June 23, 2008
CHAMPION—June 23, 2008
The Longest Day of the Year was celebrated in style in Champion this year. Raymond and Esther Howard have become great grandparents again! Vanessa and Danny Howard are the parents of Noah Sebastian Howard who arrived on June 21st weighing in at well over eight pounds. They live over in Strafford but have Champion great-grandparents. Champions are hoping that Raymond and Esther can come home again one of these days for a visit. They always liven the place up so. Linda Watts, who lives over in Tennessee, was home visiting family in Champion on the First Day of Summer and celebrated her presidential birthday. She is officially old enough to run the country now and people who are acquainted with her figure she could do a good job of it. While her background could certainly stand the scrutiny, she is not inclined to enter the race. She has other fish to fry, or bake or broil. She really enjoys being back on the farm and her folks are always glad to see her. Dakota has been a big help during his stay but will soon go back across the big river to Tennessee with his Mom.
In Champion Father’s Day sort of slipped by this year without much fan-fair. There were phone calls, cards and general expressions of Love and Gratitude to the Old Boy for all his selfless service as the backbone of the family and the community and the Nation. Perhaps an entry in the upcoming 4th of July parade will feature The Founding Fathers. They could give free advice and wisdom to onlookers: “Always whittle away from you.” “Don’t spit into the wind.” “Be sure the switch is in the ‘off’ position before you plug in your power tools.” “If you trade your liberty for security, you will have neither.” “If truth is once deserted, unity and peace will not last long.” “That metal button on top of your hat will conduct electricity.” “Know where you are going to put it down before you pick it up.” Sound advice and wisdom are always available in Champion.
It may be that Father’s Day got lost in the hoopla around the first wedding in Champion in more than twenty years! The Fiftieth Wedding anniversary of Donald and Rita Krider, got lost in that same hoopla. They were honored in a surprise celebration over this last weekend. Their anniversary was on the 14th of June, a date that they now share with Staci and Dustin Cline. Harley, who has been down on the farm for a while now, went with sister Vivian Floyd and niece Diane Strickland back to Illinois for the party. They had a good time and made it back home safely. Vivian lives in Rogersville and it is hoped that the wet weather is sparing her any damage. Diane lives over in West Plains. She has just completed her RN degree! Congratulations to all the above including great grand parents, birthday celebrators, Fathers, anniversary markers, newlyweds, and Nurses–Champions all!
The Tyranny of Green is what some call the fast growing lawn that requires such frequent mowing. Haymakers have different ideas about it and so as usual, some are happy and some are not. It’s like that pretty much everywhere. Tomatoes are growing and will ripen someday! It was the 27th of June, a Wednesday afternoon, when Donna Moskaly came sashaying down to Henson’s Store last year with Joe at her side and her luscious prize winning tomato in her hand. Excitement is rising! Linda’s Almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood says that the 26th, 27th, and 28th will be poor planting days…Good for general farm work. The 28th will be a perfect day for wishing Champion Esther Wrinkles Happy Birthday. The 29th and 30th will be good for planting root crops. Some folks are still just now getting things in the ground. Says one, “The frost is going to get that stuff!” But the optimistic old gardener thinks, “Maybe not.” Rather than rule out the possibility of something good happening, the Old Dear is willing to put a little effort into something that might just as easily be a fool’s errand or a bountiful harvest. “Well, if you don’t plant it, for sure it won’t grow!” Another old girl with dirty hands figured that she would just enjoy working at it whenever she can get to it and just never mind what all is not getting done. It is amazing what can be accomplished with a happy heart. There is also a little comfort in knowing it can’t all be done. It is a matter of perspective. “Well, I look at it like this!” croaks the old Champion who then squints one of his rhumey old eyes shut and cocks his head to one side, grinning like he has a gold tooth, which he does not. Very funny.
On July 30, 2006 a young man wrote from Iraq, “I am 19 years old now. In the last three years, four months, and eleven days, 149 19 year olds have been killed in Iraq. I turned nineteen on May 8th, 2006. Two days before that, on May 6th, Lance Corporal Leon Deraps, U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Marine Logistics Group, died in an Improvised Explosive Device attack in Fallujah. He was from St. Louis, MO. He was 19 years old. He was a Boy Scout who won 35 Merit Badges and was his Senior Prom King in High School. Remember, he was 19 years old.”
The Skyline Area VFD Ladies’ Auxiliary will have a meeting on July 1st. Louise Hutchison has asked that Esther Wrinkles bring the Rose Star Quilt to the meeting to be sure that all the members get a chance to see it. Bonnie and Pete Mullins from over in Wichita, Kansas have bought a lot of tickets for the quilt. Hopefully they will be able to get over for the picnic in August. What would it be like without some of Bonnie’s wonderful pies? Pete and Bonnie have for years been most supportive of the Skyline Fire Department. They are the kind of folks that keep things fun and keep the important things going.
Report important accomplishments to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717. Report Champion birthdays or share some good advice or wisdom at Champion News. Sit out on the porch at Henson’s Store on the North side of the square and release some of those healthy, disease fighting endorphins singing: “The night was dark and stormy, the old cow she was blind. She backed right up to the barbed wire fence and scratched her never-you-mind! Oh! It ain’t gonna rain no more no more. It ain’t gonna rain no more! How in the world can the Old Folks tell that it ain’t a gonna rain no more?” They can tell because they are Champions and they are a looking on the Bright Side!
