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CHAMPION—September 3, 2012

          Some of the rain that has been so needed in Champion came in the best possible fashion with no big electrical disturbances and in such a gentle way that not a drop ran off anywhere, but soaked right in.  Over the course of a couple of days, the little drops added up to more than two inches in some rain gauges.  The rest of the rain that is needed will show up when it does and in the interim Champions will enjoy some bright, steamy days with no complaints.  Champions smile at strangers.

          The rain did not dampen the enthusiasm for the thirtieth annual Champion School Reunion which took place on schedule Saturday.  The pot-luck luncheon is usually held out under the big walnut trees on the old school grounds, but because of the off and on drizzle and outright rain, it was decided to move the festivities into the meeting room at the Recreation of the Historic Emporium.  It was an excellent move and the long table of delectable dishes was a sight to see.  Royce Henson asked the Blessing on the table and on the gathering.  Happy to be there were:  Russell Upshaw, Kaye (Upshaw) Johnson, Elva Ragland, Ruby Proctor, who was the oldest one in attendance this year, Phyllis Driskell, Elsie Curtis, Debbie Curtis, Eva (Henson) and Harold Phillips, Frankie and Freda Proctor, Connie Brown, Robert Brown, Lee Brown, Wilma Pointer, Pete Proctor, Norma Shannon, Vaughn Henson, Whitaker Henson, Victor Henson, Victoria Henson, Valli (Henson) Mills, Tom Mills, Alex Mills, Evan Mills, Royce Clayton Henson, Minnie Jo (Lorett) Henson, Karen Krider, Vivian Floyd, Arlene Cooley, Tom Cooley, Betty Henson, Tommy and Barbara Sutherland, Lainie Sutherland, Wes Lambert, Wayne and Frances Sutherland,  Modeen (Dooms) McGowan, Darrell Hutchison, Bill and Charlie Smith, Leslee Krider, Wilda Moses and Staci Cline.  Others wandered in and out through the course of the day and the mood was effervescent. 

          Hoovie will be sorry to have missed this reunion.  His brother and sister-in-law, three nephews, a niece, and a raft of good looking great nephews and nieces took “the long way home through the park.”  That is to say, they walked from Cold Springs to Champion, a good four miles, in what is now being called, “The Walk of Ages.”  This is not the first of these reminiscent expeditions to have been made in recent years.  There was a support vehicle prowling the road back and forth in case of emergencies.  Somewhere along the way the leader of the pack decided to pilfer a boulder off the side of the road or out of a creek bed.  He must command great respect from his youthful sons and grandsons to have them so willingly wrestle the monster into the back of the truck.  It will decorate his landscape in the city and all those who had a part in purloining the great stone will share a family remembrance when they pass by.  With every step from here to there evocative of some memory, made mostly sweet by the great passage of time, the party arrived in time to catch their breaths before the sumptuous luncheon.  Everything about it was good except that none of Esther’s pies and none of her noodles graced the table this time.  Cards were signed by attendees to let her know how much she was missed.  The Sutherland Clan headed out en masse to visit Esther after the reunion and Frances took the cards to hand deliver. 

          Lainie Sutherland, who lives over in Nashville, says she has some wonderful pictures of Champion taken many long years ago.  She said that she would email them to Champion at getgoin.net..  Everyone is encouraged to follow her lead.  A number of folks expressed some interest in old pictures, and it is being talked up that next year everyone will bring their pictures of the old days to the reunion.  Between now and then someone will figure out a way to scan them all so that everyone can have copies of all of them.  Technology really works well for Champions.  Lainie has some interesting information about the history of her family which comes from Sutherland Scotland.  Sutherland is a county of 2,028 square miles and contains some of the northernmost land in the island of Great Britain.  Douglas County has 814.6 square miles, just as a point of reference.  The land over there in Sutherland County is rugged and sparsely populated.  Its beaches are on the North Sea. Douglas County is rugged and more densely populated and it has miles of beaches up and down the creeks and rivers and along the banks of beautiful freshwater lakes.  It is a small world and then again “There’s no place like home.”  

          Missing also this year was General No-Show Upshaw.  He has suspiciously made himself pretty scarce around Champion lately, causing comments such as, “Hmmm.”   On this occasion, there was speculation that he figured he was just so sweet, he might melt if he got out in the rain.  Somebody else said that he was much a-feared the creek was up and “he canna swim!”  His chance to redeem himself will come September 15^th when the All General Accordion Ensemble is booked as “Music on the Square” –part of the Champion Fall Market Day Celebration.  One vendor has accumulated a Denlow-specific package that should be of great interest to the General.  The price of these items has been inflated significantly as a way to extract as much of his dough from him as possible without leaving Sweet Sharon in the lurch.  It might be called extortion under other circumstances. 

          The Labor Day holiday is the yearly National tribute to the contributions workers of all kinds have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of the Country.  It is also a chance to bid a wistful good bye to summer.  That does not rule out the possibility of more very hot weather and the increased humidity guarantees that it will be sweltering, but not for long.  “Time passes quickly up here in the mountains.”    The rain seems to have revitalized the remnants of the summer garden and the fall garden is going in.  Cole crops and greens have plenty of time to make, particularly if the winter is mild.  Look to Linda’s Almanac from over at The Plant Place in Norwood to help decide what might be planted now–maybe some nice turnips.  Find the Almanac on the bulletin board at Henson’s Downtown G & G over on the north side of the Square in Historic Champion or on line at www.championnews.us.

          Remember the good part of the old days and remember those precious dear ones now gone.  Remember those who are serving Nation in the U.S. Military Service and in other capacities, giving the population the leisure to wax nostalgic.  “We’ll sing of the old, and we’ll sing of the new.  We’ll sing of the changes in years.”  “Everything old is new again” in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—August 27, 2012

          The mist hanging in the valleys on Monday morning speaks of the rain that fell enough to wash the dust off the cars, but not enough to wake a person up to say, “Oh! It’s raining!”  The forecast for the end of the week shows Champion to be cool and damp.  When it comes to the weather, Champions never complain.   Zoey Louise, a Champion granddaughter who will soon be nine years old, says, “You get what you get, and you don’t pitch a fit!”  That is an excellent precept that speaks of a good upbringing.  It must come from her Mother’s side.

          When Harley an Barbara were down from Illinois during the Skyline VFD Picnic, Harley remarked that he has some incredibly beautiful tomato plants that are not making much in the way of tomatoes.  He did have a small bunch of plump Romas to share with sister-in-law, Karen, who said they were very pretty and very tasty.  It is to be noted that Barbara had her birthday on Sunday and now is considerably older than some of her family and friends in Champion.  Until they catch up with her again those younger people will go out of their way to show deference and appreciation for their elders.  It is the Champion way!  Harley drives a bus and school has started up there again too so they probably will not make it to the Champion School Reunion this year.  It is coming up on Saturday, September 1^st.  Even Champions who never attended school there are welcome and everyone always goes away from the occasion with a smile.  Bring lawn chairs, a bite to eat, and get ready for some serious visiting, reminiscing, acquainting and reacquainting.

