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CHAMPION— December 25, 2006

        Having Christmas occur on Monday sets the tone for a lovely week in Champion.  Oh, the weather may be cold and damp and dreary, but the mood is festive and optimistic.  Holidays often bring somber moments fraught with memories of the past and of missing loved ones.  Those are what make the present such a precious commodity as we go on about the business of making new memories.

        For some children and some older people too Christmas is the ‘main day’ of the year.  It is the day that people imagine all year long as being the best day, the day when they will be happy, or get what they want.  When it is over and it is December 26^th again, the whole thing starts all over. The daydreaming about how things will be in the future, and the building of expectations begins again.  Sometimes comparing real events as they happen with those expectations is a receipt for disappointment.  Older folks see the years flying by quickly, but to young ones the space between Christmases can be an unimaginably long time. Living in the present is a real challenge no matter what the age.

        There was a request for the rest of that song, “Y’all Come.”  The missing verse is the first one:  “When you’re livin’ in the country everybody is yer neighbor.  On that one thing you can rely.  They will all come to see you and they’ll never ever leave you saying ‘Y’all come to see us by and by.’”  Then it goes on to the chorus and the verse about the kinfolks coming by the dozens, and then to the one where Grandma’s wishing they would all come to the kitchen.  It’s one of those songs that is a lot of fun to sing in a big crowd of people who all know it and want to sing along.  Maybe someone will organize a Champion ‘Sing’ one of these days and pull out all those old fashioned tunes and get everyone to crooning.  Somebody probably knows all of “Is That You, Myrtle?” and “The Old Knot Hole.”

        Seed catalogs are starting to show up in the mail already.  Gardening work is at a minimum during this cold weather, so there is time to review successes and failures to start planning now for next year’s garden.  Newly planted trees should be secured with guy wires according to some and some pruning can be done as weather permits, but not of spring flowering shrubs.  This is a good time to put out bird feeders.  The robins have been busy this week up on Clever Creek.  There have been some very exciting eagle sightings in the area lately and some rumors of wild coyote hunts.

        Judy Boykin was back to work by the middle of the week.  Rolling around in her wheelchair with her hand bandaged, she is keeping Glen’s Propane running smoothly.  She is an inspiration to anybody who thinks things can get a little rough sometimes.

        Charlene Dupre is finally home again at The Plant Place and The Gift Corner.  She has spent the last few months out in Virginia taking care of her sweet granddaughter, Olivia, while her mother was out on sea duty with the Navy.  Norwood is glad to have Charlene back, certainly her sister Linda Hetherington is.  It’s a gift to the local communities all around to have creative enterprising people and some solid family owned businesses in operation.

        Old Grandfather Weltanschauung and Crazy Sue spent the day around their own little hearth on Monday. Nobody’s feeling sorry for them though, because they so regularly visit with their children and grandchildren.  Not a week goes by without some trips back and forth.

        Ms. Wrinkles was scheduled to have her two sons and their families home on Monday.  The Kriders have some visiting currently and more on the way.  This will be a beautiful week for them. The Hamilton’s over passed Brushy Knob have had their three children and two grandchildren visiting.  Ms. Powell’s grandsons Brian and Derek spent part of Sunday with her.  Champion has been a regular hot bed of family fun.  Everyone is full of Love and Gratitude for the chance to enjoy each others company.

        Two cannibals were eating a clown and one asked the other, “Does this taste funny to you?”  That did not happen in Champion.  So long as Harley Krider is visiting, he could spend a few minutes telling some stories or histories or yarns and it wouldn’t hurt him one bit.  He probably knows few things on a Champion resident here or there, past or present.  If Cletus Upshaw (or any one of the other Upshaws, for that matter) could be convinced to open up, the Herald would be having to add pages just to get it all in.  There is a lot of highly interesting information out there regarding the Champion community of today and long ago.  Anyone is welcome to share some at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717, at the Champion Store (There is a notebook there.  Just write it down.) or e-mail to Champion News.

        The New Year will start on a Monday too.  When asked about New Years resolutions, a wonderful man, good friend and great musician, Buff Manion, once said, “I’m just going to try to be a little nicer to people.”  So far 2978 U.S. Service People have lost their lives since the war began in Iraq in March of 2003.  There is always hope for a better year ahead, one full of Love and Gratitude.  Happy New Year, Champion!