Back again to Stephanie's house today, for our second annual cookie-baking party. Last night was Mother's house for Thanksgiving Redux, which was nice, with Kate and Larry from Across The Street, and I drank eggnog with brandy (well, SilkNog, actually) and a glass of wine, no wonder I did nothing but sleep after dinner.

Stephanie. What a wonderful, brave woman. She specializes in bringing home stray humans, damaged ones. Her newest are Walter and Morgan, both just out of jail, and recovering substance abusers. Morgan has been clean for a whole six days. Walter may be further along, but not by a lot, I think. Thanksgiving Day also included Alan, who has returned to the fold after a hiatus brought about by skipping his meds, falling into old habits, and a brief stay at the Big House. Jimmy Kraft may not have ever been inside the Big House, but that's luck more than anything. He was there for Thanksgiving. Dottie was there, and Tabitha, who works with Steph, Tab's boys Zach and Trey. All out gang, including Shane, Jessica, Seth, Kara, Garrett, Emily, Kayleigh, Hannah, Rachel, Christian, Alaina, and Jared. The adults: Stephanie, John, Theresa, Katie, Chris, Hawk, me, Joy (Walter's wife) and their baby, Pat (John's mother) and my mother and my sister.

Wow. Fourteen kids, seventeen adults and one baby. Thirty-two humans, who just kind of got absorbed into that cozy nest of a house, mostly mooshing into the kitchen, which is made for four or five at a time, but since people took turns, it wasn't always the same four or five. I even got to help, a little. At least I didn't end up feeling like deadweight, which I hate.