January 14, 2008
CHAMPION—January 14, 2008
The good news in Champion is that Mrs. Powell is back in her pew and in fine voice! Moreover, Young Foster was visiting with his Grandparents on Sunday and so everyone was in a jolly, light hearted mood. There is nothing like recovered health and irrepressible youth to keep a place lively.
The Auxiliary ladies were delighted by the “Bachelor Meets the Old Maid” quilt designed and produced by one of its members, Betty Dye. She brought it to the Auxiliary meeting at Esther Wrinkles house on the 8th of January. Pictures of it can be seen at Henson’s Store. Esther reports that Dennis of the Backyard Bluegrass group had said, “I’d play any time…..for you!” That means they will join Green Valley Grass at the annual chili supper for the Skyline Fire Department. Somebody is talking about buying a lot of tickets for the quilt on the sly in the name of a particular bachelor. It is not that anybody particularly wants him to win the quilt, it’s just that they want to hooraw him for the fun of it. Most likely if he were to win he would just auction it off again. There was a query the other day about the word “hooraw” used in this context. To hooraw someone is to tease him, to give him a little grief or hard time in a convivial, friendly kind of way. Bachelors in Champion have always been good sports about friendly fun. Ed Henson was one of the Champion hoorawers of all times! An example of his hoorawing was when he called Louise Hutchison early on Christmas morning every year to ask if her refrigerator was running. Louise took to being hoorawed pretty easy. It has been reported that she has been fighting off a cold for some time now. Champions wish her best of luck in doing so and hope to hear she is better soon. It is understood by all that her refrigerator is still running!
Neighbors are some of the best things in Champion. It has always been like that. Orville Hicks was born and grew up in the first house on the north side of the road going West out of Champion. He was one of five children and he eventually settled on Cold Springs Road a mile or so north of Champion. His wife, Ruth, told how their house had been moved down off the hill with eight teams of mules. During the late seventies they did some upgrading. Marvin Barnes’ company came out and put a pump in their well, Orville ran the piping into the house and a newcomer neighbor came over to install the water heater and to plumb their new sink. He asked Orville why he didn’t put in a bathroom too and Orville said, “There are some things you don’t do in the house!” Now a person can climb the steps to the house but the house has long been gone. It burned, as vacant houses frequently do around these parts. As the trucks roll out off of the property everyday now with massive loads of timber soon there will be nothing of the old place that remains the same. During his lifetime Orville saw many changes, some for the good. Still, it is hard for some of his neighbors to see the current changes without an amount of biting loneliness for the sweeter old days when things were less convenient.
One of Orville’s old neighbors, Evelyn Wood, called from California the other day for a pleasant chat. She comes back to the area from time to time to visit some family here. She can’t pop in for coffee at every portal where she was a welcome guest in days gone by, but she hits the high spots. Somebody threatened to get all over her “like white on rice” if she is not in touch next passing. She allowed as how she will at least phone. Champions come and go from the area. It is a given. Recently Champions did some downsizing of their material goods in preparation to taking smaller quarters. One of their parents had broken up house keeping as well and the end result of the situation is there are a lot of interesting things that need a home. Among the lovely items numbers three sets of two glass candy dishes. Two of the sets are on pedestals and one set might be crystal. The third set is cut (or perhaps pressed) glass with matching lids. So there are six candy dishes; there are candle holders of various descriptions, and an absolutely enormous clear glass vase. The thing looks like it would hold two or three gallons! Amazing. There is a small birdbath sculpture and a huge wire chicken among other things. And so, as Champions are such givers, these things are being contributed to the silent auction that will occur at the fire department benefit on the first of March. Champions are so cool!
Other neighbors over in Norwood are already planting perennials! Soon Linda over at the Plant Place will have Cole crops and pansies and what ever the rest of the gardeners need to get their gardens going again to keep themselves eating healthy food. She is also giving Bridge lessons at The Plant Place on Wednesdays these days and has an interesting group of interested students. It seems like this is a game that a person can just keep on learning. Linda has been playing for fifty years (!) and she is still studying.
The Pentagon says that 22 year old Specialist Todd E. Davis and five other soldiers died when an improvised explosive device went off during combat operations in Sinsil, Iraq, on Wednesday. Davis was from Raymore, MO. To his survivors and those of his comrades Champions send their Love and Gratitude for their Service to their Country.
When a couple of old Champions finished watching Gary Cooper in Sergeant York on a DVD the other day they remarked that the language was kind of rustic. It makes the people sound ignorant when they say, “Ah was a gonna go to be a doin it, but ah figgered ah would jest as leave be a puttin it off fer another day.” The ignorant part of that is the procrastination. The profound lesson to be learned from Sergeant York is anything but ignorant: that is of service beyond self. “It kind of gives a view of religion and of patriotism and the idea of a sense of responsibility for ones own condition and a view of the individual as being part of something larger than himself…..It is one of those things that fosters hope that man ‘might not all be a goin to hell in a hand basket directly.’” Sergeant York was from Tennessee, one of Champions best neighbors.
Anything that fosters hope of any kind is welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717. E-mail pictures of white on rice or bashful bachelors to Champion News. Reminisce about old Champion neighbors by mail, e-mail or in person at Henson’s Store. Look at that picture of the Bachelor Meets the Old Maid quilt down there in the Heart of Champion. Champion has a big heart and it is always Looking on the bright side.
