7 New Habits for Body and Mind

Last month, I saw food activist and writer Michael Pollan speak at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center. As a fan of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Michael’s prescriptive to “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants,” I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

Michael Pollan

During his talk, Michael noted some astounding facts that, despite all my work with the food industry, I was surprised to hear. Here are my top takeaways:

• 40 new products are launched in supermarkets every day. That means we have a lot of choices, but also a lot of confusion about what’s best for our bodies.
• Americans eat 20% of meals in our cars. We are all in a rush, and our on-the-go consumption is far from the mindful eating dietitians recommend.
• There’s a new term, “nutritionalism,” that refers to our tendency to overhype “good” foods and villainize “bad” ones. We’re better off keeping things simple: more fiber, less sugar and plenty of exercise.

It’s time we all found more balance in our lives – physically, emotionally and socially. Inspired by Michael’s 7 Rules for Eating, I’ve developed 7 New Habits for Body and Mind. I encourage you to try these and to make your own list!

1) I read labels. When I shop, I not only check for gluten-free ingredients, but also read the label for sugar and carb content.

2) I have switched from olive oil to coconut oil in much of my baking.

3) I drink a green drink in the morning made with vegetables.

4) I set aside Sunday afternoons to cook a casserole and wash and cut veggies so I have wholesome weeknight meals and ready-to-grab nutritious snack foods.

Prep, prep, prep!

5) I stick mostly to the perimeter of the supermarket. That means fruits, veggies, lean meats and dairy.

6) I will not be orthorexic (having an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating). With so many “health” messages out there, it’s easy to go overboard. It is much better to enjoy life and savor each meal – and that includes the social aspects!

7) I have added yoga back into my life. I get stressed just like everyone else, and feeling frazzled all the time just isn’t fun. Yoga is a great workout and helps me wring out all that tension.

Cheers!

- Alice

10 Fun (and Gluten-Free) Things to Do Since the Groundhog Saw His Shadow

[The groundhog saw his shadow. Now what? Our volunteer Annsley Klehr has some ideas for keeping the kids occupied until Spring rolls around. Find more tips from Annsley in NFCA's Parenting Articles.]

By Annsley Klehr

We all know that winter can bring on a feeling of hibernation, but only to a certain degree.  After a while, you get that cooped up feeling.  You know, like when you were a little kid and were driving your parents nuts because you kept begging them for a playmate? Of course, any activity also has to account for dietary restrictions, but don’t worry!  Here is a list of activities that kept me gluten-free and plenty busy with my daughter this winter, even if we have to spend a little extra time indoors.

1.  Watch a Movie – Take your family to a movie and stash some bagged popcorn or HalfPops in your bag. You can also make some homemade hot chocolate and popcorn on the stovetop to enjoy with a movie on your comfy couch (a warm blanket is a plus!).

2.  Play a Game – Remember your good ole deck of cards or a board game that could entertain you for hours?  Dust them off and put them to use!  There’s bound to be some good laughs.  Even if your child is young, he/she can still find matches or pairs in a simplified version of Go Fish.  When that gets old, make up your own game.

No cabin fever here!

3. Read a Book – Cuddle up on the couch with your kid(s) and share a quiet moment either reading together or separately. Sometimes it’s fun to read something like Where’s Waldo? together where everyone is a part of the book.

4. Put Together a Puzzle – Puzzles are a great calming way to help develop spatial skills.  Doing them together helps to reinforce communication skills and teaches how to negotiate with others.

Everyone loves a good puzzle.

5.  Make a Gift – The art of making something for someone you care about, whether it be a card, birthday present, housewarming gift or just something small to show someone you care often gets overlooked.  It is quite a special way to share joy with your child and teach them other ways to show love and appreciation.  Out of ideas?  Try checking About.com for inspiration.

6. Take a Hike – Check out the trails around you and enjoy the respite from the hubbub of daily life. Point out trees and plants budding, animals that live in the woods, sounds of nature, etc.  We take time to use many of our senses to describe what we see, smell, hear and touch. Don’t forget to make yourself some gluten-free GORP (good old-fashioned raisins and peanuts) for using your sense of taste!  We like to make it using peanuts, gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate chips, dried fruit, assorted seeds and nuts from the grocery store, raisins, and gluten-free O’s cereal, to name a few.

