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CHAMPION—April 13, 2008

        Champions are pleased that Monday and Tuesday mornings’ frost was not as severe as it was thought they might be.  It is always a treat to have pessimism thwarted.  Lilacs in low lying places may yet bloom and the late dogwoods will still be a delight to the eye.

        Other delights to the eye include Ms. Kalyssa Wiseman in her new Spring frock!  It is obvious that she will be an excellent singer and her big brother Foster has begun to appreciate her on many levels.  He will be a kind and loving big brother just the way his Great Uncle Russell was to his Grammy when she was a little girl.  It was a nice surprise to Kalyssa’s Mom during the week when Jack Herman came walking into the milk barn in his boots and coveralls ready to help out.  Neighbors helping neighbors is a common thing in Champion.

        Kay Talley from San Diego, CA sounds like a regular Champion.  Her letter to the editor last week was most complimentary to the Herald and really addressed the solidarity of small towns and rural communities.  It is to be hoped that this quality of life is represented well across the whole country, but naturally there is only one Champion.  When the hustle and bustle of the big towns get too much for Ms. Talley, she will always be welcome to come ‘luxuriate in this beautiful place!’

        Champion neighbors over at Fieldstone reported having had a good church meeting that wound up on Sunday with an excellent dinner.  Mrs. Ester Wrinkles was pleased to have her son Lonnie Mears and his wife Verla as overnight guests.  Larry and Theresa Wrinkles were over after church on Sunday as well and they were joined by Barbara Mather, Pauline Riley and Lois Thompson.  Barbara came up from Texas, picking up Pauline in Arkansas, so the two of them could visit with Lois.  It was a nice get-together, Esther said, with some good old reminiscing.  Esther reported that she had a nice conversation with niece Helen Ice from over around Licking, MO.  Helen subscribes to the Herald to keep up on things from this part of the world.  Hopefully she finds out what she wants to know.

        Linda’s almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood says that the 15^th to the 19^th will be a good time to grub out weeds, briars and other plant pests.  Then the signs change and it will be time to plant root crops again from the 20^th through the 23^rd.  The 22^nd and 23^rd will also be good for cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, kale, celery and other leafy vegetables and good for starting seed beds.  A Texas Champion has sent a book to the Champion mail-box called People with Dirty Hands.  It is subtitled The Passion for Gardening and was written by Robin Chotzinoff.  Cowboy poet, Baxter Black really likes it.  It will be something to read while resting from the weeding!

        A certain Champion wanted to make a cautionary statement that the big rains in the area wash a lot of agricultural chemicals off the fields and into the streams.  There is also a lot of trash and big debris such as tree trunks and limbs that go rushing down fast moving streams with great speed and force.  It is very exciting to watch and very dangerous.  More than one teen-age boy has been lost in the Ozarks in recent flooding.  Dirty, fast moving water is no place for little children to be playing even with a Mother’s supervision.  “A tragedy is altogether unnecessary!” chirps the old lady who claims to have become so very old by being cheerful and careful.

        The Skyline VFD Ladies’ Auxiliary held a meeting in Henson’s Store on Tuesday evening.  It was well attended and a number of issues were discussed including the success of the Chili Supper back on the first of March and the preliminary plans for the Picnic which will be held the second week-end in August.  Betty Dye was elected as the new president of the organization by a unanimous vote and the group is optimistic for another good year ahead.

        An old Champion who enjoys history said that General George Armstrong Custer, believing that he could win at Little Big Horn, led his troupes himself.  He said that he was glad to read in the Herald that Missouri honors disabled vets and former POWs, regardless of where they live.  He was talking about the article that reported the Missouri Conservation Commission extending permit exemptions to all disabled vets and POWs as “a gesture to let them know how deeply grateful we are for their service and sacrifice.”  The complete number of nonfatal casualties in Iraq according to the Department of Defense is 60,645.  This includes people who were injured in non-combat situations and 23,052 people who became ill and required medical air transport from the war zone.  Nearly 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have already sought care from the Veterans Administration.  Many Veterans and their families struggle with paperwork and months of delay to get the help they need.  It is reported that 154,000 Veterans are homeless.  Love and Gratitude?  Yes.

        A favorite Champion, home from great adventures for a too short visit, has added a pleasant new word to his lexicon:  ‘eudaimonia.’ Webster also shows it as spelled ‘eudaemonia’ and says that it is happiness or welfare.  In Aristotle’s philosophy it is  ‘happiness as the result of an active life governed by reason.’  This is a decidedly Champion word in that it describes a noble concept and could easily be used to name a granddaughter—Eudemonia Hickenlooper.  It is reminiscent of that Latent family with the boy, Squander T.  No one has said just what the T. stands for.  It must be Tennessee.

        It is a delight to be mailing out copies of the first song in The New Champion Songbook.  Tennessee Neighbor, Darrell Haden, has furnished a copy of this song with the words and music.  It is Keep on the Sunnyside.  Any kind of up-beat, up-lifting, sunny side kind of song that is in the ‘public domain’ will be considered for page two!  Since this is a build-it-yourself, loose leaf, three ring binder kind of songbook, music lovers can personalize their selections to their hearts’ content.  Send a self addressed, stamped envelope to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 for a free copy of the first song in The New Champion Songbook.  E-mail those requests or interesting names for granddaughters or any other pertinences to Champion News.  Pick up a copy of the song at Henson’s Store on the North Side of the Square in downtown Champion where the sun shines every day and where noble, contented hearts luxuriate, ever looking on the bright side!

CHAMPION COMMUNITY NEWS—April 7, 2008

        There is a rumor in Champion that dogwoods are blooming!  By the time this goes to ink it may be so in a widespread way.  May Apples are up two or three inches high and mushroom hunters have begun to gather ticks already.  There is a great rivalry to claim the first and most of anything among Champions.  They can’t help it.

        All over this part of the country the forsythia is in full bloom.  There are many beautiful examples of it but perhaps none so lovely as the one in Louise and Wilburn’s front yard.  It is not as large as some, but for overall beauty it is without compare.  It is so wonderfully symmetrical and each blossom seems especially large and well formed.  The branches all spring from a center core and arch themselves upward and outward like a mellifluous gilded fountain.  The open spaces uniformly highlight the perfection of each flowered bow.  Like Louise and Wilburn, it is a Champion!

        An unprecedented amount of mail has come in regarding the word ‘potentiometer.’  One comes from Kenneth Henson who says, “I must have missed something in your April Fools jokes.  Getting to believe there is a word ‘potentiometer’ is baffling to me.  That is a very common word in the field of electrical work.  Was it a play on words and I didn’t get it?”  Another says, “The potentiometer is the gizmo that dangles down in your gas tank.  It’s got a wire on it that goes up to your gas gauge to tell you how much fuel you have.”  Electronics Wizard, Gary Proctor, says that it is a ‘variable resistor’ and some of the various applications of the device include its use in tuning the CB radio and volume control on anything that has volume to control.  Someone else chimed in about the speed control (the foot feed on the sewing machine) or light level (dimmer switches).  “As potential means what is ‘possible’ as opposed to ‘actual,’ the meter that measures that in the human being would no doubt register surprising results.  What a useful tool that could be!”  This comes from a skeptical Champion who routinely sees room for improvement in others and is ever-willing to guide them to betterment.  (There’s one in every crowd.)  Meanwhile, the dictionary says that it is “an instrument for measuring electromotive force.”  No dearth of information, nor surfeit of it, including proof, convinces the skeptic who still thinks the word is absurd.

