Merry Christmas 2013!

The Store is Open!

The online store is up!Every $ you spend goes directly to my medical bills.In a way you have a stake in RoboJude 2.0! http://mkt.com/judy-mcdonald Judy McDonald is a stand up comedian who sells her wares (mostly stuff to do with sheep). Read John 10:27 to understand why she like sheep so much. You can just like em cause they are cute. Shop on!

The Most Catholic Dog Ever

I think Daisy has been to more, Masses, Hours of Adoration, Catholic conferences, you name it, in the last 9 months, than most people I know will go in their entire lives. 

She gives new meaning to the word, "dogma".

Mamacita

CatholicNews.com

People

Catholic sees comedy as part of everyday life, a form of evangelization

INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) -- A peek into the halls of the Indiana Convention Center during the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis Nov. 21-23 would show different aspects of the faith. A bishop talked about turning off electronic devices to find time for God. A priest discussed how to combine fitness and prayer time. And on a stage in a large exhibit hall, comedian Judy McDonald commented on the questions she is asked as result of her service dog, Daisy. "They'll ask if I'm blind -- while I'm texting," she jokes. McDonald and Daisy were part of the conference's afternoon recreation portion Nov. 23 in an hour-and-a-half session called the Comedy Club. The pair was joined by seven other comedy acts to lighten the mood after two-and-a-half days of praise, worship and faith-growing sessions. "Comedy is in our life every day, like depression and dinner and pancakes and snot," said McDonald, a lifelong Catholic and former youth and campus minister. McDonald has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder for the last three years, and Daisy helps her cope.

Read the full story here: http://www.archindy.org/criterion/local/2013/11-29/ncyc-comedy.html

The Criterion 
The Criterion Online Edition 

National Catholic Youth Conference 2013

Catholic comedian connects faith, life and humor during NCYC performance

After performing a comedy routine on stage on Nov. 23 in an exhibit hall, comedian Judy McDonald pays some attention to her service dog, Daisy, at her booth at the National Catholic Youth Conference at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. (Photo by Natalie Hoefer)

 

By Natalie Hoefer

A peek into the exhibit halls of the Indiana Convention Center during the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis on Nov. 21-23 would show different aspects of the faith.

A bishop talked about turning off electronic devices to find time for God.

A priest discussed how to combine fitness and prayer time.

And on a stage in a large exhibit hall, comedian Judy McDonald commented on the questions she is asked because of her service dog, Daisy.

“They’ll ask if I’m blind—while I’m texting,” she jokes.

McDonald and Daisy were part of the Saturday afternoon recreation portion of NCYC in an hour-and-a-half session called the Comedy Club.

The pair was joined by seven other comedy acts to lighten the mood after two-and-a-half days of praise, worship and faith-growing sessions.

“Comedy is in our life every day, like depression and dinner and pancakes and snot,” said McDonald, a lifetime Catholic and former youth and campus minister.

“Life is life. I think we tend to compartmentalize God into a separate area, and he doesn’t want that. He wants all of it.

“So I think, why not put Catholicism in comedy and comedy in Catholicism? It’s part of our life.”

McDonald, who lives in San Diego, sees comedy as a form of the new evangelization.

“I integrate a funny talk with sharing my faith. I did that even in secular clubs. I was part of the new evangelization, and I didn’t even know it.”

McDonald has been performing as a comedian for 20 years. She started doing comedy on the side while a freshman at the University of San Diego.

After graduating, McDonald served as campus minister for her alma mater.

Later, while working as youth minister for a junior high school, she felt a push toward full-time comedy—out of necessity.

“The priest at the time said, ‘You know how you want to be a comedian? Well, this is God’s way of shoving you into that because we don’t have enough money to pay you anymore.’ I was like, ‘Thank you?’ But now I praise God for it.”

She switched to full-time comedy in 2003, speaking at faith-based conferences, Life Teen events and parishes.

Soon she was invited to go overseas to perform at garrisons and army bases. That led to speaking at parishes in Ireland and other countries, and eventually large venues like NCYC.

But all was not comedy and laughter in McDonald’s life.

“My childhood was not particularly good, and no one knew about it until I was about 30,” she said.

As a result of the incidents of her past, McDonald has suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for the last three years.

“My doctor said getting a service dog would be good for me, but that it was $10,000. I didn’t exactly have that in the cookie jar,” she said.

McDonald prayed about what to do. She decided to send a letter to all those for whom she’d worked in the past, as well as adding the plea to her Facebook fan page.

“I really felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to trust that if these people cared for me then they would help me.”

Within two weeks, McDonald had the $10,000.

“I really feel like God gave me [my service dog] Daisy,” she said. “She came from the aptly named ‘Little Angels Service Dogs’ in San Diego. She alerts me when I’m going to have a panic attack or flashback or nightmares,” McDonald explained.

“She’s not the end all be all, but God has certainly put her in my pathway as a gift, and I respect her as such. She really is my little angel.”

The dog has proven to be a blessing in her comedic ministry as well.

“She’s great after shows when kids want to come up and talk to me,” said McDonald. “She’s that extra push that comforts kids if they want to share something with me. I’m someone from out of town, and they may not be comfortable telling their youth minister, but they’ll talk to me.

“Of course, I then tell them to share it with their youth minister or priest or mom,” she said.

McDonald is a fan of NCYC, and not just for the economic opportunity it provides.

“I love this venue. It’s so great for the kids to see before they go off to college that it’s OK to be Catholic.

“If I’d known what these kids are learning here, I would have stayed Catholic out of love instead of fear,” she admitted.

“It’s so great to see them having fun and doing it because they want to do it. Now their kids are going to learn, and it’s just going to build.

“These kids aren’t the Church of the future, they’re the Church right now,” said McDonald. “Anybody could come here and have hope. If anyone is disillusioned about the Church, they need to come here and see this.

“[NCYC] gives me hope throughout the year. I can look back at this and say, ‘The Church is OK.’ ” †

 Edition

NCYC

We are at Lucas Oil for NCYC and we found the easiest way to tell 23,000 people at the same time NOT to pet my service dog. 

http://youtu.be/oDFOSDsIMPY

My Friend Christina & her Service Dog Zoe

Service woes

I’m having a hard day. Having Zoe is supposed to make my life easier, and in a lot of ways, she does… But lately it’s been really hard dealing with the ignorance of people in public when they’re interacting with us as a service dog/handler team (or should be completely ignoring us).

Basically tonight, I went to Fatburger in North Hollywood to pick up a sandwich I called in and naturally, I had Zoe with me. At the counter, the girl says to me “there’s no animals allowed in here”. I say, “she’s a service dog”, and the girl says “ok but there’s no animals in here.” At this point, I just repeat and say “she’s not a pet, she’s a medical animal” to a blank stare. Then another CUSTOMER steps in and says something, to which the girl says “fine ok, as long as I don’t get in trouble”, with a tone and rolling her eyes like she doesn’t believe me. It might not sound like a huge deal, but believe me, I felt accosted, I felt people staring at me, and was made to feel like I was in the wrong… obviously if someone else had to come up and defend me. Even after I was leaving, I heard another employee say something about me having an animal, and the original girl saying “she said it’s a service dog”. So how many people there exactly are unaware what a vested service animal looks like?

It’s sad that I should almost expect this kind of ignorance from strangers, but I never thought I’d have to deal with it from employees of a corporate chain. You’d like a company would have some sort of training for their employees on what a service dog looks like.

It’s easy now to defend myself now, but in the moment, I feel on display, attacked and awkward… and all I want to do is flee and I freeze up. So naturally, I did and then just cried in the car afterwards.

When we’re out, I don’t want to talk about us, I don’t want to have to explain 100 times what she does… I just want to be ignored and treated like anyone else. Being called out constantly for having a disability animal with me is not helping me at all. I’ve had people yell across stores “is that your dog?”, “are you training her?” Or “look at the pretty doggy!”.

Some days are easier than others, and today’s just not one of them…

• service dog
• labrador
• medical assistance animals

Artsy Fartsy

LAX

Even though some bad things happened today at LAX we got to see our friends from the Jacob and Matthew band before we got on our flight to Seattle. Hooray!

We're Back

I went to the back surgeon yesterday and sooner or later I will have to get my spine fixed, but untill Obamacare stops fixing things my insurance company doesn't seem to want to approve anything. 

So in the mean time I'm all clear to get back to walking. So now hopefully we can get some of those pounds off of Daisy who has bore the brunt of the sedatary life that a bum back brings. If you see us don't try to hit us, it's not funny and we can't run that fast. 

Life Lessons With Daisy

Take the time to eat the roses.

Off to Little Rock, Arkansas

Daisy Mae gets to carry her own luggage at the airport today! 

Finally I have a full service, service dog. 

2 Dogs & A Stuffed Carrot...Another Epic Weekend!

$1700 Picture

My 3 day RACZ procedure is over. Now I just have to let the juices "cook" for a few weeks and see if they did their work and ate up all the scar tissue and then filled up the gaps with fresh healthy blood flow or some blah blah, medical stuff that I didn't really listen too much because I was busy looking at my hand because when your on the kind of drugs that they had me on, looking at your hand is faciniating! 