7.  Pop Popcorn – Make popcorn from organic corn kernels over the stovetop and watch them pop, Pop, POP.  Then add your favorite toppings: butter, cheese, salt, chocolate, etc.

8.  Create an Indoor Scavenger Hunt – What’s more fun than reading simple clues and finding what might normally be a boring object in your house?  It will provide hours of entertainment.

For Example (from simple to complex):

• A purple crayon
• Something blue and white?
• Something long?
• Something that can get wet?
• It’s hiding in a room of red, behind a heap and used for bed.

Not ready to create your own?  Fantasy, Jr. has printable ones for you.

Then you have your more traditional poems like the one from Scavenger Hunt Fun, in which a clue is left and you have to solve it to get to your next clue.  The final location usually has a surprise waiting for you.

9.  Ride a Train – Too cold to go outside, but need something to get you out of the house?  Pack a few snacks and get on the train for a quick tour of your city.  Looking out the window of a moving train can be incredibly thrilling.  If that’s not enough, bring travel bingo cards with you.  Make them yourself, use online printables, or buy them here.

10. Roast S’mores – Thought you couldn’t have them anymore?  Make a fire over your grill, your gas burner or a fire pit and then bring along a box of gluten-free graham crackers or bread, marshmallows and gluten-free chocolate for melt-in-your-mouth s’mores.  If you want to try something a bit more original, after roasting your marshmallow, sprinkle some gluten-free chocolate chips into the middle for a different mouth-watering sensation!

Please add your own ideas to this list to share!

About Annsley

Annsley Klehr is a classroom teacher and owner of Gluten Freedoms, LLC, a gluten-free coaching and consulting business.

Related Content:

• NFCA – Kids Central
• Articles on Parenting a Gluten-Free Child

A Special Delivery: Tweason’ale Gluten-Free Beer

One day last week, NFCA’s Vice President Jenn walked into our shared office with an outstretched hand that was holding a special delivery and said, “This is for you. Mike Savett asked that I give it to you.”

Any takes on what the “special delivery” entailed? Well, if you guessed Dogfish Head’s new gluten-free beer, Tweason’ale, you’re right!

Dogfish Head's new gluten-free beer

Back in January when Mike of Gluten Free Philly broke the news that the craft brewery would be coming out with a new gluten-free beer, I was ecstatic.

I was diagnosed just 2 months after completing my Bachelor’s degree from James Madison University in 2007, at the exact time I was beginning to discover the taste of real beer. (And, no, that wasn’t a dig at gluten-free beer. Let’s just say the quality of beer you consume during college is not always premium.) So needless to say, my desire to expand my taste in beer was halted, and as far as I knew, it was halted forever.

That is definitely not to say that I haven’t enjoyed any of the ciders or beers that abound in the gluten-free marketplace. The availability of Redbridge at every Phillies game is a serious plus; having the option to sip a banana-bread style gluten-free beer at the GREAT-trained Devil’s Den in South Philly is fabulous and truly delicious; I enjoy the occasions when my dad picks up whatever new limited edition Woodchuck Cider has for the current season just so we can have a taste test; and, of course, when the Crispins of the world send a special package to our very own NFCA office!

But, something has definitely been missing, which is why I was ecstatic to have Jenn hand me a Tweason’ale. I quickly stuck the single beer in our office’s minifridge and shot off a quick emailing thanking Gluten Free Philly for his gift.

The next morning I came into the office to find an email from him with no actual content, but a single word in the subject line – “So?”

For anyone that has not had the opportunity to sip on Dogfish Head’s newest gluten-free craft beer, I suggest you run to your local distributor. I’m happy to say that this fun, craft-like gluten-beer has my vote!

- Kristin

My Special Diet

I used to be the rogue in my family.

I became a vegetarian more than 20 years ago, when vegetarianism may have been mainstream in California, but was a radical idea in my New Jersey suburb.

I was the veto vote. I was the one everyone had to accommodate. I got to pick the restaurants, I had the “pleasure” of asking the server again and again which menu items might be appropriate for me, and my family did everything they could to avoid having a holiday meal at my house. Face it, no meat eater likes Tofurky (and since my daughter’s celiac diagnosis, we don’t eat it anyway).

