I came across two stories back-to-back in this morning's perusal of newsal that caused a physical response that felt like something Sybil, the famous multiple personality woman could have experienced regularly ... bang! zowie! huh? boy howdy! ... the world can sure look different one moment to the next!

First, this, on people who give and give and give ... mega-givers, so to speak, those who... more

The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. Is there any occasion so quintessentially American? So, aw, shucks, here-are-my-bootstraps, grab a beer and pull up a lawnchair, Buddy low-key, yet wildly noisy and festive an occasion?

It's a hard one to describe to non-Americans, as conveying the full flavor of a long, hot July day of food and fun ... often involving some sort of water-based activity ... culminating in a pique of pyrotechnic patriotism isn't a simple thing.

Of course, my memories of fabulous... more

This post starts off having nothing to do with adoption, but when I saw the headline, "How Old is Too Old?" in this story I had to take a closer look.

So, what else besides the contemplation of adopting small children could possibly prompt a question like that?

How old is too old for learning to ski? Nope. Geezers take that up every winter and some resorts have special classes for the careful-about-the-old-bones set.

How old is too old... more

I've been writing about some heavy stuff over on the International and News blogs, and can't face more rounds here ... another sign of old age, I suppose.

I will, however, don my tatty old geezer cap and do a 'What the heck is happening to the world?' sort of post, just for the heck of it.

Actually, I am scratching my head over something that started ... more

There are times when I can do little but sit back, scratch my head and wonder how in the heck so much time has passed ... and so quickly.

Birthdays ... and I have one coming up ... always prompt this.

"Fifty-six! How did I get to be fifty-six, when I'm quite sure I was thirty-five just the other day."

(Of course, that line of thought completely ignores the fact that I have a daughter about to turn thirty-eight, but that's really beside the point.)

Today, however, is where the rubber meets... more

Cleaning up some corners of the desk today, I've come across some bits and pieces of information other geezer parents might find interesting or helpful. I'm particularly fond of this bit about common sense from the Earthtimes.

Common sense being a somewhat illusive attribute, simple to recognize but difficult to define, a recent study set out to identify just how the no-nonsense approach to life actually works, and to, "... pinpoint the... more

As I was settling down into my hammock, book in hand but eyelids heavy, the thought drifted across my mind that napping would be a good blog topic for the day.

I've always been fond of the mid-day snooze, so it's not a geezer-inspired activity ... activity? ... in my case. I recall coming home from high school and stretching out for half and hour or so, happily dropping off and waking refreshed and ready for whatever teen festivities might present.

All these years later, and a daily dip into... more

A couple of stories in the news about older parents need talking about today. The first, this one that asks the question, "How old is too old?".

It's grandparents raising a child this time, and they must not have been spring chicken-ish when the son who is dad to the little one was little, as they're now 89 and 86, and have been parenting the child off and on almost since birth a... more

A new study out of the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research is indicating that older moms are the happiest group of women in the country.

After examining nearly 6, 000 women, the result appears to be that, " ... it's not so much whether you have children as when you have them", as the next happiest group consisted of older women without kids, with young mothers... more

Thanks to suggestions from readers I've started posting some questions and answers on older parents. The introduction is here, followed by embarrassment and negatives here. SHB: Adopted by older parents as you were,... more