• sunset over rock wall halcyon
    Family

    Halcyon

    Halcyon, when used as an adjective, denotes a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful. Isn’t that lovely? The word is pronounced hal-sē-en (hal-see-en). I ran across the word halcyon in two different books last week and did not know what the word meant when used as an adjective. When it is used as a noun it refers to a bird. One of the books was a children’s book, so that prompted me to pause and question the depth of my vocabulary. How many words DO I use in a day? Also, this is the second time I’ve read this particular children’s book out loud to…

  • howth head ireland boy looking at irish sea on the happy list
    Family

    When Life Gives You a Dose of Perspective

    I had a million things on my mind and a hot latte in my hand when I recently plopped down into the chair at my hair salon to discuss the all-important topic of my unruly hair. My stylist, John, only asks me how my hair has behaved since my last haircut as a matter of politeness. We both know he’s going to take my feedback with a grain of salt and cut my hair the way he see fit. We both also know that no matter what he does, at some point in-between haircuts I’m going to get the scissors out and trim any hairs that are misbehaving. It’s our…