          The 30^th Annual Champion School Reunion is just the first of a series of excellent gatherings of the fall season in the bustling crossroads of one of the prettiest places in the world.   “Crossroads” is used here only as a designation for a gathering place or for the hub of a community.  Looking from above (on the map), the loop around the Square is Lonnie Krider Memorial Drive.  It connects County road 243 from the north, with County Road 234 from the east and with the pavement of Highway WW that goes off to the west.  If a person is of a mind to go south, he might take out east on 234 for a way and then turn right on 235.  A person could spend a pleasant hour just perusing the map, but better yet, make the trip.  Refresh yourself out on the porch at the Historic Emporium and enjoy the sites.

 On Thursday, the 13^th of the month, the West Plains Wagon Club will come through again on their week-long trip from West Plains to Mansfield.  They generally spend the lunch hour and a little siesta break around the Square and are most congenial to spectators, many of whom may never have seen, up close, wagons and buggies hitched up to horses and mules.  There are all kinds of different outfits.  Many of these rigs are equipped with solar powered electric lights and running water, but some are as close to the original historic configurations as is possible with only minor alterations to fit current conditions.  Look in on www.championnews.us to see some great pictures of Wagon Trains in Champion or come out and see them in person.  The procession creaking out of the Square on its way north puts a person in mind of the changing of times.   “The only constant is change,” they say, and Champions are not at all adverse to it.  Forward thinking is not anathema to a love of history and precious memories of the golden days of youth.  “The old grey mare, she ain’t what she used to be, many long years ago!” Every guy who was born in 1939 thinks the ‘57 Thunderbird (or Desoto) is the prettiest car ever built.

 It will be remembered off in the future (way off) that Janna Brixey did not want to go to school.  She does not like riding the bus and the whole process of going every morning seems egregious to her.  Once she gets there, however, and gets involved in the day, she seems to like it quite well.  She talks about it favorably when she returns home in the evening, and yet, the morning starts the whole process over again.  She will soon discover that the rewards are worth the trouble it takes to get there.  Kindergarten is cool.  Meanwhile, she and Kalyssa Wiseman will have their fifth birthday on Friday, the 31^st of August.  One is just a few minutes older than the other.  They will probably know each other for the rest of their lives, so they can work it out between them who is older.  Larry Wrinkles has his birthday on the 1^st of September.  He most generally is at the Champion School Reunion and he will have to make a good appearance this year as a stand-in for his Mother, Esther Wrinkles.  She will be spending a little more time at the Autumn Oaks Care Center where she is doing rehabilitation for a broken hip.  This will be the first Reunion that she has not attended and these are the kinds of ‘changing times’ that people dislike.  She will have lots of company there as friends stop in to report on the reunion and to tell her how much she was missed. 

Third grader Jasmine Schroeder will miss getting to have her birthday at school.  She will be nine years old on the third of September which is Labor Day this year.  She can celebrate with her Skyline classmates later.  The forth of September is the birthday of both Ronald Thornhill who will be 14, and Eathaniel Poppas who will be 10.  Two sixth grade boys, Derek Camp and Donavon Sarginson, share their 12^th birthday on the fifth.  Birthday celebrations can be some of the best part of life.  The chance to tell friends and family that they are loved and cherished on their special day and that the world is somehow sweeter for their very presence is a chance not to miss.  The feeling one has about his own birthday can change from age to age and if a person is lucky somewhere along the line he begins to be grateful for having lived another year.  Send any birthdays that you would like to commemorate to Champion at getgoin.net or to Champion Items, Rt. 2 Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  Freely, lavishly send birthday cards to friends and loved ones by the U.S. Postal Service.  Write some post cards and love letters to the troops overseas and tell them how much their sacrifices are valued. Karen Ross, Champion mail carrier, participated in the Customer Appreciation program of the post office by delivering banana bread.  Notes back to her in thanks for the deliciousness included the sentiment that it is the community who appreciates her.  Reliable mail service to rural residents is noting to take for granted. 

Elmer Banks’ birthday is on September 15^th! It will be hard to tell how old he is and the fact is he may not know himself.  He is originally from Transylvania, Louisiana and lived many places before he settled on Champion as his home.  Fun and laughter come along with him and it will be “Elmer Banks Day” in Downtown Champion on his birthday as the whole town gathers for a swap meet kind of festival with the Fall All City Yard Sale and Musical provided by the All General Accordion Ensemble.  Come for the fun to Champion!—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION–August 20, 2012

          The good news in Champion is plentiful. The weather is being pleasing and little dribs and drabs of rain keep Champion hearts optimistic for eventual drought relief. An agronomist was heard to say that gardeners can expect a bumper crop of weeds next year on account of so much barren ground this year. Ahead of the times, as usual, many Champions already have quite a bounty of weeds, which some classify as any plant whose virtue is not yet known. Some who have had glorious, ornamental, non-bearing green beans are expecting the plants to suddenly produce a plenteousness in these temperate days. Great expectations abound in Champion.

          Over the years the ‘Champion Items’ have been written by a number of people. Sylvia Henson, wife of Ezra and no kin to Edgar and Anna, wrote them back in the 1950s and 1960s. Ruth Hicks, who lived on the next place over, wrote them for a while and Esther Wrinkles, who lived in Champion proper, wrote them for many years. There were others as well. Some research off in the future will detail the chronology of Champion writers for anyone who is interested in such things. This particular permutation of the ‘items’ only goes back to August 28, 2006. The first entry was: “News has reached the Champion community that its former longtime resident, Mrs. Clifford Wrinkles, has suffered a mishap that has resulted in a plaster cast on her foot together with admonitions to stay off the foot for two weeks. This will work a hardship on Ms. Wrinkles who is routinely more active than most.” Since then she has made a dozen or more quilts, hundreds of pies and gallons of noodles. She has lifted the spirits of family and friends and kept the road hot with her comings and goings. Now she has had another mishap that put her in the Autumn Oaks Care Center in Mountain Grove. She has a steady stream of visitors who join with many others who know and love her to wish her well. All her fellow music lovers are dedicating the best song that plays in their heads to Esther.

