Back Porch Cookin

Back porch of the old homestead in Guysie, GA. Mule Days

To join in the Mid Week Blues click on the picture above.

BYU Hockey Team 2010/2011

My nephew Ashton Ripley plays hockey for Brigham Young University.

This is his first year and I'm pretty excited for him.

An Alabama Boy, who's rarely ever seen snow, playing a sport like hockey.

He is the only one in that picture wearing a beard.

His GRANDmother, my MIL, is taking his mother and me

to Utah for our birthday's and to see him play a game.

So if you live in the Provo area come see me on October 22

at the BYU hockey game.

They have a buy one ticket get one ticket coupon on their web site right now.

Print it off and bring another Friend with you.

I think the team could use the support.

I'm In Love

I don't often meet a dog that I want to take home with me.

This was the exception.

Such a sweet dog and we never saw his owner

and I don't even know his name

but really, I wanted to take him home.

Look at that face!

How could you not love that face?

The yellow fake flowers in the back of the truck bed will work as my Mellow Yellow Monday, this week! Want to play along or view other Mellow Yellow photographers? Click on the yellow box.

Sunday~Stills

This weeks theme for Sunday Stills

is Red and Green.

It's a stretch by counting the green grass

and the red shirts.

The pictures were taken yesterday

in Guysie, GA. at Mule Days.

Meet Sam!

Sam weighs in at 3300 pounds.

The Redheaded woman is his owner

and she was the sweetest thing to introduce

Sam to the girls.

He was a very gentle animal

He was hitched up to pull their wagon.

To join in the fun or to view other Sunday Still click here.

Coconut Cheese Topped Brownies

I think I could rename these brownies,

German Chocolate Brownies,

because that is what they reminded me of when I tasted them.

Very easy to make and very moist.

Just make a box of Milk Chocolate, Fudge, Brownie mix

by the box directions.

Add one cup of milk chocolate chips to the mix.

Pour into greased pan.

Then mix together:

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 large egg

Pour over brownie mix and spread to the edges.

Bake as per directions on the box.

Quick and fancy.

1 cup sweet coconut

Thursday Challenge

This weeks Thursday's photo challenge is

"TECHNOLOGY" (Machines, Gears, Engines, Mobile Phones,

Laptops, Wires, Toy Robots,...)

Tractors in Millwood Georgia

A few days after Dad's Griffis funeral his sisters and niece wanted to go to the old homestead and cemetery's. I've got several posts from that great adventure. I've got to take the time to sit down and put those posts together. But until I do I added these old tractors that were sitting on the property's. I'm using these photos as my Thursday Challenge.

Labor Day Weekend

I'm back tracking for a bit.

Our summer was so crazy that I didn't blog much.

So I will randomly be adding post that will cover our summer activities.

Just for journal-ing purposes.

We have season passes to Sea World, Orlando, Florida.

We usually go in January for Shelby's birthday.

Again in March for spring break.

Then we usually go the end of October or in November.

But we NEVER go in the summer time!!!

Just go sometime and you will understand.

BUT...

we went to Orlando for the Labor Day Weekend

and since we had season tickets, the girls put in to go.

We waited till around 5:00 pm hoping that the heat would subside.

I was hot but bearable.

Reagan was sure happy to be there!

She has been so funny lately, she throws her hands up like

this when I try and take her picture.

I show you this picture because I want you to see that cup

that Shelby is drinking from.

That's my Sea World cup that if you bring back each

time you come your drinks are only 99 cents!

And this made the 2nd year I remembered to bring back my cup.

No one else remembers to bring theirs.

Reagan and Auntie Jordan.

We were waiting for the acrobatic show to start
and they always come out and sell the flashing light jewelry.
For $5.00 each they got some way cool Dolphin necklaces.


So when the lights go out they really are cool.


Really great show.

The girls wanted their pics taken with some of the dancers.

Uncle Trav wanted his picture taken with the girls.

This is where my Mid-Week Blues picture comes in.

This is the main thing we came to see,

Shamu Rocks!!

I finally started just at dusk!

It was wild and loud with Rock n Roll music.

Interestingly enough no trainer got in the water with the whales :(

The Sweetheart really loved the music because it

was mostly 70's and 80's hits and lots of his favorite.

We really did Rock Out!!!

So much so that we got our pictures up on

the jumbo screen for every one to see.

I nearly died but the girls loved it!

