The best medicine/The name/WhateverelseIfeellikesharing

I don't care what some of the contraindications say, even if it would increase intra-abdominal pressure; laughter really is the best medicine. Okay, that was just a lil PT humor for ya'll.
I just want to say today for about two hours straight or more I laughed more than i have since...well...probably the last time Zion and I had a really good talk. Let me set up the senario, though you prob won't find it funny b/c you just had to be there, tragic how that always works. but for kicks put two classmates with the same name in a room and tell them to paint it, add in the fact that one of them studied abroad in Spain and the other is working on her espanol...what do you get? La cuarta de espanol (the spanish room) where all you can do is speak spanish and point and grunt of course when you can't think of a phrase (or you can whisper in english or make it up in spanglish) and if you get paint on something that is not supposed to be painted well the classic spanish cuss word is a must "O m****a!" ("O s***!) yes, that's how you pronounce it as well:) Add in lots of paint fumes, and you've got yourself an afternoon's worth of fun and laughter!

In other news, I'm totally putting off doing anything productive with my time, I figure might as well make a day of no good studying, we've got all weekend right;)
I just want to give a shout out to Mama Bear. You asked where the name Dori comes from a while back, oh no I haven't forgotten and I feel bad if i don't do something that i say I will, so here's the story therein....

It all started back in the year 19?? na, just kidding we're not going to go back quite that far. I'm only taking you back two years max, why? b/c that's when the name first came about for this purpose though it formerly belonged to a beloved elderly lady that used to babysit for us back in the day (different spelling though). Basically, the deal is that here in blogger land all names are ficticious so that no-ones real name gets out there...it's a mysterious thing I know, but for safety and club made up name purposes, this is the way it is. It started that the name used to talk of someone corresponded to their car's name. Everyone referenced by myself is either called by their car's name, or in a case such as Mama Bear (you know who you are) an otherwise not so common nickname is used so that person feels the love when i give a shout out all the while protecting the secrecy of the not so secret blog. (If I really were stealth i wouldn't give this site address to anyone, but then where's the fun in that and what good would my rantings be if no one out there skimmed them for amusement and the occasional encouraging/challenging word.) So, there ya go, in a nutshell, now the infamous Dori is not so...how shall we say it...mysteriously exciting. Just be glad I gave up writing as if i was a car back in the earlier blogs...I mean one can only take that point of view so far:)

Let me say thankyou to anyone who has ever taken the time to pen their sentiments on cardstock. It is so nice to get a card, or anything for that matter from the heart. I was sorting through piles of nonesence (stickers, bookmarks, old college pics of Stella (right now Nala) talking with her butt) and not so nonesence (a letter from the prosecuting attourney of home county...aka speeding ticket paperwork). Amidst the accumulating papyrus type thin sheets are cards from various occasions. Some tell of fun times, a few play music (kung-foo fighting is the current fav), one has a pic that changes as you tilt it, and the home made ones that are simply arranged feel comfortable to handle. I must say though that the ones I can't seem to get rid of no matter how long they sit and "collect dust" are the loose leaf pieces of paper of multiple color, shape, and texture that contain words of encouragement, acknowledgement, and love. Recieving something of this that speaks from the heart, to mine is priceless, timeless, a treasure. So, thank you family, thank you more than words can say my dear Jasmine, I cherish yours and recognize the effort Zion, Flash - your words of wisdom do not fall on deaf ears, Stella (though the more I think about your name i think I have it wrong) I can feel you holding my hand as I read words you share from our Papa...Wow, God has blessed me indeed and I pray each of you are blessed as you sleep tonight, as you work saving lives the night through. I ask God to fill you up so you can in turn be poured out - let His love, joy, peace, confidence, etc,etc flow from you this day wherever/whatever you find yourself doing.
With Love,
Dori

And yes, I tend to get sentimental as I sit and think late at night...yes, 10:30 classifies as late at night;)

Rainbows

Some days you just feel like bloggin. Today is one of those days and thus i begin with no real direction, no lifechanging phenomena or revelation to share; yet, i type on.

I suppose there are things that demand our attention. Take Hurricane Ike for example, he caught my eye not in the 'hey what's going on' way or in the 'oh yeah that caught my eye' way...no this was more of the 'you expect something so massive and destructive to happen that you can't look away' way. Yeah, images of Katrina aftermath, the beaches of Sri Lanka from tsunami 2004, those are pictures that are burned into my minds eye - the carnage of uprooted trees, debri scattered hither and fro, and even pictures of bloated bodies that were relayed from the native's findings upon entering their houses/huts/homes. That stuff never leaves...PTSD? No, not that dramatic, but dreadful to think of all the same. Was i expecting some of the same from ol' Ike? Maybe in the back of my mind that will always be there as a possibility, but this time it was personal. I have connections, I know people...okay, I know three, maybe four peeps that live in Houston, but they are near and dear to my heart. Especially one Flash and this chica is tough...if I were H. Ike i wouldn't have messed with her. Luckily he knew better and just messed with a lot of other peeps and left pretty much everyone out of power. Then he came and dumped gallons on us midwesterners...nice huh, yeah. But yet like I said, that demanded I pay attention, I gotta be honest, the fact that i was aware of news events happening on the spot means a lot b/c I don't necessarily enjoy watching the news. I prefer football, tennis, and the occasional baseball game to pass the mindless minutes spent watching tv and the background noise optimal for naps, studying, ya know important stuff like that. All that to say, thanks Ike. Better yet, thank you Jesus, for real though, because once again you remind us of what all we have to be thankful for. You revealed your power in that you are bigger than Ike, Katrina, Tsunamis. You can take the shitty (pardon my language) stuff of this world and make something good come out of it, even if we won't see that fruit till we're praisin You in Heaven. Flash knows, my other 2-3 Houstonians will be able to testify, we take lots for granted. No qualms there, it happens, we live in America. The question is, what do we do with this awareness, with these blessings, with this life?
Oooo yeah, I'm totally leavin you hanging with this one, it's between you and God...talk it out, He likes it when we do that;)

