Rikki Don't Lose That Number

All About Me

Patchouli

Germantown is a small section in the city of Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania. I was born in this area of the City of Brotherly Love. I am of Italian, Scotch Irish, and German descent. I was named after my father and his father, as there are only us four girls and no boy to carry on his name. I was a big baby weighing in at 8 pounds with 4 inches of hair on my head. My mother said a Philipino nurse braided my hair in square sections which she thought was so precious for the first time upon which she laid her eyes on me. I lived in a row home, shared by my parents and grandparents. And for the first several years of my life I was raised by my maternal grandparents, Sabatos and Concetta. They came to this country at the turn of the century, from Naples in Italy. My mother was one of all girls too! My Grandfather would set me on his lap as he dunked his Italian bread into his bowl of coffee for his first meal of the day. He used to let me suck on this bread soaked with the java treat. I still savor this ritual. I could only speak Italian as a toddler; and with their passing,(which I can remember crying a lot for I missed them so), my mother's sisters took over as my caretakers. My aunts decided I needed to learn to speak English for this was the new country not the old. Unfortunately, no one kept up the Italian, and I lost the use of the language.

I was raised around all of my family. My father was the oldest boy in a family of 13 children, he was the fourth in line. (Chrissie, Angie, Margaret, Richie, Joe, Tommy, Ada, Austin, Brenda, Nevin, Jack, Sut, Mary) His father was Scotch-Irish. We grandchildren called him DaDa. His family had been here since before the civil war. William Finley's name is on the Pennsylvania Monument in Gettysburg, as he fought in the Civil War for the Union. DaDa was a very proud man. My father's mother was of German descent. Her family moved to this country when she was 3. We called Christine, Nana. Both of my paternal grandparents were very musically inclined. Every Sunday, we would visit with them in their big home on Johnson Street. We would all gather in the living room and sing and dance while they played the piano and the violin. There were 36 of us grandchildren. I was one of the older ones, lucky enough to be around when we all could fit under one roof, break bread together and talk above the din.

My father was rather strict as a parent. My mother on the other hand gave me free reins. At an early age she let me begin to feel my wings. She taught me how to play the piano at the age of 4. She had to work and I was shipped from aunt to aunt and neighbor to neighbor. I guess you could say I had many mothers...my birth mother, my grandmother, my Aunts Louise, Antoinette, and Rose, neighbors Chickie and Mickey...seven in all! Each one gave me a part of themselves. My mother, Josephine gave me freedom. Jay, which is her nickname, my mama, gave me freedom to express myself, to play the piano, to dance, to read, to travel, and to be me! I still love to do all of those things. I am still the free spirit she allowed me to become at such an early age. She always let me take the bus and ride the subway in grade school, as early as third grade. She gave me my independence. My grandmother gave me nuturing. My Aunt Louise gave me my mischievious nature; I can be a little devil at times and I love to tease. My Aunt Antoinette gave me my love of making things and my artistic talents. My Aunt Rose gave me the gift of getting along well with others. Chickie taught me to accept all people for who they are: fat, skinny, tall, small, black, yellow or white. Mickey instilled in me my love for homemaking, especially cooking and teaching all I know to children. My Aunts' children and neighbors' children had quite an impact on my development. They taught me how to share and get along with others. My cousins were very kind and protective. They gave me much love and still do! I am still close to several of my cousins on both sides of the family, holding dear our bond. (Love you much Joe Joe, Johnny, Kase, Nanny and Nevin)

My Daddy gave me my love for animals and plants and gardens. But most of all from him I inherited passion and emotions. I can, like he, watch a Shirley Temple movie for the umteenth time and still cry my heart out. Like him I am also very sentimental. I love very deeply and very strongly. Yes he too is a part of me. I was a Daddy's little girl and proud of it! When I was about 4 years old my mother had me with her at the nightclub where my father was playing and singing. Next thing Mom heard was this child's voice coming from the stage. There I was singing my heart out. Another band member, exclaimed it is a duel between father and daughter to see who can sing the loudest!

I spent 12 years in the parochial school system. Four of those years in an all girls high school. My first uniform was a maroon jumper with a beige, short puffed sleeved blouse with a peter pan collar. My best friends in grade school were Billy, Frannie, Lorraine, Winne, Suzzie, Bernie, and Joanne. The Franciscan order taught at St Benedicts Grade School on Medary Avenue in Philadelphia. Every year we would have the famous St Patrick's Day play...I learned how to do jigs and reels. I also sang solos in the choir which I was in at church and school. I also did art work for the hall bulletin boards. I loved art at an early age and still do today. I still love to harmonize at church and along with the radio, and of course my teens! In the 3rd grade I learned how to play chess from Winnie's grandfather. I love to play cards like my mother...they used to say they thought I would be born with a deck of cards in my hands!

