Less Water for the Pasta - I was Right

To all of my friends and acquitances who have told me you need 4 to 6 quarts of water to boil a pound of pasta, because that's how everyone's always done it, check out the article, then do your own experiment, then if you've done that and you still think you're right, at least consider the comments of Lidia Bastianich and Marcella Hazan, and admit that you can probably use less water without affecting taste or texture. Enjoy: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/25curi.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&em

Mohawk

In each household, partners divide many of the duties that must be done to keep the household running. I basically go to work, clean up my clothes, help with dishes, take out the trash, take care of the cars and lawn .... and cut hair. Now we all know that partners often have disagreements about whether the other is upholding their end of the bargain. In no case does this occur more frequently with Gayle and me than with haircutting. Gayle seems to think I let the kids' hair get too long. But I don't do it out of laziness; I do it because I think their hair is adorable. I only wish I had hair like them. Wyatt's hair is getting particularly cute, as it is curling up in the back and on the sides.

Thinking that she was protesting, Gayle sent me the pictures of Wyatt that she took this morning. It had the opposite effect on me - I think it's one of the cutest pictures I've ever seen. My boy is a stud!

MIZ - ZOU

I hesitated to post this in case you hadn't read Gayle's posting about her friend Brent (see below). But, life goes on, and with life come the Missouri Tigers. The last Buffs-Tigers game I went to was with Marty, pre-kids. Last Saturday, I took Austin, now three, to his first basketball game. The giant pretzel I bought him was his favorite part of the game, but he liked the mascots too, and definitey watched some of the game and cheered for the Tigers with me, to the consternation of some fans around us. We also met up with my good lawschool buddy, Scott Landblom. Speaking of long hiatuses, I haven't seen Scott since he had his own daughter, who is just over two years old. Time surely passes quickly, so you have to make time for, and relish those moments where you get to enjoy some college hoops with your son and friends. In case you're not following it, Mizzou is now ranked 8th in the country behind a swarming defense and fast paced offense. M-I-Z!!!!

HERE'S A PIC OF AUSTIN AFTER THE GAME ON OUR WAY HOME - POOPED. Sorry if it's a little blurry - I was driving pretty fast when I took it.

Remembering a sweet friend, Brent Graber...

