The Pixie, Kindergarten and on to First Grade

Time was drawing near and the pressure was on to somehow, someway register and attend Mrs. Grace Kinner's Kindergarten Class beginning in the Fall.  It was simply not going to happen until my brave and sweet Mother negotiated a trade.  Zina Mae decided to offer housecleaning services to Mr. and Mrs. Kinner so I could go to a private pay Kindergarten in our neighborhood.  How thankful I am today for this wonderful experience.  It made me grow up alot and experience many children from all over Ashland that I am still friends with today.  I really loved Helen Hall, my neighbor and Mrs. Kinner's helper.  She always encouraged us to follow the rules with kindness, kept us in line and gave us structure.

The Pixie Haircut
Age 5

Believe it or not, I started a trend with my Pixie haircut.  My first bestfriend in life and Mrs. Kinner's classroom was Amy Raferty and she just had to have a pixie haircut too.  Then came the matching lipstick pink raincoats.  It was nice having a best friend.  I stayed pretty close to her for the entire year and helped her when she needed a little extra help and encouragement on the playground and in the classroom.  It was so sad when we had to part and enter into elementary schools across town from eachother.  I went to Crabbe Elementary and Amy went to Oakview, if I remember correctly, and I just didn't understand why it had to happen this way.  I also missed seeing Romeo-strickened Tim Rice 5 days a week.  I remember him trying to speak French to me like Pepe LePew...every now and then he wanted to kiss my entire right arm.  He was so darn cute with freckles on his cheeks and big brown eyes and quite endearing.

 

Then there was Liz Peebles...she was apart of my Kindergarten class and much to my surprise, appeared at Crabbe Elementary the very morning I showed up for my first day of First Grade.  I was happy about seeing her but she had a rough time with separation anxiety and cried so hard that it reminded me that I was also far, far away from my own security blanket of home.  It kindof freaked me out so bad that I wondered how I would get through the first week.  I was a nervous Nellie until I laid eyes on one of the most beautiful girls in the world.  I saw a heart of gold through her sparkling green eyes.   She had braided hair, the biggest smile and I thought she was a real live American Indian.  I thought to myself, well...she's unique and I like her.  I decided then and there we were going to be best friends and that's all there was to it.  I needed her and she needed me.  Plus, her middle name nearly matched mine...Lynn...yes, Dorothy Lynn Anderson was her name and we are still best friends today.  She and I became official blood sisters in Second Grade which really sealed the deal.

 

 

I remember when Dottie mentioned to me that if we were really to be best friends then we just had to become blood sisters so we went out from the school, into Central Park close to the Tennis Courts, found a rock or something to slice our fingertips a little, then watched the blood come to the surface of our skin.  We then rubbed our fingers together and that's all she wrote...we became official blood sisters for life. 

 

 

Dottie's Mommy always liked me because she knew I loved her daughter.  Although Dottie did have American Indian in her, she also had Spanish, Hungarian, English and African-American.  My sweet friend was a mix of refreshing nationalities that brought something different to the table.  Plus she could dance like noneother.  In fact, she taught me how to do the "four corners" at one of our Ice Cream Socials her Mommy hosted at the school.  Maybe I learned so quickly because we were blood sisters.  I was the only friend allowed to come over to Dottie's home on Saturdays to play.  We stayed outside in the fenced-in dusty yard mostly but just liked being together...didn't have to do much of anything else.  My Dad would drop me off and pick me up.  My Dad knew Dottie's Dad, Bill Anderson, as they had a few things in common.  Navymen they were and they also went to the same Barber located in the Mayo Arcade in heart of town.   

 

 

Dottie and I grew up together in Crabbe Elementary School creating many great childhood memories like being on School Patrol together during 5th and 6th grades.

 

 



A Humble Beginning

Having a humble beginning in a humble home means alot these days.  Seems like we are now in the mindset of  "I want it and I want it now".   I certainly did not grow up this way but at times feel I've adopted the Babyboomer mindset.


