235 5/22/1949 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Sunday, May 22, 1949

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Sunday Night Dear Folks: It is seven o'clock in the evening and we just finished having a little something to eat so before I get Mary ready for bed I will start a letter to you. Your trip down to the ocean surely sounded wonderful. I am glad you Folks have a chance of getting away now and then. It is nice Stella can help out at the store a little and she probably enjoys doing it too. We had a rainy weekend up until today and our grass is getting so nice. We have needed to fill our front yard up by the road so badly but haven't found any extra fill as yet. Tuesday Night I didn't get very far with my letter Sunday night so will finish it now. Mary's birthday card came on her birthday which pleased her very much. Jimmy's card came too and he has put the Canadian penny with all the rest of his treasures. Thanks for everything but you shouldn't send birthday presents to us because that is too much with so many of us. Mary had a little party yesterday afternoon. Eden and Leanne came and then I had Wally and Joany come when Wally got back from Anoka for dinner. Eden and Wally will be moving to Anoka next week and they will be glad to finally be in a place of their own. Jimmy and Mary both had letters from Bernice Benson today. The letters were so cute that I will have to save them. The St. Louis Park schools get out June 10th and on the 7th there is going to be a school picnic over at Como Park. That is one nice thing about being just outside the city as the kids in Minneapolis don't get to do things like that. We went out with Kenny and Johnny Saturday night but found them pretty dull company as about all they did was talk about Betty and Andy. The only time Elmer and I ever go nightclubbing any more is occasionally when we go out with Kenny and Johnny and it just isn't fun anymore. It's impossible to dance as it is so crowded and it costs a lot of money. After we left Johnny wanted us to come over to their place for coffee but they live clear across town so we stopped at our house instead and I made coffee and Denver sandwiches. I hope I will get to see Mrs. Martel. It is too bad you didn't have my letter before you saw her for the lecture, but you'll probably be talking to her again to tell her I would like to see her. Mamie Praull had the bunch over at her place last Friday night but I skipped going this time. I like them all very much but every other Friday seems a little too often to meet, at least for me. Mamie's cousin or aunt, one or the other, is staying with her until Mamie decides what she wants to do. I wonder how Hazel is getting along. I hope she is better. This Saturday night we are having some neighbors over for bridge. I have owed them for quite some time now so will be glad to get it over with although I like them very much, but we have been having such busy Saturday nights for the last several weeks that I haven't gotten to church and I do hate to keep the kids out of Sunday School. Last Monday Jimmy woke up and seemed to be just awfully sick. He seemed to have a terrible fever and was half out of his head all day. In the afternoon I called the practitioner that Rose told me about. Before she would work for him though I had to tell her my whole history over the telephone, even if we lived in an apartment or owned our own home. I thought all the questions were unnecessary when a child is sick and you want help. Anyway she must be very good because about an hour after I called her Jimmy asked for soup. He didn't eat it but at least he showed signs of life. When Elmer came home from work Jimmy still had a fever and was talking so funny so Elmer called the doctor and I called the practitioner and told her to keep on working for Jimmy. The doctor came and felt of Jimmy and said his temperature was at least 104, and he examined him for Polio and everything, and turned to us and said, "there isn't a thing wrong with this child that a good night's sleep won't cure." He took his temperature and it was just slightly over normal. He didn't even prescribe any pills or anything to make him take, thank goodness. In the morning I called the practitioner, although I didn't tell her about the doctor but I had told her Elmer wasn't C.S. and was going to call one if Jimmy wasn't better when he got home that night. Anyway I told her Jimmy was perfectly well and asked her how much I owed her and it was just four dollars. Jimmy could have gone to school even he felt so good but I let him stay home since he didn't wake up in time to get ready. Well Folks, I have clothes to sprinkle so had better stop and get that done. I'm going over to Jan Martin's tomorrow afternoon so had better pin my hair up tonight too. Goodnight for now and I'll be seeing you before long. With Love, Helen