Champion News

CHAMPION–August 8, 2011

        Champions awoke on Sunday morning full of gratitude.  Every drop is a gift and no Champion takes rain for granted.  Some who had not emptied their rain gauges from the recent little rain found themselves looking at something substantially over an inch in the precious little vile.  One, perhaps out late playing cards Saturday night, had the luxury to roll over to savor the win, since the tomatoes did not need watering on this particular Sunday morning.  By their very nature Champions are winners, but when there is a scorecard and quarters to prove it, Champions struggle to maintain graceful composure.  The calm visage belies the happy little celebration going on inside.  “Ta Da´!” is a common expression in Champion, though it is always used with humility in the most appropriate and thoughtful ways.  With more rain in the forecast and cooling temperatures the mood in Champion is celebratory to say the least!

        Sunday found Champion flat overrun with Proctors and Proctors by other names.  Ruby Proctor’s sister-in-law Alice Proctor McClure together with her five children and their spouses came from all over Iowa to visit Ruby.  It was a surprise visit and Ruby said she had a houseful.  Alice is the younger sister of Ruby’s husband, Vasel Proctor.  The Proctors and Ruby Hicks all grew up around Champion.  Sunday morning, after a big family breakfast at the Junction where they were joined by Pete, Frankie and Freda Proctor, Russell Upshaw and others (and attended by The General who kept the coffee-cups full), they went over to Champion and then over by the old home place.  Ruby says there is nothing left there, but all the visitors picked up rocks as mementoes.  She said they were taking a load of rocks back to Iowa.  The thunderstorm that took out the electricity in Mountain Grove that night did not dampen one spirit and everyone had a great time.  There were lots of smiles and laughter in that outfit.  Ruby had been expecting her brother, Ray Hicks, to come down from Bluegrass, IA for the coming week end, but she has heard from him that his grandson is just coming home from the service and wants to make his grandparents his first stop.  They were planning to be at the Skyline Picnic together, but Ray will put off his visit for a while.  Ruby will be there though; count on it.

        Ice Cream!  Skyline VFD Auxiliary members will have met early in the week to dip gallons of ice cream into cups with lids and to put the finishing touches on the cook shack in preparation for the Picnic on Friday and Saturday.  These more moderate temperatures will be a boon to the enterprise.  Even strong, healthy, vigorous people when subjected to the unrelenting heat of these past weeks can find themselves feeling fragile and vulnerable.  As the weather moderates itself a little, enthusiasm is building for another great picnic.  Local merchants are helping out with door prizes and other kinds of assistance—all going to benefit the fire department.  All the Skyline firefighters are trained First Responders and they are all volunteers.  They get out of their comfortable beds, and out of the air conditioning to put themselves in peril as they protect the community from the dangers of house fires, brush and grass fires, forest fires and all kinds of catastrophic situations that need capable attention.  No matter where they serve, pretty much figure that every volunteer fire-fighter is a Champion.  Pete Proctor will come to the Picnic representing the VFW Post 3770.  They always have a nice check to hand the Fire Chief as a way to show their support for people who serve the community at home.  Pete is also a great Champion of the Veterans and all those US Military personnel serving in the dangerous parts of the world.  He works to keep them in the thoughts of the rest of us, reminding us that they have Love and Gratitude due them.

        A pleasant visit with Louise on Saturday afternoon finds her in fine fettle.  She needed 100 quilt tickets, and that speaks well to her recovery process.  She said that her brother lives in Davenport, IA not Dubuque as reported last week.  She said that it had rained those fifteen inches up in Dubuque and the Mississippi had risen as a result.  Her brother lives near the river in the Davenport area where he has that big tomato-bean garden.  Maybe everyone’s green beans will start producing now that temperatures are moderating slightly.  Linda’s Almanac shows that the 15^th through the 18^th will be good days to get those fall root crops in the ground.  Turnips for Lem and Ned will be going in the gardens of several housewives who hope they will come by for some fall chores—those special little things that many husbands are not want to do.  Maybe they will spend some time with Louise and Wilburn when they come to town.  Get a look at that Almanac in the links section of www.championnews.us and go there to get a load of Ruby’s family in the snapshot section.

        Kalyssa and Foster led a group singing “Happy birthday to you” to their dear old Dad on Sunday, though his birthday was not until Monday.  He is observing that his birthdays are coming around much more quickly these days.  Surprise!  Champion family and friends are all glad to hear that Champion native, Harley Krider, is feeling better.  He has been struggling with some unknown malady for a couple of weeks, but Barbara’s Facebook message says he is talking about playing golf and that is a real improvement.  Regular players at the Champion Pro Golf Course and Horse Park will be glad to see him in their midst again. 

        “Is that you, Myrtle?  Is that you Myrtle?  I guess you better send that scallywag home.”  This refrain comes after the disclosure in the song that scallywag Wayne and Myrtle B. had taken off their shoes about a mile from home.  As soon as they turned in off of the street, however, her Papa heard the patter of her feet.  She says, “Yes, Papa” and “Well, just a minute!” but the old man does not let up in his ordering the scallywag home.  Send favorite romantic ballads to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 or to Champion News.  Romance in Champion has its ups and downs like every place, but it is not every place where sweethearts could comfortably walk barefoot around the shady square.  Everything about the picturesque setting is enchanting and congenial.  Check it out for yourself.  Come to Champion and Look on the Bright Side!