I think I've just eaten a cookie, here. I'm not sure why I'm so confused about the crumbs on my hand. (A tiny moment of calm before all the wonderful people arrived on Saturday night - photo by Mo.)

Such a wonderful evening - our house was full of amazing people, chatting and building and eating and drinking and laughing and trimming our tree. Cheese, pate, Acme bread. Cookies, guinness-spice cake, Carlson-fruitcake, Carol's brownies. Two big pots of spiced hot cider. Small lights on the deck. (They're going to live there all year, I like them so much.) Seratonin. Corset-cartoon-lady. Miskatonic U or Bust. Annika Jane in her red party dress. A tree, full of gorgeous creations. New friends and old, gathering and glowing. Truly, we're blessed to have so many good folks in our lives - and that's the key message I celebrate this holiday season. (That, and cookies. Daniellle, how can you be a grinch about COOKIES?)