Heated Pools Rule!

It's getting to be a little chilly here in Nassau the last week or so (if you can call 73 degrees chilly). Our pool is too cold for swimming just now, although the ocean is as warm as a bath (?), so this past weekend we decided to go out to Cable Beach and borrow the heated pools out there. Emily met a friend to play with in the pool and we had a little picnic. Emily's favourite pool bar is in the first photo - she has a strange fascination with them and getting a fruit punch at the swim-up bar is her Cable Beach treat. You can see the clouds covering up our nice warm sun.

Meringues & Gluten Free from Sara

Our friend Sara, of "Sara and Thomas" fame, had the good fortune to spend a month at home with her Parents in Italy last month. She came back armed with gluten free pasta and lasagna noodles (something Lisa has been craving since her last package from Sundie's visit ran out) and some gluten free chocolate cookies. It was wonderful of her to remember Lisa and here is a big, public THANK YOU!!! Mark has made Lisa a delicious lasagna already, plus we have discovered the first gluten free pasta ever that you can cook, put in the fridge and then eat the next day without choking on the dryness. It's on our Italy shopping list from now on.

Sara came over one evening last week to give us a meringue (also gluten free) cooking lesson. They turned out wonderfully and Emily was the hit of her school when she brought some of them to her class the next day.

Dolce enjoys Emily sneaking her a sample.

Emily and Dolce decide cooking is too boring - playing is better!

The Extent of Mark's Medical Care

This is about as close as Lisa can get Mark to a stethoscope since he refuses to pay for insurance. Dr Kelly isn't as good-looking as lovely Mary and doesn't make Mark's heart beat quite so fast.

Not sure what things are like where you are but The Bahamas is very, very quiet. Yesterday Atlantis laid off 800 workers (down from 1600 reported lay offs after the government got involved). We heard that Atlantis is at 14%, yes 14%, occupancy - so if you are in the mood for a bargain Atlantis will practically pay you to stay there :-) The Scottish Bahamian Society Curry Night which managed to draw 80 people last year only managed 40 last weekend ($75 is a bit steep for a curry). The St. Andrews School 60th Jubilee Ball at the Atlantis was supposed to be a record breaking fund-raiser this year (for the building of the new auditorium). But it looks as though the only thing it will be breaking is "even" - if the school is lucky. Even our business is not where it should be for this time of year.

As Mark says we have decided to "fiddle while Rome burns" and head off to Scotland for Christmas and New Year. Emily is spending the Holidays with her Dad this year. We had made a pledge to save our air-miles for emergencies but, hey, if this economy isn't an emergency what is. So everyone take care of yourselves - if anything happens to anyone we can't afford to leave the island and we have no miles left to fly. :-) Let's hope there are no big hurricanes on the way.

Catch Up

Lisa here. As we prepare for our busiest season blogging has unfortunately dropped to the bottom of our priority list. I would post lots of pictures of my trip back to PA and my brand-new lovely twin nieces - but on my flight back my camera was stolen out of my checked baggage. Silly me to put it in my checked baggage but I was trying to fit all of the bootie and wasn't thinking straight. Mark is not very happy as this is our 2nd camera stolen. I left one in the private hotel car on our trip to Vietnam and apparently the private hotel drivers are not as honest as the hotel claims. So - no pictures for a while I'm afraid. Not until I can convince Mark that I am trustworthy enough to own a camera!

Here are some quick catch ups of our recent activity in bullet form.

Lisa's trip back to the US was successful. The distribution center for the Holiday season is getting there. We are about half way through packing the 4,500 boxes.

Emily had a wonderful Halloween but wouldn't let her embarassing Parents go with her this year. She went to her friends "gated community" where there was a 40 minute car line at security of Parents with kids trying to get in to trick or treat. Needless to say she had a great time. She was Hermione again and was thankful for her cloak because believe it or not...

It's been cold here! We have been suffering temperatures in the mid-70s and the ocean and wind have been out of control! No sitting out on the back patio - too winding plus the risk of getting a wave soaking. We can't see through our back windows because of all the salt.

Mark and I had a late Halloween night at Crazy Johnny's. There were lots of costumes and even though we weren't dressed up we enjoyed ourselves. We haven't been out taht late in years!

Emily is starting to do some work for the Proud Paws organization. They are a great group of people and are really enjoying Emily's ideas and particpation.