So, it's been since November that I've had the time to post here. I had a busy few months there with my business, but thankfully, Ryan picked up the slack where I left off. We do need to get some better pictures back on here, though, so I will come to the rescue once I have some editing time. I'll have to do that later, as I am dedicating this post to someone special to my heart. On February 16, the world lost a bright light. My friend from high school, Brent Graber, went to heaven on that day. He had been struck by a car from behind while riding his bike on January 18 in Boulder, and never recovered from the brain injuries sustained in that accident. I had lost touch with Brent in the exciting years after Ryan and I got married, but that is not a reflection on my feelings about him. He and I met the summer after my senior year of high school when we both worked in the Delphi Automotive summer intern program. He and his best friend, Brian, immediately befriended my friend Kristen and me. That whole summer, we were like the four musketeers, going to lunch several times a week, hanging out in the evenings, and even skipping out on work ("taking breaks") to be around each other. Brent and I had an instant bond, mainly because of his personality - he was just one of the most happy-go-lucky people I had ever met, and could find a reason to laugh in just about any situation. I appreciated this quality and knew that he was someone I would hold dear, no matter what happened. I went off to DePauw, and he finished high school (he was a year behind me), but I remember going back to his high school homecoming with Kristen because he and Brian were both on the homecoming court. We stayed in touch, and he ended up going just up the road to Wabash for college. We saw each other a few times in those years, and I remember him always talking about how someday, he was going to move to Colorado. I had a similar love for Colorado, and said maybe I'd get there, too. We obviously lost touch somewhere in there, probably because Ryan finally decided he was interested in me. A couple of years ago, while back in Kokomo for my Grandmother's funeral, I learned from Kristen's mom (I had lost touch with Kristen, too) that Brian had passed away suddenly a few months before. I was shocked and upset, and called Kristen. We talked about our times with Brent and Brian, and she told me that Brent had moved to Boulder to get his MBA at CU. I was so happy for him that he had finally achieved his dream. I told her I would contact him and have him over for dinner. I figured Ryan would really like him since they both loved sports and they could be friends, too. Unfortunately, being a new mom and having a lot going on trying to get my business going, I (very regrettably) never invited him over for dinner. On January 19, my mom and dad had just come into town for Wyatt's first birthday, and my mom shouted up to me that she had received a prayer request in an email for Brent Graber, that he had been in an accident. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. How could this have happened, especially so soon after Brian's death? We learned that Brent was in the ICU at Boulder Community Hospital, and I went twice to visit with his parents and brother - once with my mom to pray, and another time to take them food. Though I really hadn't known them, they were so kind and thoughtful, even though they were going through the hardest experience of their lives. I told them that Brent was one of my favorite people ever. While Brent was hospitalized, I prayed so hard for his recovery - this world needs more people like him, Christians with such a happy attitude. There is a caringbridge.org site with a journal and guestbook online where friends and family could read of Brent's progress and sign the guestbook. As I read the entries there, I saw how many lives Brent had touched, and how many wonderful things people had to say about him. The other day, I learned that Brent had passed away, and I was flooded with emotions. I couldn't believe that such a bright light could be put out at such a young age. I was angry with God, and angry at myself for not seizing the opportunity to contact him when I could have. Now I would not ever be able to tell him how much fun I had with him, what an honor it was to call him a friend. I went to Brent's memorial service Thursday evening, which was such a healing experience. As I sat there weeping, we watched a slide show of pictures from his life and heard his best friend from college and the years since describe the Brent I knew - a Tigger personality, always laughing, so positive. The pastor also gave an amazing message, talking about how Brent has just changed locations; he is not really gone. He talked about how Brent had gotten into backcountry skiing, climbing, and mountain biking. He worked for a company that makes avalanche rescue gear, and loved it. Brent had traveled the world and had amazing experiences. He lived with his brother, loved his family, and yes, even LIKED his family - wanted to be with them. :) I realized that he had lived such a great life, and had spread his happiness to all he encountered. Yes, with Brent's passing, the world has suffered an immeasurable loss; but it is a far better place because he lived. During the service, his friend read a letter from Brent's uncle, which also described the happy attitude of his nephew. He said that in response to Brent's passing, he is going to take that infectious smile that Brent gave over and over and give it to someone every day for the rest of his life - that is one way that he can keep Brent alive. I want to do that, too. Yes, I am still sad, still confused as to how this could happen, but there is so much to celebrate every day. Brent would want us all to be sharing his smile with others...so that is what I will do. God's purpose in this whole ordeal has not yet been revealed, and I have to admit, so often when I think about it, I am baffled. Why? But I trust that God is good, He loves us, and therefore this must be for the best. Godspeed, my sweet friend, until we meet again.