         Tennessee Champion Dakota Watts’ aunt Tianna Ogelsby celebrates her birthday on August 22, and Dakota has his on the 24^th. His great aunt Barbara Krider shares her birthday with Dana Harden who will be six years old and is in kindergarten at Skyline School. Barbara’s sister in law, Rita Krider, has her birthday the next day. They live near each other up in Illinois and will probably revel together in a big chunk of cherry cheesecake to mark the occasion. Rowdy Woods, Skyline first grader, will be seven on the 29^th, which is the same day Wes Smith will be—well, older. It would be interesting to know if Wes was like Rowdy when he was that age. Something in the twinkling of the eyes makes one think that might be the case. Abigail Dyer will enjoy her eighth birthday in her third grade class on the 30^th, and then Kalyssa Wiseman and Jenna Brixie will celebrate being five years old on the same day–August 31^st.

         The Champion School Reunion is fast approaching—September 1^st. Alumni of the Champion #47 School District, which last held classes in 1959, together with descendants and other family and friends will gather on the grounds once again to tell the old stories and to hear them. “Ain’t it funny, how times slips away?” That could be one of the songs proffered by the various attending musicians, to which some might remark, “T’ain’t funny, McGee!” If you would like to see what a Champion #47 School Reunion is all about, go to www.championnews.us and look under Champion School Reunions. There you can find pictures from the first one, held in 1984. By then the school had been closed for twenty five years. A particularly interesting reunion occurred in 2008. While everyone is not computer-savvy or particularly interested in being so, most people know someone who has access to the World Wide Web. Out there on the web is stored some pictures of the 2008 reunion and a person can almost hear the laughter and pleasant sounds of acquaintance renewed. Also find there the Dynamic Duo of Lonnie Krider and Wayne Anderson singing “Two Different Worlds” with such sweet harmonies a person cannot help but to smile and express some gratitude for the experience. It is a chance for the young folks to take the old folks on a computer tour of Champion. Captain Picard (not to be confused with the General) says, “Make it so.” The past is “slip sliding” away; the future is a promise; today is happening right now in Champion!

          Linda’s Almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood says that Friday and Saturday the 25^th and 26^th will both be good days to cut winter wood and to prune to discourage growth. One finds it amazing that there is forever something timely to be doing and, at the same time, gratefully, not much in the way of an oversight committee. One is inclined to do just as she pleases and she finds it serendipitous in the extreme that those things she so enjoys doing are the exact things that most need to be done.

      “They” say that good news travels fast. If you have some good news or joy that you would like to spread around send it to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 or to Champion at getgoin.net.   It is a joy to tour a friend’s garden to see how differently and how effectively each gardener approaches the endeavor. Driving down a country lane, if the gardener stands up to watch you pass, he will probably wave at you. The tidy little plot next to The Historic Emporium in Downtown Champion is the very picture of a garden specific to the gardener’s needs. It is just right. Lean over the porch rail to admire it. Look around and take a moment to appreciate the tranquil beauty of the setting with its great trees and grassy creek banks, its charming lanes and precipitous hills. It is Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—August 13, 2012

          Champions begin the week with grateful hearts that the severity of the summer heat has for a while abated.  They are optimistic that the moderation will endure and that rain will eventually fall.  Every dry spell in history has ended in a shower.  When the creeks are up too deep to ford, will Champions remember these dry days?  Yep. 

          “The Orange Blossom Special” was a deluxe passenger train that ran between New York and Florida from 1925 to 1953.  The song by that name is known as ‘the fiddler’s national anthem’ and was written by brothers Ervin and Gordon Rouse in 1939, when Esther Wrinkles was a girl of 22.  She is 95 now and her friends, Backyard Bluegrass, finished their last set at the Skyline VFD Picnic on Saturday night dedicating the song to her.  She is recuperating over at the Autumn Oaks Care Center and this is the first Skyline Picnic that she has missed.  She has been a mainstay in the organization since it first began and her friends are looking forward to her getting back in the swing of things.  Tamara Griswold was the winner of Esther’s quilt.  She and her husband Greg moved to the area a couple of years ago from northern Illinois.  They have been coming to this part of the country for several years visiting family in the Skyline community.  They live over in the EE/76 Fire District, but have been buying Skyline quilt tickets for years and years.  She is very happy about the beautiful quilt and will, no doubt, be first in line for tickets for the next one.  Champion! 

          The weather was perfect for the picnic and attendance was quite good.  People came from far and wide to meet up with old friends and family for the fun of it.  Some had to go the long way around to get there, but they came nonetheless and had a good time.  Ruby Proctor and her family were there both nights, as were Louise and Wilburn Hutchinson, Violet Hinote, and many others.   Harley and Barbara Krider came all the way from Illinois for the occasion and were happy to visit with many people they had not seen for years.   Area merchants are generous with their donations of door prizes and other support for the picnic and for the fire department.  It is a good relationship.  On a humorous note, Bob Upshaw, (When is he not funny?) engaged in some competitive bidding that went like this:  Anna Lou Wallace-$5.00, Bob Upshaw-$12.00, Wilda Moses-$13.00, Bob Upshaw-$14.00,  Aldous Huxley-$15.00, Bob Upshaw-$16.00, George Orwell-$17.00, Bob Upshaw-$18.00,  E.E. Cummings-$19.00, Bob Upshaw-$20.00.   The prize?  It was a fuzzy green wig, which upon winning, he promptly donned and proceeded to overwhelm the bingo parlor’s guests with antics too wild to report.  Do not be surprised if this typical behavior is repeated on Thursday evening over at the Vanzant Community Center for the Thursday night music and pot-luck.   Myron Jackson from KZ88 Radio in Cabool spread his money around at the auction and came out of it with some glass electric insulators, a Mad Magazine board game and a number of plates and platters that were commemorative of various states.  He is a music lover and can be found at all the local picnics, benefits, and festivals.   

          Dirk Beeson is a name to remember.  He is the hero of Michael Upshaw’s novel, “It’s About Time,” soon to be available in local stores.  It is almost a field manual on the use of resources, intellect and a sense of humor to solve the problems of the universe.  Two signed, first edition copies of the novel were on the silent auction block and brought in some good revenue for the fire department.  Tim Scrivner made another of his wonderful bird feeders for the auction and Tanna Wiseman’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies brought in a cool sawbuck.  Proceeds from the auction are being spent this very week on some super-duper leaf blowers for the firefighters to use for clearing fire breaks.  It is an important piece of equipment that can make a real difference in controlling and suppressing a dangerous fire.  

          William Crawford will be thirteen years old on the 19^th of the month.  He will be a seventh grader at Skyline.  Caitlynn Pierce will enter the sixth grade this year and will have her twelfth birthday on the 21^st.  School is back in session and everyone is set for another exciting year of learning and growing.   The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is gaining a few more subscribers and so Skyline School can look forward to more future students with a well-developed love of reading.   