        An e-mail has arrived from the Daughter of Grace in response to the proposed community mass dog killing.  Her resident Curmudgeon proposes a DogGone business which carries the motto ‘Have Gun~Will Travel’ and a stipulation for a discount to customers who provide their own disposal.  He is, of course, not serious but at least he is willing to put some thought to a serious problem.  Meanwhile, Mrs. Graham reports that the beautiful little hound dog has found a good home.  No sooner was she gone than another dog arrived.  This one Mrs. Graham is calling ‘Little Joe.’  He looks like a pure bread German Shepherd and is a puppy who has tripled his weight in the short time he has been at her house.  He has a beautiful black saddle and a tawny mussel—“He’s a gorgeous dog,” she says and she thinks that he will be big—“over seventy-five pounds,” she estimates, when he’s grown.  He will sit for her already, “doesn’t stay long yet,” but is an intelligent dog with a great appetite.  Anyone interested in adopting such a lovely pet can inquire for Mrs. Graham at Henson’s Store in Champion.

        “Old Mr. Johnson had troubles of his own.  He had a yellow cat that wouldn’t leave his home.”  In this song with a hundred verses or more, Mr. Johnson tries everything to get rid of the cat.  “But the cat came back.  The very next day…”  An anonymous letter written in a lovely hand arrived in the Champion Items mail box:  “Greetings to the Grandmother who isn’t sure if she likes cats or not.  Please take no offense from this letter or the quotes enclosed.  I enjoy reading your column and was amused by the Granddaughter asking  you not to strangle the frogs.”  She goes on to extol the virtues of frogs and toads and black crickets (not brown ones) and includes quite a number of famous quotes about cats.  American cartoonist, Jim Davis said, “Way down deep, we’re all motivated by the same urges.  Cats have the courage to live by them.”  Mark Twain said, “One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives.”  A conversation with the Grandmother in question reveals that she is sure that she doesn’t like cats, but she is trying to set a good example.  The writer of this charming letter says that she “loves and respects all of God’s creatures.”  That is certainly a good example for all Champions.

        A soldier from Orrick is one of the latest Missourians killed in Iraq.  Staff Sergeant Jerald Whisenhunt of Orrick is one of four soldiers killed when their vehicle hit a homemade bomb in the road near Taaji.  He was 32 and had been in the Army since 2000.  He was a member of Stryker Brigade Combat team based at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.  Champions extend Love and Gratitude to all the U.S. Service Personnel doing what their Nation requires of them.

        Deer need to be careful when crossing the road in the Champion area.  Champions love deer and don’t really go hunting them with school buses but sometimes accidents happen.  Two with one blow is not such a rarity in these parts as those who know Charlee Smith can attest, but she was using a rifle and will state that her double kill last year was a fluke.  Each of the two deer hit by the school bus on Friday last was pregnant with twins, so that is six deer with one blow—certainly a record, if a sad one.  A Champion contacted the Missouri Conservation Department to get permission to butcher the deer for his dogs and the fetal deer were discovered.  One had two bucks and the other mother carried a buck and a doe.  Sad things happen.  Fortunately no one on the school bus was injured, though they have had a life experience that none will forget.

        Linda’s almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood says that it will be a very advantageous time from the 12^th through the 14^th to plant any crops that bear yield above the ground. The 10^th & 11^th are poor days for planting as are the 15^th– to the 19^th.  Then the signs change and it will be time to plat root crops again.  Time certainly is flying by!  Linda’s Cole crops are really pretty and that ‘Pacman’ variety of broccoli that she grows is a proven winner even for armature gardeners.  People with dirty hands ought to see Charlene there at the Gift Corner.  She has some soap made from emu oil that gets the hands clean and leaves them soft.  One Champion said, “It’s hard to see how you can get something clean with grease!”  It takes all kinds.

        Mrs. Eva Powell, who has an excellent reputation in Champion for decorous behavior, wishes to assure her daughters-in-law in distant places that the Easter Parade of Champions did indeed happen and was indeed a lovely affair.  While she did not parade, she observed and had only good things to say about it.

        Good things, persistent things, spectacular or symmetrical things can be mailed to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  E-mail those things or examples of decorous behavior or flukes to Champion News.  Have some cheese-crackers and chocolate milk on the porch of Henson’s Store in the beautiful blooming berg of Champion where they are always looking on the bright side!

CHAMPION—April 6, 2008

        There is a rumor in Champion that dogwoods are blooming!  By the time this goes to ink it may be so in a widespread way.  May Apples are up two or three inches high and mushroom hunters have begun to gather ticks already.  There is a great rivalry to claim the first and most of anything among Champions.  They can’t help it.

        Raymond and Esther Howard were in Champion over the week end, so the place was quite jolly.  Raymond is not willing to jump the gun on squirrel season, but he’s looking forward to it.  Esther was full of her lovely smiles and remarked about how well she feels!  (What a good example that is—thinking about the things that feel good!)  Jack and Wilma Herman were also visiting and that is a rare and pleasant treat.  They are not milking any more but staying busy the way country people do, which is exactly as busy as a person wants to be.  Kalyssa and Foster will have a busy week on their grandparents’ farm, helping with the milking and keeping track of that Old Red Rooster.  Foster thinks they ought to send him “on down the road to Texas.”

        An unprecedented amount of mail has come in regarding the word ‘potentiometer.’  One comes from Kenneth Henson who says, “I must have missed something in your April Fools jokes.  Getting to believe there is a word ‘potentiometer’ is baffling to me.  That is a very common word in the field of electrical work.  Was it a play on words and I didn’t get it?”  Another says, “The potentiometer is the gizmo that dangles down in your gas tank.  It’s got a wire on it that goes up to your gas gauge to tell you how much fuel you have.”  Electronics Wizard, Gary Proctor, says that it is a ‘variable resistor’ and some of the various applications of the device include its use in tuning the CB radio and volume control on anything that has volume to control.  Someone else chimed in about the speed control (the foot feed on the sewing machine) or light level (dimmer switches).  “As potential means what is ‘possible’ as opposed to ‘actual,’ the meter that measures that in the human being would no doubt register surprising results.  What a useful tool that could be!”  This comes from a skeptical Champion who routinely sees room for improvement in others and is ever-willing to guide them to betterment.  (There’s one in every crowd.)  Meanwhile, the dictionary says that it is “an instrument for measuring electromotive force.”  No dearth of information, nor surfeit of it, including proof, convinces the skeptic who still thinks the word is absurd.

        Champions rarely want to air their dirty laundry.  Mostly the things flapping in the breeze on the close lines in these parts have already been washed.  Once a long time ago there was a Champion in Henson’s store by the name of Hovie.  His friend noted that Hovie had his t-shirt on inside-out and said something to him about it.  Hovie replied that he knew it was inside-out and said that the other side was dirty!

