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!

The Giving Tree

 

The Giving Tree, a book written by Shel Silverstein and a favorite read weekly to my boys at bedtime during their childhood.  I have a signed copy tucked away for when they want to read again as young men today.

 

A Giving Tree...a Pear Tree growing in our own backyard with ripened rewards waiting for little hands to come pick.  Our Grandson, Jasper just had to find a way to knock down a few during his last visit.  His determination brought him a bounty of fresh & delicious pears for his trip home with a little help from his Nona lifting him up to the nearest branch. 

 

One night, as I slowly drifted off to sleep enjoying the image of Jasper under our Pear Tree, another image in another backyard quickly came to mind...one taken many years ago on a day filled with the chilly air of Autumn in the mountains of West Virginia. 

 

 

I can still smell the crisp Autumn air in my Grandmother's backyard.  The Apple and Walnut trees gave us an aroma of what was to come...fresh applesauce canned for the Winter and fresh cracked black walnuts that were added to the banana walnut bread I can still smell.



If I could, I would like to have just one more picnic on the patio.. a small area where our gatherings took place many times a year.  The painted metal chairs were exchanged for a redwood stained picnic table and a couple of foldout chairs.  We just had to have a place to put the "Sun Tea" my Dad enjoyed making for our gatherings.  We'll have a celebration on a grander scale someday when we all see eachother again in an even better place.

 

I remember eating soooo many apples, my tummy hurt!  Everyone warned me but I did it anyway...craving the juicy tartness sprinkled with salt when the apples were still green.

 

My Sister, Jeanine, was 8 years older than me and probably not as impressed with the new delight I had discovered in our Grandmother's backyard.  Nonetheless, her presence was always welcomed in my mind...she was my big Sister!

 

What's one of your favorite tastes from your childhood?  Something sweet? Something tart?  Something made from the heart?  Something from your own backyard?

REST AND RENEW

...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:30-31, NIV

Do you ever feel like you are a part of the movie, "Ground Hog Day" when the character played by Bill Murray wakes up everyday and repeats the same habits and patterns expecting a different result? Finally he learns that in order to achieve something different, one must put their self centered needs aside and try harder to do something different in choices and learned behavior.

This whole concept of watching this kind of thing happen in the lives of individuals you care about can be maddening.  It can take your breath away and stop your blood flow.  Habits of others can pollute the air even in the most perfect setting.  After years of same events, even the strongest of heart with the best intensions cannot stand up to the spills of addiction 100% of the time.  The evils of addiction contain characteristics of deceit, confusion and defeat.  On the positive side, we have to remember to pray the evils away and ask that they be placed "under our feet" and that we be protected in all ways in Jesus's  Name in an effort to keep calm and have some kind of victory over the negative cloud that happens in the lives of people who have to pick up the pieces from the choices others continually make.

At what point do you stop picking up the pieces for people who's "way" has become perverted with addiction?  Perversion applies to many areas of the addict.  Many of us think it's of a sexual nature.  And yes, it can be and usually is, however, Webster's Dictionary provides us with another definition:  "the process of improperly changing something that is good". 

From what I've witnessed, it takes a lot of planning and effort to purposefully change something that is good.  It also takes a mindset of abjection, corruptness, demoralization, dissoluteness, and debaucherty.  All big words in a big world of deceit.

My interest in starting a blog was to write my life story for my kids and grandkids in order beginning with the lives of my Grandparents, Parents, Siblings then ending up with me and my kids and grandkids.  Well, the plan has changed and I've decided to get on with it...writing what is current and blending the past.  I'll still try to keep an order of things from the past as best as I can with photos and such.  But this moment in time makes me reflect on my Mother.  I always looked at her cheery disposition and wondered what had changed inside of her later in life.  I can tell you that I know a little bit of what happened.  It's other people and their choices that effect you and your "constituion".  They help to change your personal limits and tolerance which would otherwise be flexible. Takes a toll on your disposition sometimes. 

But God's promise rings true everytime.  He will renew and restore your strength.  You do not have to compromise what you believe to be true because God is on your side.  And Our Creator is "all-knowing"!  You cannot hide from your Maker, my friend.  In the end, Truth wins!

Today is a new day for all of us.  Be sure to take time to be still and talk to our Heavenly Father...tell him all about what holds you captive in an effort to release the blood flow again...the flow of energy and love.

