December 31, 2012
Happy Holidays, from Oliver
Hello Everyone,
Seasons Greetings to you all!
I know it’s a little late to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, but I just could not resist showing you all this picture of Oliver.
Isn’t Oliver just the most adorable Santa that you’ve seen this year??! Do you see his little red Santa hat and his little red coat?
Ok, so maybe Oliver is a bit grumpy looking for a Santa, but he’s still adorable.
Hmmmm… I wonder why oh why sweet little Ollie Ollie Ollie Boy is looking so grouchy.
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Maybe Oliver is grumpy because the holidays are over. Oliver, do you like Christmas?
Maybe Oliver is grumpy because he didn’t have a good time this holiday season. Oliver, did you have any fun?
Maybe Oliver is grumpy because he wanted red boots to match his outfit. Oliver, are you missing something?
Maybe Oliver is grumpy because he wants to be running around in the warm sunshine instead of being wrapped up for blustery cold snowstorms. Oliver, where do you want to be for the holidays?
Maybe Oliver is grumpy because he is sitting by himself. Oliver, do you have any friends to play with today?
Maybe Oliver understands that the holidays are difficult for a lot of people, and maybe he is making a compassionate, empathetic statement for those of you that have struggled through the holidays this year. Oliver, do you know how painful the holidays can be?
Oh Oliver, I wish you could have the very best of days, even if you do feel a little bit grouchy. You are a beautiful little puggy, a precious friend, and oh so very dear to me. I will always love you, Oliver.
Thank you, everyone, for stopping by to see Oliver today. I am sure he is glad that you came to visit with him.
And, may I ask…. how were your holidays?
Did you have a good time? Or do you relate to the not-so-happy Oliver face?
- Would you like to share anything about your experiences the past few weeks?
- What did you get to do?
- What did you like?
- What did you have to do?
- What did you not like?
- What was your very most favorite thing about the 2012 Holiday Season?
- What would you be willing to say to Oliver about how he is feeling about the holidays?
As always, your thoughts and comments and participation are appreciated.
Warmly,
Kathy
Copyright © 2008-2012 Kathy Broady and Discussing Dissociation
September 11, 2012
A Story About Jasmine
Hi Everyone,
This beautiful story was sent to me via email. I didn’t write this story, but I thought it was so heart-warming that I would pass it along to the rest of you. I hope you like it as much as I do.
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In 2003, police in Warwickshire , England , opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog. The dog had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had quite clearly been abused.
In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a female greyhound, to the Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, which is run by a man named Geoff Grewcock, and known as a haven for animals abandoned, orphaned, or otherwise in need.
Geoff and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims: to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved. They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home.
Jasmine the beautiful
Jasmine, however, had other ideas. No one quite remembers how it came about, but Jasmine started welcoming all animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It would not matter if it were a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, any other lost or hurting animal. Jasmine would just peer into the box or cage and, when and where possible, deliver a welcoming lick.
Jasmine with a fox
Geoff relates one of the early incidents. “We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre, and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them.”
“But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them, and it helps them to not only feel close to her, but to settle into their new surroundings.. She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs, and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose.”
Jasmine caring for a bunny.
Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary’s resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, fifteen chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and fifteen rabbits – and one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, eleven weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster-mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the roe deer with affection, and makes sure nothing is matted.
Jasmine with a baby deer
“They are inseparable,” says Geoff. “Bramble walks between her legs, and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary. It’s a real treat to see them.”
Jasmine caring for her baby deer.
Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next orphan or victim of abuse.
Jasmine and the gang of pals.
Pictured from the left are: “Toby”, a stray Lakeland dog; “Bramble”, orphaned roe deer; “Buster”, a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; “Sky”, an injured barn owl; and “Jasmine”, with a mother’s heart doing best what a caring mother would do…and such is the order of God’s Creation.
And, just in case you wondered, Snopes.com, ( found at: http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/jasmine.asp )
has verified the truth of this wonderful story and the reality of these photographs which accompany the story.