        A pleasant visit with Mrs. Ruby Proctor reveals that she is feeling pretty well in spite of having had some blood pressure issues lately.  She said her sister-in-law, Virginia Andrews, had been down from Springfield and the two of them had gone to see Bertha Woods.  She said that it was a good visit and that she is looking forward to having her brothers come home for Memorial Day.  She recalled that April Fools jokes around Champion frequently involved turning over the out-houses.  She said that Edgar Henson’s out-house was turned over many times and she thought that Ile Upshaw over in Denlow was sitting in his when it was turned over.  She mentioned some who might have been involved in that prank.  Champions have good memories.

        Linda’s almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood says that it will be a very advantageous time from the 12^th through the 14^th to plant any crops that bear yield above the ground.  The 10^th & 11^th are poor days for planting as are the 15^th– to the 19^th.  Then the signs change and it will be time to plant root crops again.  Time certainly is flying by!  Linda’s Cole crops are really pretty and that ‘Pacman’ variety of broccoli that she grows is a proven winner even for armature gardeners.  People with dirty hands ought to see Charlene there at the Gift Corner.  She has some soap made from emu oil that gets the hands clean and leaves them soft.  One Champion said, “It’s hard to see how you can get something clean with grease!”  It takes all kinds.

        Champion’s Tennessee friend Darrell Haden, originally from Smallette, has sent the words and music to Keep On the Sunny Side of Life.  His notes say that it was written in 1899, the words by Ada Blenkhorn and the music by J. Howard Entwhistle.  He said that it was recorded for the first time ever on May 9, 1928, in Camden, N.J. by the Victor Talking Machine Company which became RCA Victor the next year.  Because it is over a hundred years old it is in ‘the public domain,’ which means that it can be used by anyone without fear of copyright infringement.  It will be the first song in the New Champion Songbook which will be a loose-leaf build-it-yourself book—for Champions, by Champions.  Pick up a copy of the first song for free at Henson’s Store on the north side of the square in Champion or send a self-addressed-stamped envelope to the Champion Items mailbox.  This is a new project.  It replaces The Missouri Song List, which sparked a lot of interest but also quite a number of unfulfillable requests for CD’s of the music.  With the New Champion Songbook everyone can have a song in his heart!

        Rumors, absurd words, jolly times, and good memories can be mailed to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  E-mail those things or uplifting sunny-side songs in the public domain to Champion News.  Have some Cheetos and a soda pop on the porch of Henson’s Store in the beautiful blooming village of Champion where they are always looking on the bright side!

CHAMPION—March 30, 2008

        In Champion the spirit of April Fool’s Day is persistent though the new breed of jokers can hardly hold a candle to the likes of Ed Henson and some of the other old timers.  The stories of marauding mules and exploding Denlow out-houses are the foundation on which much of the current humor of the area is based.  At any given moment all year Champions can be found laughing until the tears roll for some silly reason.  In these parts jesters commonly send others on ‘fool’s errands’ (looking for things that don’t exit) such as the mushroom hunt, and trying to get people to believe in ridiculous things like the word ‘potentiometer.’

        Long time Champion, Mrs. Esther Wrinkles, says that last Monday morning’s freezing temperatures constituted the ‘Easter Squall,” and that most generally there is a real cold snap around Easter.  She also remarked about the thunder in February and the resultant probability of frost in May.  She has been a little under the weather herself for the past couple of weeks and all of Champion hopes she gets to feeling much better soon.  Last year the first humming birds of the season were seen on Easter.  The earliness of the holiday this year may make the little birds seem behind schedule.  Martins are already populating some houses in the neighborhood and the jonquils and forsythia would make a foreign visitor think that Champion’s favorite color is yellow!  The favorite color here is green accented with the flower of the hour!

        Champion is part of the top 28% of the United States of America in awareness.  It was an interesting bit of information to learn that the majority of the Nation (72%!) is unaware of the fact that over four thousand US. Service Members have died in Iraq in the past five years.  Almost thirty thousand Americans are reported to have been wounded there.  Of course, the true number of wounded will probably never be known.  The number of Iraqi people estimated to have died in the past five years is in the hundreds of thousands…in the neighborhood of six hundred thousand people.  The number of wounded in that land is inestimable.  Love and Gratitude are the two words.

        Champions most often apply to the U.S. Service people who do what is asked of them by their Nation.  The great majority of the casualties come from small towns and rural areas in America, according to national news sources.  They are Champions.

        People with dirty hands are growing food already.  Little spinach and lettuce plants and radishes are popping up all over the place.  Peas will be out of the ground soon and certain persons are busy hunting mushrooms….and Finding them!  Linda’s almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood says that the 1st through the 3rd would be good days to harvest crops, but not good days to plant them.  The 4^th will be a very good day to plant any root crops that can be planted this time of the year and the 5^th will be good for any crops bearing yield above ground.  Both of those days will be good for planting vine crops and setting strawberry plants.  It’s nice to have Champion friends who know what they are talking about.  Linda hosted a bridge game over west of Spotted Hog on Saturday night.  The group joined with all the great cities in turning off the lights at 8 o’clock until 9 to help spotlight the need to save energy Worldwide.  Bridge by candlelight is still a wildly exciting game though that would not be apparent to any nonparticipating observer.  The players sit stock still, poker faced and, for the most part, silent while everyone plays except the dummy.  The game broke up at midnight and the friends inched their way homeward through the perilous dense fog not wondering for a moment why they play.  On this occasion the winner walked off with $.60 and the looser won $.50.  What a deal!

        Dakota and Dillon Watts from Tennessee were over helping their grandparents on the dairy farm for a few days.  Their little cousins, Foster and Alyssa, are just wild about them.  Everybody has a good time when they are around.

        An e-mail has arrived from the Daughter of Grace in response to the proposed community mass dog killing.  Her resident Curmudgeon proposes a DogGone business which carries the motto ‘Have Gun~Will Travel’ and a stipulation for a discount to customers who provide their own disposal.  He is, of course, not serious but at least he is willing to put some thought to a serious problem.  Meanwhile, Mrs. Graham reports that the beautiful little hound dog has found a good home.  No sooner was she gone than another dog arrived.  This one Mrs. Graham is calling ‘Little Joe.’  He looks like a pure breed German Shepherd and is a puppy who has tripled his weight in the short time he has been at her house.  He has a beautiful black saddle and a tawny mussel—“He’s a gorgeous dog,” she says and she thinks that he will be big—“over seventy-five pounds,” she estimates, when he’s grown.  He will sit for her already, “doesn’t stay long yet,” but is an intelligent dog with a great appetite.  Anyone interested in adopting such a lovely pet can inquire for Mrs. Graham at Henson’s Store in Champion.

