The December Advocate is in our homes, the upcoming holidays take shape, and area churches offer their gatherings. Mold in the Town Hall has been remediated, and we are reminded to mind the plow, along with other ways to prepare for winter.

We thank our poll workers, plan to makes payments online for town taxes, and hear from our elementary school principal as well as our School Board rep. Our library has lots of news.

A very local scrapbook from the 1890s yields seasonal stories, a lanternfest is planned in Peterborough, the Rotary cleaned trails in the park, and a young equestrian has made her mark by graduating from Equine Studies.

Our Town Moderator, who died most unexpectedly, is honored by his colleagues at the Old Farmer’s Almanac, a solid year from his retirement tribute from the same crew. Fairwood offers help to townspeople in our yards, we can donate to Lights of Love to support a transitional shelter, and the Monadnock Chorus is back on stage. Two young ladies share their gardens’ bounty, and the Hub outlines all its many events.

We hear a tad about how NextDoor can help us, and grants are available to develop small tracts of land to welcome pollinators.

An outdoorswoman shares her thoughts, and we are asked to delay filling our birdfeeders until the bears actually hibernate. A high-schooler takes in the moment, a woodpile proudly shows off, and a new school is formed.

The Met returns to the stage at the Players, Rotarians celebrate the holidays, and it’s time to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Another organization speaks to systemic racism, and local health workers are open for home-care consultations.

Our coffers may be full, but many are not. We continue to contribute what the shelter in Keene most needs, to collect foodstuffs for our local schoolchildren who experience hunger, to hear about classes offered by the River Center, and we are cautioned, yet again, to guard against COVID-19 by using all the usual safeguards, as well as getting vaccinated. Not everyone is!

Some thoughts on new ways of looking at the holidays, how to participate in the insect infestation in the state, and all are welcome to the village church’s take-out community supper.

The back page reminds us of a Christmas not that long ago, when we gathered safely to share in lighting the town tree. Fortunately, there is a plan in place to do it again — coming right up.

As always, give our advertisers your business, especially this season.

May the holidays bring you and yours joy.

December 2021