          Rachel Pitts who lives over by Hunter Creek was the winner of the White River Valley Electric Co-Operative’s $100.00 of free electricity at the Skyline Picnic.  Jeff Pardek from over at White River is kind enough to make this award to the fire department every year.  Ms. Pitts is a lifelong resident of the area and she says that with the price of cattle, the lack of rain, and the dreadful heat, this winning ticket was a real bright spot for her family.  They have always been staunch supporters of the fire department and love to come to the picnic.  Her daughter, Kristi Vinson, taught at Skyline in past years.  Nine years ago when Kristi’s son, Jacob Teaster, was four years old he had an illness that put him in a coma for three weeks.  During that time the Skyline community had a benefit for him and Ms. Pitts said it was greatly appreciated.  Her grandson, Jacob, is thirteen now and is doing just fine.   She remarked that she had recently been down to Champion to see the new store and she very much approves.   It is a real winner!  So is Ms. Pitts and a Champion!

          Linda’s Almanac says that the 14^th and 15^th will be good days for transplanting and for planting below the ground crops.  It is also good for planting seedbeds and flower gardens.  Then the moon changes and the 22^nd through the 24^th will be time to plant above-ground crops again.  Some Champion gardeners are experimenting with ‘earth-barrels’ for some of their fall garden.   Being willing to try new techniques is the mark of a Champion!  Cowboy Jack was in Henson’s Downtown G & G on Monday morning bemoaning the fact that the Olympic equestrian events did not include one for swimming.  Perhaps the committee will come to its senses and will add a cold creek swimming event for man and horse.   He will be ready to go to Brazil in 2016.  His friends all wish him the very best!  Send any ideas about any other place where Cowboy Jack can go to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367 Norwood, MO 65717 or to Champion at getgoin.net.

          The Fairview School Reunion is reported to have been a great success.  Lyman Proctor was part of the program representing the Veterans of the group.  He had a moving statement to make about his recent visit to the various monuments in Washington D.C.  He does a good job of keeping Veterans and those serving currently in the forefront of the community consciousness.  They are Champions every one.    

          The cool weather makes a sojourn out on the porch at the Historic Emporium just right.  It is a beautiful place, picturesque and tranquil, an excellent place to enjoy a pleasant visit with friends, or just to meditate for a quiet moment.  Come on over on to the North Side of the Square in Downtown Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—August 6, 2012

               Some Champions are feeling that they have had a reprieve, as if they have been pardoned or have found amnesty or sanctuary from the heat and the oppressive prospect of no-end-in-sight to the brutality of summer, in spite of the full knowledge that ‘eventually’ it will be some other season.  An inch of rain is truly a gift and Champions say right out loud, “Thank God!” 

              “You can’t go home by the way of the mill.  There’s a bridge washed out at the bottom o  f the hill.”  Well, the bridge on Highway 76 at Bryant Creek was not washed out but it is being rebuilt.  They say it is going to be a doozie.  Anyway, it will not be open in time for the Skyline VFD Picnic, so people from the other side of the creek will just have to go around in order to get to the fun this year.  Maybe the bridge will be will be ready for use when school starts on the 15^th of the month.  Students and teachers are getting geared up for another successful term of learning and growing.  Kinzleigh Crain will have her 10^th birthday the day before school starts and Trent Homer will have his seventh birthday the day after school starts.  Kinzleigh will be in the fourth grade and Trent will enter the first grade.  There may be some new students in Skyline this year as there are reported to be some new families with children moving into the area.  It has been said that due to the current state of the economy the birthrate in the US is significantly down.   Add to that to the evidence that while the overall population of rural Ozarks counties is increasing, so is the median age.    There are plenty of Champion grandparents who would be pleased to have some young people move into the neighborhood, preferably their own grandchildren, but any would do.  A new batch of Dolly Parton Imagination Library Applications has been delivered to Henson’s Store in Downtown Champion so the little ones who make their way to Champion/Skyline will be able to get started right away building their own libraries.  It is true that much of the knowledge of the rest of the world will be coming to students on the internet from here on out, but it is also true that a bound book with paper pages, new and bright, or ragged and well-read can spark imagination and curiosity just as it did for Champions back in the days when they attended their own treasured little school.   As the years roll around and people look back with nostalgia on their school experiences in the little one and two room school houses in these parts, perhaps they will think about the one hundred or so youngsters who are attending the Skyline School today.   The Skyline School Foundation has been set up to help this small rural school with some of its needs, which are many.  There will be some good information about the Foundation available when the East Fairview District #46 has its reunion at the Vanzant Community Building on the 11^th.   The Champion School Reunion is always held the Saturday before Labor Day and there will be plenty of opportunity for Champions past and present to subsidize the future by supporting the Foundation today!  Look in on www.championnews.us to see Champion School Reunions from the past.  There are pictures there of Hensons, Cooleys, Sutherlands, Kriders, Hicks and Hutchisons, Smiths and Upshaws, Andersons and Proctors and on and on. 

               Esther Wrinkles is feeling better and someone said that she should have had a stack of quilt tickets by her bedside there at the Autumn Oaks Caring Center in Mountain Grove.  She has a pretty steady stream of visitors and they all have an interest in this year’s quilt.  Bob Berry comes by to see her every few days and he has bought lots of quilt tickets over the years and he won one fairly recently, maybe at the Skyline chili supper a couple of years ago.  Mary was very happy about the whole deal. 

                Linda’s Almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood will let you know that there is plenty of growing season left this year.  As the harshness of the weather abates, enthusiasm for gardening is refreshed.  Some gardeners mix lettuce and radishes together and the harvest process promotes the thriving of each.  The almanac reveals that the best days for destroying weeds will be the 11^th, 12^th,  13^th and 16^th , though some figure that anytime you pull a weed is a good time.  There are good times to be had in a garden any time.  One says that when the soil is so nice and damp from the rain, “Why, the weeds fairly jump into your hand!”   Find the Almanac up in Norwood, on the internet or on the bulletin board at Henson’s Downtown G & G on the North Side of the Square in scenic and serene Champion.

                As is frequently the case, Linda had the high score in the regular Fortnight Bridge Club game on Saturday night.  She has been playing for a long time and continues to take lessons and teach.  The game is a good exercise for holding on to the processes involved in remembering things and keeping brains working with agility and keenness.  It works better for some than for others.  A link in the www.championnews.us  site takes a person interested in bridge to the American Contract Bridge League.  There is a link there also to the VFW website where a great deal of good information about Veterans is available.  For example, one in seven new Veterans will have some form of post-traumatic stress disorder.  There are 244,000 new cases of traumatic brain injury and it is reported elsewhere that every day one American Service person takes his own life.  Veterans have a lot of Love and Gratitude due them as well as some support and understanding.  Local Veterans are always a significant presence at area picnics, chili suppers and benefits.  They are Champions every one.

