How many leaves can one tree have?

I am guessing nearly a million - maybe more. Today it was me against the leaves - with a little help from my dad, mom and his super-duper raking machine. It's called the cyclone rake and it was like a gift from heaven. Let me say after last year when I nearly killed myself trying to rake all the leaves, it was such a blessing this year. Now don't get me wrong it wasn't magic. We worked all day, but the same yard that was blanketed with leaves yesterday is now clean today. That would have taken me a week to do by hand. For proof please take a look at the before photo and look to the right for the after photo.

The day didn't start in the yard, it started in the kitchen with me baking more pie. I promised my dad pie for his birthday. So I made 2 apple pies today (Uncle Jimmy - Dad owes you a piece, I sent him home with a whole pie and instructions to give you a piece.) I am not the best baker in the work, but I can bake pie. My grandma would be proud, however she would disappointed that I don't use lard. I say if I use lard, vegetarians couldn't enjoy the pie. So I use butter so we can all enjoy the calories.

On another note last night was the first time playing Whirlyball. We had a TEC outing. Organized by Tammy and I. It was fun! If you haven't heard of Whirlyball - don't worry I hadn't until last year, when a student told me about it. In whirlyball, you are in bumper cars, with those nurf basket like rackets and wiffle ball. Then there are two goals that look like basketball hoops without the hoop. We played at this place in Clinton Township - which of course I was late too. We got there and I learned I am still not coordinated. I spent more time bumping into the wall as I tried to scoop up the ball then I actually did playing. I also ran over the ball several times. The one thing I was good at was defense - I like bumping into people. Bruce claims that he now has a case of whip lash. I wonder if anyone else is sore? Regardless it was a fun night on the town with my fellow co-workers.

Then this leads me to the sad part of the day. The MSU Spartans despite having a 10 point lead going into the 4th quarter could not hold onto it against those Wolverines. I am sure all of you who are currently thinking why does she care she went to the University of Missouri need to know that I am a Spartan fan through marriage. As part of my marital vows I had to learn the MSU fight song, which I am glad to sing upon request. (I do not know the entire Mizzou fight song - I only know the beginning, the end and about three words in the middle. However the Tigers dominated Colorado yesterday 55-10.) These are the same vows that allow Bruce to put up with my G.Love nonsense. I am also not a die hard sports fan and I have cheered for Michigan but here is how it breaks down. I wanted MSU to beat Michigan. Then I want Michigan to beat Ohio State which would have put the Big 10 in the tailspin and I like that. But it doesn't look like I will be getting my way - however there are still hopes that Michigan can beat OSU.

It's Apple Pie Season.

Tonight I baked apple pies - mainly to practice for my dad's birthday present. (Yes, I am aware it was October 10th, however good things come to those who wait.) I had some crust and filling left over so I made six mini apple pie muffins. Robear says I should try marketing them to Tim Horton's. I am currently overstuffed on apples covered in flour, sugar and cinnamon. Yumm. Well this tired baker is off to bed.

My House Hates me this Christmas

Ok, I must admit the Christmas spirit has been late coming for me this year. Mainly because my luck could be the worst ever. It all started last week when there was a crash late at night when Bruce got home from working at WDIV. We looked around to find that the shelves we put up in the office decided to take a tumble. Crashing to the ground with my pin collection and my Pewabic tiles. Yes my favorite tiles that had been given to me by friends. Well they were lying there in pieces on my desk. The only saving grace was that I had decided for some reason to surf the internet upstairs in bed because I wasn’t tired and Bruce wasn’t home yet, if I had not made that decision, the computer would have been sitting on the desk and the shelf would have tumbled down on it. However, all was not lost. I got a tube of Krazy Glue some tweezers and I went to work gluing the tiles back together. Frankly I don't think they look too bad. However, they aren't perfect. But as you can see from the picture the top after being fixed don't look half bad.