I remember how enraged I would get when a piece of sausage was found in my soup. I actually ended a friendship with someone because she fed my daughter a fish stick.

Life has gotten much easier for me. It’s hard to find a restaurant today that doesn’t have a vegetarian entrée to offer its guests. Restaurants understand that chicken stock is not vegetarian. I hardly have to ask questions anymore.

Now, my daughter, Molly, is the veto vote. She has celiac disease; I don’t. I can eat anywhere, but she needs to be picky. And if I thought eating out could be challenging with my preferential vegetarian diet, I was sadly mistaken. Exposure to a bacon bit might make my stomach turn, but that is entirely figurative. If my soup is made with chicken broth or my miso with fish paste, I might not even know. And I can go about my business undisturbed by the ignorance of the person who served me.

People with celiac disease and severe forms of gluten sensitivity do not have that luxury. Every business trip I go on, someone gets sick from cross-contamination. It’s impossible to go through every scenario to uncover every place where gluten might be hidden in a meal. You have to be educated, you have to be confident, and you have to be diligent. Every meal, even if ordered from a gluten-free menu, requires detective work. Every sauce is suspicious. Grill marks are a dead giveaway. And that gluten-free dessert may be riddled with airborne flour.

I sure hope it doesn’t take 20 years for the restaurant industry to catch up.

- Jennifer

Learn about NFCA’s gluten-free restaurant training program: GREAT Kitchens

Mrs. Alaska International 2012 Wants YOU to Attend NFCA’s Webinar

[Recently, I’ve been chatting with Brandy Wendler – a.k.a. Mrs. Alaska International 2012 - on Twitter. I knew she is a celiac advocate, but it wasn’t until she sent us a nice note that I learned she has a passion for heart health, too. I invited her to share her story and explain why she’s excited for next Tuesday’s FREE webinar on Gluten-Free and Heart Health.]

I was diagnosed with celiac disease when I was working as a nurse in Atlanta. I worked in a cardiovascular ICU where we did everything, including heart transplants. I love the sound of a heartbeat. It has always been soothing to me. I feel the heart symbolizes the core of who a person is and represents their life. I like to think it is the most important (and beautiful) organ in the body. So, when I found out I had an autoimmune disease, I found myself wondering: How does this affect my heart?

Brandy Wendler

Before my diagnosis of celiac disease, I had been sick and having symptoms for almost 10 years – which is an average time from onset to diagnosis. Being a medical professional did not increase my chances of diagnosis. In some cases, it hampered it. I had a colleague tell me my symptoms were all in my head. After all, I had been treated for anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue and restless leg syndrome. I could sleep for days and not feel rested.  However, my illness wasn’t imagined. It was real.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis shortly before my celiac diagnosis, I suffered from chronic anemia and frequently had low levels of B vitamins and Vitamin D on my blood tests. Many celiacs have similar stories. All of these issues, though, led to a huge lack of motivation for exercise that would be beneficial to my heart. I was also malnourished and ate anything high in calories – another choice that was not good for my heart.

After I was diagnosed with celiac disease, my depression and chronic fatigue went away. I have normal iron, Vitamin B, and Vitamin D levels now. My thyroid disorder is under control, and I have a lot more energy! I have also changed the way I eat. Not just removing gluten, but also focusing more on eating my servings of vegetables, fruits and lean meats. The carbohydrates that I choose to eat are typically complex carbs like sweet potato, brown rice, and certified gluten-free oats. All of these are high in fiber and good for your heart.

With the training of a master’s in nursing, these choices come pretty easily for me. Being in the medical field is definitely an advantage when you have two autoimmune diseases. What about my celiac friends with no medical background, though? I sometimes worry if they are making the most informed choices. Most of the pre-packed gluten-free foods are high in saturated fats, sugar, salt and calories, which is not good for your body, much less your heart.

At the end of the day, it can be overwhelming. Having celiac disease is a huge adjustment, but it is possible to live with celiac disease and be kind to your heart. The first step is starting and maintaining a gluten-free diet. Sneaking a piece of gluten here or there is simply not going to help you in any way – no matter how good it may taste. The diet is essential to keeping all associated disorders in check.