 

 

 

3 years old and as sweet as sugar until Momma pulled the scissors out and pure fear set in when she attempted to cut my bangs.  I remember sitting on the white wooden stairway, gritting my teeth and screaming while the pointy scissors came my way.  I have always been a little particular about my hair...maybe it all started with this!

Standing with my Sister on our broken sidewalk in front of our home.  The Sweeney's lived in the home directly behind Jeanine and The Bowling's lived on the left.  We were close families on this corner of our street.

I remember Jeanine drawing my first Hopscotch game with chalk on this broken sidewalk.  I stubbed many-a-toe on this broken sidewalk.  Probably because I ran so fast to the IceCream truck that parked in front of our house during the Summer months.  I just had to have a Blue Rasperry Snow Cone each time for a dime then a quarter in later years.

Oh how sweet...4 years old and ready for the camera at Olan Mills.  I always enjoyed the whole process of getting ready for the appointment at the professional studio.  The shampoo the night before, Dippity Doo, pink sponge rollers that I had to sleep in, ironing of the blouse and dress and Sunday's best white patton leather shoes.

Good times and more to come!

A Surprise Addition

"Surprise, I'm expecting", Momma said about a year after the family moved to Ashland, KY.   I guess after Dad came home from his last tour-of-duty, a little "togetherness" happened and thus a petite, dark-haired, brown-eyed little girl was born in January of 1963.  I'm not sure how or why but I remember the view outside my Mother's hospital window from King's Daughters Hospital.  Maybe it's because they talked about it so much...that Momma held me up at the window while Dad stood there below with my Big Brother and Sister looking up at me.  The introduction was powerful, I'm sure.  The cozy family of four now had a new number of five.

My Christening Day, Easter 1963

I think they are going to keep me...how could they not!

 

My 1st Birthday Cake made by Momma

My 1st Birthday Party celebrated with Nonna Murer, Laura Murer and Ms. Stoval
I actually remember this moment very vividly in our simple home when eating around the table meant so much to family and friends.

16 months old, I loved my soft red corderoy bibbed overalls.

Getting ready for my first bite of cake

Lovin my Daddy

I sure had a full head of hair!

Enjoying my first bite of cake and scared of my super-sized sippy cup!

My Mom's favorite polka dot dress. I still like this color today.

 



Brother and Sister

My Brother and Sister were very close.  They grew up together being four years apart and experienced a good time in the family before I came along.

It was a simpler time when Mom and Dad were in the Navy and somewhat provided for by the U.S. Goverment.  They lived on Base wherever they were stationed and had their basic needs provided for like medical and health, food and clothing purchased at a discount price at the Commissary (an on Base store)and their home which was part of the salary provided to Dad for serving in the U.S. Navy.

While completing his last several tour-of-duties while his young family lived with Grandma Ada, Dad began searching for a city to be stationed in for his pre-retirement phase in the Navy.  He wanted somewhere close to Beckley, WV and found Ashland, KY and worked out of a Recruiting Station located inside The Ventura Hotel (no longer in existence).  It was only a two hour drive to Beckley from there and he knew Momma would be pleased. 

My parents chose a neighborhood they could afford on Dad's retirement salary which was not much in those days.  My Mother was a typical stay-at-home mom which meant Dad most certainly had to work another job to make ends meet.  This included playing music at different events. 

Our neighborhood was called "Vatican City" and "Little Italy" at the local police station because of the Italian/Catholic families that settled there.  It was within walking distance to Holy Family Catholic Church and School which made it easier on Momma because Chip and Jeanine could walk there.

The hardworking families that lived on Montgomery Avenue were close to their neighbors and enjoyed helping eachother.  It was a simpler time in the 1960's.  Each Summer, the police would close off one section of our street and let the sun go down on the Marzetti's, the Murer's, the Cumbo's and the Irish bunch (The Seary's) welcoming the other neighbors to the end of the street for a block party filled with music, foods and games enjoyed by the shimmer of strings of colorful lights.  Dante Marzetti was the "Grand Master", organized many a Vatican City Block Party and wore a King's crown to prove it.

