My Vision for Heavenly Bliss

I like to dream, oh yes, I love to dream...of the warm golden rays of the sun hitting my body. I dream in vivid color especially of the many radiant colors of the sun.

I dreamt last night that I was where the tropical breezes caress my body and fill my lungs with hopes of a new beginning and unabashed joy. This is a place where stress has no place to hide and simply ceases to exist.

Oh yes, it IS a beautiful day. I see free sea turtles glide through glistening coral reefs. To me such beauty could only be heaven sent.

Tara's Aloha Update

Hope you enjoyed my last blog about *l*o*v*e* and that you had a fabulous Thanksgiving! I will next be posting a blog about Magical Sunsets. Stay Tuned! :o) Until then ALOHA and A HUI HOU

True Love Bears All Things

Dear all, these beautiful words are from the holy bible, regarding love's truest meaning.

"If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love... rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:3-7

And what is the truest meaning of love?

We all may have differing ideas about this. It is both a concept and a feeling. It is what many of us live our lives by, because without love, who and what are we? I believe we are vessels for the spreading of love and some might even say the embodiment of love itself.

Love is vast enough, that even in language terms love is a verb, a noun, and an adjective.

With this in mind, I dare not try to contain the meaning of love by defining it further. I only wish you all close encounters with love itself, however you deem it to be.

A Luminary in the World of Music

The boy from Liverpool England probably never knew the grandeur he would later find in his life. What he did know was that he had a great love for music. He was incredibly blessed with an enormous talent that would give him wings to see the entire world and a voice that could be, and is, heard across the planet. Even to the point of his being knighted by the Queen of England.

So it goes the creation of Paul McCartney's career came to be, (which appears to know no bounds.) He has written a multitude of songs including 60 gold disc and 100 singles in Britain alone. In fact he is one of the most prolific singer/songwriter artists ever known to this world. He has even been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Good going Paul!

His musical career was first born as one of four young musical upstarts in a band that was once called "Johnny and the Moondogs," and "The Silver Beetles." Most know what their final name would be. Need we say, it was the classic rock band that would become world famous as "The Beatles."

His companions were John Lennon, George Harrison, & Ringo Starrkey, later known as Ringo Starr. All four collaborated each with their own sound and style. They rocked the world for a decade before their eventual break up. This catapulted Paul McCartney into megastardom.

With this as his launching pad he worked independently and commenced the band we now know as "Wings." Throughout the years 1971-1981, Wings released many hits. He also collaborated with many other musicians and released numerous solo albums all throughout this period.

Since then Paul McCartney has continued to blast the Universe with his music as well as numerous humanitarian concerts, tours, and initiatives. So great are his accomplishments that he has been awarded a Doctor of Music, honorary degree from Yale University, as well as being honored with the Gershwin Prize by President Barack Obama at the White House.

His other creative outlets include electronic music, poetry, painting, film, and writing. Most recently he published a Vegetarian Cookbook. He has also had great success in business having started his own record label. On a personal note he was recently married to the lovely Nancy Shevell.

I, Tara Brock, must say that Paul McCartney is one of my all time favorite musicians. He has enlightened me in so many ways, especially through his music. The world owes you a large debt of gratitude Paul. Thank you for all that you have given to us. 

note to my fans

unfortunately due to the back to school craziness i will be back next week . !!!!!

The Legend Lives On

John Lennon was wise beyond his years and gifted with a great talent in writing songs about life in general and about a better world. John was very committed to peace and love. In addition he wrote about relationship angst as well as his own personal struggles. He took his inspiration from many places such as in the case of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Many people don't realize, but this is not a song about an acid trip. This is a song inspired by his son Julian's drawing "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." This was a little girl classmate of Julian's who was depicted in front of a starry sky, hence the diamonds in the sky. John Lennon also took poetic license in his references to the Alice in Wonderland story and the imagery he took from there.

Another beautiful song of his was Imagine. This song was and is relevant to me as I'm sure it is to many people. We all can relate to these lyrics that jump out, "living for today, living life in peace, imagine no religion [and] no possessions, imagine all the people, sharing all the world, and the world will live as one." The most poignant in my mind relate to living for today, peace, no possessions, and the world living as one. Living for today is so good and so necessary. It is in essence living for now. He also has an excellent point relating to religion. If people would spend more time relating with God as One as we are meant to be, then I think that indeed we might have a better world.

