December 20, 2010
CHAMPION—December 20, 2010
The unique culture of Champion has the populace looking backward toward a lost, but not forgotten, past while looking forward simultaneously to a vibrant future. The specter of a full lunar eclipse on the full moon of the first morning of winter is most exciting to Champions. It may be that the spectacle will have happened on the other side of a cloud cover, but Champions know about it. It is said that scientific explanation is the best guide to understanding the world. While Champions are keen observers and are uniformly ready for the days to start getting longer, those celestial occurrences do have a magical quality about them that is not lost in Champion.
Taegan Krider went out to the airport with her Mom and her aunt to meet her future uncle, Jason Golden, who was returning from his second deployment to Afghanistan with the 1107th Aviation Group of the Missouri National Guard. When Jason marries Taegan’s aunt, he will get Landon as a brother-in-law! Cool! The wedding will take place in January and that will make Uncle Jason a Champion though he and all his fellows are indeed already Champions of the Nation. Pete Proctor writes that his son Bryan got home Sunday night and that he is with his family in Virginia. Pete says, “Merry Christmas to you and all Veterans and all troops, men and women, still serving. Happy New Year!” Champions join Pete in sending Love and Gratitude to all of those who serve to protect their Country out in the dangerous places of the world.
Chante’ was visiting again in Champion on Sunday. She came with her Mom, Sarah, and with her Grandmother, Pat Michaud. Chante’, Kalyssa and Foster are all great friends and had a wonderful time chasing about on the Square Downtown. Chante’ has lost her two front teeth and is dazzling the world with her glorious smile. She is well acquainted with Big Bad Bill and is not the least bit afraid. Krenna says that they will be celebrating Christmas by phone with lots of their family. Many old Champions will just be rambling about in big empty houses, pulling up the memories of noisy children, rattling dishes, music, feasts and flashing lights of Christmases past. There will be surprises, visitors and the chance to accept kind invitations and to extend them. Kindness is never out of fashion. Holes in the holiday table settings where loved ones used to sit can accommodate a place for Elija or for any chance beggar or stranger or friend alone at a time when the heart wants company. The tricky thing about hospitality is that you do not know which guests you are going to be happy you welcomed in– until you do it. They have a sneaky way of arriving in disguise. Like longed for gifts—sometimes they turn out to be burdens and sometimes something that arrives as a burden turns out to be a gift. On the subject of “flashing lights,” take the General, for example or as a caution, even though Champions all still wish him and all of his dear family sweet happy times together. Those Tennessee boys will be back on the farm with their folks and aunts and uncles and cousins. It will be a grand old time! Champions are anxious to see if Barbara will be fit to lead the Christmas parade this year. Of course, her ensemble will be stunning; it is her mobility that is in question. Perhaps a comfortable chair will be fastened to the lead float. It is the season for surprises!
Icy roads kept some of the more timid Old Biddies away from their Christmas bridge game in Mansfield on Thursday. There were three tables, however, and the cards were quite good to Linda, who was the winner of the day. She could not have done it without great partners, she said, and that is the nature of the game. In a game on Saturday night, Linda got the low money and Charlene was high scorer. Charlene shared some lovely hand-painted ornaments with the other players and informs that the Gift Corner will have a big sale on all Christmas stuff through Friday. Linda will soon be planting Cole crops and so the seasons go round and round.
Rules by which to live vary from person to person. One Champion lists those rules this way: #1. Assume responsibility for your condition. #2. Don’t get strung out on something you can’t have. #3. Be where you are. #4. Love the weather. #5. Time will tell, so be patient. #6. Give us all a break. #7. When it is good, say so. This is the end of the rules. This person has also chosen the mantra: “Behold! As a wild ass in the desert, go I, forth unto my work!” That is a quote from some science fiction novel read as an adolescent. A good modus operandi seems to be: to wake up, live, go to bed and hope to wake up again. To be awake is a concept that was clearly elucidated by Thelma as she traveled with her friend across the desert in a long blue convertible with the top down. Champions hope to reach the awareness without the tragic outcome by following their own rules and adding big doses of Love and Gratitude to all their endeavors.
E-mail arrived with a query about the Skyline Mascot Monkey of the Month. The December Monkey is wearing Santa Clause over-alls and will go to his new home on Christmas Eve. The monthly silent auction is held at Henson’s Store currently located in the Temporary Annex on the West Side of the Square in Downtown Champion. SAVFD Picnic Society members sponsor the auction in an effort to assist the Skyline VFD in making the big fire truck payment. The fire department stays busy protecting the community and can use all the support it can get. The Ladies’ Auxiliary will be meeting again soon to get the Chili Supper planning going again. It is scheduled for March 5th. Everybody will be ready for a bowl of chili by then!
Cinnamon and cloves are some favorite Christmas aromas. Some Champions like rubbed sage in their turkey dressing and some want to be sure there is plenty of celery in it. Champions know that it is hard to make just a little bit of dressing and it does not freeze very well. When it comes to gravy, some Champions decline the giblets saying, “I don’t eat guts.” Send favorite dressing receipts to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 or to Champion at getgoin.net. Go to www.championnews.us to see some good photos of chili suppers past and myriad other very interesting subjects. “Hooray for the fun! Is the pudding done? Hooray for the Christmas Pie!” Sing your Christmas songs on the path in and out of the Temporary Annex and loud enough that the builders in the Re-creation of the Mercantile can hear you. They are busy and can best be encouraged toward their ultimate goal by not having their attention overly diverted. Champions are uniformly grateful to have such a substantial and graceful edifice as the centerpiece of the Square. It is a dandy! It is on the North side in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!
