Friday, December 12, 2014

Cornish Christmas celebration is tonight, Friday, December 11, 2014 - very family friendly, starts at 6PM

Both tonight, Friday, December 11, 2014 and next Friday night, December 18, 2014 there is a Cornish Christmas celebration in Grass Valley, California.  We went last year and my son and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  My son especially appreciated the live musical performances, especially some of the young musicians dressed in period costumes roaming the streets!

On the website for the event, it states, "Imagine life in another era, where men and women worked hard, had little, but cherished the simple pleasures of hearty food and drink, good song, and a warm fire with family and friends."

One of our other favorite parts, other than the live musicians, was the bonfire in the middle of the street in front of the Holbrooke Hotel, where a man in period costume was roasting chestnuts over an open fire!  It really gives meaning to the classic holiday tune!



Picture from http://downtowngrassvalley.com/downtown-grass-valley-events/grass-valley-cornish-christmas/

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Ornament decorating for children (or brave adults)

Ornament Decorating

Materials Needed:

Complementary paint colors
bowls of sequins
white, shatter-proof ornaments available from Amazon.com
glass ornaments
table
brushes
bottles of glue



Monday, December 8, 2014

Surfing legend, Laird Hamilton discussing conscious thought vs. unconscious thought while hitting 50mph on waves.

In a recent interview of surfing legend, Laird Hamilton, it was asked by Elle magazine, "What's going through your mind when you're hitting 50 mph on 100-foot waves?

Laird Hamilton replied, "There is no room for conscious thought other than what you have to do.  Your unconscious moves at 32,000 times the speed of your conscious mind, which in a way, if you're able to tap into that, is like being telepathic.  They call it genius when the conscious thought becomes unconscious, like when somebody masters something after 10,000 hours.  At that point it's an unconscious act, and it is really motored by your experience.  Surfing is a thing that has no beginning and no end-I think that there are very few things we experience in our life that are like that.

Elle Magazine
P. C158

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Mary Poppins playing TODAY at the Berkeley Playhouse in Berkeley, CA

Today is the last day of the live show, Mary Poppins,  at the Berkeley Playhouse in San Francisco, CA

FREE ADMISSION TODAY at the California Academy of Sciences!!!!! December 7, 2014 San Francisco, CA

Today is a public free day at the California Academy of Sciences!!!!  See previous post to find out about the reindeer, snow flurries, and activities today!


Holiday Sing-along with Bonnie Lockhart in Oakland, CA at public libraries- "Peace, Light,and Chocolate"

The Oakland Public Libraries are offering several holiday sing-along with Bonnie Lockhart this December, entitled, "Peace, Light, and Chocolate."

"Share the pleasures of the winter holiday season with sing-along songs from many cultures.  Local artist Bonnie Lockhart will lead us in holiday songs from around the world."

Resources:

Montclair Branch
1687 Mountain Blvd.
Saturday, December 6th, 2PM

West Oakland Branch
1801 Adeline Street
Wednesday, December 10th, 10AM

Lakeview Branch
550 El Embarcadero
Wednesday, December 10th, 4PM

Asian Branch
388 9th Street
Suite 190
Thursday, December 11th, 10:30AM

Martin Luther King, Junior, Branch
6833 International Blvd.
Thursday, December 11, 4PM

Dimond Branch
3565 Fruitvale Ave.
Tuesday, December 23, 7PM

Information:  510-238-3848

www.oaklandlibrary.org

Academy of Sciences- 2 reindeer on display now through January 4th! Movie- "Roaming With Reindeer"

A friend told me that the California Academy of Sciences is free today, yet I found no proof on their website.  I will update when I found out!

The kickoff for "Tis the Season for Science," the Academy's annual holiday exhibit has begun!  There are 2 reindeer, Willow and Yukon, a pair of live, 6 year old reindeer.  Reindeers are called, "Nomads of the North," I discovered on the website.  There are also, snow flurries, caroling and other holiday activities!

There is a movie in the snowman shaped theater, "Roaming with Reindeers."

My son used to participate in the little Naturalists Program for children ages 3 to 5 years old at 9:45AM on Wednesdays.  Registration for this program is available online.

I want to take my son to the Penguins and Pajamas Sleepover on Saturday, January 17th at 6:00PM.  It is for children ages 5 to 17, and an adult chaperone is needed. This program is $109.00 for non-members and $89.00 for members.

Resources:

Academy of Sciences
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA

Tip:  Have lunch at the cafeteria at the Academy of Sciences, it is amazing and delicious!  It is very different from most museum cafeterias!