For me the most poignant songs that will live on into antiquity are All You Need is Love, Give Peace a Chance, and of course, Imagine (my very favorite of all.) It still blows my mind, perhaps a little like John felt when he was writing these wonderful lyrics. I would love to explore all these lyrics, but perhaps that is a topic for another day. So I bid you adieu, and once again remember that...  all you really need is Love. :)

An Ambush of Tigers

Aloha from Tara (the author of this blog)!  I am very pleased to be able to impart to you, my listeners, something that I feel might be interesting to many of you.  I have many times desired to know the specific names of groups of animals.  I start this list off with geese because it seems that most people know what a gaggle of geese is, however, listen on...I'll continue with the list of animals that I have found in my research. 

-a colony of bats and a colony of beavers
-a hive, swarm, bike, or drift of bees
-a fleet, flight, flock, parcel, pod, or volery of birds
-a gang, herd or OBSTINACY of buffalo
-a swarm or rabble of butterflies
-a clutter, clowder, litter, or kindle of cats
-a flock, brood, clutch, or peep of chickens
-a bed of clams
-a murder or muster of crow
-a badelynge, brace, bunch, flock, paddling, raft or team of duck
-a herd or parade of elephants
-a draft, run, school, or shoal of fish
-an army or knot of frogs
-a herd, corps, tower, or group of giraffe
-a horde of hamsters
-a down, husk, or warren of hare
-a pride of lions
-a labor of moles
-a troop or cartload of monkeys
-a horde or mischief of mice
-a parliament of owls
-a rookery of penguins
-a bevy, covey, or drift of quail
-a crash of rhinoceros
-a school or shiver of sharks
-a surfeit of skunks
-a dray of squirrels
-an ambush or streak of tigers
-a knot of toads
-a rafter of turkeys
-a bale of turtles
-a gam, grind, herd, pod or school of whales
-a herd or crossing of zebras

And finally, I thought it would be prudent to mention the shiver of sharks due to the fact that it seems that perhaps the author of this list was thinking in terms of people being able to memorize it well.  Thusly, the shiver of sharks, the ambush of tigers, and the crash of rhinoceros are good examples of the kinds of groups of animals that seem reasonably easy to remember. 

The Power of Touch

 And so it goes... that the power of touch is incredibly healing and such an all-encompassing positive tool that it deserves further mention here.  Touch is the all-important and all-necessary element for the achievement of stress-reduction, relaxation, and well-being.  One of the wonderful benefits of touch and of being touched is the incredible outcome, which is an overall feeling of calmness and reduction in malaise.  What is it about touch that makes it so astoundingly calming? Why is it so mellowing?  It probably goes back to a primal need for touch which all human beings crave for their very own survival.  In fact, it should be mentioned that all babies have been shown to thrive in the presence of human contact.  With the lack of touch, the human brain is not permitted to thrive to any great level, and I don't think it's going too far to say that all people need touch to survive and grow normally. What I find the most remarkable is the calmness that is created within my body from another's touch. For instance, I had a friend brush my hair today for a good fifteen minutes. It was utterly luxurious, and the feeling remained for a long while. The simplest treasures such as these, are to me, the best. In essence, why I feel so strongly about touch is because the energy and there by the feeling can not be matched.

The Awe of the Holy Spirit

To my wonderful devoted readers,
I have had a short hiatus, due to changes in personel and life in general.  I will be back with you very shortly. Until then, I hope all of you are seeking your joy however it looks:)

The Gift of Flowers

I believe that flowers are a great way of communicating whats in your heart. There are many cultures in the world that use flowers to express emotion. The very meaning of the Hawaiian word Lei (a garland of flowers worn around ones neck) is love. In early Polynesia, the intertwining of Maile vines was thought to establish peace between two groups. At this point in time, the gift of a lei symbolizes love and affection towards the other. Leis are a beautiful gift because of their heavenly scent!

In China, a different, albeit similar way of showing "aloha" is by way of giving a bouquet of eight red flowers, which symbolizes happiness and long life while the number eight represents good luck. In Holland, there is a saying that goes "Food feeds the body, but flowers feed the soul." I really enjoy the meaning behind this saying because I adore flowers and all that they represent. It makes ladies feel important and men feel like gentlemen. Those are the things that are attractive to me as a lady. Additionally, wearing a flower in ones hair will insure people of the opposite sex will be more attracted to your flowery scent. And we can all appreciate the fact that any aroma coming from the ladies ALWAYS smells like roses! Nest-ce pas?:)

Have an Angelicly Delightful Valentine's Day

What kind of Valentine are you? Are you the kind of Valentine that's romantic, filled with thoughts of love and romance? Or, might you be the kind of Valentine who doesn't speak out but rather sends out quiet messages of sweetness and kindness? Have you ever really thought about what kind of Valentine that you are? Or might you think this a ridiculous proposition? Could this be a rhetorical question for you or does it really hit home as to who you feel that you are today?

