Because of Indiana

I was at a party last night, and it reminded me of a scene from "Because of Winn-Dixie." Winn-Dixie was a dog that brought several lonely folks together. Indiana is my friends' dog, and he didn't bring us together, and we're not lonely, but what was reminiscent was the casual nature of the party, the sincere smiles, and the wide array of guests. There was a little girl in elementary school and her family, some college students, a few working adults, and the girl's grandparents. We all gathered in the spacious back yard for a barbeque and birthday cake, and we laughed and played games into the evening, during and past the sunset, and continued into the night when we had to turn on the twinkling icicle lights and colorful lantern lights. I'd call that an enchanted evening.