Good thing I had the best nurse ever. 

And only a handful I of people thought I was serious when I posted that it wasn't my back at all but that I had given birth to a healthy baby boy. No wonder I was in pain when he comes out at 6 weeks old!

I sure did show my insurance. When They don't cover a procedure that might just help me perhaps avoid spinal fusion I take lots I pictures. "Oh thank God Obama care will come fix every thing soon!" said Daisy in her most sarcastic voice ever as she went to go check on the baby. 

Stay classy and always lift with your back in quick, short thrusting and jerking motions!

I Knew She Was Moonlighting

Confession

My name is Daisy Mae and I weigh 84.5 pounds.  I didn't weigh that much 6 weeks ago, In fact I weighed 11 pounds less. But I started a bad habit.  you see, I steal my 11 year old brother's kibble when he is not looking.  His bowl, then being empty gets refilled by his mom who thinks my mom just didn't feed him when she fed me and no one is the wiser.  I have been eating two dinners for the last two months and would of gotten away with it too if it wasn't for those meddling kids and that pesky dog.
Now they are watching what I eat and making me exercise above and and beyond what my human is use to. Oh well, at least I'm not in Utah (inside dog joke).

Old School Blog

Sunday, June 26, 2005

Reader Mail

Dear Judy,
My mom says I should stay in school and be a doctor. But I want to be a stand up comedian. I really like your comedy and wonder, where do you get your ideas?
Billy McCloskey
Toledo, Ohio

Dear Billy,
You should listen to your mother and be a doctor! Just remember this, doctor's can always tell jokes but stand up comedians can't perform surgery.
As for the ideas for my comedy, I just listen to the voices.
Stay in school Billy!

My Phat Phriend

I'm not saying who, but OK Daisy, has gained as much weight as I have lost in the last month. So we went out for a hike to burn off some kibble this morning. 

She has to look good for our last handful of shows of the year! 

Plus she can't break the plane when we fly.

My Service Monster

Thanks Branson , MO!

It's Been a Summer of Surf!

Working Hard

So far the focus group seems to really like my new material. 

Surf Em If Ya Got Em

Watch the Pope Live from World Youth Day

The best part is that there are no bathrooms lines!

http://wydcentral.org/live/

The McDonald Clan

Surfing in Ireland Makes Your Head Cozy

The last time I was in Ireland I was blessed with the opportunity to go surfing. 

At the time I would not have called it a blessed moment. It was a bit of a hassle but the payoff was memorable. 

To rent a board and a wetsuit was only about 10 Euros for the day but I would have paid 100 for the wetsuit alone.  The water was freezing. And not like 'freezing' here in Southern California when it is in the 60's, no, it was Irish cold.
Irish ocean water required not only a wetsuit but booties, gloves and the all important head wet suit....what do they call a wet suit for your head? A cozy? Whatever it was, it was necessary.  I stupidly paddled out the first time without it and the first time an Irish wave came and I duck-dove under it, I almost died! It was an instant ice cream headache. No, more like 200 ice cream cones were simultaneously stuck to my head at once. I had never felt  pain in my noggin like that before, even when my dad lifted me into the ceiling fan!  It froze my brain! It actually slowed my thinking down which in turn slowed my body down. I guess that's why it took so long for me to get to shore to put on my head cozy.

Paddling back out I didn't take the time to let it all sink in.  I was surfing in Ireland! There were Irish fish, Irish dolphins, Irish people in the water with me.  The waves were poopy but it didn't seem to matter.

Yes it was cold and was a pain in the butt to carry everything down a hill to the beach but damn it, I was surfing in Ireland!

Take the time to pay a little extra, work a little harder, take the chance of being eaten by an Irish shark...to "surf in Ireland". Don't let awesomeness slip by because of inconvenience.

Dang, put a diaper on my and I could lead a cult...on a surfing trip to Ireland!

NCYC 2013

Daisy's First Padre Game

Thanks to Buddy Black for tossing Daisy a ball before the Padre game started. What a lucky puppy!

Fly, Fly, Fly!

When there is a fly on the airplane I think, "wow, this fly is smart."

Or sometimes think, this fly is going to have it's mind blown when it finds out this plain is going to (state I am flying to that particular day). 

 I also think, "wow, this fly's family is going to be super confused when he doesn't show up for dinner, at the trashcan...which is in the first class galley."

Do You Remember This?

Me neither.