I believe that what I'm really questioning is what gives you pause to think deeply about romance and love. At this Valentine's Day time, I am thinking about the importance of sending thoughts of love and aloha and all that is lovely in this world. Essentially anything that you feel is beautiful, lovely, kind, and filled with magic potions of love. There are so many luxurious things in this world to tantalize our senses. For our olfactory sense, there are such scents as gardenia, pikake, tuberose, and other gardenly delights. For our mouths, there is chocolate, both light and dark, sweet candies, heavenly fruits, lilikoi creme brulee, and other sensual desserts.

In conclusion, Valentine's Day can and maybe should be thought of in terms of whatever gives you joy and deep pleasure. This could be as simple as a delicate flower or as loving as a savored kiss. And thusly, I bid you my intrepid reader to live life fully, lovingly, and embodying everything in this life that is good, thoughtful, and graceful.

A Smile is a Gift From God

What does a smile bring? I believe the smile is ultimately one of the most powerful tools that we have in this world. When we offer a smile, it tells people that we're open to receiving the minimum of a smile back. What a smile means is that it lets people know that we care or that we're open to conversation. What a powerful thing that we have at our access for interpersonal communication. It is really fantastic to see what a smile does to the face of an elderly person who lights up the room with her gratitude.

Smile and the whole world smiles with you but cry and you cry alone. Most people do not want to be with Debbie Downer. Do you remember Debbie Downer from Saturday Night Live? That's ok if you don't. She was just a very wonderful example in a fun way to let people know that it's a lot more fun to be around people who are jovial, who are full of laughter and good humor. What she really had was a way to make people realize that humor is the only way to attract people to yourself. Otherwise, we would be bringing all the bummer folk towards us which ultimately leaves us in a graveyard of frowns.

Why smiles make people feel good has everything to do with endorphins. What endorphins do is, by way of a chemical reaction, reduce physical and emotional stress. When you smile, it triggers one's brain to release endorphins and thereby increase feelings of wellbeing. Smiles, like magic, make people feel good about themselves and make other people feel good about the smiler. A smile with laughter alongside is very infectious. You might remember the last time somebody made you laugh and it brought out your own uproarious laughter in response. Smiles make other people feel good because they show interest and care.

A smile may even bring up the flavor of your day! All in all, my wonderful listeners, I beckon you to try and see how the world responds to your very own smiles. It may well change the course of your day and brighten the world around you!

All is Fair in Love and Chocolate

Being that it's coming just around the corner to Valentine's Day, I thought I would make mention of a few properties about dark chocolate (I repeat dark, not white chocolate, as white chocolate has absolutely no chocolate in it at all). And thereby, all the benefits I will mention about chocolate do not apply. To list the beneficial properties I would like to mention firstly that there are wonderful endorphins released into the body that have a multitude of benefits. These benefits include high levels of energy, a sense of euphoria, and effective painkillers.

When you eat chocolate, it causes the brain to release serotonin that is necessary for the function of happiness and a feeling of calm while stabilizing your moods. It's too bad that we all can't take the "happy pill" anadamide so that we all could be stepping up a level on the happiness meter. Anadamide opens the synapses in the brain that allows feelings of happiness to move about freely. The wonderful thing about dark chocolate is that it contains anadamide and therefore helps people to feel happier and more joyful.

In my way of thinking, we can celebrate any positive affects on the brain especially relating to the endorphin release from dark chocolate. It also contains the chemical that our brain releases when we fall in love. To me, this brings joy and thoughts of some euphoria. This is why the link between Valentine's Day and chocolate go hand in hand. So essentially, I think that chocolate is that wonderful element that helps us to fall in love more easily because it contains the chemical phenylethylamine.

The thought that all chocolate is bad for you is really a misnomer because not all chocolate is bad. Instead, most chocolate (dark chocolate) has wonderful benefits for your health. Chocolate contains flavonoids which are antioxidants and have tremendous health benefits such as anti-cancer properties. The benefits certainly outweight the detriments because flavonoids are also good for your heart and fight heart disease. The bitter taste of dark chocolate without any sugar or milk certainly is better for you because of the fact that it contains more bitter flavonoids albeit it does not taste as lovely. Even though some people think that chocolate has no benefits, but in fact we can show that's not true (Jessica Huff, How Chocolate Affects Your Brain http://www.ehow.com/facts_5114080_chocolate-affects-brain.html; Live Science, Sweet Science: The Health Benefits of Chocolate http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,585591,00.html) Hmmmm-Hmmmmm!