Halcyon

This is part of my April prompts series from the blog The Habit of Being. Each of the posts in this series will feature the prompt for that post as the post title. While I may sometimes use the current day's prompt, it is more likely that I will pick and choose as inspiration dictates. If you are interested in following along with the prompts or writing some of your own, here's the link to the page with April's prompts: http://thehabitofbeing.com/writealm/

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M2 and AB, ages 4.5 and 3.5, enjoying the fading sunlight at the beach in 2011.

I had to look this one up. I've heard the word and know how it's used, but wanted to be sure I was doing it justice. To that end, a quick Google of the definition reveals the following:

halcyon (adj) -- describes a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful

Day Seven: Of Water, Wine, and Siren Songs (part 1)

The slightly warm days of spring have given way to the much warmer and occasionally hot early days of summer. It is the first week of June, school is out for the summer break, and we are en route to the beach for a week. As much as I am dreading spending a week in close proximity to my family, I am also looking forward to the sound of the waves, the salt infused air, and the sun on my skin. We are almost there, driving down a smaller state highway, headed toward the coast. Several small towns flicker past the window. I have travelled this road so many times in my life that the names are as familiar as old friends. I know which ones are bigger and which are so small that only a city limits sign lets you know that they exist. Before much longer, the small inland towns give way to the area that is nearly on top of the beach highway. Where there were once city hall buildings, schools, soccer fields, farmhouses, and churches, there are now seafood restaurants, souvenir shops, grocery stores, and an eclectic mix of outlet shopping malls, art galleries, and tattoo parlours.