Champion News

CHAMPION—February 15, 2016

        Valentine’s Day was a perfect day to stay in with a sweetheart.  It was icy and cold outside and warm and cozy inside.  Some old Champions say that once you get this old every day is a holiday and love stays in the air because old people, men and women alike, find themselves more sentimental as the years go by.  The rapid passage of time and hints of mortality bring all kinds of love into focus.  Champions just cannot get enough of it and hope that all their dear ones, near and distant ones have lives that are over-flowing with affection and appreciation.  There is a song appropriate to the sentiment, “What the world needs now, is love, sweet love.  That’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”  Surely some of the world’s problems could be solved with a little compassion and understanding across religious, political and geographic lines.  It is the very nature of a Champion to make the effort.

        Shelby Ward had a birthday on Valentine’s Day.  She has deep ties to Champion with a great aunt living here and many second cousins and Mishbucha.  Madison Bradshaw, who is a second grade student at Skyline has her birthday on the 16th.  Trish Boring-Davis celebrates on the 17th, and Pete Proctor on the 18th.  Pete is busy doing helpful things for the Veterans of the area and his efforts are appreciated.  The 19th is a day we always remember for dear Ruby Proctor.  There never has been a sweeter lady.  Rebecca Macbeth Harvey, another dear lady, a childhood friend now growing old like her friend, celebrates that day too.  She is a Rose of Old San Antonio.

        State Representatives come up for election every two years and Senators serve terms of six years.  Senatorial elections are staggered so that only one third of the whole Senate comes up for election every two years.  Pete Proctor posted on the internet, “You can’t fix stupid but you can vote it out of office.”  An informed electorate is the hope of the Nation!  March the 15th will be here soon and it is exciting to be part of the process.

        A local gardener wants to go out on the same limb with the Hunter Creek sage and say, “Spring is likely to be early by two weeks.”  Looking forward to the growing season is a prime winter activity as seed catalogues get dog-eared and plans get drawn up.  February is a good time to start pepper plants since the seeds take a long time to germinate and peppers have a long growing season.  Cole crops, cabbage and kale can be started about this time as well.  The 27th and 28th of the month will be good days to start seed-beds according to The Champion Almanac.  Look for it on-line soon at www.championnews.us.   Linda, from over at The Plant Place in Norwood has sponsored the almanac for years and visitors to the website have grown to rely on it.  Linda has retired now and, except for a monthly sale there at The Gift Corner, will be enjoying some well earned leisure.  Maybe she will get in some extra bridge games.  The Almanac now will be sponsored by The Champion News and others and will soon be posted on the bulletin board at the Historic Emporium on the North Side of the Square as well as at Henson’s Downtown G & G.  Change is in the air.  “The greatest change we need to make is from consumption to production, even if only on a small scale, in our own gardens.  If only 10% of us do this, there is enough for everyone.  Hence the futility of revolutionaries who have no gardens, who depend on the very system they attack, and who produce words and bullets, not food and shelter.”  These are the sentiments of Australian professor, Bill Mollison.  He and his student, David Holmgren, coined the word ‘Permaculture’ back in 1978.  The idea of it is to utilize the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems as a guide for our own agricultural pursuits.  Champions can do that.

        One of several interesting items brought for inspection at the Wednesday Salon was a mysterious little green metal contraption.  The fellow who brought it had acquired it in a box of junk and could not figure out what it was.  That proved to be the case with the whole assembly.  At last he revealed that John Webber had identified it for him as an egg scale.  Back before standardized chickens laid standardized eggs, it was a way to grade them for sale.  A local, much appreciated, breakfast cook is a great fan of the non-standardized egg.  According to him, while factory eggs can be relied on to break with the same amount of effort each time, and to break exactly the same way each time, they still do not match up to the flavor and wholesomeness of farm eggs.  It is a joy to live in the country.

        The Tree Shakers Genealogical Research outfit informed The General of the fate of Fate.  It says “Lafayette ‘Fate’ Upshaw was born in 1847, in Ozark County, the son of William Upshaw and his wife, Nicey Sweeten.  Fate married Harriet Tetrick soon after the Civil War, in 1866.  They made their home in Douglas County, becoming the parents of five children.  In the spring of 1884, (it is thought he was out hunting), Fate was sitting with his back to a tree, his shotgun standing by his shoulder, his horse’s bridle rein in his hand.  In the act of switching the gun to the other shoulder, he hit his horse with it, which startled and sprang back, and before Fate could disengage himself from the riddle rein, the gun got caught in it, lifting the hammer, and fired off into his knee.  He got home and Doctors Hubbard, Musick and Haynes were all sent for.  The decision was made that amputation was his only hope of survival, but he died anyway from the loss of blood and shock combined.  He was only 37 years old.  His family buried him in the Tetrick Cemetery in Douglas County.”  There is a picture on-line of his gravestone at the cemetery with the information that he was a private in the 46th Regiment of the Missouri Infantry during the war.  Canadian, Sue Thompson, has been studying the American Civil War and has a particular appreciation of the music of the era.  Not long ago she sang, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” at the Vanzant Bluegrass Jam.  It is a soulful song from the Southern side.  Fate’s family is well represented at this gathering.  Perhaps they may have favorite Civil War songs to suggest to the talented singer.  The jam happens every Thursday—pot luck about six and then music until nine.  Everyone is welcome.

        The Skyline VFD chili supper committee has lined up a great list of musicians for the annual event.  This year David Richardson will again start the evening with his group, Whetstone.  He provides the sound equipment and generously operates it for the evening.  Back Yard Bluegrass and the Lead Hill Players will perform again and this year a group from Willow Springs, Stringed Union, will be on the stage supporting the wonderful little rural fire department that protects local lives and property.  It is the first event of a dazzling social season, set to be the most dazzling yet.  Champion!

        If you wish to understand the Universe, think of energy, frequency and vibration,” said Nikola Tesla.  When the weather warms up, think about those things out on the wide veranda of the Recreation of the Historic Emporium.  Until then, discuss them with civility around the ancient stove inside where optimism is captured in Champion– Looking on the Bright Side!