Still Down Here

I love to hang out the wash here, very satisfying quick results. Our little side yard is coming along. I now have a compost pile and will be able to enrich this rocky soil somewhat. The rich and dark soil is mid-island, here its more like the desert but will support aloes, cactus, and bougainvillea. I do have rosemary as well.
My little camera can not really capture how beautiful the ski can be. There were a lot of rain showers out there but you can not see them very well. Françoise I'm sure you could capture this better.
Day after day, the fool(s) on the hill. Here we are on our hill, lovely to be here too. Wed we are flying North and hope we don't get stuck in San Juan due to cancellations. Will give it our best shot, had hoped to thread our way through various storms. Will be very happy to see the grands, snow forts, igloos, walls of snow.

Antidotes to Cabin Fever

visitors

hot tubs

almost old enough for medicare

beach skiing

foot rubs

new hearing aids

icicles

twin dressing

cupcakes

HAPPY WINTER!

Maine Winta, Ayuh?

Our favorite beach

It is called Sand Castle Beach but this is the first one we have seen there. Some fellow with a big flat shovel worked very hard for several hours. When we complemented him he remarked "think what I could do if I was stoned".

Jim searching for beach glass.

Happiness

spouses, mates, significant others--they're all fine and dandy--but here's a couple bundles that bake my cake.

The Intruder

Look what popped out yesterday when Jim opened the drawer to get a shirt. Thats right, Stinkus Buggus made the trip to St. Croix in his suitcase. As far as we know this type of insect does not exist on the island (yet). We do not want to be responsible for such an invasion so we squashed him or her. There could be others or worse yet a mating between Stinky and the Caribbean cockroach or the Galangal which is a worm -like (also smelly) millipede. Thats your insect report for today.

Well, Jim, you see, I just thought it was an absolutely beautiful photograph of a beautiful person. Still do.

An Uncle in Repose

At Jake's request here are some choice photos of an uncle. Not sure you would actually want one on your wall. Waiting to see the other entries.

MaryO pic of CS under François' pic of Jake

Favorite Views

Heres our boy Hunter. He is getting around very well with his over-the-knee cast and using crutches. He and I made cookies and he received extra credit for his "life skills" class (home ec to you 60s folks). He knows more about the chemistry of baking now and hes a great student. Next we played poker and he is doing very well there too, beat me several times.
Took this picture right before I left last Sat.
Happy to be looking at this and hearing about a "wintry mix" and not being in it.
This was a johnnycake eating contest. They are quite delicious (one is) but rather heavy, a fried dough disk. The contestants were allowed to dip in glasses of water but it was still slow going. A young girl (not seen in this photo) began to gag and vomit which was a bit distracting to the others but they soldiered on. The winner downed 5 JCs in 5 minutes. All this to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club. I won a gift certificate to a local eatery in the raffle.

In the pink

We found Dave and Dad enjoying a few brews in our hot tub tonight after a long day of shoveling. So as to not make anyone jealous, Dad covered his "pitutary."

Gourette, Pyrenees

Jake and I went to the Pyrenees this week-end. A little far from Paris for only two days, but it was definitely worth it! As if we hadn't got enough snow in New Jersey two weeks ago ;-)

How old are you now?

New Feature

Only one birthday wish for brother Robert? Pretty lame, people. Perhaps everyone's out in vail doing some sliding.

Anyway, I would like to introduce a new blog feature called, well, Recommendations. It's pretty simple: post anything you recommend. Could be a book, movie, restaurant, new Mexican dish, TV show. etc. I'm hoping this might lure a few of those closet blog viewers out into the open.

Today I'm recommending: The Return, a Russian flick from around 03 or 04. Also, the new True Grit, which I, a great lover of the western genre, found first rate.

For history, biography buffs the new Ron Chernow book on General Washington gives endless fresh insights into the guy on the one dollar bill.

And musically speaking, if you've never listened to The Gourds download a couple tunes and check them out; an Austin, Texas band that's been around at least fifteen years, they have a pretty snazzy sound and a couple good vocalists. And of course if you haven't listened lately to the Dead do Hard to Handle with Pigpen on vocal, do yourself a favor and do so today.

gawd bless the simpsons

Happy Birthday Beeze!

I had to dig deep into my massive iphoto archive to locate a pic of the birthday boy, but here it is for your enjoyment. On this particular day back in november of aught six a couple of the older simpson boys, CR Simpson II and RC Simpson, spent an afternoon at fellowship village learning the ropes before they check-in in the near future. Don't they look right at home?

Happy Birthday, Robert! You've vanished into the netherworld but i feel certain you're out there somewhere pondering the fate of mankind and sucking on a canna Bud.

Happy 2011!

Happy New Year to everyone from the family that didn't make it to NJ this year. We hope you all have a happy and successful 2011 and that Hunter's broken bones heal quick and straight.  Love,

The Simpson-Malmquist Group

CAKE

Jim ordered a beautiful cake for me, we had to rent a hand dolly to get it into the restaurant but it was good.
Abbie does not like to be contained, she is a girl on the move now.
Thatch and Susan doing the "lean-in".
"Wheres the eats"?
Hope put together a lovely outfit for my party including pearls.
Heres our boy, broke fibula and tibia, a clean break and he says he heard it snap (OUCH). He will be casted on Tuesday.
I wished for all new teeth, no not really, not telling or it won't come true.