Adoption in the US and Abroad

Some U.S. celebrities, such as Madonna, have been receiving flack for adoption outside of the country. Save the Children has been very vocal on the matter:

"The best place for a child is in his or her family in their community," Save the Children spokesman Dominic Nutt said in a statement. "Most children in orphanages have one parent still living, or have an extended family that can care for them in the absence of their parents."

He warned that international adoption could actually worsen the problem it sought to solve, and said the practice could be "big business" for "unscrupulous adoption agencies."

Nutt said: "If the celebrity really wants to help children in poor countries, they should support charities like Save The Children and others who seek to improve the quality of children's lives in their own countries and communities."

The truth is adopting children in the U.S. for many people can be like trying to learn home dentistry through a mail order foreign exchange program. It's expensive, time consuming, terribly unclear, and heart rendering. Single persons are not readily considered viable parents either.

My neighbor adopted a boy from Central America because of these very reasons. They tried and waited and were heart broken more than once. Taking a chance on a foreign adoption became what they felt to be their best and only option. They have an adorable young son now who is very loved and well cared for.

It's fine to think that something should happen here in the states, however, before the actions can truly be done it might be wise to make the laws change to where such things can be possible.

I agree with Roland Martin, whom also addresses this issue, states:
"Don't just bang out an e-mail or blog and get caught up in the celebrity hype.

If you think it should be easier to adopt American children, demand that your local, state and federal election officials clear the pathway to make the process easier. And let's have more consistency. Having 50 different states set their own policy, is frankly, nonsense. With so many rules, no wonder folks throw their hands up and move on.

The goal of adoption is to put children in loving homes and not have them be the responsibility of the state. Making it harder to adopt affects you in your pocketbook because taxpayer money is spent to care for the children. So changing the laws not only helps the child, but also is fiscally prudent."

When we look at children in the US, we need to look more at the entire picture. If we are looking to create a more favorable economy we should look at all aspects that can be changed. Several small changes can turn into a major savings.

So, today, I am going to write my congressman and do something. How about you?

Il Divo - Sexy Men who make you love Opera

I'm the first to admit that I'm not a fan of Simon Cowell, but besides his ear for talent he also seems to know about sexy men. (I'll leave it at that.) This project is enough to make me love the new Popera generation.

"Simon Cowell conducted a worldwide search for young singers who were willing to embark on the Il Divo project, which lasted two years, from 2001 until December 2003, when the fourth member of Il Divo, American tenor David Miller, was signed. The well-established formation of Il Divo comprises a renowned Spanish opera and Spanish baritone, Carlos Marín; two classically trained tenors, Swiss Urs Bühler and American David Miller; and a French pop singer, Sébastien Izambard.

Il Divo sings in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and Latin. Il Divo was named the Most Multinational UK No.1 Album Group in the 2006 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records."

Things you Learn on Television

Hello, my name is Pasty and I'm addicted to Battle Star Galacticca.

I am sad that the series is over. I have hopes that the new series they are starting, Caprica, will keep me entertained, but I am not going so high up in my hopes that I'll fall and break both legs. I think that BSG was a great and innovative show and it didn't disappoint me.

One line in the final show got to me. Ellen is speaking with Ty and says, "I only want to be with you. I don't care if we had to live in a box."

It says a lot, especially in these harsh economic times. How many of us would live in a box and be happy? So, I thought about it. I could do it if I had my family with me and we were living together. I could go back to having nothing and move back up in life. What I have in my home is comfort, but they are things. Things are nice, but they aren't what are really important in life.

So, thanks Ellen and the writers of BSG. I'll miss you.

Bitten by the dog

Last week by a Schnoodle. She's a rescue dog that was not adopted because they felt that she was too aggressive. Honestly, she had been attacked by a German Shepherd and was very scared. I was trying to groom her a bit and hit a sore spot on her side. She bit my right hand about 8 times. I went to the doctor after a couple of days because the hand was not getting better. He said that I could lose my hand and he was very concerned because of infection. I have been taking the antibiotics and the hand is much better now. I've worked with dogs for decades and this is the very first time I've ever been bitten. The dog is very sweet now and has been quite apologetic for her actions, but the fact remains that biting for dogs is a defense mechanism. Regardless of the breed or the training a dog may bite.

