M, I, Crooked letter, Crooked letter, I . . .

 . . . Crooked letter, Crooked letter, I, Humpback, Humpback, I. 

That's right. I spent the day in the great state of Mississippi. A land whose welcome centers flow with free Coke and root beer samples. 

Today, you see, was the first of Dr. Brown's Folklore Fieldtrips. To Freeney, MS. Where is Freeney, you ask? Well. For those ignorant of the geography of backwoods Mississippi (like . . . me), Freeney is on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, near the Silver Star Casino.  We spent 4 hours driving to a bona fide general store. And I do mean general. Everything from Choctaw rivercane baskets to screwdrivers to Moonpies to chipped crockery. It was wonderful. 

After watching a Choctaw woman (and a random non-Choctaw woman) weave and drinking Coke from a glass bottle and wandering around the store for about an hour, we left for the casino. (Oh yes, and there was a weird old man with guns in the back of his car who kept blasting this hand-held horn and telling us the origin of the phrase "honky white man." That was fun too.) And the casino was just sad. 

We didn't actually do that much. Most of the time was - well, driving. And actually, that was just fine. The best part, even. Because I was crammed in a car with four witty and delightful people, so thank you to Ellen, Josh, Jordan, and Drew for making me laugh until my stomach hurt. 

It was one of those days where you're not concerned with much besides whether to eat at Popeye's or Wendy's, where you make fun of Howitzers in front of Assembly of God churches, a gentle and lazy sort of day where you let everything happen without trying to control it too much. I like those days. I am naturally introspective, you see, and while that's not a bad thing, it makes me love the days when my mind quits its feverish churning and I look Out instead of In. 

Good company + spring weather + driving in the country = perfect way to spend a Saturday. And now I can't wait til the canoe trip in April. 

***

On the way back we were all tired and hungry like little kids after a long day at the park. I got back to my room and ate black beans with rice and salsa and whipped cream cheese (college cooking lends itself to creativity) and took a relaxing walk in the warm spring night and typed up my Folklore notes. 

And now I am ready to sleep. For a good long while. 

Go to sleep, little baby

Everybody's gone in the cotton and the corn,

didn't leave nobody but the baby