226 4/13/1949 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Wednesday, April 13, 1949

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I heard over the radio tonight about the earthquake. What a terrible experience that surely is to go through. How did it affect you. I certainly hope it didn't bother you awfully much or cause any damage. I am so anxious to hear all about it. I wonder what changes are taking place to cause these earthquakes there. It is getting to be as bad as California. Kenny and Johnny just missed it as they left yesterday for Tacoma. I gave myself a Toni tonight after the kids were in bed so have to stay up until twelve before I can take the curlers out. Honestly, if Jan doesn't show up this weekend I will just be a complete wreck. Jan wrote a letter to me when she first arrived out there, five weeks ago and then I didn't hear a thing more and Warnie didn't even call. By last weekend I was just furious because no one seemed a bit interested in how things were going here. For all I knew Warnie wasn't even in town. But then Saturday night he did call and said Jan was all set to come back when the two little girls came down with the measles. Now I have no idea when she will be back. The boys are fine boys and I am very fond of them. They are also normal boys so I have all this chasing and rough stuff in the house and fighting. They break the light bulbs in their room as fast as I replace them and I just can't keep any food, including milk, in the house. I buy from 7 to 9 quarts of milk every single day. This last Monday was Ned's birthday. His twelfth. I had a cake for him with candles and ice cream and they had their boy friends over for supper. Then their father called them from Detroit which absolutely delighted the kids. Ned kept saying, "Daddy I want to live with you. Can't we live with you." The grandma talked to the boys too and then the father asked to talk to me. He sounded as nice as his picture looks. He said - you know those boys have had a rough time of it. He said he has always had them but when he went into the army he had to put them in a boy's school. When he got out of the army his mother wasn't well enough to take them back again. He hasn't remarried. Anyway he said all he thinks about is how he can send for the boys again. He was quite put out with Jan to think she would leave them for so long but of course I told him I was glad to have them. He was so appreciative and thanked me so much. I told him the boys needed their father and talked about him all the time. I told him I had been intending to write him a letter and tell him what nice boys he had. When I hung up I said - what about that boys, do you want me to __ that any about going to live with your father. They both said yes, try to do something about it but then they thought of their mother and hated to think of not seeing her too. It's just heartbreaking. Saturday a big box came to Ned from the father. He sent him a dandy jacket and put in some little books and enclosed two dollars. He sent Johnny a shaving kit and two dollars. Johnny went right in the bathroom and gave himself a shave. They looked for a package from Jan but of course she did plan to be back in time so she sent a special delivery telling Ned she had his presents and she was bringing them with her. Have you heard that grandpa Meurel died. Right after our last sewing meeting. Hazel couldn't get back but plans to make the trip soon. Mr. Carlson just bought the two remaining lots between our two houses. There are four lots in between our house and his. The two lots on our side have houses on now and he is going to build two houses on his lots. The ice just broke up on Calhoun last weekend and is completely gone now. We had summer weather the first of the week and Elmer took the storm doors off but now tonight it is cold and windy so I suppose we'll have to keep the storm windows on for a while yet. Well Folks, I must stop now but I am awfully anxious to hear from you and I'll write again soon. Happy Easter. Love, Helen