Later Years of Family and Travel
My husband and I arrived in the USA to meet his German mother and English father near Philadelphia. The hard thing about our marriage was that my husband’s job took him away from home for many months in a year, so we bought a small house-trailer. When he had jobs in the States we traveled all over together. I had two small children by then and they had some wonderful experiences. Our family gradually increased to four with three sons and one daughter.
Over the years I have taken the children abroad several times. We travelled around the coast of Cornwall, England and one time when the tide was out, walked to the Isle of Aran to see a church which was built in the year 700 AD. We had to stoop to get in the front door. I took my daughter to Edinburgh, Scotland to see the Edinburgh Tattoo to watch the bagpipers march down the seven hills onto the castle balconies. It is often done at moonlight and is a sight to remember.
Gordon and I finally decided to buy a time share in Puerto Vallarta, mainly for the purpose of trading it with other time shares all over the world. Because the children were then able to care for themselves, my husband decided it was my turn to travel more. My first exchange was in France – on the border of Italy – and I took a wonderful tour all around Italy for three days. Then I went the following year to Mexico and climbed the temples. I had to climb down on my knees as it was too scary to walk forward. I then had an exchange to a wonderful old mansion in Southern Ireland and travelled all around the coast there. The scenery was magnificent.
Then there was Morocco. I stayed in a very old private hotel. About 15 of us had to use the elevator to get to our top floor. It was a clangy old machine and halfway up it stopped and we could not move it. It was at least 20 minutes of agony – 15 people in a cage built for 12 – and a temperature of about 95 degrees. Finally a hole was bashed in the roof and we were hauled to safety through it. I wound up lying half-dressed on a carpet with someone pushing a glass of “something” into my mouth.
The next day, on a trip into the desert to see the cave homes, we got caught in a blinding sandstorm. The driver did a good job getting us out. By then I had seen enough of Morocco!!!
I had started working when all my children were in elementary or high school. I started as a school secretary and wound up teaching Special Education children. In getting a degree where I could teach Special Ed I attended the Salamanca University in Spain for three exciting courses. I still spoke acceptable Spanish. The courses would help me understand different methods of special teaching, so I thought. However, I also learned about other useful things such as bull fighting which I was taken to see and still think is cruel!
I retired in 1990 and have many letters from previous students who have grown to be successful people, and who still remember their school days as enjoyable – so important!
All my four children have been successful in their chosen careers. My husband and I let them make all their own decisions with just occasional help and guidance from us.
Lee, my oldest son, is a professor in Japan. He has been there for approximately 30 years. He teaches Asian religions, etc., at Temple University in Tokyo. I have been to Japan three times, living in Kyoto the first time and then in Tokyo. I love Japan and have ridden their famous “bullet” train to the northern area, and visited many interesting museums.
Stephen, a year-and-a-half younger, is a minister in a church in New York. It was very badly damaged, together with his home, by Hurricane Sandy. However, they overcame the experience admirably.
Michael, born eight years later, had a terrible accident when he was 17. But with great determination, he survived, graduated from college and started his own repair and remodeling business.
Leslie, two years younger than Michael, became a wonderful nurse and very helpful in her knowledge.
I have left one of my saddest experiences to the last. My father studied natural food diet ever since the problem I had at birth. However, due to a childhood of severe poverty, when food was hard for his parents to supply, he never could change his eating habits. He died of cancer at age 55. Prime Minister Attlee, head of the Labour Party, visited him in hospital and then wrote a beautiful letter of condolence to my mother.
I have been very lucky.
— Irene Roser (Villager)