        The lilac bushes are budding out.  Uncle Al, the Lonesome Plowboy, would have thought to sing, “Where the mockingbird is singing in the lilac bush.”  It was a source of some embarrassment to his now senior-citizen daughter that everything reminded him of a song which he would sing with the slightest provocation.  Now she finds herself in the habit of annoying people in that same way. “It’s spring time in the mountains and I’m full of Mountain Dew!”  Things change and sometimes they change in sweet and sentimental ways.  Some others are harder to take and it is suggested that anyone who has not been by the old Ruth and Orville Hicks place for a while should be prepared for a rude and disheartening shock.  Against the advice of wiser Champions, some are despondent over the ruin.  With no recourse, Champions are urged to let go of those hopeless feelings, of anger and despair and to focus on the persistent beauty that exists all around.  Bluebirds are home again.

        Persistent things, April Fool pranks, new business ideas, and wildly exciting things of all kinds are welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  E-mail those things or any examples of persistent beauty to Champion News.  Be enchanted by the scenery from the porch at Henson’s Store in Historic Downtown Champion.  It’s a fine place to enjoy whatever comes into view.  Champions are always looking on the bright side!

CHAMPION—March 24, 2008

        Champion is delighted with the report of the birthday festivities held for Mrs. Minnie Snoddy at the Ava Place on Saturday.  It was her 99^th birthday and there were easily a hundred people there!  Shane and Bonnie Hutchison were there from Davenport with their three children,  Amanda, Nicole and Michael.  Rich and Joyce Turner were there also from Iowa and Louise and Wilburn Hutchison attended from Champion.  It was a beautiful party.  The tasty and gorgeous cake with pink roses was made by a dear friend from Seymour.  There was much singing and laughter.  Celebrating loved ones is a favorite pastime in Champion.

        Long time Champion, Mrs. Esther Wrinkles, says that Monday morning’s freezing temperatures constituted the ‘Easter Squall,” and that most generally there is a real cold snap around Easter.  She also remarked about the thunder in February and the resultant probability of frost in May.  She has been a little under the weather herself for the past couple of weeks and all of Champion hopes she gets to feeling much better soon.  Last year the first humming birds of the season were seen on Easter.  The earliness of the holiday this year may make the little birds seem behind schedule.  Martins are already populating some houses in the neighborhood and the jonquils and forsythia would make a foreign visitor think that Champion’s favorite color is yellow!  The favorite color here is green accented with the flower of the hour!

        Such a spectacle was the Easter Parade of Champions!  Barbara Krider with her enthusiasm and joie de vivre led off the longest and most well attended Easter Parade held in Champion in many years.  Her beautiful granddaughters, Elizabeth and Alexandria Slater, followed along in the processional with their great Aunt Rita Krider and (quite a number of ) others.  Elizabeth’s dress had a black bodice and a bright geometrical print skirt in primary colors.  She wore a beautiful butterfly pen on her left shoulder.  Alexandria chose a spring floral print dress with a turquoise bolero.  Large purple polka dots were the eye catching accent on Chante’s white sleeveless dress.  Alyssa’s frock was beige with a floral trim down the front and around the skirt.  Vivian Floyd said that she has taken many a turn around the Square in Champion over the years.  As she waved and smiled, her great affection for her girlhood home was obvious.  There were no motorized vehicles to distract from the pomp and gracious splendor of the occasion, though the parade route itself was lined with cars from both sides of Clever Creek as well as a number of distant states.  The enchanted onlookers, applauded wildly and called out words of encouragement and support to the gallant marchers.  (“Hey, Lady!  Where’d you get that hat?”)  Barbara threw candy to the crowd, being sure that Harley caught a piece in the scramble.  Rita’s sister, Ruthie, was in the press of observers, but it was not determined if she had caught any candy.  They had traveled down from Illinois together for the occasion and will have much to talk about on their return trip.  General Upshaw was conspicuously absent and the speculation is that he has as yet to recover entirely from the protracted St. Patrick’s Day revelment.  His public persona will probably not surface again until the Civil War Memorial Dedication on Memorial Day week end.  The community should be about ready by then.

        Champion is part of the top 28% of the United States of America in awareness.  It was an interesting bit of information to learn that the majority of the Nation (72%!) is unaware of the fact that over four thousand US. Service Members have died in Iraq in the past five years.  Almost thirty thousand Americans are reported to have been wounded there.  Of course, the true number of wounded will probably never be known.  The number of Iraqi people estimated to have died in the past five years is in the hundreds of thousands…in the neighborhood of six hundred thousand people.  The number of wounded in that land is inestimable.  Love and Gratitude are the two words.

        Champions most often apply to the U.S. Service people who do what is asked of them by their Nation.  The great majority of the casualties come from small towns and rural areas in America, according to national news sources.  They are Champions.

        People with dirty hands are growing food already.  Little spinach and lettuce plants and radishes are popping up all over the place.  Peas will be out of the ground soon and certain persons are busy hunting mushrooms….and Finding them!  Linda’s almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood says that the 28^th and 29^th would be good days to harvest crops, but not good days to plant them.  The 30^th and the 31^st will be very good days to plant any root crops that can be planted this time of the year.  It’s nice to have Champion friends who know what they are talking about.

        Dakota and Dillon Watts from Tennessee are over helping their grandparents on the dairy farm for a few more days.  Their little cousins, Foster and Alyssa, are just wild about them.  Everybody has a good time when they are around.

        No one has written or e-mailed with an alternative to the proposed community mass dog killing, but no such event has been scheduled for the foreseeable future.

        The lilac bushes are budding out.  Uncle Al, the Lonesome Plowboy, would have thought to sing, “Where the mockingbird is singing in the lilac bush.”  It was a source of some embarrassment to his now senior-citizen daughter that everything reminded him of a song which he would sing with the slightest provocation.  Now she finds herself in the habit of annoying people in that same way.  Things change and sometimes they change in sweet and sentimental ways.  Some others are harder to take and it is suggested that anyone who has not been by the old Ruth and Orville Hicks place for a while should be prepared for a rude and disheartening shock.  Against the advice of wiser Champions, some are despondent over the ruin.  With no recourse, Champions are urged to let go of those hopeless feelings, of anger and despair and to focus on the persistent beauty that exists all around.  Bluebirds are home again.

        Favorite pastimes, fashion commentary, spectacles of all kinds are welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  E-mail those things and any pictures of the Easter Parade or examples of persistent beauty to Champion News.  “There went Peter Cotton Tale, a hoppin’ down an Ozark trail…hippity hoppity Easter’s gone again….”  It may be that Old Pete paused on the porch at Henson’s Store on the north side of the Square to enjoy the Parade.  It’s a fine place to enjoy whatever comes into view.  Champions are always looking on the bright side!

CHAMPION—March 18, 2008

        Champions all join with the Champion family of Minnie (Reed) Snoddy to congratulate her as she observes her 99^th  birthday on March 19^th.  Her party will be held at the Ava Place on the 22^nd.  Much of her family will be home for the festivities.  Families gather in times of joy and in times of sadness.  The important thing is that they gather and celebrate each other.

        The contrition and overall good behavior shown by Champion St. Patrick’s Day Paraders was just laudable!  Perhaps the tirade of the Champion Parade Committee after the shameful spectacle at the New Year’s Day Parade of Champions (2008) has done some good.  The General has taken it to heart and the business moguls of Champion will be hard put to find a single burst balloon or string of green Mardi Gras beads, sequined shamrock, or Blarney Stone.  Apparently, the stringent tone of the CPC on the matter held sway:  that with the Champion Easter Parade just around the corner no shenanigans would be tolerated by elf, gnome, or fiddler.  With a Barbara back for the occasion, it is clear that the Easter Parade will be the height of the season!  Fashion will rule!

