CHAMPION—May 7, 2007

 

        Good news in Champion takes many forms.  Just now there is much Gratitude that former Champion and good neighbor, Ms. Vivian Floyd was not hurt worse than she was in a traffic mishap last week.  She was a passenger in a vehicle that was struck by a driver running a red light.  She is quite bruised and battered from the seat belt and air bag, but is making a good recovery at home.  Lonnie Mears is also on the mend from an eye surgery that will keep him rather subdued for a couple of weeks.  Champion friends and family send them both best wishes for a quick return to their Good Health and Vigor.  The Herald’s Ms. Fish, the Champion Editor has had a bout with the strep throat which it is hoped she has summarily conquered.

        There was a meeting held on Sunday of the former students of the Denlow School.  Attending were Robert and Sharon Upshaw, Richard and Kaye Johnson, Faye Krider, Cleetus Upshaw and a number of others.  A Denlow School Reunion is being planned for Saturday the 26th of May.  It will start about ten in the morning.  There will be more information concerning this event as the date draws nearer.  Anything that gets Cleetus Upshaw back in the neighborhood is a welcome event.  He is a repository of yarns and local history that needs a good plumbing!  Moreover, he has far and away the most nominations for Grand Marshall of the Champion Parade Committee.

        The Ladies Auxiliary of the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department will meet again on Tuesday the 8th of May at the Wagon Wheel Bluegrass Park.  They will be making further plans for their participation in the Home Coming Bluegrass Festival being presented by Duke and Connie McIntosh the first week end in June.  The Auxiliary will be providing the food concession for the festival.  It will be a lot of work, but it will be an opportunity to be of help to Duke and Connie who always support the Skyline Fire Department.  Proceeds from the food concession will go to the Fire Department and hopefully the event will mark the beginning of a long and mutually profitable association.

        The good Tennessee Turkey report is that Grandchildren, Dakota and Dillon got their turkeys over the last week end.  Dakota shot his on Saturday and Dillon got his Sunday morning.  Now everyone in that clan has a turkey except Staci.  Someone looked over at Dustin and said with a grin, “Aw, Staci’s got a Turkey alright.”  Dustin’s laugh was the heartiest, so no harm was done by the so called quick-witted observer.  She was just back from Texas where Zoey Louise and Alexandra Jean kept her entertained for a few days.  A.J. is about to take her first step and Zoey is about to drive her old Grannie to distraction with some unruly three and a half year old behavior.  They will work it out over time, surely.

        Someone asked if that new out-house that almost caused the sad end of its builder was finished in time for the company to arrive in Champion.  It was reported that the facility was completed with landscaping and every convenience except a roof.  While the alfresco affair makes for lovely bird watching, it was not very handy during the rain that accompanied most of the visit of the long anticipated guest.  “Don’t worry,” said the Champion to the Guest, “it will get better.”  Champions always have a Sunny Outlook.

        With all the report of the pie supper benefit for Rita and Larry Hicks, someone asked how much the pies brought.  Esther Wrinkle’s coconut cream brought $75.00 and her gooseberry pie brought $45.00.  There were some others that brought as much as $50.00 and $60.00 and quite a number in the $25.00 to $35.00 range. Anyone with more information about this is welcome to pass it along.  A lovely e-mail came to the Champion mail box from Judith Sharon:  “I very much appreciate knowing  about how the quilt that I won, (I couldn’t believe it!) was put together and I thank the kind ladies that made it for the raffle.  How lucky can I be!  I also enjoy reading your column.  It makes me want to be part of your community : ->.  Thank you to Mrs. Violet Melton and to Corrine Rogers for this beautiful quilt.  They did a wonderful job and I will treasure it.  You have a wonderful bunch of Champions there.”  It is agreed.

        Another e-mail to Champion comes from novelist, Judy Ing, who is a native of Amarillo, Texas and an infrequent visitor to the Champion community.  She says: “I have been enjoying the Champion articles although I don’t know the Krider family or their beaus. It must keep you hopping going to all those silent auctions, quilt showings, etc.  Hope it doesn’t cut into your bridge playing.  Keep ‘em coming.  Love the advice from George(Washington), Richard (Saunders) and Twain, always.”  As per Ms. Ing’s request, George Washington’s sixth rule was “Sleep not when others Speak, Sit not when others stand, Speak not when you Should hold your Peace, walk not on when others Stop.”

        Linda’s Almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood informs that the 10th and 11th will be good for planting late root crops and vine crops as well as for setting strawberry plants.  The 12th to the 14th will be poor planting days, but the 15th and 16th will be very fruitful days.  Linda has some of the prettiest impatiens around and a good variety of healthy tomato plants.  All this rain and cloudy weather is good for the gardens and some of those people who routinely put things off until it’s too late to accomplish anything are up and moving around finally.  Maybe James Brixey’s version of the “No Till” song will turn up before gardening season is over.  More attention will be paid to the Missouri Song List when there is a break from the garden.  A Champion was talking about S.T. Latent and said that he was about the laziest gardener around.  He was pretty good at harvesting other peoples hard work, they say, and there was reported some significant ruckus between him and his sister over this very thing.  Chimera Bea (Chimmey) would hoe a garden like she was killing rattle snakes.  She kept her jaw clenched and her eyes squinted and seemed to hate everything she did out in the garden.  She was generous with her neighbors though if she thought they needed help and appreciated it.  However, if anybody thought they would get the best of her in a trade or take advantage of her in any way she would turn on them.  She could be pretty “snarley.” S.T. was lazy and fairly no good by most accounts, but thanks to his twin, he was an excellent sprinter and could dodge a thrown stone like he had built in sonar.  The Champion informer thinks he might have joined the Navy in WW II.  It was said that Squander T. Latent was like a sundial in the shade.

        A week has seen many changes in the country side.  The trees are finally filling in and some of the things that were presumed to have been lost to the freeze are making their come-back.  It just takes Patience to be friends with Nature.  It will take Patience and Love to support the survivors of the US Service People who have lost their lives in Iraq.  At the end of April there were a total of 3,346 who fell in that category.  The end of the first week in May will bring the total to 3,362 plus fifteen additional deaths awaiting Department of Defense Confirmation.  That makes 3,377.  There will always be a large requirement for Love and Gratitude.

        Anyone wishing to Talk Turkey, sign up for the Champion Parade Committee, nominate a Grand Marshall for that Committee or to pursue the Exploratory Committee for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Champion is welcome to do so at Champion Items, Rt.2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  E-mail concerning those things or gardening tips, songs for the Missouri Song List, advice from notable persons, or any kind of pertinent admonition is welcome at Champion News.  Henson’s Store in Historic Downtown Champion will also accept any input for the Champion Items providing it is of a cheerful nature.  CHAMPION—LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

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