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Alberta, brother, Calgary, Canada, children, Dad, Diana Schwenk, family, Germany, growing up, humour, Hump Day Chronicles, life, memories, Mom, parents, Relationships, stories
ONCE UPON A TIME, LONG, LONG AGO in a land called Germany, a boy and girl fell in love and married. The newly weds travelled by ship across the great ocean to start a family in a foreign land called Canada.
From bonding over lollipops, the daughter and son learned sword play and other things and thrived in the new land across the great ocean.
Then lots of other stuff happened.
The children grew up and left the nest.
The son stayed in the area and the daughter travelled thousands of miles across the country to make a life in the west.
More time passed and the family made many visits back and forth to maintain their ties.
The son had a son. The daughter had a daughter.
By now you have guessed that I am the daughter of the boy and girl who married long, long ago in the land called Germany and travelled by ship across the great ocean to start a family.
And the early part of my story with my daughter, Michaela continues below on one of our visits back home across the great land.
Oh how Oma and Opa loved when Michaela played piano, they could hardly wait for her to wake up and play it again. And Oma and Opa and Michaela and Max, the white dog, enjoyed walks in the woods and sitting on rocks and logs.
And back out west our lives carried on and Michaela asked many questions and thought deeply about the mysteries of life.
And the story continues and lots of other stuff still happens on the west side of the great land that lays across the great ocean by the land called Germany where long, long ago a boy and girl fell in love and were married.
~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~
What’s your story?
Minuscule Moments said:
Diana still catching up on all my blog post readings and really enjoyed your story and photos’s so precious.
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dianasschwenk said:
Thanks Kath! ❤
Diana xo
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kerbey said:
I am assuming you did not behead your brother after all. Great shots of you and your daughter and your curly red hair!
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dianasschwenk said:
No, hahaha, my brother still has all his original parts! Thanks so much Kerbey! ❤
Diana xo
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Sue Slaght said:
Aww what a lovely story sword fighting and all. I used ot have a perm myself although never such gorgeous full hair as yours. I am thinking those trips back to Germany must have been very special indeed.
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dianasschwenk said:
Sue my hair is so thick that when I go to the salon, most of the hair on the floor is from thinning it out!
I did go to Germany a few times, but the trips I spoke of here are to my parent’s place on the border of Quebec and Ontario. My daughter has never been to Berlin. I would love to take her there and do an ancestry search while there! ❤
Diana xo
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Sue Slaght said:
Oh my apologies for not reading that clearly. A Mom Daughter trip to Berlin sounds amazing!
Well I have about 4 wisps of hair so definitely no thinning required. My husband has a thick mop which needs to be thinned. thankfully my daughter got his hair. 🙂
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dianasschwenk said:
no need for apologies Sue. I can see how it might be confusing. 🙂 I got my dad’s full hair too!
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rachelcarrera said:
Aww, what a sweet story! ❤
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dianasschwenk said:
🙂 Family history grounds us, don’t you think, Rachel? ❤
Diana xo
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Patty B said:
Neat story – it brought a smile to me today! Also got me thinking of my own parents…mom was in Germany it was around 1955 and my mom had found jobs with the Americans after WWII and had been working for American families to learn English when the families started to come over and the Capt’s wife who she was working for introduced her to my dad who was under the Capt command, I think he was the Capt’s driver. Anyway, the rest is history and they married she moved to America and loved it like she thought she would. Had three wonderful children, especially the youngest one – the cutest one in the trio!! ha ha (guess who is the youngest?! )
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dianasschwenk said:
I’m guessing you’re the youngest Patty. 😉 Thanks for sharing your story Patty, I’m thinking it would make a good post! ❤
Diana xo
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Patty B said:
but of coarse!
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Rob Moses Photography said:
Awesome post and wonderful pictures to go with it :).
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dianasschwenk said:
Thank you very much Rob! ❤
Diana xo
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Jennifer's Journal said:
I love the style you adopted to write this, Diana, and the photos! What a treat to see you and everyone back then. Great hair, btw! ❤
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dianasschwenk said:
haha thanks Jennifer! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; writing this post was fun! ❤
Diana xo
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bulldog said:
My story? All in a book called “Visits to the Parks”…
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dianasschwenk said:
I know! Love the excerpts you’ve been sharing bulldog. ❤
Diana xo
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Maria F. said:
I must tell you you’re brave because I tend to shy out of these things. I was born in P.R., but my mother is Czechoslovakian and met my father in P.R. when she left Israel with her family while a teenager. Many emigrants had to go to the Caribbean because they still could not enter the U.S. after WWII. There she got married to my father who is from P.R. but has Spanish and Italian descendants. They stayed living in P.R. and got married. Her parents left to the U.S. after a while, when the U.S. let them enter the country.
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dianasschwenk said:
What an amazing story Maria! Are you still in PR? One of my friends just got back from her vacation there. ❤
Diana xo
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Maria F. said:
Yes, I’ve been here for 8 months helping my parents with their retirement, but eventually I will probably move to the U.S.. for good, the situation is that my parents decided to stay here in P.R., and I’m the only one able to help right now.
