Coursera Unit 3 Assignment

It's the second week of my Coursera writing course and I just submitted the assignment for Unit 3. I had to write a descriptive paragraph containing 8 or more sentences composed while observing people in a public setting. I went to the UTC mall and came up with 12 sentences, but by the time I was done combining them, they numbered only 9. I think it's the first time I ever composed anything without using any form of the verb "to be". So here is my paragraph.

I enter the local shopping mall on a beautiful, sunny, Southern California day and find a seat outdoors near the food court where I can sit and watch the people around me.  A fountain bubbles cheerfully nearby, a light breeze blowing a fine mist on those sitting closest to it and a small child looks at it with interest before his mother guides him away. So many people walk by with their attention captivated by whatever appears on the screens of their cell phones and I feel sad that they take no time to relax and enjoy their surroundings. Soon, a young woman climbs onto the stage, sets up a keyboard and begins to sing to the crowd accompanied by pre-recorded vocal and instrumental tracks. I enjoy her performance even as she needs to increase her volume to compete with the noise of a Marine Corps FA-18 flying overhead. My husband approaches, carrying two dishes of Mexican chocolate gelato from one of our favorite shops and as I sit, enjoying this glorious day, eating a delicious gelato, I reflect on how much I love living here. Finishing our indulgent treat, we begin walking to our car, but before exiting the mall, we stop at a gourmet tea shop where Adam, the sales associate, provides samples for us to taste. As usual, since I love everything he presents to me, I buy several varieties. Afterwards, my husband and I continue our stroll to the parking lot, looking into store windows and talking about all we see and our enjoyment with each other and the beautiful day.