        Spring Break is a big deal in a lot of communities.  South Padre Island off the Gulf Coast of Texas is just overrun with kids from all over the country.  The opportunity to get away from home in an unsupervised atmosphere is just too tantalizing for some to resist.  Their friends are going and they don’t want to be left out.  It is sort of like that in Champion except for the unsupervised part.  Harley and Barbara will be down from Illinois with their beautiful granddaughters, and those Tennessee boys, Dakota and Dillon, will soon be in with their folks.  That rowdy bunch from Marshfield that includes Foster, Kalyssa, Madelyn, and Chante` will be swarming all over Champion together with Eli and Emerson Rose and others.  For the next ten days it will just be bedlam and the old folks at home are so glad.  It is a delight to have such an infusion of youth and vigor in the community, even for a short while.  Champion is a bustling and vital spot on the map on a slow day, but made all the sweeter yet by these dear visitors.

        Old timers around here always tried to get their potatoes planted on St. Patrick’s Day.  This year some old Champions are confused because the almanac says that the 17^th is a ‘barren’ day and the next good time to plant root crops will be the 23^rd of the month.  It would be a matter of more concern if the old fellow had his patch worked up and ready to plant.  It’s lucky for him that the best planting time is a little way off in the distance.  Perhaps he’ll have a good harvest this year.  It has happened to some that all their good planting efforts came to naught with a hard killing freeze six weeks later!  Gardening is a gamble in Champion as elsewhere.  Linda over at the Plant Place in Norwood is busy getting tomatoes started.  She always has some good advice for gardeners to help them have a productive growing season.

        Twenty year old Arkansawyer, Michael R. Sturdivant, died in Iraq on January 22, 2008.  He is one of 3,989 U.S. Service Personnel who have perished there.  They are not “summer soldiers” or “sunshine patriots.”  They deserve the Love and Gratitude of their nation for whom they are doing what is asked of them.

        Over on Jim Bob hill,  the Grahams are having some issues with people dumping dogs.  It’s not like the Champion grandmother wrestling with her hatred of cats, these folks like dogs, but they can’t take care of all the dogs that get dumped on their road.  Mountain Grove’s Animal Control officer, Brad Loveless, says that there is no place in the area to take abandoned dogs.  The nearest Humane Society facility is in Houston, MO.  “Texas County has a good program,” he says.  “They are just getting started, but they are doing a good job.”  He also noted that there is a rescue organization in Douglas county called Bear Creek Rescue, but they just take care of horses.  He said that the woman who runs the operation did help him place some dogs one time, but that is not their focus.  Lorrie in the City Hall of Norwood says that they have a small fenced area for dogs that they pick up in town and they don’t keep them there very long, but she did not know of any place in the area where a person could dispose of a dog.  An official in the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department suggested that the dogs be transported to the Humane Society in Springfield or perhaps try to give the dogs away on the ‘tradio’ programs.  Lisa at the Douglas County Animal Hospital also said the Springfield Humane Society or the one in Branson would be the best bet.  She also had some information about the newly organized Animal Welfare League, Jr.  This group is comprised of teachers and students of Ava Schools who meet regularly and work to help raise money to assist the spay and neuter programs for area animals.  There seems to be no place for these animals.  Everyone agrees that it is a big problem in the area.  The Grahams are tenderhearted people who do not want to see these dogs suffering, but they can’t afford to take care of them.  It is also not feasible to transport these dogs great distances, though people have given them rides out to the country.

        A cranky old Champion says, “Well, we ort to just have a dawg-shoot.  We could organize the thang and advertise it and sell tickets to pay for the ammunition.”  His idea is that someone with a back hoe could dig a hole and the community could just get together and have a mass dog killing.  While the notion is absolutely absurd, it would certainly draw attention to the problem and maybe some philanthropic organization would be so appalled that they would cough up a few dollars to address the issue.  This same crank suggested alternately that a bounty could be paid for stray dogs.  “If these folks could get ten dollars for a dog someplace, they wouldn’t be dumping them out here!”  He fails to say who would pay the bounty or deal with the consequences of the ensuing raft of dog theft.  “Well, is there a law against dumping dogs?” he asks, “Is there one against shooting them?”  Champions don’t have the answer but it is certainly being thought about.  Champions do not advocate random dog killing and imagine that such an event would lead to prosecution, though it seems to be OK to let them starve to death……a conundrum.

        “The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size,” writes a distant Champion friend.  She is so right.  The daffodils and crocus and emerging tulips are lifting spirits!  People are out getting their hands dirty and enjoying watching the greens become deeper in color as Spring officially begins on March 20^th!  Lilacs are swelling as are hearts with the hope that the long winter will soon be over and old creaking bones can be warmed in the sunshine.

        Blarney, conundrums and absurd notions, things that lift the spirit and swell hearts are welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  E-mail parade pictures or commentary to Champion News.  Stop in at Henson’s Store in the Village any time.  It is on the North side of the Square and is stocked with an eclectic assortment of the finest merchandise.  Additionally, the proprietor will share the phone number of Mary Graham who has a very nice little hound dog to give away to a good home.  In Champion everyone looks on the bright side!

CHAMPION—March 17, 2008

        The contrition and overall good behavior shown by Champion St. Patrick’s Day Paraders was just laudable!  Perhaps the tirade of the Champion Parade Committee after the shameful spectacle at the New Year’s Day Parade of Champions (2008) has done some good.  The General has taken it to heart and the business moguls of Champion were hard put to find a single burst balloon or string of green Mardi Gras beads, sequined shamrock, or Blarney Stone.  Apparently, the stringent tone of the CPC on the matter held sway.  The real spectacle, however, was the Easter Parade of Champions!  Barbara Krider with her enthusiasm and jois de vive led off the longest  and most well attended Easter Parade held in Champion in many years.  Her beautiful granddaughters, Elizabeth and Alexandria Slater, followed along in the processional with their great Aunt Rita Krider and (quite a number of ) others.  Vivian Floyd said that she has taken many a turn around the Square in Champion over the years.  As she waved and smiled, her great affection for her girlhood home was obvious.  There were no motorized vehicles to distract from the pomp and gracious splendor of the occasion, though the parade route itself was lined with cars from both sides of Clever Creek as well as a number of distant states.  The enchanted onlookers, applauded wildly and called out words of encouragement and support to the gallant marchers.  Barbara threw candy to the crowd, being sure that Harley caught a piece in the scramble.  Rita’s sister, Ruthie, was in the press of observers, but it was not determined if she had caught any candy.  They had traveled down from Illinois together for the occasion and will have much to talk about on their return trip.  General Upshaw was conspicuously absent and the speculation is that he has as yet to recover entirely from the protracted St. Patrick’s Day festivities.  His public persona will probably not surface again until the Civil War Memorial Dedication on Memorial Day week end.  The community should be about ready by then.