Daily Devotional

So, as this am brought me to the new regular place for study on a schoolless Friday morning. Oh yes, I am working on becoming a Panera regular. I know it is possible, though I am not certain one day a week is consistent enough to claim the raptures of the patrons, especially since I try to seclude myself in a corner, close to a plug in, put on the headphones, and stare at a computer screen for 2+ hours in search of information out there on the vast thing we call the world wide web. They may not recognize me, but I certainly do in only the third week coming know just who I need to connect with to be thought of in this illusive light of...a regular. For starters, I picked the right area, the table of talkers is two to three away and though more come and go, there is a consistent four that have appeared for three weeks in a row so far. Elderly? No. Aged? Possibly. Gray with wisdom? Not that I have heard yet, just the banter of two ornery men and the less than true words of two middle aged women. Did I say that i come to research online? Oh, yes, I do that too, but let's be honest i can pull off both at the same time, my observational powers are not unique, just honed in after hours of discussing them in class.:)
Anyway, what I really wanted to share today was the daily devotional i stumbled upon at the start of the Panera experience as I did not take the time in the quiet of my room this morning.
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/Daily%20Disciples%20Devotional/11581701/
It struck me, especially as it is a slow rainy day outside how it is good to slow down and recognize. Step outside myself, ask who or what I can pray for, who can i bless, encourage, take a moment to listen to?? so many choices, so much to do...not really, it will all get done. When was the last time i stopped and said hello instead of just passing a smile? I am happy to say the past few days I have taken that opportunity, don't worry, God got on me about that one earlier this week;) And so i praise Him and strive to glorify Him in this Panera, in my research, in the whole process of life...in the way I will go about my day.

I signed up for this?

They don't tell you everything when you sign up. Some things are better if discovered by experience or trial; others are nice to know and learn from those who have been there. For example, the first year class work and mini clinical experiences were best to jump in there and figure it out as you go. However, I truly appreciate the knowledge and stories imparted to our eager second year minds...and bodies today. The knowledge obtained was accepted not with an elevated HR and BP from excitement, rather from nervous energy and an "Oh my, I hope that doesn't happen too soon" attitude. Nonetheless, it does make for great stories and we laughed for sure.
Other than the tramatic stories it has been great. Applying material and expanding on ideas that we had from before is always a good time. Using our creativity and practicing handling skills makes for interesting class periods and it sure helps the hours fly by. It is true, the second year is definitely better than the first. We have survived the worst of it and now it's just endurance and fighting to get to the end...I'm up for the challenge. I'm ready to go, put me in coach!

Back inside

ahhh the joys of 8 hour days. Wait, no 9...nope pretty sure yesterday we clocked it at 10. Yep, oh the joys of ten hour days. Yesss (insert grab it up high and bring it down).

Ironies/oxymorons so to speak:

• very active people being forced to sit through 4 hour blocks of material twice in one day
• typical abnormal movements...huh, think on that one
• bright night, always a favorite of mine
• little sumo wrestler

and thus the month of September is here and starts off with a bang. Things come together, other things fall apart. Life goes on, so they say. Sometimes it seems like for a split second time actually could stand still. The time it takes to read a much anticipated email, wait for a phone call, or watch the clock crawl through an hour all are painful experiences. Not pain so much in the quantifiable way we refer to it in the present/best/worst (PT terms); no, no, this is pain that centers around the mid section, creeps into the crevaces of the mind. At times, it comes in the form of "if I have to wait one more second I just might freak out over here!"

And so I wait.

Sometimes a girls gotta get a break. Oh wait, i did get my break, it came in the form of housing. I do acknowledge that one, thank you Jesus.

Ever notice how easy it is to praise God when things go your way. Yeah, i was thinking about that the other day when I was frustrated with stuff. I will never forget the story of when a couple told part of what it was like to go through a miscarriage. They were at one of their parent's houses when they found out for sure what was happening. Instead of letting them retreat into themselves and grieve alone the parents urged them to stay in the living room and praise God together. Woah, talk about struggle. They related how it was the hardest, most tearfilled praise Jesus session ever, but wouldn't have had it any other way. I always thought, wow, that's cool, that's what it should be, Praise God in the hard times.

Now, I acknowledge that is on a completely different level and I have not experienced anything close to that magnitude, but the principle is still there. The feeling of not wanting to say anything and question what in the world God has planned was there. I mean, ya gotta be honest right? I still don't know what God has in store; I never will know the whole of it unless one day in heaven God says, hey you remember those days...see what was going on here, how that fit in there to influence this and that led to that which inhibited this that was going to lead you here, but I wanted you here so I showed you this and made you wait for that and aren't you glad i did? yeah, I think it will be something like that only maybe a bit more confusing:)

Until then, I wait.

I praise God for the unknown, for the hard times that will prepare me for other times, for the good things, the cancers, the laughter, the memories, the support, the people that are in the here and now. One day at a time. One prayer at a time.

One hour at a time...