So then my week continues and some how through everything, I am still not totally embracing the Christmas spirit. However, watching Elf twice in one day did help. So Saturday night I decided a little baking was in order. I had promised my dad a pie for Christmas and I wanted to make more Peanut Butter Kiss cookies. Well we have a convection oven, which I hadn’t embraced until last week when we had the cookie baking marathon. But for cookies it bakes them more evenly when you have three baking sheets in the oven and they bake even faster. But when I got in the kitchen, I noticed that the floor seemed weird. However, I did my best to make myself think it was something in my head. Then the more I baked, the floor literally was warping in front of my eyes. At that time I didn’t relate it to the oven because we used it before, but I went downstairs to look for a leak, there was nothing. I had no idea what was happening. Did we have an Earthquake? Bruce and I have decided however due to much research that it must be the use of the convection oven heating the floor expanding it and pushing it together. (When we got home last night it appeared that the stress in that spot (which had gotten worse since this picture) was affecting the rest of the floor. So we pulled once of the planks to relieve the pressure. We were glad to find that there was no water. So our assumption was right.)

However did I mention while all this is happening we are also having weird issues with our well. Yes, we live out in the county which means we pump our own water, well we don’t literally go outside and pump it we have a pump in our basement. Well we replaced the well pump a month or two ago because it would run all of the time. But recently we have had issues where are ballast tank (that hold 20 gallons of reserve water) doesn’t fill up, it just runs out and our pump can’t keep up with general demand. So we have been turning on our faucets to find, well nothing. So then Bruce goes outside to get in the basement, because we put our beautiful Christmas Tree over the inside hatch to the basement. And he fiddles with the pump trying to adjust the pressure, then we pray once its fixed that it won’t stop again. It’s like every time we turn on the faucet and there is water we are amazed.

So if that wasn’t bad enough. Bruce and I are on his way to his families for Christmas Eve celebrations when we walk outside to my car that currently has a FLAT TIRE. At that point, I had hit my breaking point and lost it. I needed a good cry and I had one. Good thing it was nearly an hour drive to Marine City. After the cry, I managed to have a great time at the families.. Please enjoy the video. Needless to say things can only get better. At least I hope so, because between having a well guy come out to look at our pump this week, getting a flooring person to come examine and rework our kitchen floor, on top of getting our tire fixed it’s going to be a busy week. And frankly I do not have enough Christmas Spirit for any more surprises.

So if you have made it to here with all my whining, which believe it or not is more of sarcasm and humor now. Yes, something happens today and I will just start laughing, at least I hope. Maybe it’s the special pills Bruce put in my stocking. (I kid, I kid.) I hope you are having a very, very Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays from the Holladay’s. Today I am embracing Christmas REGARDLESS... DO YOU HEAR ME.

A day of baking... baking...
and some more.. well baking...

Today, my "new best friend," Marina came over to bake Christmas Cookies. This was very exciting, considering last year, I baked them by myself and at the end, I felt like never baking again and poking myself in the eye with the frosting knife, but I digress and that is a story for another time.

Anyway, "New Best Friend" came over today about 2:30pm and we baked and decorated until 7:30 pm. Let me tell you, five hours of cookie craziness is much better with a friend. There is something about frosting cookies that can make you go insane. Yes, white room, straight jacket insane.

Today we made sugar cookies, peanut butter kisses, gingerbread cookies and gingies (the lazy cousin of the ginger bread cookie.) The first cookies we made where sugar cookies, and well at first it looked like it was going to be a very long afternoon. Our first few came out of the oven closely resembled star shaped dog biscuits. However, we started to perfect the cookie and all was well. The gingerbread did throw us for a loop, we made a double batch and that required well 12 cups of flour. I couldn't believe it, because of course I read that after I had mixed everything in the bowl of my mixer that I was fairly sure couldn't handle 12 cups of flour. But never fear, I tried it. And I was lucky because it fit. However, I guess I didn't remember how many cookies a double batch of gingerbread made. Needless to say if you like gingerbread I am your gal, we have close to a million. Hence the gingie, which is a cute ball of gingerbread, which required now cutting out with cookie cutters and no frosting.

We also made peanut butter kiss cookies, which are super easy. I had never made them before, because frankly I wasn't sure how they got the kiss to not melt in the oven. Well I learned the trick is you don't put the kiss on, until after you bake it. Go figure. I am sure you are all as shocked as I was to learn this "trade secret."

All in all it was a very enjoyable day... with one exception and that was a story of a shelf holding all my pewabic tiles and pin collection (yes we already knew I was a dork) falling and crashing to the floor. I will blog about it later when it doesn't hurt so much. Right now, I am not going to lie it hurts.