        Spring Break is a big deal in a lot of communities.  South Padre Island off the Gulf Coast of Texas is just overrun with kids from all over the country.  The opportunity to get away from home in an unsupervised atmosphere is just too tantalizing for some to resist.  Their friends are going and they don’t want to be left out.  It is sort of like that in Champion except for the unsupervised part.  Harley and Barbara have been down from Illinois with their beautiful granddaughters, and those Tennessee boys, Dakota and Dillon, will be around for a few more days.  That rowdy bunch from Marshfield that includes Foster, Kalyssa, Madelyn, and Chante` have been swarming all over Champion together with Eli and Emerson Rose and others.  For the next week it will just be bedlam and the old folks at home are so glad.  It is a delight to have such an infusion of youth and vigor in the community, even for a short while.  Champion is a bustling and vital spot on the map on a slow day, but made all the sweeter yet by these dear visitors.

        Old timers around here always tried to get their potatoes planted on St. Patrick’s Day.  This year some old Champions were confused because the almanac said that the 17^th was a ‘barren’ day, but starting on the 23rd root crops can be planted up until the 27^th of the month.  The 28^th and 29^th will be barren days, but then the 30^th and 31^st will still be good for root crops again.  It has happened to some Champions that all their good early planting efforts came to naught with a hard killing freeze six weeks later!  Gardening is a gamble in Champion as elsewhere.  Linda over at the Plant Place in Norwood has her monthly almanac pages available at no charge.  She is busy getting tomatoes started.  She always has some good advice for gardeners to help them have a productive growing season.

        Twenty year old Arkansawyer, Michael R. Sturdivant, died in Iraq on January 22, 2008.  He is one of 3,989 U.S. Service Personnel who have perished there.  They are not “summer soldiers” or “sunshine patriots.”  They deserve the Love and Gratitude of their nation for whom they are doing what is asked of them.

        Over on Jim Bob hill, the Grahams are having some issues with people dumping dogs.  It’s not like the Champion grandmother wrestling with her hatred of cats, these folks like dogs, but they can’t take care of all the dogs that get dumped on their road.  Mountain Grove’s Animal Control officer, Brad Loveless, says that there is no place in the area to take abandoned dogs.  The nearest Humane Society facility is in Houston, MO.  “Texas County has a good program,” he says.  “They are just getting started, but they are doing a good job.”  He also noted that there is a rescue organization in Douglas county called Bear Creek Rescue, but they just take care of horses.  He said that the woman who runs the operation did help him place some dogs one time, but that is not their focus.  Lorrie in the City Hall of Norwood says that they have a small fenced area for dogs that they pick up in town and they don’t keep them there very long, but she did not know of any place in the area where a person could dispose of a dog.  An official in the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department suggested that the dogs be transported to the Humane Society in Springfield or perhaps try to give the dogs away on the ‘tradio’ programs.  Lisa at the Douglas County Animal Hospital also said the Springfield Humane Society or the one in Branson would be the best bet.  She also had some information about the newly organized Animal Welfare League, Jr.  This group is comprised of teachers and students of Ava Schools who meet regularly and work to help raise money to assist the spay and neuter programs for area animals.  There seems to be no place for these animals.  Everyone agrees that it is a big problem in the area.  The Grahams are tenderhearted people who do not want to see these dogs suffering, but they can’t afford to take care of them.  It is also not feasible to transport these dogs great distances, though people have given them rides out to the country.

        A cranky old Champion says, “Well, we ort to just have a dawg-shoot.  We could organize the thang and advertise it and sell tickets to pay for the ammunition.”  His idea is that someone with a back hoe could dig a hole and the community could just get together and have a mass dog killing.  While the notion is absolutely absurd, it would certainly draw attention to the problem and maybe some philanthropic organization would be so appalled that they would cough up a few dollars to address the issue.  This same crank suggested alternately that a bounty could be paid for stray dogs.  “If these folks could get ten dollars for a dog someplace, they wouldn’t be dumping them out here!”  He fails to say who would pay the bounty or deal with the consequences of the ensuing raft of dog theft.  “Well, is there a law against dumping dogs?” he asks, “Is there one against shooting them?”  Champions don’t have the answer but it is certainly being thought about.  Champions do not advocate random dog killing and imagine that such an event would lead to prosecution, though it seems to be OK to let them starve to death……a conundrum.

        “The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size,” writes a distant Champion friend.  She is so right.  The daffodils and crocus and emerging tulips are lifting spirits!  People are out getting their hands dirty and enjoying watching the greens become deeper in color as Spring officially began on March 20^th!  Lilacs are swelling as are hearts with the hope that the long winter will soon be over and old creaking bones can be warmed in the sunshine.

        Blarney, conundrums and absurd notions, things that lift the spirit and swell hearts are welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  E-mail parade pictures or commentary to Champion News.  Stop in at Henson’s Store in the Village any time.  It is on the North side of the Square and is stocked with an eclectic assortment of the finest merchandise.  Additionally, the proprietor will share the phone number of Mary Graham who has a very nice little hound dog to give away to a good home.  In Champion everyone looks on the bright side!

CHAMPION—March 9, 2008

        Clever Creek is still running in Champion after the last big rains.  The water is clear and knee deep across the slab over CR 237.  Used to be the water ran there year round, they say.  Things change.  A distant granddaughter hearing last week’s Champion News read aloud called to say, “Please don’t strangle the frogs!” She really likes frogs.  ‘Peepers’ were heard for the first time in Champion on Leap Day this year and that seemed quite fitting.  The grandchild may be the only one around who doesn’t like cats.  “They eat my frogs and my birds,” she says. “I hate cats!”  Her Grandmother tries to counter such strong emotions by saying that birds eat frogs.  (Great blue herons and king fishers are always happy to eat a nice juicy frog.)  And frogs eat birds!  (Over by Vera Cruz last year a resident rescued her baby ducks from a bull frog living in the spring pond.)  Truthfully, the child’s Grandmother has never been a big fan of cats either.  Lately, however, as her neighbors seem to be acquiring more cats she has found a way to make peace with the situation.  “Well,” she said,  “I could use my pellet gun and shoot them when they are messing around in my garden, but then I would just be picking a feud with my neighbors.  That’s not a good idea.  Or I could just kill the cats outright and get rid of them on the sly and my neighbors might not find out.  Or I can just look at the critters in a different way.  Now when I see them strolling through my yard like they own the place, I remember that I haven’t had to set a mouse trap this year, and the rats that have always made such a mess in the wood shed and garage are many fewer these days.”  This Champion reports that while she has never really liked cats, she likes a lot of people who do like them and out of respect for her friends she is trying to alter her attitudes.  She said, “I just got tired of being mad every time I saw one of the blamed things.  It takes a lot of effort to be aggravated about something if you can’t fix it.  Anyway some of them are kind of pretty.”  It’s not like she doesn’t have possums, coons, armadillos and skunks parading through the place at all hours of the day and night anyway.  Champions are a curious lot.