                “You ought to see my Blue-Eyed Sally.  She lives way down on Shinbone Alley.  There’s a number on the gate and a number on the door.  The next house over is the grocery store.”  Those are lines from Bob Wills’ song, “Stay All Night.”  Sally Prock might have been the Blue Eyed Sally that Mr. Wills was singing about, but she was most likely just a very little girl when the song became popular and she lived more than a few doors down from the Mercantile.  She is quite popular in Champion and she shows up for every important function and sometimes just for the fun of it.  She has a great smile.  “Pull off your coat.  Throw it in the corner.  Don’t see why you don’t stay a little longer” In Champion–Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—July 30, 2012

          One Champion cast off her logical fear of lightening and stood grateful in the rain for a moment on her way to turn the sprinkler on in the garden.  The dust did not get settled out on the road, but for a moment the gentle drizzle seemed to wash away a great deal of stress.  Lingering aftereffects show up in Champion smiles.

          “The Olympics helps remind us what an awesomely diverse country we are.  We all came from other places and different people groups. There is no one American look. Yes, folks, that’s what helped make this country great. I love it! :),” says Terri Ryan on Facebook.  Champions appreciate the sentiment and appreciate Terri who teaches at Skyline and is a board member of the Skyline R-2 School Foundation.  School will start on the 15^th of August which will be here shortly.   August begins auspiciously with a full moon, the Green Corn Moon, on the first.   That is the birthday of Elitta January, who is so missed by so many.  Before school starts Skyla Boyd will have her thirteenth birthday.  That happens on the second of the month.   She will be in the seventh grade when school starts.  Saturday, the 4^th will find all the political candidates over at the Vanzant Community Center for a ‘forum’ and the Judge’s Mom will have a birthday on the 6^th, and then the 7^th will be the primary election and things will settle down a little.  Champions Foster and Kalyssa Wiseman will celebrate their Father’s birthday on the 8^th.  They do not care how old he is.  The 10^th and 11^th are the dates for the Skyline VFD Picnic and the 11^th will be the Fairview School Reunion.    On the 12^th the Champion resident, formerly known as Linda Dawson, will wake up to find that she has been married to Glen Cooley for fifty years!  It all started in Nampa, Idaho back in 1962.  They have children and grandchildren and plenty of reason to celebrate a golden anniversary.  Then Kinzeleigh Crain will celebrate her tenth birthday on the 14.^th She will be in the 4^th grade when school starts the next day.  That just covers part of what is happening in the first half of the month.  The second half will be just as busy and the month will end with another full moon.  That makes two full moons in one month and so it is the Blue Moon.  It is figured that the first one is just the regular one and the second one is Blue.    

          The General was over at the Up an At ‘Em 4-H Picnic on EE Highway Saturday night (probably on Friday too) raving on about the Blue Man.  The subject came up in a conversation about folklore and superstition in the Ozarks when he suddenly became very animated, urgently questioning if anyone had information concerning this Blue Man.  When he did not get the response he seemed to want, he made some furtive gesticulations, glancing about suspiciously, and directed the chat elsewhere.   Elsewhere was toward a nice young fellow named Tim, who was just about to take his second bite of a very good hamburger.  (The universal review by everyone at the picnic was, “Excellent burger! Excellent music!  Excellent fellowship with friends! )  It seems that Tim is new to the area and the General has taken it on himself to introduce him to this part of the world which has been described by some as the most deliberately unprogressive area in the Nation.  “Some is and some ‘aint.”  It is sort of a hit and miss proposition, progressively speaking, according to which holler a person might call home and when he got there.  It was certainly a ‘miss’ as the General was heard describing Champion as “just a little country store.”  That it lies on the broad and shady banks of Old Fox Creek at the bottom of several hills and the conjunction of various county roads at the very Beginning of the Pavement was not part of his description, which he confined to a vague motion of the arm in the approximate direction of Champion and said “It’s about twelve miles over there.”   He had nothing to say about how the Historic Emporium over on the North Side of the Square additionally houses the library and the community meeting and game room as well as the art gallery and museum and that the charming Proprietress has a guest book signed there by people from all over the world.  Tim was not informed that Henson’s Downtown G&G has the most eclectic and complete inventory imaginable—wire nuts, calf starter and ice cream.  When he was able to get a word in edgewise, Tim  said he moved to the Ozarks for the easy living.  So sooner or later, with or without the help of his new friend, he will find his way to Champion and he will be glad!  Someone remarked that maybe one of the reasons the General so often makes friends with newcomers is that everybody around here already knows him.  Yes, and glad of it!  Champion!

          Get a look at Linda’s Almanac for August on line at www.championnews.us, or at the Plant Place in Norwood, or on the bulletin board at Henson’s Grocery and Gas in Downtown Champion.  According to it, the best dates in August for planting root crops will be 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 14, and 15.  Transplant on 5, 6, 9, 10, 14, 15.  Champions are urged to work only as hard as they can.  The weather is too harsh for unrestrained, jubilant hard work.  One is advised to head to the shade for the heat of the day.  Get down to one of the beautiful swimming holes in this glorious part of the world and chill out.

          The Flag Dedication Ceremony at the 4-H Picnic was very well executed and put the crowd into a reflecting mood.  If one does not know anyone personally who is currently fighting in Afghanistan or deployed to some other dangerous part of the word in the U.S. Military, that is probably because those serving only constitute about one percent of the population.  The whole population, however, participates in that the taxes paid and the votes cast ultimately have an effect on the soldier whose boots are on the ground.  For whatever reason the Nation requires service and sacrifice, they are doing it for the good of the whole.  Acknowledgement with Love and Gratitude is the appropriate gesture toward all those who have served. 

          The Skyline Auxiliary has a work meeting scheduled for Monday evening to get a start on getting the grounds in order for the big shindig.   Absent from the group is Esther Wrinkles who is flat on her back convalescing at the Autumn Oakes Caring Center.  The get well card that her friends sign does not account for how much she and her good energy are missed.   It will take any number of them to pick up the slack for all the things Esther routinely does for the Fire Department.  Champions wish a speedy recovery to one of their own. .