The next step would be to educate yourself and make the right choices. I was thrilled to see that NFCA is offering a webinar on Gluten-Free and Heart Health. It makes it easier for my extended celiac friends to be informed and take care of themselves. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of men and women in the U.S.. Early action to prevent heart disease is the key. So please sign up for the webinar with me and take your heart health seriously. Your heart has been with you from day 1, and it truly beats only for you!

About Brandy

Brandy Wendler just completed her year as Mrs. Alaska United States 2011 and now holds the title of Mrs. Alaska International 2012. She is currently working on Alaska state legislation SCR 16, which aims to recognize May as National Celiac Awareness Month. Last month, the legislation was read on the floor and was referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee. Read more on Brandy’s blog.

Gluten-Free Education Fair at Whole Foods

I wasn’t thrilled when I woke up to 3 inches of snow and slush last Saturday morning. I was expected at Whole Foods on the Upper West Side of New York City by noon-ish, and the drive from Philly just got a lot more treacherous.

But, as Nancy would say, “Press on!” And so I did. Through the slush. Past the snow plows. Around the cars parked snuggly in their spots.

Ready for action!

I was headed to Whole Foods for the Gluten-Free Education Fair, an afternoon event that capped off a week’s worth of gluten-free samplings and specials. The Fair was organized by Erin Smith, one of our top blogger friends and organizer of the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Group, so I couldn’t let her down.

Well – no surprise here – I made it. And despite the unsightly weather, we had a good turnout. NFCA’s table was placed right at the door, a chilly but prime spot for grabbing customers as they entered. Best of all, I was sandwiched between cookbook author Annalise Roberts and the team from Dr. Schar USA, both of whom brought gluten-free samples. As we all know, everyone loves free samples, and while the customers waited in line, I talked to them about celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

Jasper from Dr. Schar USA serves up a gluten-free cracker with cheese.

For the most part, everyone had heard about the gluten-free diet (though I did get a few “So, what is gluten?” inquiries). Many customers had also heard of celiac disease, and those who hadn’t were astonished to learn how many symptoms it manifested. There were customers who had celiac disease, others who had a friend with gluten sensitivity, and, of course, there were the few that said “Oh, I kind of eat gluten-free. You know, it’s just healthier.”

The Gluten-Free Education Fair truly showed the breadth of people who are eating gluten-free, and how comfortable they are with the diet. A man diagnosed celiac for 10 years told me how much easier it’s gotten. A woman with a different autoimmune disease said she’s trying a gluten-free diet to see if it helps her symptoms. An entire family went gluten-free on behalf of one celiac child, and they’re still discovering new foods.

Erin and Kristen from the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Group

One customer in particular had been diagnosed with celiac less than 1 year ago.  She tried each sample and collected information like a kid in a candy store. If there were an award for “Most Stoked About a Gluten-Free Cracker,” she would win it.

Fortunately for her, there were plenty more foods to try. Glow Gluten Free and Kettle Cuisine, two of NFCA’s GREAT Business Association members, were handing out samples in the store aisles. Posh Pop Bake Shop and Free Bread, Inc. were also among the vendors at the fair.

A special thank you to Erin and Whole Foods for organizing this great event. We hope this is the first of many!

Be-Lee-ve!

[As you know, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness staff members are big Phillies fans. So when one of our volunteers, Nadina Fraimow, told us she shared the same passion for sports, wellness and all things Phillies, we had to get her on board. Nadina will be sharing her gluten-free experiences as she follows the Phillies year-round.]

Be-Lee-ve!

A Phightin’ to Be Gluten-Free Blog

Be-Lee-ve it — spring training is less than one month away!  As Phillies catchers and pitchers prepare for Clearwater, FL, management continues to play “Moneyball” with players on the home field.  Last month, the latest buzz to reach media channels followed the potential deal to re-sign shortstop Jimmy Rollins.

The Phillies did go Rollin’ into the holiday season with him on the team and signed to a 3-year contract.  Next to bat, Cole Hamels and Wilson Valdez both signed a 1-year contract with the Phillies.  If the destination for Rollins, Hamels and Valdez is a Phightin’ Phils ticket to the World Series, then their journey starts now.

