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CHAMPION—September 28, 2009

        Champion is the kind of place that sets the standard for the rest of the country.  The seasons tend to change conspicuously on the designated calendar date and this year is no exception.  Nature lovers and gardeners have patiently endured the change as a spectacularly mild and lovely summer has given way to glorious autumnal weather.  Being not a slothful lot and advantaging themselves of perseverance, Champions are yet bringing in sheaves.  Harvest baskets overflow and the bounty of corn, goose beans, grapes and peppers changes hands.  Sweet potatoes will be out of the ground soon and frost will be on Champion pumpkins.  The first whiff of wood smoke will soon be spiraling out of Champion chimneys.

        Ms. Eva Powell happened to be over in Fair Grove last weekend and said that she had seen Champion’s favorite trinket maker there.  Really, they were only called ‘trinkets’ because his neighbor, Louise, said that he calls them that.  Ms Powell said he had all kinds of beautiful hand made wooden items like lazy Susans and she just couldn’t remember what all, except the things were made of oak and walnut and cedar and all polished and pretty.  Champions will find him down at the Pioneer Descendant’s Gathering on the weekend spinning potatoes and feeding the masses.  He is a busy fellow, what one might call ‘diversified.’

        Betty and Dale Thomas were out at the Champion Reunion on the Labor Day week-end.  Betty said that this year they have built a big pavilion down on their place at Yates where they have the Pioneer Descendant’s Gathering.  She said the pavilion will hold three hundred people and that it is in front of the stage so that folks can sit closer to the music in the shade.  They will still have to bring their lawn chairs, but that it should be more comfortable this year.  Friends who seldom see each other will be having sweet reunions and enjoying the various demonstrations and that sense of community that is fostered at this wonderful annual event.  It looks like Harley and Barbara will miss it this year, as they will come straggling into town the following week.  Champions will be mighty glad to see them whenever they come.

        Norwood’s Farmers Day was a good success this year.  The parade stretched out for blocks and blocks and the street was lined with people vying for a view.  The town was packed with people and reports were that a lot of good fun was had.  Linda’s Almanac from over at The Plant Place says that October’s is the Hunter’s Moon and that above ground crops can be planted on the second and the third and root crops on the sixth and seventh.  The 6^th and 7^th and 10-12 will all be good days to prune to encourage growth.  The 13 and 14^th will be excellent days to harvest crops, so if those sweet potatoes can stay in the ground until then, it is thought that they will keep better through the winter.  Take a good look at Linda’s Almanac in the link section at www.championnews.us.

        The Fortnight Bridge group has had some interesting games lately.  Truthfully, they all are.  The game hosted by the Champion player on the fifth of the month was fraught with unbid slams.  The play was good, but the bidding proved weak in that the contracts were underbid.  Brushy Knob hosted on the 19^th and the Champion player started out well.  The bidding was good, the play was flawless, and then something happened.  Mistaking the thought for the deed, Champion neglected to draw the last trump and from then on floundered, but not enough to win the low money.  Had it not been for a luscious banana cream pie and good friends it could have been disastrous.  Vera Cruz was the winner of that game and Norwood pocketed the nickels.  More exciting bridge news came from the Fourth Thursday Bridge Club that meets in Mansfield monthly.  Not only was this a card game but it was a “card party” for one of the groups founding members, Betty Swain.  She is celebrating her 90^th birthday!  Four tables worth of players surprised her with a basket of beautiful birthday cards and congratulatory remarks to make her smile.  Betty had known there was to be a pizza party to celebrate the new tables the club has purchased, but the card party was one of the best birthday surprises she has ever had.  She said that she learned to play bridge in Duarte, California in about 1957.  She had a five-year-old child and one 8 years old when she was diagnosed with tuberculosis and San Joaquin Valley Fever.  She spent 8 months in the City of Hope in Duarte getting well enough to have lung surgery.  She said there was nothing to do during that time so she learned to play bridge.  It was the most difficult time in her life but she survived it with her health and with a life long love of bridge.  The Mansfield club has been playing for about ten years now and shows no sign of slowing down, nor does Betty.  She was off to Springfield Monday to enjoy tea with friends and is planning a trip out west to visit her son for ten days.  She will be back in time for the next game.

        Thursday evening found Champions with visiting cousins over at Plumber’s Junction in the exurbs of Champion-East, i.e., Vanzant.  Many of the regular musicians were on hand, entertaining an appreciative crowd.  Regulars include Sue Murphy on the mandolin, Norris Woods on banjo, Jerry (Somebody) Wagner–fiddler-yodeler, Robert Upshaw–guitar, Frank Mings–mandolin, Ruth Collins–guitar, Johnny and Beau Combs–guitars and Joanne Combs–vocals.  Other Thursdays find some of these and other musicians from around the area filling the place with a fine mix of old time country music, bluegrass and fun.  It generally kicks off around 6 or so in the evening and goes on till closing time—about nine or so.  These are a diverse and interesting bunch of folks.  Sue grew up in Thornfield and went to high school in Kingsville for four years with Murphy from Almartha.  He said they went on their senior trip and married that fall.  It is obvious that he is her biggest fan.  Johnny and Beau Combs are cousins and fairly new to the area.  Joanne, Beau’s wife, said that they will be playing October 10^th at a church wide fellowship out on a ranch somewhere in the area.  She said that it will be announced in the paper.  Eddie Berry of Blanche (Junior) was notably absent on Thursday, but the General was there signing autographs.  Someone else remarked that they do look an awful lot like grown up versions of Lem and Ned.

        Many Viet Nam era veterans had a hard time when they came home from their military service.  The Nation had been in conflict over whether or not the war should have been fought and the returning soldiers felt the strife.  Champions are always mindful of the U.S. Service Personnel who put themselves in harm’s way at the behest of their Nation.  When they come home they need to be met with Love and Gratitude and with support and understanding.  They are Champions.

        If Bill Anderson, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, Dionne Warwick, Brenda Lee and Charlie Daniels, Firewater, The Seekers, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and the Kingston Trio all got together they could sing “This Little Light of Mine I’m gonna let it shine, ev’ry day…On Monday, give me the gift of love, on Tuesday peace came from above..”  It seems that there are a number of different versions but they are all similarly motivated.  Motivate over to Henson’s Store on the North Side of the Square in beautiful Downtown Champion.  Look up and down the broad expanse of Lonnie Krider Memorial Drive and let your little light shine.  You’ll be in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side.