Tonight our friends the Mathewses invited us to join them for Music in the Park. That's where the Mesquite Symphonic Band--comprised of folks from high-school age through retirees--perform outside, and we hear music ranging from the National Anthem to The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Your Cheatin' Heart, and a medley from South Pacific.

You borrow your neighbor's bug spray. And you stretch out your blankets and lawn chairs. The lady next to you says she's been coming to these for 17 years. And they have drawings for prizes like a sandwich from Shorty's BBQ in nearby Sunnyvale (that's what my hubby won). The music sounds good, though the conductor admits at one point that he has muffed up, so the band has to start again. A little girl holds out her dress with her fingers (pinkies out) so she can dance her heart out. And you forget you're 30 minutes from the heart of the 9th largest city in America.

As we're sitting there just one week shy of our 30-year anniversary, my husband says he used to go to band camp (he played sax) every summer in August, and it was the highlight of the band year. He talks about how the members all loved staying in the huge mansion/hotel and sitting in the shade all day playing music. I had no idea.

Just another day in paradise.