This week, two sports legends—Andy Musser and Joe Paterno died.  To quote the latter, Paterno always said, “Believe deep down in your heart that you’re destined to do great things.”

My family team is Phightin’ strong, cheerin’ loud and Be-lee-vin’ in the gluten-free community, each other and ourselves. When we get together, there is always a food adventure involving new recipes, ingredients, and foods from restaurants and grocers.  Our All-Star trifecta in the kitchen is quite the team to beat during pre-spring training!

A Grand Slam, gluten-free adventure can be found in Ardmore, PA, a Philadelphia suburb on the stretch known as the Main Line.  This week, our local Trader Joe’s is hosting a gluten-free food tasting station.  I  highly recommend a must-try lunch option, the  gluten-free super spinach salad (contains quinoa, carrots, cranberries, chickpeas, edamame, pumpkin seeds, and a ginger miso dressing) for an All-Star energy boost.  My change-up is to be creative and introduce additional ingredients to existing recipes. To the salad, I added avocado for texture, spicy falafel chips for flavor and tuna for protein.   

Rounding in the bases, Di Bruno Brothers is now carrying a full line of gluten-free focaccia, breads and rolls from Lancaster’s Amaranth Bakery and gluten-free deli meats, including my favorite, Boar’s Head Turkey Pastrami.  Each week, gluten-free products are added to Di Bruno Brothers diverse selection of gourmet foods.

Sliding into home plate, Sushi Sei at the Ardmore Farmers Market safely prepares special orders of gluten-free sushi and sells gluten-free ginger dressing and soy sauce.  The sushi is artistically rolled with the freshest fish and vegetables!

Stay tuned for upcoming restaurant and product reviews to enjoy during the baseball off-season.  Clearwater, FL—here we come!

- Nadina

About Nadina:
Nadina Fraimow began volunteering with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) in April 2011, and will be happy to answer messages addressed to her at the info@celiaccentral.org email account. Nadina learned that she has gluten sensitivity in February 2011, and is grateful for having been diagnosed promptly and correctly by a knowledgeable gastroenterologist. She enjoys running, shopping for gluten-free sweets and creating recipes that are both tasty and healthy. Nadina is a Marketing and Communications professional living and working in Philadelphia. Nadina is also a proud Penn State alumna and an avid fan of the Phillies.

Meet Rhiannon: NFCA Intern and Symptoms Checklist Success Story

[A new semester means new interns at NFCA! We have an enthusiastic group, so we asked them to share their personal stories and what they hope to accomplish while working with NFCA. First up is Rhiannon.]

Hi everyone. My name is Rhiannon Brown, and I’m spending this semester interning for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). Specifically, I will be working with Director of Gluten-Free Industry Initiatives Beckee Moreland on NFCA’s Gluten-Free Resource Education and Awareness Training (GREAT) programs.

My first gluten-free blooming onion!

I’ve always had an interest in foodservice, especially working with customers. I love seeing people smiling around a table with wonderful food! But being a waitress for the rest of my life didn’t sound appealing, either. I wanted to move ahead in the organizat

ions I worked for, and I realized a Foodservice Management degree might get me to where I want to be. So, I returned to my alma mater, Southeast Community College (SCC), to pursue a degree in exactly that!

I have worked diligently in school, achieving certifications from the National Restaurant Association in Food Protection Management (Manager Level Food Handlers Permit, Lancaster County, Nebraska), Inventory and Purchasing, Controlling Foodservice Costs, and Hospitality & Restaurant Management. Through all of this, I was struggling with my own health issues. I had felt sick my entire life, was told I was depressed and had a hysterectomy in my mid-30s. I HAD to figure out what was wrong with me!

Luckily, I came up NFCA’s Celiac Disease Symptoms Checklist. I spent hundreds of hours doing research, reading about the digestive system, referencing and cross-referencing information that I found. Everything pointed to the fact that I may be gluten intolerant. I didn’t have health insurance, and as a student and single mom, I couldn’t get to a doctor. That is when I turned to a gluten-free diet.

I’ve felt healthier than I ever did in my 33 years, but, I realize that every single day is a battle. I know I wouldn’t want to fight a battle on my own, so why would anyone else? I made it my mission to make people aware. I have joined every mailing list and group I’ve found that relates  to gluten intolerance. I talk about it with everyone I come across. All of my school projects are geared around awareness!  

