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200 words, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, family, friends, growing up, humour, laughter, memories, Opa, Tampax
You can’t always get what you want… ~ Rolling Stones
Opa Schwenk, Berlin 1973
I’ve spent the last few days tearing my house apart looking for an old picture.
I recently connected with an old friend on Facebook.
Some 35+ years ago, four of us dressed up like the members of KISS for Halloween.
I had the picture. I’ve seen as recently as three years ago, but I can’t find it now. 😦
Not getting what you want, is not unique to me – it has been a reality throughout human history.
I have not found said photo. But I’ve found treasures I didn’t even remember having; including today’s photo of Opa.
Once when my grandparents were visiting us in Canada, Opa walked to our local shopping Centre to pick up some supplies.
My folks were at work and us kids were in school.
When I got home, he handed me a box of Tampax, asking if I could use them.
Apparently Tampax made tissues in Germany. He wanted tissues. Tampons weren’t of use to him unless he stuck them up his nose.
~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~
Have you found what you’re looking for?
talktodiana 
Oh, dear! Poor Opa! How old were you? I mean, were you old enough to actually know what they were at that point? Too cute! And I love the photo! ❤ Good luck on finding your other one. 🙂
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Yes poor Opa! I had an idea what they were but I was prepubescent at the time. Thanks Rachel, I have looked everywhere I can think of and no luck. I’m sure I’ll find it when I’m looking for something else. ❤
Diana xo
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Rather funny about the tampax story.
There’s a photo that I insist my partner must dig up: a photo of him as a baby wearing chef’s hat and he is brandishing a wooden cooking spoon. It was a baby portrait photo during the final years of WWII.
I’ve seen this photo only once.
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What a great baby photo idea Jean! I hope you guys find it and share it. ❤
Diana xo
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Hope he wouldn’t be so lazy about this photo digging. You see, his son is a chef, worked in several restaurants and now runs his own sandwich, butcher shop in Toronto. Jack’s family tree includes pastry chef (uncle who owned a bakery), chef/hotelier (in Black Forest region) and vineyard in Germany.
Not sure if you saw mine:
I am the only child out of 6, where mother is posed in a Chinese dress. Afterwards, I think she was too tired!
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Oh my gosh, I love the picture of you and your mom. I hope it’s framed and hanging somewhere in your house Jean! ❤ Your mom is so beautiful!
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Um…I had the photo printed on a coffee mug –in addition to this blog.
Hope you do somethin’ better for photos of opa and oma. 🙂
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hmmm that would be one area that I would procrastinate in, I’m afraid, Jean. 😉
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Diana,
I’m still laughing!
-Alan
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Ahh that gives me great joy Alan! ❤
Diana xo
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What a fun story! I’m almost glad you didn’t find the picture you were looking for so that you could share this story with us–but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you find the missing photo soon.
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Me too Sheryl, it’s been fun finding all the other pictures I found! ❤
Diana xo
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Cool pic. I’m sorry you couldn’t find the KISS one. On my 40th bday, I decided to scan every single picture I had, which was several thousand and took over a month all day long–but I know I have every pic organized and filed and at the ready. I hate it when you can see the image in your head but can’t find it! 😦
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Now that would be a huge project and would necessitate a huge memory capacity in a computer and then one has to think of back up and it just sounds so big and overwhelming to me and …Kerbey you are my hero! ❤
Diana xo
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Oh, I had to get my husband to add another hard drive. I couldn’t have figured that out on my own. I just set each photo on the scanner one by one and labeled them and put them in folders until my arms went numb. But now I can pull up Christmas 1979 in a jiffy LOL for a plaid fiasco.
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Tampon…such a versatile word. We bought some generic soap pads (like SOS pads), that were made in China and labeled “Tampons”. Women in menses…Beware !!
Great older pic. Even better story. Van ☺
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Yeah, that would be a rougher mistake for sure Van! Glad you enjoyed the story. ❤
Diana xo
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I know when I start looking for an old photo I can become lost in the memories of all the photos and this at times makes the search for said photo all the longer but all the more enjoyable
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I know what you mean Jo-Anne. I did love seeing all the other photos I discovered! ❤
Diana xo
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Wonderful story Diana. Just have to see in that photo.
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Thanks Don. 🙂
Diana xo
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Opa was a good man, Diana. I can tell by the way he made due with his sideways purchase. 😉 Great photo.
You must find that Halloween shot. I want to see you in KISS makeup, my friend. We’ll see if I get what I need. 😉
Finally, your new header shot of downtown Calgary is quite sleek and modern. Very nice. ❤
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Thanks Mark and I want to find that picture and when I do, I will include it in a post. ❤
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I can’t waitf, Diana. 🙂
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What a fantastic memory and photo~!!!!! Now if you had found that other picture right away maybe you wouldn’t have come across this one and shared it with us!!! ❤
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Very true Colleen! ❤
Diana xo
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Great memories with your Opa, you will never forget that story! Pictures are extremely precious to us all. They move us and remind us of special times. 🙂
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I know, eh? What did they do before pictures Karen?? ❤
Diana xo
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Ha ha! Love this, Diana, how you turned the story around to your Opa not getting what he wanted – to put it mildly. 😀
You reminded me of when I was in Montreal at age 16, and went into a store to buy some tissues for my purse. Well, I didn’t see any on the shelves, and the two clerks didn’t speak English, and my French was only rudimentary, so at first I didn’t know what to do. Then I asked my friend if she had a tissue in her purse to show them. When they saw the tissue, they both said in unison: “Kleenex!”
