Monday Musings

Today is the first day of the spring semester, and marks my last semester at Jones County Junior College (we are the only college in the state that still uses the appellative 'junior' in our name). I've enjoyed my first two years of college- the very inexpensive nature of a junior college (rendered even more inexpensive by scholarships) has certainly contributed to my enjoyment. This fall my plans are to enter, Lord willing, Belhaven College in Jackson, and from there- perhaps the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg for my graduate studies. I have settled, more or less, on pursuing a degree in history, with either a double major or minor in philosophy. My interests are particularly directed towards early medieval and Byzantine history. I find Anglo-Saxon culture and history particularly fascinating. With poems like Beowulf and the Battle of Maldon, and Saints like Oswald and Guthlac, you can't go wrong.

Today has also been unseasonably warm, which has been the pattern for a couple weeks. This is not terribly surprising; this part of Mississippi isn't exactly known for bitter cold and snow. Our last snow was two years ago on New Year's; it had almost completely expired by noon. Still, the weather this month so far has been exceptionally mild. So mild, in fact, that there are wild blackberries blooming in the thickets across the road from my house- something I have never seen in January. I also found blooming, at the head of little weedy pond and willow stand, chickweed and wood sorrel- all apparently oblivious to the fact that the calander reads January. The azeleas in our yard are preparing to bloom, and the camelias bloom through Christmas onwards. Now, if anyone in less livable climes is reading this and envying us down here, remember that come July and August our fair land will be so hot that tennis shoes melt in parking lots and birds can't fly for the humidity, so all works out quite fairly I think.

Dad has settled down, more or less, in Diego Garcia, though the accomodations are quite Spartan- for Air Force people anyway. He's living in a supped-up tent (canvas and plywood), but he has Internet access and the telephone system works occasionally. Not a lot to do there, but he's making the best of it. He's sent some pictures- it's a pretty place, palm trees, scenic beaches, the whole lot- with no tourists...

And finally, there's this: North Korea Wages War on Long Hair. 'Tidy attire "is important in repelling the enemies' manoeuvres to infiltrate corrupt capitalist ideas and lifestyle and establishing the socialist lifestyle of the military-first era," the radio says.' Heh heh heh.