          Rainbows require a little rain.  It turns out, for scientific reasons, that each eye sees its own rainbow.   “There is a rainbow round my shoulder and the sky is blue above.  How the sun shines bright.  The word’s all right, ‘cause I’m in love.”  Sing your rain, rainbow, or love songs out on the porch at the Recreation of the Historic Mercantile in Downtown Champion.  Send them or any ideas about how to get Cowboy Jack on the U.S. Equestrian Team for the next Olympics to Champion at getgoin.net.  Come on down to Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—July 23, 2012

           Some Champions are busy this time of the year plucking, shelling, peeling and slicing–doing hot work in the kitchen.  Perhaps folks were just tougher in the old days or perhaps it was not so hot back then before air conditioning.  That air conditioners might somehow have contributed to the overall warmth of the weather is a quandary too touchy to ponder.   An informed Champion says that refrigerants no longer contain CFCs due to government regulation, but carbon is still the culprit when it comes to this kind of overheating.   Back to the kitchen, Aunt Eavvie Sharrock said, “Our freezer’s full and so’s our jars.  Not much is left but garden tares.  High cost of living, we’ve tried to beat it, if God will let us live to eat it.” She would have felt right at home in Champion. 

          Dear Champion and Champion friend, Esther Wrinkles, is in Mercy Hospital in Springfield as the result of having broken her hip very early Sunday morning.  Her family is pleased to report that the repair procedure went well and that Esther is in good spirits.  She will be transferred to a rehabilitation hospital in a couple of days.  Her mailing address is Route 1, Box 845 Vanzant, MO 75868, and notes of encouragement will find her wherever she has to be until she can get home again.  A speedy recovery is what her friends and family have in mind for her.   It does not appear that she will be able to make it to     the Skyline Picnic this year, but that is not a possibility that her friends in the Auxiliary are willing to consider at this point.  “Esther will surprise you.”  She has been a real worker for the Skyline Volunteer Fire Department since it first got started.  She is a ‘Founding Member,’ pie baking, quilt making, music loving, tireless supporter of this important organization.  The most recent quilt that she has contributed to the cause is on display down at Hensons Grocery and Gas on the North Side of the Square in Downtown Champion.  Address a Champion picture post card to Esther while you are down there and imagine the smile it will bring to her. 

          Go to the First Champion Tomato category at www.championnews.us to see some genuine sweet smiles.  One of them is on the face of Louise Hutchison, another Skyline Auxiliary Champion who has made pies, sold quilt tickets, and run the picnic bingo parlor for years and years.  Louise and Wilburn have some good help that lets them get out and about these days.  Hopefully, they will make it over to the EE Picnic this next week end.  They were there for the cool evening of the Vanzant festival, so perhaps their presence brings the cool factor.  No wonder they are so much in demand!

          Grace Crawford will be seven years old on the 25^th of July.  She will be in the second grade when school starts up this fall.  Taylor Blasius will be fourteen.  She has completed the eighth grade at Skyline and is moving on to high school.  Both of these young ladies have some excitement ahead of them.  Taylor’s mother has been very active in the Skyline School Foundation and really represents the concept that if you want to get something done, give it to the busiest person around.  That is Patricia, not just busy, but productive.  The School Foundation is doing some good work.  Already there are more than thirty members of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library receiving books every month as they learn the love of reading in preparation for starting school.  Boosting and supporting the students and faculty of the little rural school is certainly a worthwhile endeavor and Champions are looking forward to more from the Foundation as time goes by.  When the Fairview School Reunion happens on August 11^th, attendees will have a chance to contribute to this organization whose sole purpose is to perpetuate the positive school experience they remember so fondly.  Champion!

          When the Patriot Guard Riders attended the burial of Private Romualdas Prenskas the other day, they filled in the gap of missing family for this Veteran of the Viet Nam War.  He was born in Lithuania and joined the United States Army after he became an American citizen.  He was trained at Fort Leonard Wood.  Lithuania is in a part of Europe that was occupied by Nazi Germany and then by the Soviets when the World War II was over.  The War was over, but life was not easy in the Balkan states.  However Private Prenskas came to America and for whatever reason, he stood up to serve his new Nation.  With the exception of the indigenous peoples, the whole population of this area was made up of immigrants, the descendants of pioneers who came West from the Southern Appalachians.   They came mostly from the British Isles, some before the Revolutionary War, then through Kentucky and Tennessee over time and finally to the Ozarks.  People are still pouring in and out of this lovely part of the world and Champions acknowledge that everyone comes from somewhere.   They are just lucky to lite in Champion!

          Tuesday through Friday this week will be a good time for planting above the ground crops.  Thursday and Friday will be a good time to fertilize those things that are growing already.  So says Linda’s Almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood.  If water is available and some shade can be had or rigged there is some good growing season ahead still.  Get a look at that Almanac on the bulletin board at the Recreation of the Historic Emporium in the heart of the commercial district in Downtown Champion.  Stroll around and enjoy the view from the broad veranda.  ‘When you hear it thunder, don’t run under a tree’ is good advice from the song “Pennies from Heaven.”  This mention was made to clear up some confusion resulting from zealous expurgation.   Many old time locals, as well as new comers, find music to be an important aspect of a happy life.   Sing, “The night was dark and stormy.  The air was full of sleet.  The Old Man stepped out in the Yard and his shoes were full of feet.”  Do not, however, sing the rest of the song because you will be in Champion and therefore—Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—July 16, 2012

                   The’ Dog Days of Summer’ have arrived in Champion.  They are said to have started on the third of July and will end on August 11^th.  They are the nice toasty days that will be well remembered in mid-December.  One old saying found in the book Ozark Magic and Folklore, published in 1947 by Vance Randolph, is that for every day in July that reaches one hundred degrees there will be a day in January that is twenty below.   “The only sure thing about the weather is that a dry spell always ends with a rain.”   This is a quote from Will Talbott, a Green County weatherman in 1930.  Champions concur with this piece of wisdom and add that a tea cup of rain does more good in the garden than a washtub of well water.  Some find a way to enjoy every kind of weather as an affirmation to being alive.  Champion!

          Stories are being told and retold about a canoeing adventure on Saturday down around Dora.  Krider, Watts, and Wiseman aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, nephews, sisters, mothers and grandmothers all floated gently downstream and some went over the waterfall several times.  There was only one report of a tipping over.  An aunt and nephew went into the drink.  It might have been as comical as the Near Drowning of Cowboy Jack, but not many details were revealed.  There seems to be some sensitivity about the incident, and so, in this case, names are being withheld to protect the chagrinned.