Summertime

Summertime is here where I live now and the cookouts and sun-kissed iced tea take me back to the memories of the hot and humid afternoons spent on our front porch swing watching my Mom string the fresh green beans she purchased at Artrip's Market, a corner market located close to our neighborhood. 

Artrip's was the only place in our world that stocked fresh tomatoes, corn, half-runner green beans, cucumbers and all the fruit of the Season.  I so enjoyed the trips we made there and looked forward to the smell of green bean steam that permeated the house.  My mouth salivates now as I remember the platter of sliced cucumber, tomatoe and green onions that was placed in the middle of the table to go with the hot cornbread with butter on top.  I could make a meal out of this by itself but Mom would always have the green beans to go along with it.  Dessert would usually be either lime jello with pineapple, cool whip and nuts or angel food cake sliced with strawberries and cool whip.  All met the approval of all either living in our home or stopping by to visit.

Doesn't this sound familiar to those growing up in the Appalachian Mountains?  I guess many across the South could say the same about the smells and tastes of fresh produce treasures simmering in the kitchen. 

Yes, July 4th Holiday has passed but the good feeling inside when we remember the Summers past, the Watermelon Moons and all the fixins will last and last.

Thank you Momma for my favorite Summertime meals prepared with the special ingredient of your love.

PEACE BE WITH YOU!

While I wait for information about my Grandfather Coffman to arrive, I've been finding more special things from the past, my past. 

This morning, while cleaning out a few things from the bookshelf in our guest bedroom, I found one of my first drawings from my childhood.  I remember exactly where I was when this beautiful image came to me...at my Grandmother's home. 

My Mother and I drove up to Beckley to visit Grandmother Ada for a few days.  It was a quiet evening and the normal conversations were taking place around the kitchen table between the ladies and I was a little bored.  I was probably around 9 years old and needed a little more to do this visit...my Mom suggested I draw something for Grandmother so I asked for paper and crayons or markers so I could begin my art project.  Grandmother did not have any art paper but she did have an enclosure from a package of panty hose.  The 8" x 10" heavy card stock paper was used to secure the panty hose in the day.  It was plain white and perfect for my special drawing that would surely warm the heart of my favorite Grandmother. 

I set out with drawing something I wanted her to look at and feel comfort from after we left.  Something that would make her feel like she was not alone.  I used my favorite colors of markers to cover the pencil drawing and signed it with my name, "Angie Cumbo".  It's funny seeing my handwriting then and my name as both have changed throughout my life.

 

 

 

"Peace be With You"

For Grandmother Ada Baily

By Angie Cumbo

March 18, 1973

 

Where Have You Been My Little Wildflower?

"Where have you been, my little Wildflower?"

You might be asking this very thing about me...I've been away from writing for awhile.  I'm like a patient little butterfly waiting for the bloom to open as  I've been waiting for the opportunity to receive more information about the Coffman side of my family from my eldest Cousin, Charlie Coffman.  He and his wife, Judy, moved recently and I discovered I did not have their new address but trusted I would receive their annual Christmas card with a letter updating us about all they are into these days.  It came in the mail right on time for the Holidays with their new Kentucky return address.  I was thankful for this address and wrote Charlie a letter letting him know about my blog site and the family information I'm in need of before continuing with my posts.

So now, we all wait together anticipating the arrival of an email or letter or photos containing Cousin Charlie's recollection about our Grandfather Coffman.  It will fill in the blanks in my mind about this man whom I know so little about.

You might be thinking that you understand mostly why I choose to be patient and wait...but for those of you who don't, let me explain.

I'm a little bit of an organizer.  This Wildflower likes to keep things in order like when you plow a row of dirt and prepare each hole for a seed, spacing 2 inches apart exactly.  I like this way of doing things.  If things are in order, then I feel like I've really accomplished something.  Do I drive myself crazy sometimes with this behavior? Yes! And I have to ask God to calm my mind.  His Scripture tells us in Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God".  He has it all planned out and I need to be patient. 

As we wait together, lets contemplate what we've been through the last few months and where we are going.  One thing is for certain, God is bringing us through our circumstances and moving us forward.  I like thinking about moving forward in so many areas.  It's time to get things in order and move forward.

Until the next time...hopefully, before too long.