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dianasschwenk said:
You’re a good daughter Maria. 🙂
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Maria F. said:
Yes, I guess I’m the one with the flexibility to do it now, but I love the U.S. very much so I hope to probably leave the island at some point.
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Wendy L. Macdonald said:
Diana, what a lovely story. The pictures of you and your daughter are so sweet. ❤ You've got my wheels turning now about doing a post from the past (one day). This was fun. Thank you.
Blessings & hugs ~ Wendy ❀
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dianasschwenk said:
Glad you enjoyed it Wendy, it was fun to do as well! I look forward to a post from your past. ❤
Diana xo
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f-stop mama said:
I love old photos, such a great post. Taking a walk down memory lane and sharing with all of us. Thanks Diana for sharing your story and your great photos (memories)
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dianasschwenk said:
My pleasure, thanks for stopping by and reading it. ❤
Diana xo
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jmgoyder said:
I love the way you’ve written this and the photos are wonderful!
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dianasschwenk said:
Thanks Jules! ❤
Diana xo
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Wyrd Smythe said:
Love the pictures and the story!
Swordplay at 2.14 AM … now that would be something! XD
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dianasschwenk said:
Most times I’m sleeping then though hahaha. Glad you enjoyed my tale. ❤
Diana xo
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joannerambling said:
What a great story
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dianasschwenk said:
Thanks Jo-Anne, it was fun to write! ❤
Diana xo
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Val Boyko said:
Thank you for sharing your story Diana and your wonderful Oma and Opa 🙂 I love those pictures … so full of memories 🙂
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dianasschwenk said:
My pleasure Val. They are my parents though, Michaela’s Oma and Opa. ❤
Diana xo
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mrs fringe said:
I don’t know who’s cuter, you or Michaela! 😉
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dianasschwenk said:
Aww how sweet, Mrs. F. Michaela was soooo cute. ❤
Diana xo
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mrs fringe said:
So much of you in that little smile!
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dianasschwenk said:
😀 !
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Healing Grief said:
It’s lovely to read about your story Diana. Wonderful memories in those photos. 💚💚
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dianasschwenk said:
Thanks Karen, it was fun to write! ❤
Diana xo
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Chatter Master said:
What a wonderful tale told with pictures. 🙂 Beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing them. 🙂 ❤
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dianasschwenk said:
You’re welcome Colleen and thank you for kind comment! ❤
Diana xo
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utesmile said:
It is lovely to see the words Oma and Opa here. Great story and great pictures!
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dianasschwenk said:
Thank you Ute! ❤
Diana xo
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cyclingrandma said:
Lovely! Beautiful photos.
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dianasschwenk said:
Thank you very much Lisa! ❤
Diana xo
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Tracy Lee Karner said:
I didn’t know your parents were from Germany. Where? I lived there for a while in my teens.
Liesst Du auch Deutsch?
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dianasschwenk said:
Ja, aber ich habe mich selbst gelernt, so my grammar and spelling are atrocious!
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Tracy Lee Karner said:
Das war aber nicht schlecht! Du hast Dich eigentlich ganz gut gelehrt. 🙂
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dianasschwenk said:
haha Danke schone Tracy! Bist Du Deutsch? Ja naturlich bist Du Deutch – Karner ist einen gutes Deuscher name. The E-R ending is a clear give-away!
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Tracy Lee Karner said:
Karner is the name my husband was born with. I was born Bottke. 100% Deutsch. Ich bin, aber, in Amerika geboren — wohnte in Hamburg und habe dort die deutsche Sprache gelernt. Ich hoffe nächstes Jahr für 6 Monate wieder in Hamburg/Deutschland zu wohnen.
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markbialczak said:
Don’t be demure, Diana. You are cool! And your lovely 80s hair is proof! Wait. 90s hair?! Curly hair!
I will never tire of your story, my dear friend. More Oma, Opa, brother, Michaela, whenever the mood strikes you, please and thank you.
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dianasschwenk said:
Aww shucks, thanks Mark. Mid-Nineties hair – spiral perm to be exact! I like to tell tidbits of stories, moments in time and I am sure there will be more to come. Thanks, as always, for reading. ❤
Diana xo
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Don said:
Wonderful Diana. Lovely story. Never knew you came from Germany. Do you still have ties there?
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dianasschwenk said:
Yes I do Don, a mitt full of uncles and aunts and cousins, etc., and I speak German! ❤
Diana xo
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Don said:
That’s marvellous. My daughter-in-law is German and we’ve been to Germany a few times with her. A wonderful Place. She comes from a small town in the region of Bavaria, in the South called Memmingen.
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dianasschwenk said:
How lovely, I had a Bavarian Uncle through marriage once. My family hails from Berlin.
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vanbytheriver said:
Such a great story, Diana. And…you do look cool !! Great pics, thanks for sharing.
p.s….are you still taller than brother ??? Van
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dianasschwenk said:
haha it was Michaela wondering about the cool factor! Thrilled that you think I’m cool though Van. ❤
Diana xo
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dianasschwenk said:
Oh and my brother is taller. I’m almost 5’8″ – my brother is 6’2″!
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