April 20, 2008
CHAMPION—April 20, 2008
Champion is the seat of much that is beautiful and pleasant in the world. It is full of love and sweet surprises and sadness and loss. It is one of the microcosms of the world where every aspect of life is represented. True, it may be heavy on the beauty, serenity, fellowship, and compassion and a little light on the pillaging and despotism, but still it is fairly representative of this part of the planet. With food riots, famine, war and injustice rampant worldwide, Champions move eloquently through their placid days well aware of their good fortune. They cling to their families, their friends, their guns and their religion with the comfort of the self reliant. They are Champions.
Planting by the signs is considered old fashioned and cumbersome by folks who are so busy they feel lucky to get a garden in anytime at all. They are right. Any good effort is better than none, and any honest and heartfelt effort, even applied in ignorance, can yield disproportionately to expectations by virtue of virtue. Gardening like all aspects of life can be unpredictable. There is always the possibility in Champion for things to turn out unexpectedly well. Over at the Plant Place in Norwood, Linda’s Almanac says that 24th to the 26th will be a barren period but the 27th and 28th will be good for planting any root crops. Linda’s bedding plants are looking really good and Charlene has been putting together a splendid selection of appropriate Mother’s Day gifts at decidedly low prices. She has a good eye for appealing gifts, knowing that Mothers most appreciate the thought.
The “signs” are subjects of more interest. For example, people born on April 15th, are in the astrological demarcation of Aries and are said to represent the qualities of desire, initiative, courage and action. Personal traits of an Aries person are openness, enthusiasm and individualism. They are outspoken, alert, quick to act and speak. They prefer to speak than listen. Arians are ambitious, with lots of drive and a strong desire to lead. They make poor followers. Fiercely independent, they usually take the side of the underdog in any controversy. They are champions of lost causes and losing battles. This trait is due to a strong belief in their own abilities to turn any situation around. A certain Champion is optimistic not to be loosing a daughter, but to be gaining an Aries son-in-law! Good hearted and industrious, he must have had an excellent upbringing. Other people born on Tax Day are George G. Jones (not the singer) and Vivian Floyd! Champions hope they each had a happy birthday!
All of Champion is pleased to learn that Barbara Krider is recovering from her fall. In geological time it happened shortly before the earthquake that occurred in their neighborhood last week and may have had a causal effect. She allowed that the fall happened in her kitchen earlier and that both she and Harley slept right through the earthquake on Friday morning. An aftershock later rattled dishes in an antique cupboard, but nothing was broken—neither dish nor any of Barbara’s bones. She is back to her golf game. She and Harley play often and she generously reports, “Oh, he is a much better golfer.” Barbara is gracious. Harley just bought a new club hoping for improvement in his game.
Mary Graham has the brightest red house coat anybody might ever see! It is a beautiful fire engine red and she was seen out in it feeding her dogs one morning. She likes dogs and has several, but it is to be noted that she lives way out in the country with few neighbors. (It was just a fluke that she was seen out in her pretty red house coat by a nosey passerby.) Pam Davis, in Ava, has had dogs in the past and has enjoyed them. She hasn’t any of her own these days but feels as if she were living in a kennel. There seems to be no enforceable ‘barking dog’ ordinance in town and dog owners seem to be oblivious to the barking. Someone hoping to hear a bird sing in the city limits might be disappointed. Perhaps there will be some positive resolution.
Not everyone in Champion has a computer and not everyone wants one. It is nice to have the choice. For people who have a computer and access to the internet there is a site called Faces of the Fallen: Iraq and Afghanistan Casualties. It is a collection of information about each US service member who has died in those places including pictures. There is a great deal of information including the fact that 33 have died at the age of 18 years and 252 at the age of 19 years. 454 twenty year olds have died. There have been well over four thousand casualties in all now. Champions every one. Love and Gratitude is the debt owed to them and their survivors by their Nation.
Mail from last week pointed out a grammatical error of subject and verb agreement in the first sentence of last weeks Champion column and suggested “Epiphany” as a suitable name for a granddaughter. “It is also a noble word,” says the grammarian. It is a delight to be mailing out copies of the first song in The New Champion Songbook. Tennessee Neighbor, Darrell Haden, has furnished a copy of this song with the words and music. It is Keep on the Sunnyside. Any kind of up-beat, up-lifting, sunny side kind of song that is in the ‘public domain’ will be considered for page two! Since this is a build-it-yourself, loose leaf, three ring binder kind of songbook, music lovers can personalize their selections to their hearts’ content. Send a self addressed, stamped envelope to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 for a free copy of the first song in The New Champion Songbook. E-mail those requests or interesting names for granddaughters or any other signs or pertinences to Champion News. Pick up a copy of the song at Henson’s Store on the North Side of the Square in downtown Champion where the sun shines every day and where noble, contented hearts are ever looking on the bright side!
