Verse of the Day: "‘Thank you!’ —the coyotes and the buzzards— Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth, Drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.” Isaiah 43:19"

Things that are awesome:.. Page a day calendars.  I bought two of them yesterday for half-price, and I"m so excited to get started!  I"ve had far side and garfield ones in the past, and its so fun to wake up each day with something funny to look at first thing.  I"ll be sharing the ones I got this year (FML and Urban Myths) with you.  If youi don't have a page-a-day of your own, you should definetly check one out!!

House quote of the day: " who else thinks his body powder smells like an elephant dung smoothie?" (House)

Far Side of the Day:

MLS of the Day: "Today a customer handed me the ankle length hoisery she had just used to try on some shoes, and as I sat there feeling the warm dampness of them in the palm of my hand, she said, "You should throw those away, I have a foot fungus." MLS.""

Fact or Myth: Chimps have been known to make tools including skewers to impale termites, and sponges made from leaves to soak up water.

Psych fact of the day: criminal profiler= researcher who looks into an offenders demographic and individual characteristics, esp signs of specific mental illnesses.

- hey blog fans! I'm adding a couple new things to my blog for the new year. I got an FML (which I renamed for this) daily calendar of funny stories that are just too good not to share, and some myth vs true quizzes as well. Enjoy!!

Verse of the Day: “Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”” John 16:33 MSG"

Things that are awesome: .. They played this video at church today, and I almost peed myself laughing. Check it out!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvYFvhx1dcY



House Quote of the Day:
                                         House: "C'mon. Get those symptoms on the board."
                                         Cameron: "Whoa- you're letting me touch the markers??"
                                         House: "It's in my advanced care directive- should I be incapicated in any
                                                      way, you run the board. Then Foreman.. and Chase... you're just not
                                                       ready yet."

Far Side of the Day:

*MLS (My Life Sucks) of the day: ""Today my girlfriend gave me a speech on me "not being manly enough." I started crying. MLS" "

Psych fact of the day: acetylcholine= most prevalent neurotransmitter in the body; involved in learning, memory, and muscle contraction.

Verse of the Day: “[The Road] “Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”” John 14:1-3 MSG

Things that are awesome: .. My favorite coffee mug in the entire world.. I lost mine for awhile, but luckily they still carried them, so I got a new one for Christmas.  Starbucks really killed it on this one- double- walled, great grip... keeps my drink warm for hours.  Pick one up next time you're out to get a coffee... Seriously.

House Quote of the Day:
                                         Wilson (as House walks away): "This isn't going to go away you know..."
                                          House: "No, but maybe you will."

Far Side of the Day:

Psych fact of the day: caulrophobia= fear of clowns

Verse of the Day:““Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”” Matthew 11:28 MSG

Things that are awesome: People who can play guitar. My brother's friend Tim (and now my friend too!) has been staying with us, and it's been so much fun singing to accompaniment for a change! Guitars are so great bc they're light, and if you have one, you have music behind you wherever you go!!

Daily Play: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FtvF4k2QaQ

House Quote of the Day:

                                          Wilson: "Mark's in a therapy group for people coping with disabilities.
                                                        He was thinking about developing a drug addiction, but that would
                                                        be stupid."
                                         House: "Hey... you're talking about me right? Oh YOU!!..."

Far Side of the Day:

Psych fact of the day: iatrophobia= fear of doctors

Verse of the Day: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows— light! sunbursts of light!" (Is. 9:6)

Things that are awesome: ... My favorite book to read at Christmas time- by far.  I was bummed they didn't read it at our Christmas Eve service this year! Basically the story of three trees who all start out with very different dreams, but all end up being tied into the story of Jesus in the end.  Awesome illustrations and just really good writing in general.  I'm going to have to pick it up and read it again soon.
House quote of the day:
 House: "You're allergic to your cat. We can control it w antihistamine pills.   Or a nasal spray."
 Patient: "Pills? Steroids? Isn't there ANYTHING else you can give me?"
House: "Well, if you live by a river I have a bag."

Far Side of the Day:

Psych Fact of the Day: Montreux Clinic= famous eating disorder center in Canada in the 90's that was supposed to offer a "miracle cure" for anorexics who had tried the traditional health care system.  Ended up being shut down after licencing found out that staff did not have appropriate training, and that clients were being held against their will and abusively force-fed.

Verse of the Day: "They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed. Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself." (Luke 2:18)

Things that are awesome: ... Christmas services at the Catholic church.  My grandma is Catholic, so many of my childhood memories involve going to Christmas eve/Christmas mass.  Although usually the formality of mass is a little hard for me to get through, there is something magical about services at Christmas time; these churches always do it up big with decorations, and the reverence of tbe services is really quite magical.  Anyone who has never been to a Christmas eve mass should definetly try it! It's a beautiful way to celebrate the birth of Jesus. :)


House Quote of the Day:
                                        House: "You know if I tried something like this, you'd get that nasty wrinkly
                                                      face and screech like a hyena. It's very sexy, I admit but..."