So you can pass this story on, and maybe make someone else’s day to be just a little brighter!
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I think the world needs more Jasmine’s!
Doesn’t she have just the most beautiful spirit?
We people have so much to learn …
I hope you enjoyed this story.
Warmly,
Kathy
April 25, 2012
Pictures From You that Make You Smile
I’m already getting several responses to Just for FUN! article, so I am going to begin to post them. It’s not too late to keep sending more. Your smile moments are important too.
Oh Oliver! He really likes his chewy toy and his blanket. :
First, I have to include little Oliver in this blog. He has had other appearance before, but Emma has been getting a little more showtime than poor Oliver. Ollie won’t stand for that! So here are some wonderful pictures of Oliver as well.
Oliver loves his toys. He chews and chews on his toys until he wears himself out, and then he sleeps and sleeps, sometimes snoring VERY loudly.
Oliver really likes his blanket. He walks round and round, wrapping himself up all snuggly and warm, finding the perfect spot to be tucked in nicely with his blanket. When it’s cold, he cuddles up all the way underneath his blanket. Ollie Boy knows how to take good gentle care of himself!
Funny Oliver, playing again.
In this picture, Oliver is asking to play a good ol’ game of tug o’ war, one of his favorites!
Do you see his soft floppy ears, his pretty big eyes, and his tiny little feet?
Wouldn’t you want to play with Oliver if he came up to you, pleading with those big ol’ eyes?!
How could you ever say no to a game with sweet Oliver?
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And on to other pictures that are fun to see, pictures sent in from some of you that have been reading this blog.
A little tiny frog sitting on one finger. How sweet!
Here's little Bristol. Isn't she just adorable?
” This is “Bristol”. She is 1 and a half. And when I’m sad, she won’t let me be alone & sad for long. She brings one of her toys to me & insists that I play. If I don’t … she licks my tears till I giggle. Dogs are just the BEST! And we have another FUN thing we are going to do when we feel better … we are going to make her hair & her tail PURPLE! LOL Yep! We have the stuff just waiting. 
Just for Fun! Will send another picture when that happens. “
Belle in her fun sweater
” This is our dog “Belle”. When she got a haircut she was cold – so we got her this funky sweater ‘Just for Fun’. It makes us smile & Belle is our most loyal dog friend. She is 11 years old. “
Cupi Doll, very old for a puppy, but very sweet
” This is “Cupi Doll”. Cupi is VERY loving. That’s how she got her name. She is our Grandma’s dog but she lives with us. She is old like our Grandma & we can take very good care of her. She is almost 14. She waddles over about every hour for a good belly rub & lovin. She also has very loud umm (farts). So that makes us laugh a lot. LOL “
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Sir Nick, the monkey. Very cute!
” OK, so here we have Sir Nick my monkey that my therapist gave me for doing such good work – she brought it back from her vacation to me.”
baby lambkin, only 9 days old
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” Then there is the 9 day old lamb I took a picture of in the farmer’s market so cute! “
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These pictures look like lots of good memories!
Thank you for sharing them.
Warmly,
Kathy
Copyright © 2008-2012 Kathy Broady and Discussing Dissociation
April 24, 2012
Just for FUN!!
All too often, the healing work for dissociative trauma survivors is so very heavy, and filled full of pain, heartbreak, struggles, anguish, horrors, fears, conflict, etc. Too many days can too easily feel like the healing process is far too difficult to be worth it. When it feels like that, it is really important to remember to take a few breaks from the hard stuff, and to save room for fun. It’s like recognizing the “stop and smell the roses” idea. Only for this, it’s about stopping to have some good times, or at least decent times, along the way.
Besides, all work and no play is just no fun! And your inside kids, like all children, need time to play, and to laugh, and to enjoy life too. And kids, even if your adults don’t realize it, they need time to play, and laugh, and smile, and to relax from all the stress they feel too.
So….. are you all ready to do something fun? I know I am!
In honor of not having enough fun moments in our lives, I’ve decided to make a blog post dedicated to just fun things. Just fun stuff! No hard stuff. No icky stuff. Just FUN stuff!
