late at night, it's calm here

Laguna Beach is calm tonight, just like the inside of my home---few people moving around, slightly cool air temp, unclassifiable but picturesque architecture....the main difference is that the kitchen never closes here. I can serve myself all the treats I want...and I often do. My son, my husband and I wandered around town for a dream trip together tonight after the homework was done. We slipped down a tiny backstreet and found a gelato store, which we nibbled from small cups with delight. We visited the second-smallest Catholic cathedral in the world, a tiny little dollhouse of a church with lots of old crosses and tortured oil paintings visible through the murky glass. We crossed the corner near the Hare Krishna place, and wondered why we always see these vague-faced young people parade in their glowing coral robes through Prague, London, Vancouver, and other cities, but we've never seen them do one of those drum-beating parades in the US? It was a lovely night. I would not trade it for the chance to go to the Oscars, see the Stones, drive the racetrack, or any other kind of exciting outing. Nights like this, however rare, are what I always dreamt of. A real family. A little piece of this joy is all I need today.