Happy to be Second

My cookie tray is in the front and my mom's is in the back.


So today was the big cookie exchange at the Grand Oak Herb Farm. 18 people participated and I would have to say 3 brought pumpkin cookies (including my mom at my suggestion) and 4 brought snickerdoodles. I decided to make my mom's date balls which have been my favorite since I was a kid. Last week I asked her what would we do if I happened to win any of the prizes since it's her recipe. She said I made them so I'd get it but I figured we decide that if it ever happened. The lucheon was delish and when that was over a photographer from the Flint Journal showed up to do a story for their food section. Everyone got one of each cookie to sample, we voted on our top 2 and they tallied it from there. First place went to someone who brought Angel Cookies from the Joy of Cooking Cookbook. And guess what? I won 2nd Place!! Can you believe that?? I can't. I never win anything. And I didn't even have to use my brother's name. (He win's EVERYTHING. Many members of our family have been known to enter drawings under his name and they actually WIN.) I won a Bon Jour Cookie Press. I was (and still am) so excited because I actually have been eyeing one. The other part of my prize package was a really nice blank recipe book. Which, oddly enough, my mother has been asking me to get her for Christmas. So go figure. I actually did win and we split the prize evenly and we both got something we've been wanting! How many times does that actually happen?

And did you notice that for the first time ever I have a picture posted that I took myself? Dat's right, folks, I bought myself a new digital camera at the Thanksgiving Day sales on Thursday. It was pretty cheap and mine hasn't worked in forevah so I gave up and got a new one. I'm working on setting up my flickr account tonight.

I'm so glad I've had a great day with the new camera and stuff because otherwise I'd be severly depressed due to the fact that Prairie Home Companion is broadcasting live from East Lansing, Michigan at this very moment and I am not there to see it because the stupid tickets are always offered to the major donors to the radio stations first and by the time it gets to the common people they are sold out. It's a great show so far and I'm sad I'm not there. What really bums me out is that next year they are coming out with a movie about the show and since it's directed by Robert Altman I'm sure it won't be going straight to video. Then I'll never get tickets to the show. Unless I go to St. Paul....Hmmm.....