Far Side of the Day:

Psych fact if the day: catecholamines= neurotransmitters that fire up the nervous system- increase heart rate, blood flow, and oxygen to the brain.

Verse of the Day:“As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger." (Luke 2:16-17)

Things that are awesome:.. Random acts of Christmas kindness.  I was sitting at Starbucks on my break at work today, when suddenly one of the workers brought me over a Starbucks gift card, and said one of my customers left it for me anonymously. It was so sweet!! Made my whole day. :)

House quote of the day:
                                     Cuddy: "Are you being intentionally dense?"
                                     House: "Huh?"

Far Side of the Day:

Psych fact of the day: selachophobia= fear of sharks

Verse of the Day: "There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide:" (Luke 2:11-12)

Things that are awesome: .,..My favorite childrens book of all time (which, ironically, didn't come out until I was in college), I discovered this one when I was looking for fun stories to read to my clients at the day program a few years ago.  Basically a modernized twist on the Velveteen Rabbit, it tells the story of a pompous, well dressed, french rabbit toy who has to get lost on a ship ride, and go through several owners, before he finally learns how to connect and love people.  The writing is fantastic, and the pictures are awesome! My dad and I are reading it together right now and loving it- people of any age should definetly read this!!!

House quote of the day:
                                  Cameron: "she had.. A psychotic attack, and now she ran in there and must've    
                                  Jammed something into the handle."
                                  House: "So you called me, the guy w one good leg and zero leverage."

Far Side of the Day:

Psych fact of the day: Traits= consistent and stable patterns in the ways people think, feel, behave

Verse of the Day: “While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.” Luke 2:6-7
Things that are awesome: .. University of Minnesota medical center. The doctors in the opthamology department there have been working with me since we moved here when I was 2, and I have had upwards of 25 years of good vision thanks to them.  They have seen me through numerous surgeries, medications, and unique crises, and have always been extremely skilled and compassionate. We have great health care in Minnesota!!

House Quote of the Day:
                               "People used to have more respect for cripples you know!" (House)

Far Side of the Day:


Psych fact of the day: psychogenic amnesia: amnesia that is psychologically based (not caused by brain damage).

Verse of the Day: "Mercy to our fathers, as he remembers to do what he said he’d do, What he swore to our father Abraham— a clean rescue from the enemy camp, So we can worship him without a care in the world, made holy before him as long as we live. And you, my child, “Prophet of the Highest,” will go ahead of the Master to prepare his ways, Present the offer of salvation to his people, the forgiveness of their sins." (Luke 1:69)

Book Review: ... Basically a combination of two things I love. This book was a 10/10 on the awesomeness scale.  It's a collection of articles by different psychologists talking about House and the other members of the show in terms of various psychological topics, from relationships, to politics, to addictions, to learning, to the journey of a hero. I've always thought that House was a psychologically fascinating character, and this book definetly proved my point! I learned a TON (you've seen some it it in the form of my 'psych facts of the day' of late, and I'd definetly recommend this book to anyone who loves the show House, or just loves to learn about amazing things in general. :)

Daily Play: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2KRpRMSu4g


House Quote of the Day:
                                  Cuddy: "Your billings are almost non-existant... you ignore requests for
                                                consults..."
                                  House: "I call back, its just sometimes I misdial."

Far Side of the Day:

Psych Fact of the Day: xenophobia= excessive fear of foreigners or strangers.

Verse of the Day: "Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God’s Sunrise will break in upon us, Shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, Then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace.” (Luke 1:70)

Book Review:  8/10 on the awesomeness scale, this book was a little slow in places, but overall a great storyline. Basically tells the story of this women who is about to get married when she accidentally loses his daughter on an outing to the beach.  She spends and entire year looking for her, while the book goes back and forth in time, describing the life that leade her up to that point. What she discovers about what happened to the little girl (Emma) will blow your mind. Check it out!!      

House Quote of the day:

                                        Foreman: "Are you crazy?"
                                        House: "As a former patient of a mental asylum, I take offense to that
                                                      terminology!"
Far Side of the Day:

Psych Fact of the Day: Many of history's serial killers/school shooters/ building bombers (Eric Klebold of Columbine for one) were clinically diagnosable as either sociopaths or antisocial personality disordered, according to DSM-IV criteria.