The one group that has been the most helpful in my battle has been NFCA. So, as you can imagine, when I found out that I was going to have the opportunity to meet someone from NFCA, I was beyond elated!  In December 2011, I was in a Culinary Nutrition class at SCC that invited Beckee  to speak. Her visit to SCC turned out to be the GREATest opportunity that a gal in my situation could have asked for! I stayed after class for a few moments to speak one-on-one with Beckee. She informed me of the internship opportunity and invited me to apply for it. I graciously accepted the invitation, applied, interviewed, and was awarded the internship. I have been walking on cloud 9 since the day I met Beckee! Not only because of the internship, but, because I found a local advocate to turn to when I am stumped, when I have news to share about the celiac community, or when I have ideas that could help the community! I am extremely excited for the prospects that this placement will bring!

This practicum has allowed me to complete gluten-free training through NFCA’s GREAT Kitchens program. One of my goals to open a dedicated gluten-free bakery and deli, and this training  has expanded my education and will increase my credibility with customers. The program even includes training tools for the staff I hire and a door decal to place on my business to let people know they can find safe gluten-free food at my deli.

I hope that I can be a catalyst for NFCA’s GREAT Kitchens program. I hope that I am able to make a difference in others’ lives the same way NFCA has made a difference in mine.  I hope to prove myself as a valuable asset to the organization, enough so to possibly have the opportunity to become a permanent asset!

Read more about Rhiannon’s diagnosis journey here: Rhiannon’s Story

Inquiring Minds Want To Know!

Some days, it seems that surveys are everywhere.  We are surrounded by a knowledge gap that surveys are meant to fill allowing all of us to move ahead to a better world. Some seem immensely trivial and others of grave importance.

Over the past few weeks, I have been involved in the world of surveys. Specifically, I have been working on a survey targeting anyone and everyone who is gluten-free. The point is to find out what experiences the survey taker has had with medication. By that, I mean medication of all sorts—prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, the works.

Yes, this survey is part of NFCA’s work on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grant to study Gluten in Medications.  We have written about this study on our CeliacCentral.org website, in our newsletter and more.

Right now, we are engaged in making sure that the distribution of this survey is as broad as possible so that we certainly gather as much insight as we can. The more responses we get, the more information we will have and, therefore, the more drugs we can test for gluten content and the more targeted that testing can be to reap the best, most noteworthy and effective  results.

And, yes, this survey falls into the “gravely important” category.

So, I have been poring over lists of groups that are good candidates to distribute the survey. The NFCA staff has been sending out email notices about the survey like crazy and, then, regrouping to expand and improve our communications plan.

We know how important this research is to all who are gluten-free and who want to be certain that, in the process of trying to get well or stay healthy, they are not sideswiped into illness inadvertently.  Whether someone takes one pill a day or 16, that individual doesn’t know how much gluten, if any, she is absorbing.

We also know that pharmacists are eager to help their patients. They need to know what is in the medication they are dispensing. People ask them questions; they want to know the answers. NFCA’s GREAT Pharmacists online training program is one way that we are moving the ball along that learning curve. This survey and the research that comes out of it will advance the Gluten in Medications program in a positive fashion.

So, back to the lists.  This is a one-in-a-million chance to get it right!

- Nancy

When You Can’t Do It All

Dear Friends of NFCA,

I get asked a lot, How do you do it all?  How do you run an organization, take care of your family, cook, and live a balanced life without pulling out your hair?  The answer is that I don’t do it all.  I make mistakes, but I try to learn from my mistakes.  And there are times when the ball does get dropped.

Our amazing team!

Our family recently moved. And, let me tell you, our holiday was a bit chaotic. I didn’t get any exercise for weeks on end. But my wonderful staff picked up the pieces in the office.  Thank you Cheryl, Jennifer, Nancy, Kristin, Whitney, Sue and Beckee.

I wanted to write a holiday blog post, but I honestly could not get my act together. On the bright side, I knew that it wasn’t the end of the world and that you would all understand. No one is perfect. We all do the best that we can, and my family needed my time and attention.  And I needed to unpack and organize my belongings.  Thank you, team NFCA!

- Alice