Aloha to MUCH ADO ABOUT LOVING

I created this blog to spotlight travel around Hawaii. For Valentine's Day, I make an exception and spotlight a book, 

MUCH ADO ABOUT LOVING by Jack Murnighan and Maura Kelly:

In our quest to reach romantic nirvana, we turn to self-help manuals, daytime TV, magazines, talk shows, friends, relatives, and shrinks. But we’ve forgotten a far better source of wisdom: the timeless stories written by the great novelists. Jane Austen was around long before Oprah—and though ladies in tight-laced corsets didn’t have to deal with Internet profiles or speed dating, they can help us better understand why first impressions shouldn’t necessarily be lasting (Sense and Sensibility) and why sometimes it’s okay to date bad boys ( Jane Eyre).

Read my review on Goodreads at this link.   While this book focuses on finding a relationship, I found that it also helped me enhance my own relationship with my husband and even my children.   Therein lies the heart of Valentine's Day - it is about relationships, not candy, flowers, or singing telegrams.

My husband sings in a barbershop quartet, Funny Bones.
They also sing in the barbershop chorus,
Sounds of Aloha.

I am often asked if I moved from Hawaii, would I change the name of my book blog, SOS Aloha, or even this travel blog.  The answer is "No," as Aloha is a state of mind.   Its literally translations may be Hello, Goodbye, and Love, but Aloha means more as best described by Duke's Creed:

In Hawai'i we greet friends, loved ones and 

strangers with Aloha, which means with love.

Aloha is the key word to the universal spirit of real hospitality, 

which makes Hawai'i renowned as the world's center of understanding and fellowship.

Try meeting or leaving people with Aloha.

You'll be surprised by their reaction.

I believe it and it is my creed.

Aloha to you.

Duke Paoa Kahanamoku 

Duke received the Gold Medal for swimming
from King Gustav at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm.
Just imagine the Aloha spirit he shared with the other athletes!

There is much ado about loving ... and it begins with Aloha!

I am giving away a print copy of MUCH ADO ABOUT LOVING to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about Aloha - when did you first hear it?  Original Hawaii Five O?  Magnum?  Me?

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, February 18, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 19.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii