Champion News

CHAMPION—May 20, 2013

        “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer…”  Champions now forget the discontent of winter which was not much except for its length and move straight on to glorious summer.  Last Sunday morning found frost in low spots and Tuesday temperatures reached 90˚.  There will yet be some spring before the season changes officially on June 21^st.  Meanwhile on days that are too damp or too hot, friends can gather around the tables in the meeting room at Henson’s Downtown G & G  and discuss current events or daydreams.   Daydreams include the speculation about just how one might handle having won the six hundred million dollars in the Power Ball drawing.  It turns out that Wes and the Cowboy did not have to worry about it.  It sounded like it was just going to make life complicated for either one of them anyway, particularly as it related to the possibility of finding out about how many new kin folks they might have in Douglas County.  As it happens they are both lucky after all!  Champion! 

        A firefighter from over near Evans said that deer have eaten his entire broccoli planting.  He could understand it last year since everything was so dry and foodstuffs were in such short supply for the deer, but now it seems the animals have developed a taste for broccoli and are neglecting the fair nature routinely prepares for them.   Darlene’s sweetheart has been taking care of an orphaned deer and thinks he might bring it down to Champion since there are no resident dogs to keep it out of the tidy little garden there.  He might just be teasing.  Raccoons and possums are making a mess of things up in north Champion.  Some folks were thinking about getting a yard dog to at least bark when the pests come around the garden at night.  Then someone said a person would have to have two dogs because one would just lie on the porch and think to himself, “Look, there’s a raccoon in the garden.”  It takes that second dog for top-dog competition to spark the bark that scares the raccoon or at least wakes up the gardener who can go out with the shotgun and hope he does not shoot his own dog.  Monday morning found some unknown local dog owner alert to the fact that the dog met a skunk Sunday night.  That pain filled squealing bark was clearly heard during the night and confirmed by the wafting aroma through the otherwise quiet valley. 

        Says The General, “Have you ever wondered what went wrong when everything was going right?  Have you ever done something yesterday that you could have put off until today or next week?  Have you ever wasted your time reading or writing stupid questions?  Well, come to the Denlow School Reunion on 25 May 2013, waste my and your time and well put a stop to this.”  That is an invitation spread out like a thick swipe of warm mayonnaise across the whole of the World Wide Web via Facebook.  It is most generally figured that people who have some connection with the Denlow community of old will be the primary attendees to this soirée, though new arrivals, descendants of old timers, nosey neighbors, and a few rank strangers have been known to show up and all are welcome.  By late morning a crowd will gather and at about eleven o’clock repair inside for a full program of patriotism, history, fun and folly, led flawlessly by the venerated orator himself.  Then it is off to an exquisite pot luck luncheon and finally music and an auction in the pavilion where one might find any number of extraordinary items, the sale of which will benefit the reunion.   Last year Wayne and Jo Ann Anderson celebrated their 56^th wedding anniversary at the reunion.  Who knows what will happen this time!  The General says, “Come on down!”

        Linda spent some time in Kansas City this week at the high school graduation of her granddaughter.  It is a momentous occasion for families to gather in recognition and celebration of young people who are doing well and doing what they are supposed to be doing.  It is a step forward in to independent grown up life.  On their way to adulthood they will all have adventures, heartaches and successes and will handle those situations in the way they have been taught, by their parents and other family members, by teachers, preachers, pop-stars and peers.   Sometimes one comes to the revelation that he is an adult with a sense of incredulity.   This often happens to people in their forties when they look up and wonder who the ‘real adults’ are, only to find they are themselves.  While it can be a joyful observation that there is no ‘oversight’ committee and an adult can do pretty much as he pleases, it is also daunting to realize that an adult is completely, personally responsible for his own condition and circumstance.  Champions applaud the accomplishments of young people and wish them the best of good luck!

        This whole week up through Friday will be good for planting above the ground crops and for transplanting and doing all those good things in the garden.  Linda was busy making some wonderful red, white, and blue petunia hanging baskets for Memorial Day last week and they are really pretty.  Her bedding plants are looking good and she will have vegetable plants started and ready just at the right time for transplanting even if a gardener is running behind.  Champion gardeners are so pleased to have such a good neighbor.  Charlene has her own vegetable garden there at The Plant Place and the sisters have established a Perennial Garden where a person can sit on a bench and marvel at all the blooming beauty.  Enjoy Linda’s Almanac at www.championnews.us or on the bulletin board at The Champion Store. 

        Memorial Day week end finds friends and families gathering all over the country.  The sacrifices of those who serve the Nation in and out of uniforms are recognized with Love and Gratitude and the passing of loved ones is acknowledged with flowers and with precious shared memories. “Amazing Grace” and many other sweet songs will be sung to express patriotism and hope for the Nation.  Sing “Glory, glory, Hallelujah!” out on the spacious veranda of the Recreation of the Historic Emporium over on the North Side of the Square.  You’ll be looking out over the tranquility of one of the world’s truly beautiful places, Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!