My Lifelong Childhood

RETURN TO BELGIUM...AND THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS OF ADVENTURE "When a man fell into his anecdotage, it was a sign for him to retire from the world."                           Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield  1804-1881 How do I collate seven more years of experiences living and learning abroad without trying the patience of my readers?  I could easily proceed in a chronologic timeline...but, memory serves me poorly as to times and dates.  What I do remember are the unusual experiences I came upon, what I saw, who I met...the friendships, the challenges, and the very good times Suzanne and I had and the places in which we lived.  I think the best approach would be anecdotal rather than attempting to give my reader a detailed accounting of week after week and year after year.  The next few posts will be about the years Suzanne and I spent in Belgium and I hope you find it interesting. ...

"THE SUMMER____NO SWEETER WAS EVER; THE SUNSHINY WOODS ALL ATHRILL; THE GREYLING ALEAP IN THE RIVER, THE BIGHORN ASLEEP ON THE HILL...." Summers come and go, some more memorable than others.  Having settled into our hut in Vetsville on the edge of campus, the reality of our upcoming marriage within a fortnight was fast approaching and a sobering feeling of responsibility was often on my mind.  Was the future we had chosen for ourselves the right path?  This was one of those crossroads you come to when you think about roads not taken.  Almost 51 years later, my retrospect-scope leaves no doubt that our instincts were spot on.  That's the beauty of being able to look back on one's life and taking pleasure in it.  That being said, I must apologize to my reader that, alas, after a long and fruitless search throughout our home, I have lost all of our wedding photos save one which I will share with you. Vetsville...our first "home" Suzanne studi...