January was a quiet month, as we had hoped it would be, but not without a steady stream of guests, both lay and monastic. It was very good to have the company of Rev. Margaret and Rev. Master Oswin again, to share the training with in a relaxed way.

Our thanks to Beth and Dee for help with transportation and hospitality for these monk friends. Rev. Master Seikai is continuing to slowly recover, and all of us have been spending many a pleasant hour doing large and complicated jigsaw puzzles. Despite the series of much-needed rain storms in January and February, winter weather has generally been fairly mild and has not caused us any of the usual problems, such as road closures.

At the Ventura Meditation group meeting in early February, it was very encouraging to see just over a dozen people all being happy to see each other again, following a hiatus of two months. Meanwhile, we are back to our usual schedule of weekend retreats and Sunday ceremonies with Dharma Talks, and encourage everyone to come and join us whenever you can--provided you do not bring us a cold or flu.

In preparation for our festive Stupa Dedication and 10th anniversary celebration on May 2nd, we can use any and all help available with cleaning, spring gardening and other related activities during the months of March and April. As the temple guest space will be taken up by visiting monks, offers of hospitality for lay friends will be much appreciated, as well as offers of transportation for monks, if needed.

Rev. Margaret enjoys working on a jigsaw puzzle during her January visit.