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CHAMPION—November 18, 2013

        The full moon in November is one of the sights that make the Ozarks in general, and Champion in particular, one of the loveliest places available to visit by land or sea.  The moon comes up over a hill through the forest fringe of leafless trees while on the other side of the valley Venus gleams brilliantly.  Hunters are hunkered down around camp fires, their Coleman lantern shining like beacons through the brush.  Some of them will wake up stiff and sore in the morning and be glad to head down to the Historic Emporium for some coffee and a good warm up around the stove.  They are some of Champion’s favorite visitors, wearing orange and driving slowly.  They infuse the area with their currency and soak up some of the beauty of a placid rural reality.  Then they drive off with the deer that would be eating the spring planting.  Good luck!

        Foster had some good luck and shot his first deer on Saturday—a nice size doe.  Among those who congratulated him online were Lucy Foster Miller, Dailey Upshaw, Sheila Marso Crewse, Beka Morrison, Bernice Wiseman, Kaye Johnson, Marlene Frazo, Anna Johnson, Wilma Ash, Ron Wiseman, Wilma Darlington, Gordon Watts (who said ‘Tell him I read about it in the paper all the way in Tennessee.”), Christy Berry, Jill Mallory Cline, Teahna Oglesby, and Larry A. Powell II.  Of course there were numerous actual handshakes and pats on the back in Champion.  His Mother said she was proud of him, but it makes her a little sad to see how fast he is growing up.  His cousin, Drayson Cline, is soon to be three months old and Champions can easily remember when Foster was just that size.  Time is fleet.

        Neighbors over in Illinois had some hard luck as tornadoes tore through the Midwest on Sunday.  On Monday morning the news reported six fatalities in the area and a great number of injuries, plus the loss of many homes and businesses.  Their Champion family and friends were glad to hear that Harley and Barbara Krider and their family were all safe there in Peoria.  Hopefully, they will still be able to make the trip down to spend some time in their Champion home for Thanksgiving.  They will have stories to tell and, like everyone here, plenty of reason to be grateful.

        This week’s birthday celebrations start out with Elva Ragland’s on the 19^th.  She is a live wire.  She grew up around here, went to school in Champion married a rail road man and moved off to California for a long time.  She has been home for a number of years now and her Champion friends are glad.  The 20^th was the birthday of David Lynn Hicks.  He was born in 1956 and just passed away on November 10^th this year.  He was a musician with the sweet kind of music making smile that so many of those people carry with them.  The 23^rd is shared between Leland Trujillo, a kindergarten student in Skyline, and a happy Grandmother in Champion South.  Her grandchildren are Seamus, Elizabeth, Zachary and Ethan.  The woman sets the standard for how grandmothers are supposed to be.  Waylin Moon is in the seventh grade at Skyline.  His birthday is the 24^th.  Levi Hicks, fourth grader, celebrates on the 25^th.  Faith Crawford, in the first grade, and teacher Lannie Hinote both enjoy the day before Thanksgiving as their birthday this year.  It is the 26^th.  Sometimes the whole Nation celebrates with them when their birthday is on Thursday.  Uncle Al the Lonesome Plowboy sometimes had pumpkin pie instead of cake.  His was the 27^th.  Ally Smith, second grade and Billy Strong in pre-kindergarten have the 29^th.  Kindergarten student Lane Watkins and third grader, John Rhodes both have the 30^th as their special personal day.  Let the joyful acknowledgments of having been being born commence!

        The famous American historian Professor Joyce Appleby said that America had four times more newspapers in the early 1900’s than any other nation.  She indicates that Americans are curious and interested in being well informed.  The internet and World Wide Web have changed the dynamic of information gathering and dissemination.  Whatever a person’s bias or inclinations are, he or she can find material on the internet to support it and back it up, truth, not necessarily withstanding.  It is easy to see how misinformation can slip-slide slimily off the internet and right into the printed word which some are happy to wad up and stick in the wood stove to get the kindling going.  Some people still rely on the daily or weekly press for a guideline concerning what is important.  “If you can speak about what you care about to a person you disagree with without denigrating or insulting them, then you may actually be heard and you might even change their mind.”  That is a quote off the internet said by some anonymous person.  The futility and despair that many seem to be feeling is causing them to be unable to distinguish between appearance and reality.  Certainly civility is being lost.  Steven Wright said to borrow money from pessimists, because they do not expect it back.  “If you want the rainbow, you got to put up with the rain,” he said.  Also, “To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.”  Champions get their news from many sources.  Some of those sources come bow-legging into the store and stand around the stove to share their outpourings of knowledge.  Others sit at the liar’s table which is round and has no corner into which one might get backed.  “What’s new?”

        Linda’s Almanac from over at The Plant Place in Norwood says that the 21^st and 22^nd will be good days to apply organic fertilizer.  The 23^rd through the 27^th will be good for destroying weeds.  It is nice to have a guide, but gardeners mostly just do what comes next when they can get around to it.  The Almanac has moved on the website at www.championnews.us to the very top of the page on the right hand side.  It is handy and helpful.  Find a copy of it on the bulletin board in Henson’s Downtown G & G on the North Side of the Square.  Drop a note to Champion Items, Rt. 72 Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 or to champion @ championnews.us with your research into truth, organic fertilizer, or why musicians are often such pleasant people.  “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings…”  That will be easy to do in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!