It wasn't that long ago that I was a complete newbie to the adoption world. I had no idea what the "Triad" was and I certainly wasn't expecting an anti-adoption movement!

Well, for those of you who are new to this, the Triad is made up of:

1.) Those who gave birth to children who have been adopted (Birth Parents/First Parents) and you can read blogs from them here.

2.) Those who were adopted (Adoptees) and you can read blogs from them here.

3.) Those who have adopted children and you can read blogs from them in most of our other blogs listed... more

I knew it wouldn't be long before I was brought directly into the fray.

When one of our bloggers posted a blog that spoke out against an Op/Ed that was written by Mirah Riben and posted in OpEdNews.com, I did not censor the blog. Plenty of good has also been said about Mirah at AdoptionBlogs.com but she chose not to see that. (See related links below.)

When Mirah wrote to AdoptionBlogs.com and insisted... more

When I first started talking to people about adoption a little more than three decades ago, I wished I knew more about it. (I've been a huge fan of Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao's comment, "If you know one adoption, you know one adoption.") I set out to learn as much as I could, and of course I'm still learning... because each adoption experience is unique, and each individual's reaction to the same set of circumstances is different... so of course, I can learn a lot, but I'll never know as much as I would like.

One of the things I like so much about these blogs is that our bloggers bring us their stories, the issues, and knowledge gathered from their "one" experiences and... more

Will robot babies be a part of future homestudies? I hear that "hmpf," but hold on a sec before you click off to read something else.

In 1999, Sony introduced AIBO... the robot dog. Remember him? He went through generational upgrades and from what I understand, more than half a million were sold. (There was even some question as to whether pet therapy, which has helped both the elderly and children and adults with challenges, could be as effective with a robot dog as it is with a live pet.)

An easy leap from robot dog to robot human, in 2002, Sony announced plans to market (for a cool $60,000 or so) a child-like... more

In June 2003, I read an article about Sweden setting 42 as the upper age limit for those who hope to adopt... which seemed awfully restrictive to this "older" writer - and apparently it was either a misprint or the Swedes agreed and tossed the law out, because I can't find any mention of it now.

In August 2004, Queensland, Australia removed the age limit of 36 without setting a new one. Some countries set a limit of "when biologically becoming a parent would still be possible" ... an interesting euphemism for menopause, I suppose.

More and more adoption opportunities for older parents are available as we live longer and healthier lives, so is there an age that's really too... more

My granddaughter came with me recently to a meeting of a local group of women at various stages in the adoption process. The group is a support system for couples who had gone or were going through fertility treatments without success, who are now moving forward with plans to adopt, but all the members are women (and that's a topic for another blog).

After the meeting, my granddaughter turned to me and asked, "Why are so many of them fat?" Of course, to an 8 year-old, "fat" is relative, but I have to admit that more than a few were on the high side of overweight.

I know many of the women in the group well enough to ask some pretty personal questions, so I thought I'd see if... more

Premise: Ether is an unparalleled conductor of egocentricity. Premise: The Web is the cheapest showcase available. Conclusion: Vanity rules the blog.

It's not necessarily a bad thing, you know. Millions of people proclaiming and expounding upon their beliefs, telling their stories, strutting their stuff. A vast multitude of hands reaching out across virtual chasms. Look at me! Listen to what I have to say!

The anonymity of our audience encourages our vanity. We can primp and preen, fluff our feathers, crow and screech. We can be first person singular far longer than any parent, friend or English professor would ever allow.

... more

With all the fabulous blogging being done by my colleagues here at AdoptionBlogs.com, I was beginning to wonder how to best use this allotment of space... and it occurred to me that I should do what I've always done with my blogs (which will be imported here from their previous location at a future date)... write about a variety of topics that pique my interest, grab my attention, or hit me like "a bag of nickels," to quote a co-blogger. Which brings to mind free range chickens... ergo, the name of this post.

Watch for more.