Today is International Cello Day

I love the cello. I do not play the cello, but I love listening to cello music. I love the mellow sound of a cello and especially enjoy the Piano Guys as the cellist is excellent! So, even though today is a day to celebrate the cello, it is also a day to celebrate music and those who make music. My grands so far have played the saxophone, bass, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar - and I'm always happy to listen to them play music. Take time today to enjoy the cello - or whatever music the ones you love enjoy making!

Here are a few cello facts and a link where you will find the Piano Guy's music . . .

Add Something Unexpected, Surprising, Interesting, & Educational with Jaguars, Lilac-Breasted rollers, Nautiluses & More!

 

Have you ever heard of  Satanic Leaf-Tailed Geckos, Fairy Penguins,  Bilbies, Lilac-Breasted Rollers, Asian Tapirs, Sea Pens, Coatimundis, Jabirus, or Sloth Bears? You will find all of these along with Jaguars, Bison, & Nautiluses in the book Jaguars, Lilac-Breasted rollers, Nautiluses & More! In this book you will find full-color photos, fun, surprising facts, activities to engage the entire family, and quotes from scientists which will get you talking and learning about why you are able to believe God is real and God and science DO go together.

Just for Fun - National Chocolate Candy Day!

It has been a busy week for me . . . cooking a special meal to celebrate Christmas, celebrating Christmas with my family, and time spent with the ones I love! Busy for sure, but wonderful in every way!

So, today I thought I'd take a look on-line and see if December 28th was a "special" day . . . and I'm happy to say, it is! Today is, "National Chocolate Candy Day"! Now this is a day to celebrate for sure!

Be Surprised with - Polar Bears, Purple Gallinules, Numbats & More!

  

As my grands and I worked on this book we learned about one of the most surprising, unexpected, and unbelievable fish we had ever heard of . . . the Psychedelic Frogfish! 

Just For Fun - Today is Make Paper Snowflakes Day!

Yes, today is, "Make Paper Snowflakes Day"! Where I live in Michigan we have no real snowflakes outside, but since today is, "Make Paper Snowflakes Day", I thought I'd share a couple fun and surprising facts about snow, a real photo of a real snowflake, and some ideas for making some of your own paper snowflakes! 

Make this a Time When You Do What Matters Most!

  

When my grands and I started working on the Life on the Goldilocks Planet books, we were surprised to see how many animals we found which we had not heard of before. We had heard of Axolotls, Porcupines, Clouded Leopards, Giant Pandas, and Kiwis, but had not heard of Scorpion fish, Eurasian Kingfishers, Stargazer Fish, Pygmy Marmosets, and while we had heard of hippos (of course), we did not know Pygmy Hippos were a real thing, and the same for Giant Purple Flying Squirrels. All of these animals are in the book - Scorpionfish, Clouded Leopards, Pygmy Hippos & More!

My Christmas Carols - Happy Day After Christmas! - Matthew West

I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas with your families. As you go through today remember; "Even when Christmas is over the Light of the World is still here!" This song is beautiful and you will find it at this link.

Today is National Candy Cane Day - Have a Candy Cane Hunt!

Today is National Candy Cane Day - according to Daysoftheyear dot com, "According to German folklore, the first candy canes were made in the 17th century when a choirmaster in Cologne, Germany, needed to find a way to keep the children quiet during the exceptionally long Christmas Eve Mass.

Did You Know . . .

 

Cheetahs, Eels, Philippine Eagles, Chameleons, Gerenuks, Mimic Octopuses & Immortal Jellyfish, Hoatzins, Moose, Boxfish, Iberian Wolves, Olms & Mombachos, and Bactrian Camels!  About which of these animals do you know the most? About which do you know the least? All of them are in the book, Cheetahs, Mimic Octopuses, Hoatzins & More! 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I celebrated last night with my family, so whether you did the same or are celebrating today, I want to say - Merry Christmas!

Today's Christmas Carol - Mary Did You Know?

My Christmas Carol for you today is a song by Mark Lowry - Mary Did You Know? This song has become a favorite of many as it has some of the most powerful lyrics of any song. Quite a few singers have recorded it, but my favorite is Pentatonix - you will find it at this link. Look at the lyrics:

Megabats, Bengal Tigers, Quetzals & More! is Sure to Help You Hand Down Confident Faith

  

Megabats, Wolverines, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Giant Clams, Bengal Tigers, Clown Frogfish, Hellbenders, Orangutans, Wombats, Elephantnose Fish, Tasmanian Devils, and Quetzals are all the animals you will find in the book, Megabats, Bengal Tigers, Quetzals & More! Which of these have you never heard of before? Which one do you think will be the most interesting or surprising?

My Christmas Carol for Today - Silent Night - by Carrie Underwood

When we think of Christmas Carols there are songs we immediately think about - for me, Silent Night is one such song. While many people have sung this song over the years, Carrie Underwood's presentation is beautiful and you will find it at this link.

I thought it would be interesting to share a couple fun facts about this song with you - did you know . . . 

Some Fun & Interesting Christmas Tree Facts - Did You Know . . .

If you are like me, your Christmas Tree went up after Thanksgiving dinner, so you have been enjoying it for several weeks. My grands once again helped with the decorating - it makes the tree so much more fun and meaningful for me. Today I thought it would be fun to look at some of the fun facts about Christmas trees - share them with the children you love . . .