And I would like your help to complete it.
Here’s what I have in mind.
I’m including some pictures in this blog that, for me, represent fun, good times, pleasant memories, and happy moments. I hope some of these pictures bring a smile to your face.
I also want to invite you to send in pictures that represent those same kinds of feelings for you.
If you can post your pictures directly in your comment, that’s great. (Being technically challenged, I am not sure if that can be done or not.) Not to worry – I have a back-up plan in mind. If the comment option does not allow for pictures to be shown in the comments, please feel free to email your pictures to me, along with any comments / explanatory notes that you would like attached to your pictures, and then I’ll post them in a separate blog article format.
Then we can all share in the fun stuff, which makes fun even more fun!
Please be sure that any pictures you send completely pass the “Just for FUN!” (a good, safe, happy kind of fun) project idea.
Please note: If anyone sends in spooky pictures, I’m not going to post them – because there is typically some not so funny someone who wants to spoil the fun – but for this exercise, no spookiness is allowed. And yes, I get to be the judge on what looks too spooky and what doesn’t.
Yes, you can send in more than one picture if you would like to.
*** Please be sure that you have the rights to send in / have posted whatever picture you send. If it specifically belongs to someone else, please don’t send it in as if it is yours. Also, please don’t include pictures of other people that may not want their picture posted on a blog. I am not interested in getting any kind of fussing going on. So please, only send in pictures that are not a violation to anyone else, please and thank you. ***
The first two pictures I am including in this “Just for Fun!” Project were sent to me via email that was circulating around all over the place. I don’t know who the photographer is, but they did a great job creating such fun pictures. Enjoy!
How can you not smile when you see these beautiful little duckies in this picture?
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Sweet little baby ducks - so cute!
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And what a creative, fun picture this is! Do you think it is real? Or has it been photoshopped? Either way, it’s a great picture of an elephant having all kinds of fun.
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ahhh.... the good life.
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And now, on a more personal level, here’s a picture of Emma, trying to sit comfortably on a pillow.
I don’t know if she is comfy or not. What do you think?
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Emma! That's a funny way for a puggy to sit, Emma!
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And last but not least, here is a picture of me with a cute little piggy I saw a few weeks ago.
Remembering a good day with a fun little pig.
This little piggy was only two months old, very tiny for a pig, but super fast and brimming full of energy. Absolutely darling, he was barely taller than my ankles, and one-third the size of Emma the puggy. He would race around his little area, zipping here, zipping there, making all kinds of funny piggy noises. I giggled and giggled as I watched him run, and heard him snort in all kinds of funny ways. This little pig was simply the highlight of that morning, so I just had to include him today as a fond memory of a good time.
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What kinds of fun pictures do you have that bring a smile to your face?
I’m looking forward to seeing them!
Happy smiles, everyone,
Kathy
Copyright © 2008-2012 Kathy Broady and Discussing Dissociation
March 17, 2012
Thanks Again, from Kathy Broady to You
WOW!
I don’t have any idea why this is the case, but this week, the Discussing Dissociation blog had it’s highest viewing day ever. Ever! Since the very beginning back in December 2008 ever! The highest number of viewers in a single day. This week.
Wow, again!
Maybe Emma and Maizy are just that wonderful? They probably think they are. I think they are too, but even so… it surely can’t be just Emma and Maizy, lol. Or is it??!
Whatever it is, and why-ever it happened, I appreciate the readers of this blog. You’ve been a bright spot in my life, you’ve been encouraging and appreciative, and I thank you for the ways you all have had a positive influence on me.
My life has been in a huge transition in so many ways in 2011 and 2012, and as I’ve written before, sometimes I had connection with the internet, and sometimes not. Despite my inability to be consistently available to anyone or anything this past year – especially with my web people — the fact that the readers of this blog have continued to be here, and remained supportive, kind, and dedicated has truly been a blessing to my life.
