really adopted?

She was. Nat's adoption was first mentioned in the first season episode "Adoption". Her adopted father appeared in the third season episode "The Affair" and later passed away in the fifth season episode "A Death in the Family".

Not to mention the episode where Natalie is denied by her mother the chance to work at a newspaper--she gets mad and decides to find her birth mother.

Not to mention the episode where Natalie is denied by her mother the chance to work at a newspaper--she gets mad and decides to find her birth mother.
that would "dearest mommy" from the 4th season! :D

Her name is Ellen Manheim and she makes a mean carrot cake :D

Her name is Ellen Manheim and she makes a mean carrot cake :D
nice! :lol:

I always choke up at the end of the episode where Natalie's father dies. Jo (I think) says, "Nat, you won't always feel this bad". And Natalie says, "Well, for right now, I'll just have to take your word about that". And then the episode ended. I always thought that FOL is really more of a "dramady" than a "comedy". There were several episodes that didn't have a whole lot of jokes. Like that one where Eddie comes back and Jo learns he's married. At the very end, Eddie says, "I'm sorry". Jo is crying and shakes her head and says, "So am I" (i.e. she is sorry that Eddie turned out this way). Then there was the one where Jo got that teacher fired because of her incorrect accusation that he was busted in a coccaine raid. She is standing there crying and says, "This is my fault, I have to do something" and the teacher says, "Then help me pack" and the show ends. Or the one where that student kills herself and Mrs. Garrett closes her door and the episode silently ends. Or the one where Jo thinks her parents are getting back together. At the end her father says, "We are close and I do love you and your mother. But Jo, we'll never be a family again". Episode ends.