After Shamu Rocks

the girls and Aunt Jordan and Aunt Emmy

rode a few of the rides.

The girls wanted their mama to have one of the flashing hats.

I'm surprised she bought one but it make them all happy.

Uncle Travis ended up carrying the girls out of the park.

We really enjoy spending time together as a family and we had a great weekend.

**I took these pictures with my point and shoot camera. I really missed not having my big camera for this trip.

Pie In The Sky

What's your favorite flavor moon pie?

Mine is banana.

Did you know that they also make Mint and Peanut Butter?

I've never tried them before but I sure would love too.

Last Night

We road over to catch the sunset from the St. Simon's Island Pier.

This was my view to the right.

A look back towards Brunswick and the Sydney Lanier Bridge.

Looking back over my shoulder to the left

is the St. Simon's Island Light House

With September's Full Moon.

After snapping a few pics of the Light House

I turn to go back to the truck

and this awesome oak was a beautiful silhouette

against the evening sky.

I hope y'all were able to enjoy the gorgeous full moon last night.

After viewing this post I got the following email:

John Gaster sent you a message.

--------------------
Gigi, your photos of St Simon's isle brought back childhood memories of our many visits to St Simon's. Back in the 1930s & 40s one of our uncles had a travel trailer & we had great fun camping in a trailer park about a mile from the beach & pier. Currently the beach has vanished, (just a large stone breakwater now) washed away by hurricane but it used to be so nice, a long sloping beach just right for kids. The old original wooden pier has been replaced with a concrete pier but the size & shape remains about the same.


We crabbed and fished from the pier, shrimp boats used to tie up at the pier to unload their daily catch. We would tie a galvanized water bucket on a rope and lower it down to the shrimp boat while they were shoveling & unloading shrimp. The workers would fill our
bucket full and running over for a quarter, just 25 cents.

When WW2 broke out the pier was used as a base for Navy PT boats to go out and hunt for German Submarines. What a sight for us kids watching the Sailors loading their machine guns etc. preparing the PT boats to go hunt German Submarines just off the Georgia
coast. In May, 1942 on the pier we watched (just over the horizon) fires from US oil tankers sunk by the German Subs. Usually the day after the beach would be littered with things from the sunken oil tankers, life jackets, cans and wood etc.

I love St Simmons, we visit each time we go to Georgia. Georgia is in my heart and I always feel at home once we cross the Georgia state line.

We had a great Griffis reunion this year, camping at 8,000 feet on the top of the mountain.

Love all of you,

John G (Aunt Shirley's brother)

and Clemons's first cousin.

One More Barn

Boyne Fall's, Michigan Hyw. 131 I thought you might need to see one more barn that I thought was just so beautiful. I've only got about 65 more barns to show you, one at a time. I don't even know when I got so crazy for barns, I just am.

Tasty Tuesday

MOM’S OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

Bring to a boil - then simmer gently over low heat, for 15 minutes. Let raisins and liquid cool:

2 cups water

2 cups raisins

Mix together:

1 1/2 Cups of shortening or butter

2 cups white sugar

3 eggs

4 cups Oatmeal

4 Cups all purpose flour

Now add:

The cooled raisin mixture including all the liquid as well.

Mix together well, then add:

1 cups nuts (opt)

3 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 teaspoon of each of these: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice

Mix together until well blended. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until done.

Recipe Thanks to Get Off Your Butt and Bake

Happy 1st Birthday

Collin turns one year old today!

He is walking now!

And he is dancing!

And he loves birthday cake!!

This is his very first taste of cake, ever!

I can hardly believe my little friend is already a year old!

Store Bought Icing

The Sweetheart had to provide the refreshments for

Young Men/Young Women's combined activity last week.

Guess who baked and iced 60 cupcakes?

~~

I love to bake but not in mass amounts.

So, I did the Box Cake Mix thing.

I also didn't want to make that much icing, so I opted for store bought icing.

I H.A.T.E. the way it taste and never buy it!

But I had seen Sandra Lee from Simi-Homemade do this one time.

She added one teaspoon of Almond Flavoring to

the store bought icing and stirred it very well.

Believe it or not it tasted a lot better.

So try this some time if you need to ice 60 cupcakes.

~~~

I am using the yellow label on the Almond flavoring

as my Mellow Yellow Monday.

O Is For Orange

Where does he keep that wallet? Connie, do you think they wear "fanny packs" under those robes? And will you share your salsa recipes, please.