Jan hopes to leave for California in a couple of weeks. She will take her two little girls. I have offered to take the two boys who are 10 and 12 years old. Jan will be gone about three weeks. April 1st our neighborhood is having a dance at the Legion Hall. It is to be a hard times dance with both old and new dancing. We all are supposed to help out in serving the lunch and doing the dishes. Elmer's mother is mad at me again. Why, I don't know, but suppose it is because I haven't been over, but you know first Jimmy was home with mumps for almost two weeks. Then we had 20 below weather after that so I didn't stick my nose out the door. Then it warmed up so the car started so I took advantage of that by going downtown one day and another day I went over to see Doris Ducret and stayed home too and got a lot of painting done and then this week Mary came down with the mumps. I didn't realize she was mad until on Washington's Birthday I was taking care of Karen and decided to take her and my two downtown to see a Walt Disney show and when we went out to the car Grandma Carlson walked by and made some snotty remark. Then, the next day, I left Mary alone to go after the piano tuner just as she walked by again and she made a face at me. Her actions don't hurt my feelings but they do make me ___ and I took so much of that when I lived with her that when it happens now it is just like opening up an old wound. I told Elmer about it and he said he knew how it was and it was alright with him if I never went over there. You know, she really is impossible. Even when she acts real sweet and nice she will leave my house and say just terrible things. Nellie understands too, because Grandma raves to her and after every little episode Nellie will either call or come over and say she knows her mother has been giving me trouble again but she always tells me not to let it make me feel bad. It all just makes me dislike C.A. all the more because that is why he built out here, thinking Nellie and I would take Grandma off his hands. I still feel sorry for her and would never be nasty to her but just can't see her very often, like running back and forth all the time. I think I told you about Peach coming in from Lake Minnetonka and spending the day with me last week. We looked through my picture album and she thought Jim was so good-looking. Next Friday night I'm invited over to Ralph Woodfill's house, to the sewing club again. Roberta Praull is flying to Seattle next month for a short visit. Her husband is a mechanic for N.W. Airlines and is being sent out there for about 3 months to watch the work on a new plane. Roberta has a pass so will board her children out with Joyce and go out for a few days. Roberta is so pretty and Joyce so plain but both of them have a wonderful personality. Well Folks, I think it is about time I stop for now but will be seeing you before long. With Love, Helen