California Dog

Daisy went to Preschool

A few weeks ago Daisy and I payed a visit to a preschool classroom when it just happened to be be "Pet Week".  The kids were so cute and listened as I explained that Daisy "worked" with me. Then I opened it up for questions, something that you should never do in a preschool setting, since they all have statements more than questions. A little girl raised her hand and said, "why does she gotta work?" so I explained that Daisy was a special dog and was a good helper.  The little girl didn't buy that story and raised her hand again and said, "ya, but why does she have to go to work?" Finally, the fact that I should never work with preschoolers bubbled over and I said "Miss Judy sometimes feels bad and mistakenly thinks that buying things will fill the void in her soul that really only God can fill but at the end of the month the bill still comes and THAT is why Daisy has to work, so she can pay the bills!"

To which the little girls said, "OK" and was satisfied and then went on to listen to the little boy next to her "ask a question" about his hamster.  Praise Jesus for letting me be a comedian and not a Preschool teacher, Amen.

A few of the Pope's favourite things

Written by Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service Wednesday, 03 April 2013 11:53

Pope Francis gestures as he arrives to lead his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican April 3. -

 CNS photo/Paul Haring

VATICAN CITY - Here are a few of Pope Francis' favourite things, which he revealed in a series of interviews granted while he was archbishop of Buenos Aires.

The interviews are in the book, Pope Francis: Conversations with Jorge Bergoglio by Sergio Rubin and Francesca Ambrogetti, which was originally published in 2010 under the title El Jesuita (The Jesuit). It is not yet available in English.

-- Favourite sports: When he was young, the future Pope played basketball, but he loved going to the stadium to watch soccer with his whole family to see their favourite team, San Lorenzo. He lamented that the fan scene is not what it used to be. At the worst, "people would yell at the referee that he was a bum, a scoundrel, a sellout ... nothing in comparison to the epithets they use today," he said.

-- Favourite city: "I love where I live. I love Buenos Aires." He has travelled in Latin America and parts of Europe, including Ireland "to improve my English." However, he said, "I always try to avoid travelling ... because I'm a homebody" and got homesick easily.

-- Favourite way to stay informed: Newspapers. He said he turned on the radio only to listen to classical music. He had thought he'd probably start using the Internet like his predecessor, the late-Cardinal Juan Carlos Aramburu of Buenos Aires, did — "when he retired at 75."

-- Favourite mode of transport as cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires: The subway, which he would always take to get around "because it's fast; but if I can, I prefer the bus because that way I can look outside."

-- Favourite pastime: As a boy, he liked to collect stamps. Today, "I really like reading and listening to music."

-- Favourite authors and books: "I adore poetry by (Friedrich) Holderlin," a 19th-century lyric poet; Alessandro Manzoni's The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi), which he said he has read at least four times; Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy; and anything by Fyodor Dostoevsky and Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. The Pope recalled that even though Borges was an agnostic, "he'd recite the 'Our Father' every evening because he had promised his mother he would, and died with a sense of 'religious comfort.' ”

-- Favourite music: "Leonore" Overture No. 3 by Ludwig van Beethoven conducted by the late-Wilhelm Furtwangler, "who, in my opinion, is the best conductor of some of (Beethoven's) symphonies and works by Wagner."

-- Favourite dance style: tango, which he said he loves "very much. It's something that comes from within." He said he danced the tango when he was young "even though I preferred the milonga," which is an older form of tango with a faster rhythm.

-- Favourite movie: Babette's Feast because it shows the transformation of a group of people who took denial too far and didn't know what happiness was, he said. The sumptuous meal helps free them from their fear of love, he said. He also likes Italian neorealism films, which often confronted the social, economic and moral consequence of the Second World War, but added that as archbishop he didn't have much time to go to the movies.

-- Favourite painting: The White Crucifixion by Marc Chagall. The scene "isn't cruel, rather it's full of hope. It shows pain full of serenity. I think it's one of the most beautiful things Chagall ever painted."

-- Favourite person: His grandmother Rosa, who helped raise him when he was little, taught him his first words of Italian and passed on her deep religious sensibility.

-- Favourite saint he turns to in time of need: St. Therese of Lisieux. He kept a photo of her on his library shelf with a vase of white roses in front of it. "When I have a problem I ask the saint, not to solve it, but to take it in her hands and help me accept it."

-- Favourite virtue: "The virtue of love, to make room for others with a gentle approach. Meekness entices me enormously! I always ask God to grant me a meek heart," he said.

-- Worst vice to avoid: "The sin that repulses me most is pride" and thinking of oneself as a big shot. He said when it has happened to him, "I have felt great embarrassment and I ask God for forgiveness because nobody has the right to behave like this."