How young and cute the Stones are in the video. ❤
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That’s hilarious Jennifer! They do use a lot of English words in Quebec like hotdog, weekend and now also Kleenex! ❤
Diana xo
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Such a precious memory Diana! (smile)
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Thanks Val – I miss my Opa. ❤
Diana xo
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Oh Diana your story and photo is precious, made me smile on a chilly autumn morn.
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Ahh glad you enjoyed it Kath – makes me smile! ❤
Diana xo
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Great picture, Diana, and I love the tampax story. I always find it so funny how names of items and objects can mean different things in different countries.
I hope you find that photo you were looking for.
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Thanks Hugh! I’m sure I’ll find it when I’m looking for something else. 😉
Diana xo
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Yes, that is what tends to happen, or it turns up in the most unlucky place. 🙂 Happens to me all the time.
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And it’s always in the last place you look; a saying that leaves me chuckling, because why would I keep looking in other places if I found it! 😀
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At least you can try. Love the photograph. I like to use photographs to create stories, and this one looks like it has a lot of story.
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Don, I would welcome a story from you on this photo! ❤
Diana xo
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Ah, let me think.
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My thunking is over. Hope you like this:
David was definitely a dog man. It wasn’t that he loved dogs. He adored them. He had never come across a dog he didn’t like. Any day when he started the day off by going to the pound and discovering a new friend was a good one.
This three legged fellow was his thirteenth dog and he was calling him Streisand. Barbra Streisand was a favorite of his. He knew Streisand was the dog for him as soon the dog looked into his eyes. There was something about those eyes that said David needed him.
David got in his mother’s car and drove straight, the dog in the passenger seat looking out onto the world as if he owned it. When he came to a red light, Streisand jumped him into his lap and licked him on the chin.
“What? Another dog?” David’s mother, Doris, said. That boy and his dogs. Well, at least we don’t keep them.
After a bath and a grooming, David was ready. He carried his new friend into his studio. He set Streisand down in the middle of the floor. The brown pooch settled onto the hardwood floor. The afternoon light pouring through the glass window and onto the carpet was perfect for his work on the canvas.
He laid a new canvas onto his pedestal and took out his easel and began to dab. Several hours later he was finished.
Usually David would gift his new dog to a friend or a neighbor along with the canvas. If they did not like dogs, then they were no friend of his. But he was not giving Streisand away. Streisand was his for the keeping. After ten years of looking, David had found what he had been searching. His soul mate.
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What an imagination you have – a great story Don!
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Thank you.
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In dog talk, that goes like this: Aarf.
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Funny! Great memory and I’m sure he was quite embarrassed.
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Thanks Lisa, I think he was embarrassed too, but that generation could not tolerate the ‘wasting of money,’ so he had to make sure that they went to good use. The funny thing about it was, I had not reached puberty yet! ❤
Diana xo
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Hahahaha the tampex story is SO FUNNY! Shame about that KISS Pic though!
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Haha – thanks Rob! I haven’t given up on finding that KISS photo, if I do, I will use it in a future post – stay tuned!
Diana xo
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Ha! Oh my.
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😉 Ha! Glad you enjoyed the funny part. ❤
Diana xo
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Oh my goodness SO funny about the Tampax! I hope you find the photo. So frustrating when that happens.
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Thanks Sue! I’m letting it go for a bit. I’m sure it will surface at some point. ❤
Diana xo
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I hope you find it, Diana, and I know what you mean because with all the rapid decluttering I’ve been doing, I’ve also filled a couple of big boxes with miscellaneous things that I am now searching for – ironic! I love the photo you’ve posted though! Jx
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Thanks Julie and happy continued decluttering! ❤
Diana xo
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“But if try, sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.”
That has always been one of my favorite Stones tunes!
KISS!
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Me too Smitty – they were my fave group when I was 16. Have you ever heard the Black and Blue album? It was so different from their usual style but so amazing! ❤
Diana xo
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If I did (and I probably did), it’s lost in the mists of time (much of my past is). I’ll keep it in mind the next time I go shopping on iTunes, though. All I have currently is Steel Wheels, Emotional Rescue, Sticky Fingers, and the Rewind compilation.
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Here’s a sneak peak!
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Hot stuff! 😀
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Oh my! Way too cute.
I love the richness of your family history — and I’m sad to hear you could not find the photo.
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Thanks Louise, it’s around here somewhere. I’ll probably find it when I’m looking for something else! haha ❤
Diana xo
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