Mark arrived at Madison, WI in 1998 from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, with a degree in Mathematics and Philosophy, while Laura comes from Southwestern University in 2000 from Georgetown, TX, with her degree in Mathematics, Computer Science, and a Secondary Education Certificate. We met in the spring semester of 2001, both of us teaching intro to computer science. We quickly became best friends and started dating in April. We got engaged on August 14th, 2002, and were married in Madison on July 5th, 2003 in the Allen Centennial Gardens, and from Mark Rich and Laura Goad we became Mark and Laura Goadrich. Many of our friends and family were able to make the trip and share in our celebration. As of Summer 2007, we've moved to Shreveport, Louisiana to be at Centenary College and Bossier Parish Community College.

We live to teach and learn. Laura has also taught an introduction course to computer architecture and introductory college courses in mathematics, and Mark has taught an introduction to artificial intelligence. We finished up our masters degrees in Computer Science, and for a while worked on research, Mark in Biomedical Information Extraction, and Laura in Radation Treatment Therapy Optimization. Laura also earned her Masters in Industrial Engineering, while Mark completed his Ph.D. in Computer Science.

Though even with all our schoolwork, we still make time to relax and have fun. Some of our favorite times have been spent cultivating a garden plot and growing our own produce. Our freezers are usually overflowing with tomatoes, zucchini, squash and other vegetables. This, and our first starts at canning pickles and jams, feed well into our love of cooking. Other times we spend making candles, carving pumpkins, playing card and board games, learning tennis, and reading fantasy and mystery novels, or creating soap, weaving on a loom and making ravioli with friends. And Laura's index and middle fingers have turned green following her green thumb; our apartment is overflowing with African violets, streptocarpus, pepperomia and more.

And now, we're on to sharing the rest of our lives together, cooking, tasting, gardening, teaching and learning. Life is good. We're keeping this website to help us remember the foods we cook and places we go, as well as easily share our lives with our far-flung friends and family. Hope you enjoy.