-- Typical reaction to unexpected announcements: He freezes. When Pope Francis was elected Pope and appeared at the central balcony, many noticed he looked rather stiff. Turns out that's how he reacted when he was named auxiliary bishop in 1992 and how he reacts "to anything unexpected, good or bad, it's like I'm paralyzed," he said.

-- Things he would rescue in event of a fire: His breviary and appointment book, which also contains all of his contacts, addresses and telephone numbers. "It would be a real disaster to lose them."
"I'm very attached to my breviary; it's the first thing I open in the morning and the last thing I close when I go to sleep."
He also keeps tucked safe between its pages his grandmother's letters and her last words to her grandkids before she died. She said that in times of sadness, trouble or loss, to look to the tabernacle, "where the greatest and noblest martyr is kept," and to Mary at the foot of the cross so that they may "let fall a drop of salve on the deepest and most painful wounds."

Carpal Tunnel Fun

All done. Daisy was very concerned, pacing and smoking in the waiting room until she could come in on the bed to see for herself that I was OK. Thanks for all the prayers and cash gifts!

Viva Frank!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Theology on Tap - Virginia

It;s that time of year again, time to get on the airplane but this time its for two! Wish us luck...and lot's of prayers to Saint Francis!

Monday,February18, 2013 at 7:00pm
We are going to have a very fun session for the month of February. Come on out and hear Judy McDonald, a Catholic Stand-up Comic -- topic is "It's OK to Laugh and Love Jesus!”

From her website: "Judy McDonald has been a professional comedian for the past sixteen years and a Catholic all her life. She has shared her unique way of evangelizing on TV, military bases, conferences, comedy clubs, and parishes all over the United States and the world."

More on Judy McDonald: http://www.judymcdonald.net/

Also, Free Pizza @ Bottom's up Pizza of course!

Tuesday,February 19, 2013 7:00pm

We are going to have a very fun session for the month of February. Come on out and hear Judy McDonald, a Catholic Stand-up Comic -- topic is "It's OK to Laugh and Love Jesus!”

From her website: "Judy McDonald has been a professional comedian for the past sixteen years and a Catholic all her life. She has shared her unique way of evangelizing on TV, military bases, conferences, comedy clubs, and parishes all over the United States and the world."

More on Judy McDonald: http://www.judymcdonald.net/

Also, Free Pizza @ Bottom's up Pizza of course!

Catholic Comedian Judy McDonald will be joining William and Mary Catholic Campus Ministry’s Theology on Tap to present a hilariously inspiring talk entitled "Judy McDonald Catholic Comedian: It's OK to Laugh and Love Jesus!" Judy is a nationally recognized comedian who travels the country sharing her faith journey, love of the Catholic Church, and her excellent sense of humor when it comes to her life and faith. Her talk will be focused on the trials of living out your faith post college, and how she came to her calling as a Catholic Comedian. Come out for good food, good drink, and, of course, good theology! Please contact Mary Rebecca Anderson at maryranderson31@gmail.com for more information about our program!!

Happy Lent!

Watch "Ashes" on YouTube

Daisy Day 10

Daisy Day 9

Daisy Day 10

Still can't get the server to work nice with final cut...it's still broke. 

Today we had a bath and pretended to be a nun.

Daisy Day 9

Video machine computer thingy seems to be broken but Daisy (along with Jade and Jaws) sends her love from Sea World!

Daisy Day 8

Daisy Day 7

Daisy Day 6

Daisy Day 5

Daisy Day 4

Daisy Day 3

Production Value

No Daisies were hurt in the making of these movies.

Daisy Day 2

Daisy Day 1

Be Yourself

Often we want to be somewhere other than where we are, or even to be someone other than who we are. We tend to compare ourselves constantly with others and wonder why we are not as rich, as intelligent, as simple, as generous, or as saintly as they are. Such comparisons make us feel guilty, ashamed, or jealous. It is very important to realize that our vocation is hidden in where we are and who we are. We are unique human beings, each with a call to realize in life what nobody else can, and to realize it in the concrete context of the here and now.

We will never find our vocations by trying to figure out whether we are better or worse than others. We are good enough to do what we are called to do. Be yourself!

- Henri J. M. Nouwen

Facebook for a "Paws"

If you frequent Facebook and would like updates and pictures from Daisy and dogs like her go to https://www.facebook.com/littleangelsservicedogs.ca
and hit the "like" button.

Help spread the word of this great organization that is "helping change lives, one dog at a time" (their catchy motto, not mine)!

Daisy at the mall for a training "field trip".

Countdown to Daisy

 

1/28/13 starts 2 weeks of "Dog Handler Training" & essentially my new life with Daisy! 

I'm nervous/excited/might hurl but I can't wait!