          Carol Barnhart, helping out with the Vanzant Picnic, makes a point to remind people interested that the Fairview School Reunion will be held August 11^th.  There will be plenty of time for people to enjoy their get-together and still make it over to Skyline for the second night of the picnic there.  The Summer Social Season is well under way.   Saturday’s unexpectedly cool and cloudy weather made the Vanzant Picnic, well, a real picnic!  First-rate music and food and great games for the kids were just the backdrop for a chance to see old friends and acquaintances for a pleasant visit.  Louise and Wilburn Hutchinson had a good time and said, “Hello” to a steady stream of friends throughout the evening. Master of Ceremonies, Steve Moody, the banker, (not to be confused with Ray Bradley the undertaker) did an excellent job of keeping everything moving.  He has the gift of gab and remembers everyone by name.  The politicians were out in full force.  They say that there will be a candidates forum there at the Vanzant Community Center on August 4^th just before the election and then things should settle down a bit.  It is to be noted that at this picnic and at the Skyline Picnic coming up that there are no conservative pieces of pie served.  They are liberal every one.  No one takes the right to vote for granted.   An overheard conversation at the picnic included the opinion that the absolute corporate control of American politics is being exposed with greater clarity than ever before.  If there were less profit to be made in war, there would be fewer wars.  This person said that the 2012 election will be most interesting in that the many issues of the greed of unregulated capitalism are as visible as they were prior to and during the great depression.  Champions made it through the great depression and came out of it stronger and smarter.  Still, most of them probably would not like to go through it again. 

          Linda’s Almanac from over at The Plant Place in Norwood says that the 19^th through the 23^rd will all be barren days.  It will be a good time to kill plant pests and do general farm work.  Then starting the 24^th through the 27^th signs will be favorable for planting crops that bear their yield above the ground.   Champions and others in the area are busy putting up as much food as they can.  Ruby Proctor was at the Vanzant Picnic the other evening and said that Barbara Jean has been canning green beans like crazy and putting lots of corn in the freezer.  Barbara has retired after many years with Mountain Grove High School and is enjoying her new freedom.  Ruby says she is working harder than ever in her retirement.  For some new retirees, work is play.  Linda will be in Champion Saturday to play bridge.   The Champion player will host the Fortnight Bridge Club and is planning to make that excellent desert that gets served at Henson’s Downtown G &G when the Skyline Auxiliary meets there.   It is a treat when friends share their good receipts. 

          Patriot Rider, Tom Cody, was happy to report that his group had just escorted a returning soldier home to his family, whole in life and limb.  The Patriot Riders and a number of other motorcycle clubs put themselves between families who are grieving the loss of a beloved U.S. Service Member and a certain religious/political group with a mean spirited agenda-driven stutter that they use to avoid actual thought.  Champions think that Love and Gratitude are the sentiments to lavish on those who step up to do what their Nation asks of them.          

          A rainmaking ritual used in extreme drought requires that an innocent child draw a turtle in the sand and then a circle around the turtle and then dance around the circle in a clockwise direction pausing and asking for rain at each cardinal point.  There is plenty of sand in Champion to try out the ceremony.   “Oh, every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven.  Don’t you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?  You’ll find your fortune falling all over town.  Be sure that your umbrella is upside down…..So when you hear it thunder, don’t run under a tree.”  That is good advice about not running under a tree.  Explain your own rain-making superstitions, sing your favorite rain song, or give good advice at Champion at getgoin.net or in person out on the porch down at the Recreation of the Historic Emporium over on the North side of the Square.   The word of the week is “compel.”  It is just a pretty sounding word–compelling.  When in Champion, one is compelled to Look on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—July 9, 2012

           In Champion the delicious rain was well received though it put some in the dark temporarily.  There was no complaint to be had, even as some will be hauling brush or standing their corn back up.  Official Champion rain gauges measured over an inch and spots up in North Champion had water closer to the two inch mark in their upturned buckets.   The relief from the heat stress is palpable and the whole atmosphere is relaxed had happy.  Champion!

           The power outage may have come at an inconvenient time for those in the dairy barn, but they are well prepared and accustomed to adapting to adverse conditions quickly when it is necessary.  It will be a most interesting account to hear what Kalyssa has to say about getting her milking chores done.  She is quite an enthusiastic farm girl.  Local Future Farmers, at a very young age, probably already know more about many important things than do many a middle aged city dweller.   They are Champions!   An influx of Krider cousins is expected mid-week, with grandchildren pouring in from Tennessee and North Missouri, and all over.  What fun!  Hopes are that some grand photos will be taken out on the steps at the Mercantile over on the North Side of the Square—memory makers. 

                   Skyline sixth grader Ceiara Carroll will be twelve years old on the 14^th of July.  Kailyn Calhoun will have her fifth birthday on the 15^th and will be in kindergarten when school starts.  Ceiara most likely knows that her birthday is Bastille Day, which is the French equivalent of the 4^th of July.  It marked the end of the monarchy and beginning of the modern republic.  The lasting significance of the event was in its recognition that power could be held by ordinary citizens, not in the king or in God.  The oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe is held on the morning of July 14^th in Paris to celebrate French National Day.  Happy Birthday Ceiara and Kailyn!

           The debris and litter left after the 4^th of July Parade in Downtown Champion could have been gathered up in a small tea cup.  Such a tidy lot!  Bags of ice went out the door of the Historic Emporium as revelers headed off to the creek.   Emergency picnic supplies and necessities were on hand plentifully and the community is much gratified to have its needs met so well by Henson’s Downtown G & G!  Down at the creek and out on the porch conversations covered a wide range of subjects.  One was heard to say that those we now call ‘Patriots’ were just a bunch of rabble rousing misfits and malcontents.  This sentiment was accepted with the addendum that they also be recognized as having been brilliant and courageous.  The longest standing Constitution in the world now, it begins with the word, “We.”  Similarities were drawn between players in the current political scene and the ‘Tories’ of the Revolution.  One said, “You are what you eat and you become what you hate.”  There is definitely food for thought there.

           New voter registration cards have Champions voting at Skyline now for all the elections.  According to one election official, it is a matter of saving money for the county by consolidating voting districts.   

           Annual gatherings give friends a yard stick by which to measure their own progress for the year as well as the chance to watch the communities’ grandchildren grow and flourish.  It is delightful to see what excellent parents the children of friends have become.  They are every bit as protective and unreasonable as their own parents were.  “In 1860 I used to go to see a pretty little gal in Georgia and dearly she loved me.  She promised she would marry me as soon as the war was over.  She said we’d live together just like chickens in the clover.”  It is sweet to see old couples still grousing in the same way thirty years later.   They are still impatient with one another, but more accepting.  Some have mellowed in charming and unexpected ways.   Champions all hope to age as gracefully as do their precious friends and neighbors and are content to live like chickens in the clover.

           The break in the weather is a gift to gardeners.  Linda’s almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood says that root crops planted on the 13^th and 14^th will yield well.  Those will also be good days for transplanting.   Linda’s staggeringly beautiful garden was on display as she hosted the regular Fortnight Bridge game on Saturday night.  That plot of land feeds a great number of people and it is a joy to see.  She has good help and has had many years to perfect her art.  Her degree is in horticulture and her life experience adds an otherwise unattainable credential.  The bridge game was pleasantly augmented by a Sterling visitor.  This lovely young woman is a beginning bridge player and is studying to become a watchmaker.  The aptitude required to work with the minute elements that comprise such mechanical marvels is awe inspiring.  Linda is an excellent host and her guests generously share their exciting friends with each other.  The Champion player came in with the low money and thus broke even in the game financially.  She did come out ahead with cucumbers and squash and another pleasant memory.

