andave's place

I was reading today's new blog entries and wondering, "why is everyone wishing everyone else Merry Christmas? It's not Christmas yet!"

Nope, that's right andave, it's only four days till Christmas.

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN!!?? Seriously, I've never been so unprepared for Christmas! I bought gifts on Thursday and I still have to make some. I haven't even thought about baking except for a Yule Log which I'll have to start tomorrow.

Yowsers. But guess what? I've already got a head start on my own Christmas gifts...from my community college professors.

As you know, I've taken Astronomy and English this semester.

Now, my English class has been very interesting. Throughout the semester we read selections from educator Paulo Freire, art critic John Berger, and weird philosopher Michel Foucault, and a full length work by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Although I enjoyed the Marquez, I didn't like the others at all. Though I agreed with elements in them, they were primarily weird socialistic liberal atheistic stuff; they would point out a "problem", but the opposite of the problem would be worse than the problem. And there was a lot of government conspiracy stuff.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the class. Now that I think about it that sounds especially strange, considering how infuriated I got at my classmates and the material we read at times. But there was a lot of good discussion/debate and, quiddities notwithstanding, my professor is an excellent teacher (I want to be a professor like her, only far more conservative. And we'll read classics, thank you very much ) and I could really see my fellow students getting better and more comfortable with making forays into understanding the material on their own.

About halfway through the semester, I think she realized that I am more comfortable with literature than others and we struck up a sort of acquaintanceship. I'd follow her around campus afterwards, discussing what we read and where I disagreed and why and how I could tell it wouldn't work, etc. till the end of the semester.

My English final was on Thursday, but my professor had arranged it so that all we had to do was drop in at whatever time. So she and I were alone in the classroom together, talking. She told me that I am "not a typical (name of the college) student" and that "I should get out of here fast!" She knows about PHC, so when I told her that I got accepted she said this: "Oh good! Congratulations!! Good for you -- you definitely should go!" Then she laughed. "Not that I'd send anyone to that conservative school, but good for you!!"

Then she asked me what I thought of the full-length book we read and we got to talking about languages. I started to say that my favorite author Dorothy L. Sayers had gotten me interested in classics and languages, but I got no further than "My favorite author Dorothy L. Sayers--"

"Me too!!"

"No way!!"
Now what sort of a quiddity is that? She's read all of her works, even her translation of the Divine Comedy, and she loves her! The first person I've ever met whose read DLS without me pushing her!
(But how she could read DLS's nonfiction work and the Divine Comedy and still be liberal and socialist is beyond me )

That was fun . I hope there are more classes like that to come in college .
________________________________

Then, my astronomy final, which was supposed to be tomorrow. I was really worried about how well I'd do! There's gonna be a constellation quiz, multiple choice, and FIVE short answer essays we're supposed to write in class. He tells us what they're going to be on so we can send him practice essays to critique. I sent him four last Saturday and one last Monday. Yesterday I checked into the online page to see if he had returned a critique and I got this email:

Mary Sue,

Thanks for these essays. You did very well on the first two about the evolution of the sun and other stars, and fairly good on the last few - it looks as though you were getting tired. But most important, you showed that you already have mastered the material in our course, and you do not have to take the final exam. In essence, you just did. Your grade for the class will be an "A", and you can relax on Monday and start enjoying the holildays early. (You still should come in to finish the lab, though!)

Well done and congratulations on your fine work this term. You are clearly ready to enter Patrick Henry, and I think you'll shine there as must as you did in our class. I sincerely hope you found it interesting and that you saw your scholarship and academic skills, as well as your awareness of the universe, increase with the work you did. Thanks for the great effort during the term.

God is so good. I'm really pleased, especially because I had to fight to make sure I was on top of things in my astronomy. And, well, there was a heavy philosophical element in both these classes, so they've both shown me that I am making the right choice in choosing to be a Lit Prof for my career. I've not doubted that, but it's really encouraging to be reassured about it!

I'm really floored that God has given me a talent for words and literature. It's really incredible, this world of ours, isn't it? The entirety of the world of literature -- and it's mine. I'm here. I'm home. I belong.

So, one more semester at the community college and then it's off to Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia.

I'm ready to go. I've set down roots here in California, but it's time for new horizons and different people. New things to do and learn. New people to meet.

I am so blessed.