5th Annual Ski Trip

Some things in life you can just count on. The ski trip has become one of those things. We're talking an intense three days of skiing of nothing else than double diamond bumps and trees. The type of skiing that makes your toes hurt because they've been pounded into countless moguls throughout the day. The type of skiing that makes your quads burn and your "elevens" (lower back muscles) scream for a hot tub. It is not for the faint of heart. And, in case I've fooled anyone with my own skiing prowess, I was usually staring at my brothers' backs, licking snow, or eating bark. But beyond the actual skiing, the ski trip is all about camraderie. We bust out the jokes and stories we've been saving for a year (I saved my near-arrest at Starbucks incident for Chris, and have yet to tell him), and we talk about girlfriends, spouses, school, work, family, sports, politics, religion, and everything in between. And we goof off and have a great time. However similar each ski trip is, they are also each unique. This year Marty got a new nickanme - Nitram. This year we drank wine and Diet Coke instead of Busch Light. This year we skiied the entire blackened portion of each resort, instead of focusing on just a few bump runs. And this year, Chris couldn't make it. Yes, one of the highlights of every trip, and in fact one of the main reasons we even do the trip, is to spend time with cousin Chris Crawford. This year, Chris even planned on brining his whole family, and was even going to fly (instead of drive cross country like they would normally do); his kids were so excited that they were counting down the days by using an out-dated advent calendar with chocolates. True story. But to everyone's great chagrin, Chris had to back out at the last minute due to issues that arose at Mazda, where Chris thankfully still works. We made good use of the space that the Crawfords were supposed to occupy; the Pritchards joined up for the weekend. This year, therefore, was a little different than past years, in that four little kids (Austin, Wyatt, Lucy and Max) reigned their terror on the house. Kevin and Marty were ever gracious and patient in listening to their screams when awful things happened, such as they couldn't find their juice, or Austin took Lucy's baby. Having kids around also diverted much of the energy and attention I usually focus on skiing and drinking beer. So for the first year ever, I took a day off from the skiing and sledded on a GROOMED hill that was near our house in Breckenridge. Yes, folks, the town of Breckenridge grooms a hill for sledding, and use of the hill is free of charge. It was Austin's first experience sledding down a large hill, and he wasn't very happy when we once got out of control and I sprayed his face with snow before spinning out (see pictures). The hottub experience was a little dfferent this year too. Instead of the spa becoming rancid with Marty's urine, it was polluted this year by Lucy and Austin loading dirty snow from the porch into it. Notwithstanding, sitting in the tub after a hard days skiing was, as always, unbeatable and the highlight of each of my days. In addition to sledding with the kids, I also got to go for a delightful and challenging 1 hour run with Gayle up the mountain and down the mountain. I also enjoyed muffins and americano's from my favorite coffee shop in Breckenridge, Clints. This year was also fun because Nitram, Vano and I got to ski with Rachael one morning. She hadn't skiied in two years, but joined us on Day 3. First run down: black with bumps. Second run down: double diamond black in the tree with bumps and powder (see picture in which we're about to enter the forest). She did awesome, skiied like a pro, didn't mind us singing on the chair lifts, and brought even greater respect to our group. So to those who missed out this year - Chris, Ted, Touchdown Matt to name a few - we've got enough memories to carry us through till the 6th Annual, but we hope you can join us for the same. Hope you enjoy some of the pictures as much as we did creating them. I'm still waiting on pictures from Gayle - check back later.

Here's Rach about to enter her second run of the day, and then styling the run.

Here's Kevin directing traffic:

And here's Marty at the bottom of a tree run; the river that swallowed him up was not marked - hilarious.

Let Them Eat Dirt

As many of you know, our house has a patch of dirt right outside our back door about 200 square feet in size. It's supposed to be hidden by a beautiful deck, but that deck remains to be built. No matter, as kids always do, ours have found another suitable use for the dirt patch - a natural play area. Yes, when they are lucky, Gayle lets the boys outside to push cars around in the dirt, build dirt-castles, and of course, eat it. Know what? While Gayle was originally mortified by Wyatt shoveling dirt in his mouth like it was coffee grinds (see post below), she came to see the joy it gave him. Turns out, it's probably good for him. Check out this fascinating article from the New York Times Below:

Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You

By JANE E. BRODY

Published: January 26, 2009

Ask mothers why babies are constantly picking things up from the floor or ground and putting them in their mouths, and chances are they’ll say that it’s instinctive — that that’s how babies explore the world. But why the mouth, when sight, hearing, touch and even scent are far better at identifying things?

When my young sons were exploring the streets of Brooklyn, I couldn’t help but wonder how good crushed rock or dried dog droppings could taste when delicious mashed potatoes were routinely rejected.

Since all instinctive behaviors have an evolutionary advantage or they would not have been retained for millions of years, chances are that this one too has helped us survive as a species. And, indeed, accumulating evidence strongly suggests that eating dirt is good for you.

In studies of what is called the hygiene hypothesis, researchers are concluding that organisms like the millions of bacteria, viruses and especially worms that enter the body along with “dirt” spur the development of a healthy immune system. Several continuing studies suggest that worms may help to redirect an immune system that has gone awry and resulted in autoimmune disorders, allergies and asthma.

These studies, along with epidemiological observations, seem to explain why immune system disorders like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and allergies have risen significantly in the United States and other developed countries.

Training the Immune System

“What a child is doing when he puts things in his mouth is allowing his immune response to explore his environment,” Mary Ruebush, a microbiology and immunology instructor, wrote in her new book, “Why Dirt Is Good” (Kaplan). “Not only does this allow for ‘practice’ of immune responses, which will be necessary for protection, but it also plays a critical role in teaching the immature immune response what is best ignored.”

One leading researcher, Dr. Joel V. Weinstock, the director of gastroenterology and hepatology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, said in an interview that the immune system at birth “is like an unprogrammed computer. It needs instruction.”

He said that public health measures like cleaning up contaminated water and food have saved the lives of countless children, but they “also eliminated exposure to many organisms that are probably good for us.”

“Children raised in an ultraclean environment,” he added, “are not being exposed to organisms that help them develop appropriate immune regulatory circuits.”

Studies he has conducted with Dr. David Elliott, a gastroenterologist and immunologist at the University of Iowa, indicate that intestinal worms, which have been all but eliminated in developed countries, are “likely to be the biggest player” in regulating the immune system to respond appropriately, Dr. Elliott said in an interview. He added that bacterial and viral infections seem to influence the immune system in the same way, but not as forcefully.

Most worms are harmless, especially in well-nourished people, Dr. Weinstock said.

“There are very few diseases that people get from worms,” he said. “Humans have adapted to the presence of most of them.”

Worms for Health

In studies in mice, Dr. Weinstock and Dr. Elliott have used worms to both prevent and reverse autoimmune disease. Dr. Elliott said that in Argentina, researchers found that patients with multiple sclerosis who were infected with the human whipworm had milder cases and fewer flare-ups of their disease over a period of four and a half years. At the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Dr. John Fleming, a neurologist, is testing whether the pig whipworm can temper the effects of multiple sclerosis.

In Gambia, the eradication of worms in some villages led to children’s having increased skin reactions to allergens, Dr. Elliott said. And pig whipworms, which reside only briefly in the human intestinal tract, have had “good effects” in treating the inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, he said.

How may worms affect the immune system? Dr. Elliott explained that immune regulation is now known to be more complex than scientists thought when the hygiene hypothesis was first introduced by a British epidemiologist, David P. Strachan, in 1989. Dr. Strachan noted an association between large family size and reduced rates of asthma and allergies. Immunologists now recognize a four-point response system of helper T cells: Th 1, Th 2, Th 17 and regulatory T cells. Th 1 inhibits Th 2 and Th 17; Th 2 inhibits Th 1 and Th 17; and regulatory T cells inhibit all three, Dr. Elliott said.

“A lot of inflammatory diseases — multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and asthma — are due to the activity of Th 17,” he explained. “If you infect mice with worms, Th 17 drops dramatically, and the activity of regulatory T cells is augmented.”

In answer to the question, “Are we too clean?” Dr. Elliott said: “Dirtiness comes with a price. But cleanliness comes with a price, too. We’re not proposing a return to the germ-filled environment of the 1850s. But if we properly understand how organisms in the environment protect us, maybe we can give a vaccine or mimic their effects with some innocuous stimulus.”

Wash in Moderation

Dr. Ruebush, the “Why Dirt Is Good” author, does not suggest a return to filth, either. But she correctly points out that bacteria are everywhere: on us, in us and all around us. Most of these micro-organisms cause no problem, and many, like the ones that normally live in the digestive tract and produce life-sustaining nutrients, are essential to good health.

“The typical human probably harbors some 90 trillion microbes,” she wrote. “The very fact that you have so many microbes of so many different kinds is what keeps you healthy most of the time.”

Dr. Ruebush deplores the current fetish for the hundreds of antibacterial products that convey a false sense of security and may actually foster the development of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria. Plain soap and water are all that are needed to become clean, she noted.

“I certainly recommend washing your hands after using the bathroom, before eating, after changing a diaper, before and after handling food,” and whenever they’re visibly soiled, she wrote. When no running water is available and cleaning hands is essential, she suggests an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Dr. Weinstock goes even further. “Children should be allowed to go barefoot in the dirt, play in the dirt, and not have to wash their hands when they come in to eat,” he said. He and Dr. Elliott pointed out that children who grow up on farms and are frequently exposed to worms and other organisms from farm animals are much less likely to develop allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Also helpful, he said, is to “let kids have two dogs and a cat,” which will expose them to intestinal worms that can promote a healthy immune system.