           Sue Upshaw is receiving get well cards at the Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston, MO, 65483.  She has taken a fall and will be a while in the recovery process.  Meanwhile it was observed that her spirits were much lifted by the good wishes of her many friends and family.  Keep them coming!  One will circulate through the Skyline VFD Auxiliary Meeting on Tuesday the 10^th.  Sue and her family have always been big supporters of the Skyline VFD and her presence will be sorely missed if she is unable to attend the Skyline Picnic this year.  Get well soon, friend. 

           Good news pertinent to Champion is welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 or at Champion at getgoin.net.  Look for the fun at www.championnews.us or circulate through the Square.  It is at the beginning of the pavement, at the bottom of some hills, where several county roads converge, on the banks of Old Fox Creek.  It is Champion!  Looking on the Bright Side.

CHAMPION—July 2, 2012

           Champion was much in the spotlight this last Friday as people poured out from surrounding towns and communities to attend the first all-city yard sale on the Square in Historic Downtown. For many, it was a first opportunity to get a good look at the place which has been likened to the Light shining out of the East and described as the Very Jewel of Central Douglas County. Champion!
  

This initial foray into a community market day proved to be quite the success, particularly in light of the temperature and the distance from other major shopping areas.  A movement is afoot to repeat the performance sometime in the fall, maybe mid-September when the days will surely be a little cooler and the air will be sufficient to fill the bellows of the General’s accordion.  Music is frequently part of the fun in Champion, so the many talented local artistes will have yet another opportunity to participate in a rich community life.   A number of locals, who retreat inside for the heat of the day, are beginning to gather their thoughts on just what items they might like to put in the next yard sale.  Sometimes cash is better than ‘things’ and a thing no longer useful to one might be just what the next person needs. 

          Kyra Collins will have her birthday on Friday the sixth of July and Tiffany Thornhill will celebrate on Sunday the 8^th.  They are both marking their twelfth birthday and will be in the sixth grade at Skyline this fall.  That may seem like a long time away to them, but it will go by in a hurry.  Older people routinely speak of the swift passage of time. 

          Esther Wrinkles had a beautiful birthday celebration over at the Vanzant Community Center on Saturday.  It was hosted by her sons and their families.  She may well have received a card for every one of her 95 years.   A pair of shockingly pink flamingos was the gift of someone who knows Esther’s fun loving personality and there was much interest in just where she will place them in her yard.   Already the General is concerned that they will be wandering over into his yard.  He is fairly persnickety about his lawn. His many flaws seem to be offset by his fabulous peanut butter ice cream.  There were buckets of it, and of a luscious vanilla that was enhanced favorably by some succulent peach cobbler, and then, of course, there was the peach ice cream.   Skillfully decorated birthday cakes and tasty brownies all made for a splendid party.  The best thing though was seeing how much joy is to be had in sharing Love, Gratitude, and Appreciation for each other among dear friends, neighbors and family.  Monday morning Esther was still smiling.  She said that she was a little tired, but that she was so thankful for everyone who made the party happen and to everyone who came.  It was a special day for a real Champion. 

          The Vanzant Community Center is a great place to hold a party.  It is air conditioned and this time of the year that is important.  A note on the bulletin board there said that the 13^th and 14^th of July will be the Vanzant Community Picnic.   The swift passage of time is evident again.   The Up and At ‘Em Holt 4H Picnic will be rolling around again soon and, of course the Skyline VFD picnic will kick off on August 10^th.  Jeff Pardeck from over at the White River Valley Electric Cooperative in Branson has granted another $100.00 worth of electric power to be awarded to some lucky supporter of the Fire Department.  White River has been doing this for Skyline for more than ten years now.  They are nice folks over there and good neighbors.  Soon the picnic quilt will be on display over at Henson’s Grocery and Gas in Downtown Champion.    There were fifteen members in attendance at the last Skyline Auxiliary meeting there on the 27^th of June and the next meeting is scheduled for the 10^th of July at 6:30 in the evening.  The newly air-conditioned meeting room at Henson’s G & G can accommodate a sizeable number of people and the picnic organizational meetings are a perfect time for Skyline Fire District Members to get acquainted with each other and to contribute their good ideas and good energy.  Volunteer fire departments are essential parts of thriving rural communities.  Someone noted that the population of the area is growing, but the average age is also increasing.  Young folks are in short supply and much needed!   

          Harley is missing his granddaughters.  Their lives are filling up and they do not come around as much as they used to.  What is important at one age may not seem to be such a big deal at another time in life.  The swift passage of time might catch up with these ‘whippersnappers’ yet.  It is a universal issue felt by many over the years.  One old Champion wonders if she neglected the old people she loved so.  Probably she did.  Esther Howard has a good perspective on the process.  She says to just enjoy it.

          Ira Glass is a radio personality and the second cousin of composer Phillip Glass.   Phillip told Ira in an interview, “People do not know what they like.  They like what they know. “   That is a very interesting statement and one that can be applied to more than music.  It is less easy, as people age, to stay receptive when it comes to new things.  Someone said that the tendency to romanticize the past makes it difficult to recognize how lovely the present might be.   These are the kinds of thoughts that keep things lively among the Saturday Philosophy Club which holds its early morning meetings out on the porch at the Historic Emporium now being referred to as the “G & G.”  They retreat to the air conditioned meeting room later in the morning.  Linda’s Almanac for July is posted there and so Cowboy Jack will have time to study it with the hopes of getting a few vegetables in yet.  The 9^th and 10^th will be good planting days.  It turns out that there are lots of ripe tomatoes in Champion already and it is not that gardeners do not share, they do.  They are just not interested in the acclaim and so the First Ripe Tomato in Champion Contest has officially been called a draw because Champions are a noble lot. 

          “Oh!  Beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain!”  Independence Day is a chance to recognize the service of Veterans and those currently defending the lovely Constitution of the United States, to sing some patriotic songs, to get together with friends for an annual renewal of old acquaintances and to get feet wet in cold creeks.  It is an opportunity to hear what common and wide ranging thoughts friends and neighbors have about gardening, health, politics, weather, art, music and philosophy in general.  One noted recently that for every individual interested in a given subject, there is a different valid perspective.  Differences are, after all, what most people have in common.  Tolerance and mutual respect are the glues that hold dissimilar attitudes together in one great Nation—the melting pot.  Huzza!  Eat your ice cream before it melts, out on the porch.  Get a good view of Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!