Verse of the Day:“Then Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he came and set his people free. He set the power of salvation in the center of our lives, and in the very house of David his servant, Just as he promised long ago through the preaching of his holy prophets:" (Luke 1:68)

Things that are awesome: .. Peole with wrapping skills.  Over the years I have tried (and failed) to wrap presents with the kind of finesse that some people have.  I seem to always make some kind of error.. cutting the paper too short, or having part the paper rip once I"ve got it taped down... but seriously, watching some people do it is like watching an art form.  I surrendered to my fate as an subdefective wrapper, and did all bags this year, but this one lady I work with told me she loves wrapping and does EACH present in a diffferent color wrapping paper! How awesome is that.  I should have given her my gifts to do...

House quote of the day: Dominica: "in your head!"

                                       House: " ... It's face"

                                       Dominica: "on your face!"

                                       House: "close enough."
Far Side of the Day:

Psych fact of the day: optimistic bias= people's tendency to underestimate their risk if suffering unfortunate life events , and to overestimate their chamces of experiencing positive ones

Verse of the Day: “While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant." (Matthew 1:20)

Things that are awesome:  .. Not only are hippos adorable (though dangerous) this song is completely creative and hilarious. Best christmas song EVER! My sister has the whole things memorized, and I am almost there. Check it out!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oOzszFIBcE

House quote of the day:
                                Cuddy: "How do you know? You don't have access to the hospitals mainframe."
                                 House: "No, but "partypants" does.
                                 Cuddy: " You stole my password??"

Far Side of the Day:

Psych fact of the day: becoming a widow / widower significantly decreases life satisfaction

Verse of the Day: "She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20)

Things that are awesome: .. People who are bilingual.  Even though I took French classes in high school, and have done a little Rosetta stone, I'm still painfully limited to English, and envious of those who aren't.  One of my best friends is fluent in four languages, and several people at my church know at least two.  One of them told me he sometimes dreams in his native Spanish, even though he lives in America now, and has for some time. How cool is that?? Seriously- people with more than one language will never cease to impress me. :)

House quote of the day: "humanity is overrated." (House)

Far Side of the Day:

Psych fact of the day: agency= ability to draw respect from others. People w intelligence, competence, achievement, or power have this.

Verse of the Day: “And Mary said, I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened— I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!" (Luke 1:46)

Things that are awesome: ... Compassion International. This organization matches up kids in impoverished countries with Christian sponsors who donate 38 dollars a month so a child can have education, three meals a day, health care, and Bible classes.  You get to choose a child, and then exchange letters and pictures once a month. Its awesome!  My family's been sponsoring kids for years, and this year I finally took one of my own.  Her name is Mangali.  I'm excited!!


House quote of the day:
                                      House: (about a patient) " is he Canadian?"
                                      Cameron: "he's just..."
                                      House: "Happy. I've gotta stop this before it spreads."

Far Side of the Day:

Psych Fact of the Day: better-than-average effect: the human tendency to view oneself more favorably than objective reality warrants

Verse of the Day: "But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.’(Luke 1:31)

Things that are awesome:  Lately there has been a huge boom of this expression- its showing up everywhere, from cell phone covers, to t-shirts, to posters... Some people have added stupid adaptations to the "keep calm," but I still think the original version is awesome.  Not only do I have a predilection for anything British, it has some sweet history behind it. This mantra first appeared in England in 1939, when the government designed the poster pictured above as a morale lifter for the people during WW11. Even 70+ years later, it is still a great motto to live by, especially in light of things we can't control, like the horrible tragedy that occured yesterday in Connecticut.  This world is not our home, and sometimes the best thing we can do when tragedy strikes is keep calm, and do our best to carry on.


House quote of the day:

(After a bet to see who could keep a chicken at the hospital for longest undetected...)

                                House: "To the victor the spoils!... Your chicken recover ok?"

                                Wilson: "Physically, yes. Emotionaly... it was a long night. Next week... ferrets?"

Far Side of the Day:

Psych fact of the day: unmitigated agency= personality type that believes that personal goals should never be compromised by insipid socialization

Verse of the Day: “When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly: It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land, no longer bringing up the rear. From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.”” Matthew 2:4-6 MSG

Things that are awesome: ... My bunny.  (well technically, he's my sisters, but I've been taking care of him since she left for college years ago).  He is so friendly- he stands up against the side of his pen in the garage whenever I call him, and contentedly sniffs and closes his eyes when I hold him and watch tv.  He eats more fresh fruit than I do, and is quite energetic for his old age. Yeah pets!!

House quote of the day:
                                     Cameron: " what do you want me to do? Justt say yes because you're House?"
                                     House: "... I'd certainly like that, yeah."

Far Side of the Day:

Psych fact of the day: name- letter effect: peoples tendency to like the letters in their on names to other letters in the alphabet.