In celebration for my 34th post!!!

Well, I just feeding reading Erica's tribute to her 100th post and I thought to myself, hey that's a good idea I'm going to do it. But when I looked to see how many posts I've written it was mere 34... So I thought to myself, why must we wait for the milestones, like 100, to celebrate. Can I not just celebrate 34? So that's what I'll do celebrate that this is the 34th post, the last was 33 and the next will be 35.... wow....

34 things that I, Dana Barrand, love and appreciate...

1. my mom, what a woman!
2. my sis, even when we are cranky together, i know we'll still be friends
3. appleby -what would life be if I were not here?
4. kids club
5. famers market
6. organic yogurt
7. journalling using words and drawings and pictures
8. prayer rooms
9. travelling
10. Africa
11. babies
12. baking banana bread with cranberries
13. erica, amy, dana, wendy, sj, lisa, sarah... you know I would not know what to do with myself with out you girls...
14. dreaming about what could be with my life
15. njema, majok, nabol, and athok
16. picking people up at the bus stop
17. eating chinese food at christmas
18. gardening
19. eating stuff from my garden
20. when erica calls me a 'hippie' as well as when she calls me 'fernie'
21. taking pictures
22. airports
23. work
24. the people i work with
25. high school memories of walks around Dalmeny
26. meeting new people from other countries
27. eating delicious meals with dad, linda, and lindsay
28. knowing i risked and did what i needed to do
29. riding my bike
30. canoeing down the river and dragging my feet in the water
31. broadway theater
32. eating at fun restaurants like saba's, ee burritos, and the like
33. the internet - what a nerd i am
34. the ocean

well, I'm having fun with this so I'm going to keep going...

35. public speaking
36. memories or granville island and taking pictures in 'dana'
37. dreaming of being a real 'hippie' someday
38. the pursuit of being a good soup maker
39. watching foreign movies, or movies with a message
40. ywam, mcc, bethany - the places that have helped to shape me
41. hammocks
42. growing herbs, even though they generally end up dying
43. my grandma (and grandpa too)
44. my grey jogging suit that I wear all the time when I am home
45. visiting with Shirley
46. learning new things about the world
47. the hope of falling in love
48. the fringe and other fun festivals in the summer
49. summer time in saskatoon
50. the sound of skates on a skating rink
52. when erica makes me supper
53. amy's mirror creations
54. my colombian family - rosa, caro, and gloria
55. empanada's and limonade from gloria
56. the dream of wanting to make a photography coffee table book
57. dreaming of travelling to far away places and seeing more of this world
58. freedom in worship
59. deep conversations in the evening
60. burning candles
61. cuddling up in a blanket and watching a girly movie
62. organic section of the super market
63. blog stalking
64. sleeping under the christmas tree with my sister
65. being with people
66. the occational night alone, with burning candles, quiet music and my journal
67. painting - if I feel so inspired
68. hanging out with simon and matthew

the end - i believe i doubled my intended 34, but after a while it gets fun and I start to think about all the lovely things of life...

Here's to another 34 more posts!!!! cheers....

It's been so long since I posted something...

Well, I know it's been so long. Much has been happening. I turned 25 and have made some good 25 year resolutions, have been having good times with friends, work is busy but creative and encouraging, kids club is my joy every week, jesus is just good these days... But I don't have much time to write all about what's been going through my head. I write this Chalo update e-mail to some kids who where out in Saskatoon at Appleby this summer. As I was writing it I thought I would just post it here cause I really should post on this thing. So here it is...

Well Everyone,

It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to sit down
and write an update on what’s been going on around
Appleby Drive. Life is sure a lot different around
here in the winter. Everythings seems quieter because
the kids aren’t running all over. It’s kinda sad, and
Erica and I have both said we can’t wait for the
summer...

This past fall Majok, Nabol, and Njema’s family moved
to another area of the city. It wasn’t the best of
circumstances that brought hem to move and in the
short notice they had they could only find a two
bedroom within their price range. So now this family
of 7 lives in a two bedroom apartment. Please pray
for them when they come to mind. They need all the
prayers they can get right now.

The kids had never been trick or treating, so Erica
and I decided go over to their place and take the
trick or treating. They told us what they wanted to
be and we went out and got them costumes, even their
oldest sister, who is 14 was pumped to be a princess!
i have never seen kids so excited. So we got dressed
up, reviewed trick or treating manners “no eating
until home, say thank-you, and don’t hog the
doorway...) grabbed our pillow cases and went on our
merry way.

Well, we got to the first door and she gave them each
one mini chocolate bar. They couldn’t believe that
this was true. You ring and they give you candy, how
brilliant!!! They were just excited, and I didn’t
think they could get much more excited until one of
the ladies gave them a handful of her candy bowl.
Well, that was it, Majok could barely talk he was so
excited. He just looked at us with big eyes and a
stunned look and said, “SHE GAVE US A WHOLE
HANDFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” It was great. We kept
going and throughout the night they would just look at
their candy and with great pride remark on how their
mom was going to be so proud of them.

That night I just thought man, I wish I was a kid
again. Not just for the candy, but for that utter
excitment over the little things. The thankfulness
that pours out because from deep in our beings we are
stunned and excited and thankful at what is around us,
not the thankfulness that pours out because we are
polite and it is the ‘right’ thing to do. So today...
let’s forget we are getting older, lets just be kids.
Let’s be amazed at this world around us.

Dana