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CHAMPION—August 29, 2010

           In Champion the dusty dry days, one right after another, were made endurable by the reduced temperature and by the promise of rain.  When it arrived, Champions were ready.  Champions are always delighted to see how quickly things recover and green up again after even a modest shower.  As dust on the back of the truck turned to rivulets of mud, Champions did not complain. 

          An email comes from someone on the General’s staff: “A stray goat has been terrorizing some of the Vanzant residents.  The lady that lives at the intersection of Highways 95 and W was extremely frightened when she came home from church one evening and the goat came running out of her garage.  Evidently, the goat has set up housekeeping there as it has been seen there numerous times.  There is talk by the local vigilante committee that a community cookout is being planned for the near future.”  The note arrives somewhat after a three-freezer ice cream social that made the General’s yard look like a used-car lot.  Esther (Wrinkles) is reported to have counted 48 head of socializers.  The event was held ‘the other night’ and was as spontaneous as it was exclusive.  Of course the very nature of exclusivity is that some are excluded.  The Vigilante Goat Roast will have to include additional goats or a smaller guest list.  Champions do not wait by the mailbox for an engraved invitation.  It is enough to know that their neighbors are having fun. 

          “Jenna Brixey had her 3rd Birthday party on Saturday.  Her guests were dad and mom James and Jana Brixey, Grandpa Dean Brixey and friend Venetta, Grandpa and Grandma Gary and Nyalin Barnes, and aunt and uncle Rick and Jodi Klingensmith and cousins Maddax and Tyler Klingensmith.”  This bit of news comes from an email sent by Nylan Barnes.  Kalyssa Wiseman celebrated her 4^th birthday on Sunday.  She enjoyed the company of aunts and uncles from Tennessee and Seymour as well as her parents, brother Foster and her Champion Grammy.  Intervals between birthdays shorten in direct proportion to the number of birthdays one has had.  This observation by an old Champion is not new.

          Becky Heston writes to inform, “This is a great article, but since you are going to publish it I wanted to edit one item: S: (n) plumb line, perpendicular (a cord from which a metal weight is suspended pointing directly to the earth’s center of gravity; used to determine the vertical from a given point)  I know that you are clever enough to explain away the missing “b” – possibly just as a way to tie in the Granddaughter or just because one can grow and enjoy “plums” in Champion (can one?) and as such, there is no need to add the “b.”  But since “b” is the first initial of the abbreviation of my given name, I am compelled to lobby for its inclusion!  Hope all is well in Champion – and hope we get to personally experience it one of these days.”  It turns out that Ms. Heston was the winning bidder on the Skyline VFD Mascot Monkey of the Month.   Champions will be looking forward to seeing the two of them together in a photo soon together with some good biographical information.  Having recently returned from a sojourn to Italy, it will be interesting to hear how the cuisine compares to the great fare on Fortune Drive.  Most likely she will not get an invitation to the Vigilante Goat Roast either, but her sophisticated palate may well have evolved far past goat n’ groates.  Champion hosts will be on the spot for feeding fancy foodies, but will be glad to give it a whirl!

          August’s Skyline VFD Mascot Monkey of the Month has been on tour with the punk rock band “Fire!” and no word has come concerning its final disposition.  The group is opening for “Pyro-Pyro” at the Lightening Festival in Nebraska on the 31^st, so it should be a cool gig.  “How You Like Me Now?” is the big feature tune for the Monkey.  The September Monkey will show up forthwith at Henson’s Store, currently located in the Temporary Annex on the West side of the Square in Downtown Champion.  Construction there is going ‘swimmingly’ as Monday morning found carpenters dodging drops of much needed moisture.  No complaints could be heard concerning the rain and only compliments concerning the wonderful west wall.  It must have taken several nice trees to make all those beautiful boards.  Champion trees, no doubt! 

          Ms. Ethel Mccallie writes a lovely letter: “I envy you Champions and me over here in Oklahoma!”  She writes that the Haden Family Reunion is always the same day as the Champion School Reunion and this year that will be Saturday, September 4^th.  She says that she will be attending the Haden gathering and hopes that she can get a ride over to Champion during her stay.  She sends fond regards to her contemporary friend, Esther Wrinkles, and hopes that Esther enjoyed her 93^rd birthday as much as she did her own.  Ms. Mccallie is a fan of all the old songs and asks if anyone knows one called “Angels Climbing The Golden Stairs,” which was written about the dream that Joseph had.  Research has been futile so far, but some Champion probably knows it.  The Champion School Reunion will be an event to remember and the spirit of the place will be well represented with nostalgia and optimism.

          Linda’s Almanac for September is up on the www.championnews.us website.  It is to be found in the Champion Connections category.  Saturday and Sunday will both be good days to plant root crops, but Labor Day will not be good for planting.  “Destroy weeds,” the almanac says.  It seems that someone is always suggesting that weeding be done.

           Not everyone has a computer in Champion, but for those who do, a visit to The Washington Post’s Faces of the Fallen is a worthwhile visit.  These are the photos of the U.S. service members who died in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.  It is a sobering experience to see so many young and ‘middle aged’ faces looking back.  They have the Love and Gratitude of the Nation.  Their survivors need that too as do all those living Veterans who have served through the years.   

           Wash the car or just leave the windows rolled down; take a roof off a building; hang some white laundry on the line.  Any of these things can cause a rain cloud to appear.  Champions are ready for more than a drizzle. Glen Yarbrough sang, “Baby, the rain must fall.  Baby, the wind must blow.  Wherever my heart leads me, Baby, I must go.”  Go on down to the Loafing Shed in Downtown Champion and sing your favorite rain song.  Send it in the mail to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 or to Champion at getgoin.net.  A new shipment of Champion Picture Postcards should be on the shelves in the Historic Emporium in time for the Champion School Reunion.  It just costs twenty-eight cents to mail a postcard, but for those out in the dreary parts of the world it is a true treasure to see Champion and a Look on the Bright Side!