I have all kinds of ideas, hopes, and dreams about where to go and what to do with this blog in future months / years. As per usual, I have far more creative ideas than I could ever accomplish in one lifetime, so we’ll see how many of my new ideas I actually get done. The point being, there is a lot of good ahead. That’s how I view life. No matter how many difficulties have happened in the past, there are so many positive and beautiful options ahead.
I know that the readers of Discussing Dissociation are not strangers to rough years, difficult times, intense pain, heartbreak, loss, grief, illness, conflict, and death. I know you all are more than familiar with the dark overbearing powers of the world, and the overwhelming heaviness of trauma, abuse, and cruelty. You all have seen more horrors than I can shake a stick at, and still you persevere, and grow, and heal, and progress in life.
THAT is amazing. Even Maizy thinks so.
So many of you are an inspiration to me. So many of you have been a shining light in the midst of the most horrible storms. You have an inner strength and beauty that cannot be squished or squashed or squelched no matter how much torment and evil you have seen.
THAT is an inspiration to me.
So thank you. Thank you for staying true to yourselves. Thank you for staying true to your healing. Thank you for staying invested in the good sides of life. And thank you for standing by me while I have been here, there, and everywhere. (My current bouncing schedule isn’t quite over yet, unfortunately, but I know that some things are resolving little bit by little bit.)
And thank you, again, for reading this blog.
You are very much appreciated.
Warmly…
Kathy with Emma and Maizy
Copyright © 2008-2012 Kathy Broady and Discussing Dissociation
March 13, 2012
Introducing Maizy
Hello to Everyone out there in the Blogging World –
Over the past weeks and months, I’ve been bouncing around to a few different places, sometimes with internet connection, and sometimes not. Today, I do have internet connection.
I thought I’d say a quick hello while I could today.
Hello!
(that’s my version of a quick hello, ha ha ha)
Ok, so with all silliness invited, I also wanted to introduce you to a good friend of mine. Her name is Maizy, and she has been bouncing around with me lately. Not many people have met Maizy yet. She’s a little shy, and she doesn’t really get out much. But Maizy is a kind-hearted Maizy, and maybe with a little encouragement, she just might be willing to spend a little time with you.
I was hoping that maybe just maybe Maizy could share some of her aMaizyng Maizy adventures with you, especially with some of the DID kids of the world. There are always lots of fun things to learn and share with kids who have seen too much pain and sorrow and troubles in their young lives. Maybe Maizy can become a helpful and comforting friend to those kids too?
Would you kids like to meet Maizy and hear stories about how she gets through her tough times in life? Would you like to hear some aMaizyng Maizy stories?
I think I can encourage Maizy to share some of her life experiences with you all.
With the help of Emma. 
Before she comes out here on her own, Maizy wants you to see her with her friend Emma.
Do you remember Emma?
Have a little peek at a few blogs back. Emma has had her picture in here a few times already. Emma Girl is very sweet and enormously precious to me. Emma knows. She isn’t fooled by anyone.
As far as I am concerned, Emma is one of the most beautiful pug dogs in the whole wide world. Anybody that’s ever heard Emma knows that she snorts and sneezes and snitzles and schwizchles with the biggest variety of puggy noises. Emma has a wonderful heart and she is a very very smart puggy with a great big vocabulary, and she can sniff out the very best in anybody and everybody. And Emma knows Maizy.
A picture can show it better than I can, so I’m including some pictures of when Emma first met Maizy. As you can see, Emma gave Maizy a very good look and checked her out carefully. Emma is not easily tricked and she only friends up with those that are safe and good, and have kindness in their hearts. Even when kids don’t know that they have good hearts, Emma can sniff out the good in them. Emma knows. She knows that lots of kids are good kids.
Emma checking out Maizy!
You can see in the pictures that Emma gave Maizy a good thorough check. Emma was not sure at first, but she looked and sniffed and woofed and looked and sniffed and woofed some more. Finally, Emma decided Maizy was a pretty good Maizy, that Maizy.
