Fields of Sunflowers Lochapoka, Alabama

Fields of Sunflowers in Lochapoka, Al. Saturday July 9, 2011. Made me smile, hope you have a great week!

Lime Cake

Family of Jesse and Loula Anderson English
Eleanor Community between Graceville and Bonifay, Florida

I hope you all had a safe 4th of July holiday. I made a cake for the 4th that everyone wants the recipe for. It's delicious. Even better the 2nd and 3rd day so if you want to make it for a special occasion plan ahead and keep it in a dry cool location. Let me know if you like it.

Tomorrow I will finally meet some of my English family cousins I have never met. Can't wait! We are going to visit the church where my great grandmother Allie B. English Sims is buried along with her parents and grandparents. We are also going to visit where her childhood home was located. Shown in the picture above. It's been gone for a long time. I am hoping that cousins Joe and Fran can show us the exact location. They are the oldest living cousins, son and daughter of Alma Viola English Watford.

Lime Cake

1 3 oz. box lime flavored gelatin

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

½ tsp salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

5 large eggs slightly beaten

1 ½ cups vegetable oil

½ cup fresh orange juice

¼ cup bottled or canned pineapple juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup lime juice bottled or juice from about 4 fresh limes

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large mixing bowl combine sifted flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda, and gelatin. Use a wire whisk stir until well combined.

To dry ingredients add eggs, oil, and orange, pineapple and lemon juice with 1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind and vanilla mix until well blended.

Pour into 3 well greased and floured cake pans. Bake at 350 for about 35 min. Test with toothpick for doneness.  Cool the layers on racks. While still warm mix ½ cup lime juice and ½ cup confectioners’ sugar. Pierce the layers with a fork and pour glaze on cake layers let stand until cool. Frost cake with following icing.

Butter Cream Icing

1 stick of butter room temperature

1 8 oz. block cream cheese room temperature

1 lb. box confectioners’ sugar

Mix all together until smooth. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Time to go Fishing! Carabelle and Destin

Nephew Justin Smith and his Mom Monica's catch last week. Carabelle I think.....

This is the FFA group from Ashford, Al. Memorial Day weekend returning to Destin Harbor on the Anastasia with Captain Tony Davis. Wow you guys were busy! Good job Captain Tony!



Tiny Shells



Love this Idea! Vacation Memory Jars. Good big kid project.

English Family Photos 2

Hello English Family,
I am trying to identify some of these photos. If you see someone you know or think you recognize let me know. Just click the comment button and leave a comment or find me on facebook.
Thanks,
Kaye Everett

Unidentified Young Men

unidentified Man 

English Baby Girl?

Anderson English?

Unidentified English Baby

Unidentified

Luvern Sims Holland left back Betty Jean Sims front, daughters of Allie B. English. Man right back unidentified and little girl front right unidentified. Wondering if this could be Fran and Joe Watford Sr. daughter and husband of Alma Viola English Watford?

Anderson English WWII

Anderson English

Anderson and Gladys Hardy English

Unidentified girls may be twins....about 12- 14 years old and guessing picture is from late 20's early 30's.

Unidentified Young Woman

Quilts of Gee's Bend, Alabama

This is a painting I like by Artist Wolf Kahn, called Blue Puddle.   http://www.amy-nyc.com/gallery/ He is represented by Ameringer Gallery in New York.


  The next two photos are from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Rothstein 

1930's Photogropher of The Great Depression in the South

This is an interesting new website that my youngest daughter Lee Ann told me about,
http://www.quiltsofgeesbend.com/

And the local history of Gee's Bend, Alabama, a rural area southwest of Selma, Alabama  http://www.prairiebluff.com/blackbelt/geesbend.html

History of Gee's Bend Plantation
 http://www2.arkansas.net/~mgee/articles.html
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woman_on_the_Gees_Bend_Plantation.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pettway_Plantation_Gees_Bend_Alabama.jpg

 

Sedgefields Plantation Union Springs, Al.

I had the pleasure of stopping by Sedgefields Plantation in Union Springs, Al. yesterday. I snapped some pictures I will share with you. I understand from Lee Ann that this construction project is a historical restoration development on the Plantation grounds. My understanding is there is alot of quilting, cooking and hunting going on here! I will get the details and get back to you soon. I hope to be able to go back and take more. Looks wonderful so far. I love the setting and the architecture especially the shaker and copper roof.
The forest along Hwy. 29 in Bullock County is incredible. Very large old forest trees and old plantation and country homes line the highway. I would love to have an entire day to spend photographing from Union Springs to Tuskegee. It's one of those magical places in Alabama, that is rich with history and southern culture. More later...

I love this gate!



Hay field in Bullock County, Al.



Hay Field, love the landscapes!

Beautiful Hawaii

Church on the road to Hilo.

Kona Harbor

Kona Harbor lizard on a rail in the coffee shop garden. He has gorgeous colors. They were everywhere we went in the harbor.

I always dreamed of going to Hawaii and then one day it was possible! Wade and I went to the big island on our honeymoon and stayed for a week with some dear friends who lived there. We saw everything on the island. The volcano and the rainforest on the way to the volcano, Hilo and the Hula Contest Finals, and the East side of the Island was maybe my favorite. I found the little Donkey there.




This Maddonna was in "The Painted Church" garden where portions of  the movie Blue Hawaii with Elvis was filmed.  

 

The Painted Church

Fruit in the Garden of the Church

They had firecracker plants everywhere there. This was the retaining wall of the church.

Pineapple in Ferns at The Painted Church

Parker Ranch Waimea County, Hawaii when the fog burned off we had a beautiful day on horseback. :)

The snowtop mountains where Gloria and I rode horses on the Parker Ranch were beautiful too. I was close to heaven on that ranch. The ride up there was a dreamland of gorgeous views. I wish I had made more pictures on the ride up. It is an exceptionally beautiful drive. I was too busy being lost in the beauty of it all to take pictures.

For my birthday last month Wade gave me Sarah Vowell's book, Unfamiliar Fishes. It's about the U.S. becoming a superpower with the takeover of Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico and invading Cuba, and the Philippines.

I remembered this photo I took of the statue "Free Hawaii."  When I first saw it I was a little startled to look up and find it there next to the tree. Wade was too. I left there wanting to know more of the history of Hawaii.
I am about to start reading Sarah's book now.  I just have to be able to sit still and I haven't been to that spot in the road lately.  :) Later....