671 2/23/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Friday, February 23, 1951

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Your nice letter just came so I’m dropping everything to write to you right now before the kids come from school. I hope you received my letter before this one. It should have arrived about Tuesday or Wednesday and had a ten dollar check in it. I did fall down on the letter writing, in fact in everything, for awhile and I spent all day today catching up on my ironing. All this month I have been menstruating all the time and so hard that it was just like a hemorrhage all the time. I felt so tired all the time that I just didn’t do much of anything, not even write letters. Today, though, it seems to have stopped and I feel fine and have a lot of ambition so I did get my ironing done. I think this terrible long cold winter makes everyone feel lousy by now. The snow is still piled high and it is still cold out although the last two days the temperature got up in the 30’s and it felt like spring but today a cold wind is blowing and the forecast says colder. I agree with Stella absolutely about Harold and the job with Dalhstroms and I hope he doesn’t accept the offer. I think Harold is a wonderful salesman and I think he is just exactly the man for the job because everyone would like him and he has such a nice appearance but it just doesn’t work out. I hope the Dahlstroms can get rid of Ralph. By now I don’t see how Gladys can stand the sight of him. I can’t even put oil on Jimmy’s hair anymore and comb it back nicely because he reminds me of Ralph when I do. Sunday Night I’ll finish this letter now so Elmer can mail it for me in the morning. The kids are in bed, but Davy isn’t asleep yet. The temperature warmed up this weekend after all and it even rained a little Saturday afternoon so it took a lot of the snow away. We found more lost things out in the yard after the snow started to melt away. The kid’s sled, which had been missing for ages, and a broken snow shovel plus other things. The snow has really been piled high all winter long and this is the first we have seen of the bare ground, which so far is only in patches, since November. The valentines came for the kids and thank you very, very much. Mary fixed some to you folks and she saw tonight that I hadn’t gotten them mailed and she felt so bad so I will send them along now in the letter. They really like getting valentines in the mail. They received one from Bernice too. We have read about the terrible floods out there. I hope it is letting up a little now. The trains will probably be going through Enumclaw for quite some time yet. Pop always liked the sound of the whistling at night, didn’t you, Pop. I’ve gotten so used to the trains in back of us that I don’t even hear them any more. I suppose I will, though, this summer when the doors and windows are open. I know you will like your steam iron, Mother. I think they are just swell and they do make ironing easier. I sprinkled nine shirts today so that is what I’m going to work on tomorrow. I was going to call you when I received your letter telling about Sandy but then figured she must be getting better since I hadn’t heard any more. I hope she feels real good now. This is your last week to serve on the jury, Mother. You probably will be glad by now when you are all through with it. I read in the paper about the trial in Seattle where the author of, “The Egg and I” was being sued. Were you on that case? Warnie Martin left for the Orient last night. He will be gone for about three weeks. Jan is so glad to have him gone. Now he won’t let the boys stay in the living room and watch the television. Jan says he doesn’t say anything to them but just sits and stares at them so pretty soon they get up and walk out. I hope some day the boys can get even with him. Johnny, the oldest boy, is a straight A student in high school and is going to get a scholarship. Elmer thought Harold would be a swell man for the Dahlstroms too, only he said he should think Harold would hate to leave Enumclaw where he has his nice house and all their friends. Have they decided anything more about it. I’ll be anxious to know what they do. Well folks, I guess I will stop for now and go to bed pretty soon. I feel just fine now. I suppose Sandy will be out of school for quite awhile now. I’ll write more soon. With Love, Helen