Emma knows that it is important to check very carefully when you meet someone new. She knows to not rush head-over-heels too quickly when first meeting someone. Good, solid relationships take a lot of time to build and develop, and the super-speed attraction approach is often not so safe, and/or it ends up crashing too quickly with emotional overload and overwhelming intensity. Emma knows to not say too much, and she knows to not disclose too much personal information when first meeting someone. She knows it is important to make sure someone is not pretending to be someone that they are not, and that often takes a fair bit of time to figure all that out.
Emma woofing at Maizy!
Emma says not to rush into building any kind of relationship with anyone! She says it is more important to ask more questions to the other person than it is to tell information about you. The more you know about the other person, the better you can decipher if he or she is a safe person or not.
It’s important to be careful, and to know that there are people out there in the world that are not going to be kind to you. Please protect yourself and guard your little ones carefully while you are getting to know who the other person is.
So with all those self-protection cautions in mind, here’s Maizy.
Hi Maizy!
Copyright © 2008-2012 Kathy Broady and Discussing Dissociation
January 29, 2011
Little Puppy Buddies
Hello everyone,
I am glad that you have been enjoying the puppy pictures. The puppies are 8 weeks old now, and they have all been placed in their new homes. That has been a bittersweet experience, as I really quite enjoyed each of their little tender selves.
I thought I would share a few more puppy moments with you — I picked pictures where the puppies were doing things together.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we all had such good friends we could be this comfortable with?!
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Armani and Vera at 8 weeks of age.
Armani and Vera are both such sweet little gals. Armani is the quieter, gentler one of the two, while Vera has a bit more courage to take on life’s challenges. They both like to be held and they were the first two insist on sleeping right here with me at the computer. And Vera talks! She and I would have rather lengthy girl-friendly conversations about all kinds of things, lol. One of us would start our little chat, and the other would say something back, and back and forth we’d go just chattering away. Such fun!
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Diesel and Diamond at 8 wks
Diesel and Diamond are the two oldest of the litter. You might remembering seeing the two of these puppies back in December 2010 when they were just two days old. Haven’t they grown?!! In the picture of this week, they are each happily chewing small plant stems. It’s great that the puppies are sharing, but oh dear, what about those poor plants!
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Diesel and Fiori at 8 weeks
Diesel and Fiori must be sharing the same dreams! Aren’t they just the cutest, all perfectly matched like that, lol. So precious…
I am going to miss these little ones as they head off to their new homes and their happy new lives. As I get updated information, I’ll be sure to share with you all.
I hope you are having a good day!
Warmly,
Kathy
Copyright © 2008-2011 Kathy Broady LCSW and Discussing Dissociation
January 23, 2011
In Case You Were Wondering….
In case you were wondering why I haven’t made more posts recently, maybe these pictures will answer some of your questions….
It appears that little Miss Vera has other ideas about laptops!
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I guess Miss Vera thinks laptops are comfortable!
We’ll see if she let’s me have time to type on it this week!
Enjoy -
Kathy
January 15, 2011
Because These Little Gals are Just Too Cute!
You might be tired of the puppy pictures, but these little ones are just too cute to not post!
I’ll get back to writing more serious posts at some point in time in the not-so-distant future, but having a little puppy break must be good for healing too, right?! I’m just sure it is!
Here are some of the latest photos.
Which ones do you like?
Little Diamond at six weeks old.
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Little Armani at six weeks old.
Little Armani – such a sweet gentle soul… She really loves to be carried around the house, lol.
Little Vera at six weeks old.
Vera – a feisty, full of energy puppy, but she’s also one of the first ones to want to cuddle close when she’s sleepy.
Diamond and Armani at six weeks old.
Just sooooooooooo adorable!!!
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They are all girls, and they are all beautiful!
I hope these pictures bring a smile to your day!
Warmly,
Kathy
Copyright © 2008-2011 Kathy Broady LCSW and Discussing Dissociation
January 1, 2011
A New Year’s Message from Oliver
Oliver says….
Happy New Year from Oliver!
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Warmly,
Kathy
(and Oliver)