        Granddaughters are just the cat’s meow!  Madelyn Ward was in Champion over the week end.  She is Kaye and Richard Johnston’s granddaughter and she came with her grandparents and her Mom, Phoebe, and Aunt Liz to visit with Krider family sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins.  Madelyn and her friend Shante had a good time playing together, drawing pictures and enjoying a pretty day.  Shante and her mother, Sarah Michaud are frequent and welcome guests in Champion from over in the Marshfield area.

        Bailey Kiera Foulke is a brand new granddaughter!  She was born on March 9^th out in Seattle and is the granddaughter of Champion Friend Judith Parsons.  Judith lives over on the other side of Ava and will be remembered for having won the quilt that Violet Melton made for the Rita Hicks Benefit last year.  She is known by friends for many other things, all interesting and lovely.

        The benefit for Brenda and Kenny Massey was a wonderful affair!  Upwards of two hundred people crowded into the Vanzant Community building on Saturday night.  There was an excellent buffet supper and some fine music to get the evening going.  Then J.W. Collins took over.  Of all the auctioneering!  He sold the same sugar cookies four times!  They were nice looking cookies on a pretty paper plate, covered with colorful, crinkly cellophane and they brought in a lot of money for the good cause.  The house was packed and fairly rocked with good humor as neighbors gathered to help each other.  Somebody called Brenda a “giggle-box.”  She grew up over on 76 highway between Denlow and Vanzant.  She was part of the large Coffman family that still owns her grandparents log cabin.  “She grew up and married this Massey boy, and now a tree has fallen on him,” somebody else said.  This is a part of the world where neighbors talk about each other.  It is also a giving and benevolent part of the country.  If a person were to go through the Herald for the past year just to see how many benefits have been given by neighbors for each other it might be a surprise.

        More neighbor news has to do with the Denlow School.  The Reunion Planning Meeting was held on Sunday afternoon and the reunion is set for the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.  Everyone will be welcome.  The program will be held at eleven with lunch at noon.  There will be ‘jamming’ in the afternoon at the pavilion.  On Monday of the Memorial Day week end the Civil War Memorial will be dedicated.  There will be more said about that in the future, no doubt.  Present at the meeting were Cletus Upshaw, Robert and Sharon Upshaw, Kaye Johnston, Russell Upshaw, Dean Upshaw, Kenneth Anderson and Lucille Ketchum and Faye Krider.

        Some old Champions have taken a page out of a recent DC Herald and have spent the winter “baking their shins and getting fat on hog and hominy.”  Now they’ve got up to do a little bit about the place and find that they have strained that group of muscles that comprise the ‘yankers.’  Hauling brush and pulling grapevine has fairly done them in  with no more than half a day’s work to show for it.  Spring always catches them by surprise and in poor condition.  They don’t complain overly, just let out a little groan now and again.  “Oh! my blessed yankers!”

        There was a note from a reader who said she liked seeing the quote by Thomas Paine repeated:  “These are the times that try men’s souls.  The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”  Her remark was that everybody used to say “our boys” when talking about our soldiers serving across the world.  She thinks we don’t talk about them enough these days.  Her thought is that there will be many young men and women needing help and support when they get back home.  She says they are all Champions.  One of them was a 20 year old boy from St. Charles, MO.  His last name was Walker and he died this last week in Iraq.

        There are some pretty exciting tales about Homer Akers when he ran the mail route that Cletus later ran for many years.  76 Highway wasn’t paved back then and there are stories about him flying down that hill, throwing on his brakes, and sliding right past the mail boxes.  There is another story about a paratrooper from Denlow by the name of Vernon who got up to Evanston, Illinois on leave from his post in Kentucky.  He and his buddy met some pretty girls there and for some reason decided to give them fictitious names.  So Vernon became Bill and has remained so to his bride of many years.  His family still calls him Vernon and his little sisters were remarking the other day about what a nice brother he was.  One rainy day he worked out in their Mother’s smoke house all day and made them some little toy wooden telephones.  They both say they would just give anything if they still had them.  Later on when he was about grown he’d give his sisters a ride down to the gate on Saturday night and give them a nickel to open it and shut it behind him so he wouldn’t have to get out and get his dress clothes dirty.  Champions sure do reminisce well.

        Just as it was being revealed that the Champion Navy is totally fictitious, the ever nautical Rear Admiral was being called “General” by his sister!  Champions do so like to have accurate information.  He’s getting excited about the St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Champion.  He’s polishing up his four leaf clovers and will want to be Grand Marshall General McUpshaw.  On the 18^th, he’ll most likely sleep in.

        Linda’s almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood says not to bother planting on the 14^th and 15 because those days are ‘barren.’  The next two days will be good ones though for planting above ground crops.  People are getting their hands dirty already!

        Good days of any kind, accurate information, reasons to like cats, and tips for altering attitudes about annoying blamed things are all welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367 Norwood, MO 65717.  Any good neighbor gossip or reminisces or parade pictures  can be e-mailed to Champion News.  Catch up with all the excitement on the square at Henson’s Store where Champions are always looking on the bright side!

CHAMPION—March 4, 2008

        Somebody said that along about August Champions will be mighty glad to have one of these big frog strangling rains.  Things seem to dry up so quickly and every year seems to be different.  Daffodils and hyacinths are beginning to come up and things are greening up as fast as the snow melts.  Ms. Ethel McCallie from over in Nowata, OK writes, “My goodness! but hasn’t this been an cold miserable winter here in Oklahoma!  The trees are so broken, split and on the ground, it looks terrible, like a giant tornado had gone through.  The men are still cleaning them up, and talk like they’re running out of a place to put them.  I see they’re grinding lots of it into mulch which is good for the ground and plants, so it should be cheap and plentiful this spring in the nurseries.  I notice in the Ava paper they’d had a lot of ice and snow there too.  Maybe spring will start springing soon.  Everyone here is hoping so.”  Champions are optimistic for the same thing!

        Ms. McCallie writes and interesting and informative letter mentioning transplanted Champions Eva (Henson) Phillips now in Midway City, OK, and Vernon and Vivian Lakey, cousins of Champion Esther Wrinkles.  Vernon and his wife, Betty, live over near Bartlesville, OK and Vivian and her husband, Frank Smith, live in Elderado, AR.  “They’re all just top grade folks,” says Ms. McCallie.  She also says that she and her cousin, Darrell Haden, share an interest in family history and have some frequent and extensive phone conversations.  The lyrics to his song “All the Late News From the Courthouse” came to the Champion mail box this week and make some very interesting reading.  A resident Champion has said that those events might still be too fresh in local memories to bring it all up again.  It is being taken under advisement.

        Over in Champion there were some folks glad to know more bad weather was headed their way early in the week.  Certainly it works a hardship on some folks to have to be out in the snow and mud to get their chores done, but others used it as an opportunity to rest up from all the activities associated with the Skyline VFD chili supper.  Some ladies spent most of Monday (usually considered ‘wash day’) sitting around with their feet up.  There were lots of phone calls back and forth among them and the event was generally considered to have been a great success.  “The Bachelor Meets The Old Maid” quilt was won by Darlene Brown of Mountain Grove.  Darlene’s husband, Robert, was raised just east of Fox Creek from Champion, easily within hollering distance.  They have lived in Mountain Grove for a long time, but they keep their ties close with Champion and Skyline.  They have probably been to every picnic and chili supper and other fund raiser that the Skyline Fire Department has ever had.  The Mossberg Shotgun was won by Bernard Paul who lives a little west of Skyline.  His brother, Bob and his sister-in-law, Mary, have just moved to this area from Oregon.  They both work over at Rockbridge and Mary is quite a fabulous baker.  In addition to a cake decorated in a chocolate fire department motif, she contributed a triple decker chocolate snicker cake to the silent auction.  It brought a tidy sum and the Auxiliary is delighted to have a new member.