Nino Murer and Sister

Laura Murer and Husband

Nelly Marzetti, Dad and Mom

Nino, daughter Diane and Jean Murer
Son, John is not in this picture.
Nino's parents, John and Nonna (I called her) were very special Immigrants.
John Murer, Sr. was Masonary and much of his work can be found today in the Catholic Cemetary located off 13th Street in Ashland, KY.  I remember the wooded tables he would make with a porcelain Virgin Mary medallion in the middle of the table top.  I also remember the fresh breads Nonna would make with dates and sprinkle confectionary sugar on top.  Our families lived side-by-side and enjoyed quality time together.  John grew a garden in the middle of our homes with Italian lettuces likes endive. 

The Tony Cumbo Family Begins

It's time for a little more history on how my family began...the Tony Cumbo Family.

Dad was a Navy man as I mentioned before.  He was out-at-sea much of my early childhood.  What a handsome man he was dressed in his Uniform.



Dad enjoyed being a Navy Man.  He worked in the office/clerical work, with the medical staff and entertained fellow troops with his Accordian.

Mom and Dad dining out with their Navy friends.  They were stationed in Rhode Island then Brooklyn, New York when they were first married. 

 

 

First came Love, then came Marriage, then came Baby in a Baby Carriage

James Edward Cumbo
My Big Brother "Chip"

 

 After my Brother Chip was about 4 years old, my parents welcomed their second child, Jeanine.  She was a beauty and the apple of my Dad's eye.

Jeanine and Chip
at their home in South Carolina
Dad was stationed in South Carolina for a few years, some of their best years

Momma, Dad, Chip and Jeanine

After living in Rhode Island, New York and South Carolina...Tony brought his family back to Beckley, WV to live with Grandma Ada while he had a tour-of-duty for six months at-a-time in oceans all over the World.  I remember him talking about seeing Australia, Africa, New Zealand, French Rivera, Italy, Antartica, Germany and more.  Dad was well traveled because of his Navy career and retired after 23 years of giving service to the United States of America.

 



PN1 Tony Edward Cumbo, US Navy

Thank You Dad for taking pride in serving our Country!
You are my favorite Veteran!

Tony and his Shipmates

Dad Accepting an Award of Excellence

The Month of September

The Month of September has always been a time of change and renewal in my life.  Someone once told me that because I had a deep connection with my Father and his birth month was in September, I could always count on this month as being a good one to re-evaluate, begin new creative projects, and get things in order.

I have fond memories of September as being a month of celebration of birthdays and a special anniversary. My parent's special day of uniting the Cumbo's and the Coffman's happened Sept 9th many years ago.  My father was Catholic and my mother was Baptist so they married in a Methodist church.  I guess this was the compromise of blending the two denominations.  Nonetheless, my Mother converted in later years and became a Catholic too.  Our family that included my brother Chip, sister Jeanine, and myself were raised Catholic for years until it changed...and that's another story.  Lets get back to the celebrations of September...

My father's birthday happened each Labor Day Weekend...on September 3 then a week later we celebrated my Grandmother Ada's birthday on the 10th and inbetween Mom and Dad celebrated their Anniversary.  I remember the sappy cards my Father always gave my Mom along with red roses and chocolates.  Sometimes a bottle of perfume would appear as well.  Dad was very sentimental when it came to birthdays which I found to be endearing.

We did the Birthdays up right...cake, ice cream and family time.  Good stuff indeed.  Now, I have another reason to celebrate in September...my handsome husband Jonathan has a birthday on the 30th...last but certainly not least...quite the contrary as he is one of the most blessed individuals I know!  When God created him, He included all of the qualities a man could ever hope of having like a good heart of unconditional love, talented in all areas of music, can dance like there's no tomorrow and can cook meals that warrant his own cooking show!  Jonathan is also an artist and craftsman... I'm a lucky woman indeed!  Oh, and did I mention he can mix a great Martini and even stuffs the olives with blue cheese???  Yep, he's a keeper!