Some may think this makes dogs a dangerous pet, but we should stop and realize that dogs, at least, don't carry guns and do drive by shootings or put bombs on planes. They usually derive much of their temperment from their surroundings and upbringing, much like children.

Words Matter, But Heart Counts

I know that my Daddy loved me. He didn't have to; after all I wasn't his daughter through genetics, but by choice. He kept me with him even after my mother passed away. He never failed to tell me he loved me through his way of keeping me and taking care of me. A day didn't go by when I wasn't thankful to have a place to live with people that I knew cared about me.

It was a year after my mother died that he remarried. The woman was beautiful both inside and out. She didn't even balk about having a child from a previous marriage that wasn't his by blood. She treated me as her daughter from the time she walked into our home and to this very day.

I think one of my fondest memories was when I was leaving to go and visit my older sister and she said the words, "I love you, Pasty." I cried. Not because I was sad or unhappy that she cared for me, but because I knew exactly how much it took for her to say those words, and that she wouldn't have said them if she didn't mean them.

I learned a lot, I think, from the relationships I had with my parents. It was because of them that I found that it's not the blood that matters in a family but the heart.

So, in the spirit of those that taught me to love I try to extend that to my own children. My 16 year old may not be mine by blood but she is mine by heart. Like all of us she has her faults, but she fights them with anger and frustrations which cause her more harm then good.

I have faith that in the long run she'll learn to control those emotions. She actually took the time tonight to sit with me and discuss things. She listened. I'll have to say that it shows quite a bit of maturity for a 16 year old to actually take the time to hear what their mother has to say and actually think of ways to implement the ideas they give.

I can't take the credit. I had very good teachers.

So, thank you to all those people that take children in and love them. Take it from someone who knows - it makes a world of difference.

Wearing of the Green

I think that my family believes that I love St. Patrick's Day because it allows me to wear green without anyone making comments about my color obsession. I think there is more to it then that, honestly. It is a time that we have created where my family gets together and share traditions without all the hoopla and mania that other holidays seem to bring about. We don't have to shop for gifts or cards. We don't have to make sure that no one feels left out. We just are allowed to be together and share our time with one another. Of course bangers, corned beef and cabbage, and colcannon don't hurt the spirit either.

This year my favorite part of the day was sharing it with my oldest daughter. She was married last year and doesn't live that far from me. It's rare if we don't speak during the day, and yet it's not the same as when she lived inside the home. It's actually better. Not because she doesn't live here, but because she's reaching out to me more. It's funny how that works.

She actually called me and said, "Mom, you know how when I was younger we used to go and buy a birthday outfit for me? I'd like to do that this year. I miss doing that." (Her birthday is on March 19 and we do the family celebration on St. Patrick's Day.)

Now, some suspicious people might think she just wanted to get something from me, but I know better. She didn't ask me to buy her anything, I volunteered. We had lunch together, did the shopping, and just shared our entire day. It's a memory that means a lot to me and that I'll never forget.

It doesn't matter if your children grow up and become adults, because they are always your children. Their little faces lose the Cherub style and grow into something just as beautiful, if you're lucky. I'm very lucky. I do have beautiful children; from their faces into the very core of their hearts.

So, it may be a little early to actually drink, but I raise my virtual Irish beer and make a cheer for all:

May you never run out of good friends;
May your coffers never completely be empty of coin;
May your table always have enough to feed the ones you love;
And may you always be able to raise your drink in celebration of a good life.

Sláinte!

Totally Sick Puppies

I read this article today and it really hit me. I have no idea why people do things like this to children. Children trust adults to take care of them. As a parent I'm petrified of what could happen to my children. These people were someone that parents felt they could trust. They felt they were keeping their children safe.


VEEDERSBURG, Indiana -- A couple who ran a baby-sitting service out of their home videotaped themselves performing sex acts with children, some as young as 2 months old, police said Friday.

Stephen E. Quick, 31, and Samantha Light, 25, both of Veedersburg in western Indiana, were being held on $100,000 bond in Fountain County Jail. Both faced preliminary charges of child molestation and child exploitation. Jail staff did not know whether either one had an attorney.

Last week I read about two teachers that were having sex with a 13 year old boy. These women were in their 30's and 40's and were supposedly doing a job that teaches the children. Raping a child is not giving them an education.

I'm not sure what the world is coming to.