        Kalyssa Wiseman was in the neighborhood over the week end.  She had a good time at her first chili supper and the next day spent a good amount of time singing.  She has a lovely voice and it is obvious that she shares her brother Foster’s love of music and his talent.  She is a very good natured person, she takes after her beautiful grandmother in more that looks.  Grandparents are some of the luckiest people in Champion.

        Linda’s almanac from over at the Plant Place says that March 12,13, 16, 17 and 18 will be good days for planting above ground crops and the next good days for root crops start on the 23^rd of the month.  It might be too cold, but some Champions are just itching to get their hands dirty.  If it thunders in February, it will frost in May according to some old wives tales and some of those old wives live in Champion.  Still gardeners are anxious to get started!

        There are currently about 800 Missouri National Guard soldiers serving in Iraq.  It is cold and dangerous there and they are doing what their Country asks of them.  In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote:  “These are the times that try men’s souls.  The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

        “Keep on the Sunny Side,”  “Keep a Little Song Handy,”  “On the Sunny Side of the Mountain,”  “Sing and Be Happy”—these are a few of the uplifting, spirit raising songs that are often heard in Champion.  There is some sweetness about a sad old song sometimes, but these days some Champions are hungry for the Brighter Side.  Other Champions are just hungry for other people’s cooking.  A Champion was remarking about the upcoming change to Daylight Savings Time saying that he doesn’t understand how getting up earlier and turning on the lights saves energy.  Some people are happy about the change.

        Examples of reasons to be happy are welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  Easy receipts for Happiness or uplifting songs can be e-mailed to Champion News or sung right out loud on the porch at Henson’s Store on the North Side of the Square where Champions are always Looking on the Bright Side!

CHAMPION—February 25, 2008

        In Champion if the Bachelor Meets the Old Maid he better hope he meets her at the Ladies’ Auxiliary Chili Supper in Skyline on Saturday, because Friday is February 29^th.  That’s Leap Day!  It falls on Friday only once in 28 years—once in a generation.  Regardless of the day of the week it is Sadie Hawkins Day!  Back in the fifth century when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick that the ladies grew weary of waiting for the men to propose, St. Patrick allowed that the yearning females could themselves propose on Leap Day once every four years.  As late as 1258, if the man declined the proposal he could be fined a kiss, a silk dress, a pair of gloves, or who knows what?  More recently and closer to home Al Capp reprised the practice in the Lil’ Abner cartoon.  If Daisy Mae could have imposed a fine on Abner, what would it have been?  How did that work out anyway?  Did they ever get hitched?

        There is a long and complicated history concerning Leap Year.  Ancient calendars from all over the world deal with it in a variety of ways.  Some of the famous people born on Leap Day are Gioacchino Rossini was born in 1792.  He wrote the William Tell Overture—(The Lone Ranger), and The Barber of Seville—(Bugs Bunny).  Legendary saxophonist, conductor, songwriter, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy’s Brother, was born in 1904 and Dina Shore in 1916.  There might be worse things than having a birthday only every 4 years!

        The Missouri Conservationist Magazine calls this year the Year of the Frog.  In an informative article called ‘Taking Action,’ Arleasha Mays provides a lot of information about a variety of frog species that are in jeopardy due to environmental contaminants, disease and habitat destruction.  This is a beautiful magazine, free to any Missouri resident.  Drop a post card to Circulation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102.

        Irene’s nice nephew, Larry, has loaned her a golf club to use as a cane until she is mended from her icy fall.  She was at her own mail box on that slick day and turned to dodge a fast kid on a sled.  Irene will be off the mail route for a few weeks while she heals up, but she is OK and Champions are all glad about that.

        Is the new worn off a beautiful new car once it has been used to haul cattle feed?  It has the On-Star and the super-radio and the leather, heated seats and who knows what all, and it has now hauled cattle feed.  What a deal!  Louise!  She is making her famous coconut desert that is so delicious for the Skyline Chili Supper Saturday.

        Someone wrote to say that on the YouTube there is a 1 minute 40 second video of the Coyote actually catching the Roadrunner!  It is called an historic moment and the title of the cartoon is “Coyote Road.”  Antiquated equipment rendered the cartoon unavailable to be reviewed but there were 447 comments posted about it.  They covered the wide range of emotions expected including “Now what?”

        Champions just don’t complain about the weather.  It is not a rule.  It is just the way Champions deal with things over which they have no control.  Nevertheless, it is certainly a subject of much conversation and wonderful stories of neighborliness.  Old Champion and good neighbor Tom Alsup many times pulled Mrs. Powell out of mud holes and cut downed trees out of the road.  Stories of deep creeks and deep mud holes, deep snow and thick ice abound.  Irene’s sister over in Vanzant has the good fortune to be neighbors with R.A. Robert Upshaw.  Regardless of the stories that have circulated about him, even if some of them are true, he is a good neighbor who keeps the walkway and steps clear of ice and snow for his good neighbor.  An old Champion friend from up in Mtn. Grove, Catherine Coffman, said that use to be snow would land in November and be on the ground until near Easter!  It may not be that way these days, but last year there was winter then spring then winter again after everything had budded out.  All the peaches, apples and blueberries that Champions have enjoyed since then have been imported.  The buzzards and robins are back in profusion and waves of geese have been spotted headed North already, so Spring can hardly be far behind.  Seed catalogues are choking mail boxes and early birds are jumping guns to get their hands dirty.  Good neighbor Linda over at the Plant Place in Norwood is getting everything ready so the impatient gardeners will have what they need.  She has a good bridge lesson this week on the two club response to a bid of one no-trump.  She also has a Birthday coming up next week!

        In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote:  “These are the times that try men’s souls.  The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”  It is muddy and brutally cold this time of the year in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Two hundred thirty two years later US Service Personnel are not shrinking, but are doing what is asked of them….there are a lot of Champions over there.

        There will be a lot of Champions and good neighbors getting together at Skyline on Saturday.  The weather promises to be wonderful.  The food and entertainment are always splendid at the Ladies’ Auxiliary Chili Suppers.  Chances to break out of the cold and into the fold of friends and good fun is timely!  It is always an excellent time to support the great work of the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department.

        Timely things and good neighbor reports are welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  E-mail answers to the question, “Now what?” or any of those interesting if unsubstantiated rumors about Admiral Upshaw to Champion News.  Leap up on the porch at Henson’s Store in downtown Champion on Sadie Hawkins day to pop a question or to get popped by one.  Fines will be assessed by resident  Champions who are always Looking on the Bright Side!