Dear Friends, As the year closes, December contains a number of important Holidays including Christmas, Hanukkah, Buddha's Enlightenment and Kwanzaa. World's Aids Day occurred December 1 and the Solstice is December 21. Indigenous societies kept this month as a time for inner reflection, fasting, and withdrawal in harmony with the winter slowing of growth in the natural world. Then New Year's Eve on December 31 will bring celebration and new hope for 2026!     CENTER ACTIVITIES   Regular Meditations continue at the Jizo Peace Center. The Meditation Room is dedicated to peace as honored in all religions. Please call first if you would like to meditate here. The Center continues to pray for peace on earth and wellness for all living beings. The Food and Blanket Drive went well with the Center contributing 6 bags of blankets and over 30 bags of food. Jessica, the Mountain Communities Resource Center Director, informed us that blankets, especially, were appreciated as the mountain weather has turned cold. The JPC will have a booth at the Frazier Park Holiday Faire on December 6 with children's clothes, hand-made crafts by Ed, and fancy serving dishes.     PINE MOUNTAIN MEDITATION CLUB The Pine Mountain Meditation Circle meets at the Clubhouse every Monday at noon for an hour. All are welcome - donations accepted. December Meditation Leaders include: December 1 - Ruth December 8 - Chika December 15 - Chris December 22 - SunJay December 29 - Izumi Below is a picture of the current meditation leaders: from left to right Izumi, Chika, SunJay, Simran, Chris, Ruth     CELTIC MUSIC Pine Mountain Club has a Celtic Group led by Lynne Shane that rehearses every Tuesday night. We have a gig this Saturday December 6 at the Frazier Park Library from 1:00 to 3:00. The first half of our program will be our regular tunes, and the second half will be special renditions of Christmas Carols. This is a photo of most of our group at a rehearsal. Ruth will be playing fiddle. Everyone is most welcome to attend!.     EMPOWERING READERS OC TUTORING PROGRAM Ruth tutors two 4th grade girls twice a week after school. Luckily, they are motivated to improve their reading.     ANANDA ASHRAMA This beautiful Ashrama in La Crescenta, CA offers public services on Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings. Ruth will give the talk on Sunday, December 21.     The Jizo Peace Center wishes blessing and peace to all!