Grade school was a time of Dick Clark and his American Bandstand, Carmella with the front of her hair dyed blonde so it looked like a flower and The Mickey Mouse Club and of course all the boys loved Annette. We learned all the dances (the stroll, mashed potatoes, bristol stomp and we could jitter bug and slow dance) and the songs ( a new era of rock and roll, with of course Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Brenda Lee, just to mention a few) and we enjoyed all the adventures Walt Disney provided us. It was a time of snow balls fights and itchy balls down the uniform. We roller skated on the sidewalks (and sometimes in the streets and would hook onto bumpers of cars to go faster---letting go of course to glide) and played leaners with cards against the buildings; let us not forget marbles and of course hopscotch and jump rope with all the rhymes. My favorite was double dutch which my children can still do too. We also loved to walk, as we walked everywhere especially to the ice rink in the winter to go and try to be like Sonja Heini. We had wooden crate skate boards in which we used to cruise down the sidewalk and streets which had hills. I was small enough to fit into the wooden box. Then there was the water tower which some of my more daring friends would climb; I was too chicken. The mill a place where men's clothing was made was another favortie spot to lurk and watch the goings on. I remember the sewers would back up during heavy rains and boy oh boy would all of our mothers come running and screaming for us to get out the dirty moving water in the street. Another favorite summer treat was the fire hydrant being opened and bringing welcome relief from the heat. We also played with cut out dolls and made scap books of our favorite movie stars (mine were Natalie Wood, Tab Hunter, Gregory Peck, Sal Mineo, just to name a few). Loved to go to the movies and the corner drug store for ice cream...you used to be able to shoot the wrappers of straws clear across the counter. Ah, memories are sweet!

My father was transferred to Baltimore right before I was to enter high school. This broke my heart to have to leave behind my family and friends. I was introduced to a new culture and a new order of nuns, The Sisters of Notre Dame. I quickly made new friends and boys became of interest to me at this time. My short-lived uniform was a blue green plaid jumper with a white blouse. My new friends became Sue and Linda. Made many friends in the new neighborhood known as Northwood. Started spending the night at friend's houses at this stage of my life. Sue was my age, Linda was older, she lived next door. At the last day of school, before graduation, we all had each other sign our white blouses! The parochial school system in Baltimore was so overcrowded we went half days. We had to take tests to get into high school and not all of my classmates made it into any parochial high school. I was one of the fortunate ones to pass with good grades and score high on the tests. I wasn't allowed to attend the high school of my choice, but that of my father. I went to Seton High School.

Seton High School was an all girls school. We wore uniforms and had strict rules and regulations. Our uniforms must always be clean and pressed. The skirt hem must touch the floor when kneeling. No runs in your nylons. Hair must not touch your collar. No jewelry is allowed, except for a miraculous medal or the high school ring. No talking in the halls while in perspective lines going to and from classes. etc, etc, etc, My freshman year I was almost suspended for writing the name of Seton on the bus! Instead they made me a student counselor. I was one for all four years. The high school was named after the then Blessed Mother Seton, who since has been canonized a saint. I will never call her anything but Mother Seton. As freshman, we were inductrinated into the school. Shown the ropes...orientation! We were shown where Mother Seton was burried...in the boiler room in the basement...where you were left....lost.........!!!!! Next the swimming pool, located on the 5th floor outside the French doors of the Chemistry room....once locked out there, you did not fall for any more pranks from the upper classmen! Four years...all girls...what a sisterhood! Our president was assinated my freshman year... President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. What a traumatic time it was. I can remember the tragedy being announced and we all went across the street to the church, Sts Phillp and James to pray. While on our way across the Charles Street drivers passing by were yelling out their windows at us exclaiming something about that is your Catholics for you! Like it was our fault. Getting through the freshman year was hard and so much fun. All the new friends I made from all over the city. We came from every section. There were sleep overs, and dates, and make-up and hair do's and don't's...some girls ironed their hair to make it straight. The dances and corner drug store hang-outs were fun. Riding three buses to and from school was not fun. But you could get some homework finished. The music was Motown and Folk. My favorite was most definitely, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and Peter, Paul and Mary. I went to a lot of concerts. Ah...way to many to mention: Four Tops, Temptations, Ottis Reading, Little Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles. I joined a sorority. Hazing was fun and yucky...the banana in the toilet was the worst of it. Omega Lamda Phi I enjoyed the proms, not only mine but others as well. Making the gowns and stepping out. I loved to dance. My best friends were Karen and Charlene. We went to dances at every CYO, church and plaza who offered them. Live music, nothing like it, never heard of a DJ except on the radio. The Year Games stand out most, along with nuns...this is when big sister and little sister classes put on skits which knocked the other classes...Karen and I were always the Finstones! The all of the school body put on a skit to knock the faculty. This culminated in basketball games....the big sister classes and the little sister classes. I was a cheerleader for these games. Couldn't act or play basketball...but my mouth was and still is loud. Graduation was sad. We had prepared all these songs in 4 part harmony. One girl started sobbing...then we all started crying. Long live the Class of 1967!

We landed on the moon. The war in Viet-nam was on. And then came Woodstock. And a flower child was born! The music was psychedelic and more intense than the folk music. A new era and movement was in the making. College was a changing time. I attended Morgan State College. I was an art major. My other interests were music, modern dance, and swimming. I was a Lifeguard and a Water Safety Instructor. My bestfriend was Cissy and she still is in my life today!

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