680 4/16/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Monday, April 16, 1951

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I’ve been terrible about writing. I think I’m busy and you are twice as busy so I don’t see how you ever get any letters written. I’ve been making Mary a spring coat. It is royal blue gabardine with a bright plaid taffeta lining. I will also make the slacks to match to wear on chilly days. Saturday Jimmy had his birthday party. A little premature but it was for the Saturday matinee. I had the twelve Cub Scouts over for lunch. They certainly behaved beautifully and used their best manners. They ate hot dogs and drank pop until I thought they would surely bust. I also had a spaghetti hot dish and then cake and ice cream. Then Pierce took half of them in his car and Elmer the other half in our car and drove them over to see the matinee, then they picked them up when it was over. When they got home the whole bunch played Cowboys and Indians outside. They are just beginning to play in a gang now. Until recently they paired off. The neighbors kick now because the boys run all over everyone’s yard and the ground is so soft from the frost just coming out of it. It snows every single day but it doesn’t stay on the ground and most of the old snow is gone. Saturday night Elmer and I were invited over to Delores and Bob’s. We didn’t feel like going but I didn’t have a good excuse ready when she asked me. They come over here all the time. Just like they used to. Now Delores is mad at another friend of hers so I don’t trust her one single bit. Sunday Agnes called me after church and said she was going home and fix dinner and then if we weren’t going to be busy she and Fred would drive over. I put off our dinner then and we just snacked. Then I fixed dinner about five o’clock so Agnes and Fred could eat with us. The Close’s are all fine. Aunt Annie is up and around but still thinks she is an invalid. She has never been to Hamel to see Agnes’s house. She doesn’t think she can stand the trip. Tuesday I talked to you this noon and it sure is nice to be able to call up. It was fun talking to Ruth too. Wednesday I had to quit again as our pals – Delores and Bob dropped over with their two kids. Anyway, Mrs. Dahlstrom called me this morning to tell me Ralph had called her and she was very happy. You see, Ralph wrote and asked for his golf clubs and bag. When they saw what bad condition it was in they all pitched in and bought him a new bag. Then Wally also gave Ralph some of his good clubs. Mr. Dahlstrom packed the clubs and bag (Pop you know what a job that is) and sent them. They thought he would be so surprised when he opened up the package and found this nice new bag and clubs instead of his old one and then after three weeks they still hadn’t heard if he ever received them – thanks for fixing things up. I blame Ralph for all the trouble. He came back here full of complaints and gripes and told how abused he was and naturally his own mother would believe him and suggest things he should do when he got back there. I even heard him say he could stay at best a month and I heard plenty of his lies. I’m pretty sure Dahlstroms will go out this summer but they do plan to make Ralph’s house their headquarters. Elmer hasn’t heard anything from Seattle. I think, in fact I know I told Gladys we weren’t getting along as well, but we really are. Elmer said too he’s been hard to get along with because he’s thinking about Davy so much. I really wouldn’t be too worried about Davy if Elmer wouldn’t every once in a while comment on it. The other night he looked at Davy and said, oh, he’s almost green. The whites of his eyes are green, but he looks better to me today. After I talked to you yesterday I went over to Selma’s for coffee and she didn’t notice anything until I was ready to leave and then she said, “gee he is a pretty color.” His hair is still real red so his skin kind of blends in with it. The kids will soon be coming from school and then I’m going to the store. I’ll take Davy along. Jimmy’s birthday is today so I have to bake another cake but am going to get a box of cake mix. Elmer bought him a baseball mitt and baseball. Jim is a Southpaw and Elmer had a hard time finding that kind of a mitt. On the kid’s report cards S is the highest mark and it stands for superior. Jimmy gets all S’s every time and on this last report card he was marked with S+ instead of just S. Mary does just fine too. I’ll stop for now Folks and mail this when I go to the store. It’s been snowing again today. Are there floods out there now. St. Paul is having a flood. Love, Helen