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CHAMPION—November 1, 2010

          In Champion the Bright Side has been so interesting and Champions have been so busy keeping their eye on it that five/sixths of the year have slipped by and already it is November.  Bird feeders are going up in hopes that the cardinals and gold finches will find them and the blue jays, woodpeckers, and squirrels will not.  Champions choose their favorite birds and feed accordingly.  Cardinals are the particular favorites of some who happened to notice them tenderly plucking the green tomato hornworms out of the tomato patch during the summer.  The seasons have slipped by and another group of birthdays are ready to be celebrated.  Miss Emerson Rose Ogelesby will be celebrating on the fifth and Richard’s little brother will be asking that “Will you still need me?” question on the 8^th.  The answer will be, “Yep!” to a charming fellow born in the Chinese year of the dog.  Champion.

          Champions are kind of wondering what the advertisers will be advertising now that the voting franchise has been exercised.  It was quite a build up.  Now the radio and television advertisers will just have to try to sell products on their own merits, not the shortcomings of other brands.  It should be a nice change with a little less ranting.  Imagine, “Gillette foamy sticks like glue…Burma shave’s the shave for you!”

          The Loafing Shed in Downtown Champion has been getting a lot of action.  On Saturday the Crystal Lake Gang took a rest there at the halfway point of their 43-mile trail ride.  Bud Hutchison, Howard Price, Bob Herd and Mutt Stone, Gene Dunn, and Raymond Johnson just did not get enough saddle time on the Champion to Drury trail ride a couple of weeks ago.   Champions are curious about the conversations way out on the trail.  What they talk about will just be among them, because Champions without horses or riding skills are not likely to be privy to those discourses.  Some Champions do not seem to be interested in learning anything anyway.  When invited into the Shed on the chance of learning something one septuagenarian said to another, “Not likely!” and went on his way.  He probably knows everything he needs to know anyhow.  A recent scholarly study revealed that ultra rich people are only just a little more happy than Amish people and it seems that happy people become happier through kindness.  Another study said that getting older leads to happiness and that happiness has more to do with life experience than with material possessions.  These may not be the subjects under consideration when you visit the Loafing Shed, but there is generally someone there to talk about whatever is on your mind. 

Now the General has been much on the mind of certain Champions lately.  It is November and the Thanksgiving Day Parade is in the planning stage and certain members of the planning committee are want to have the parade secretly again this year so as to avoid even the possibility of the General showing up with that Spotted Hog rabble again.  “The rags and the meat and the hide and the hair” were all a little too much.

Champions met a guy named Bob at a Halloween Party.  He had smoked a ham with apricot wood that was just amazingly good.  His cell phone was full of pictures of his green tomatoes and sweet potatoes.  He is an interesting guy—the youngest of six brothers with two older sisters and two younger ones.  He’s 52 and has a son in the military service that is serving his fifth tour of duty.  He drives one of those forward operating tanks—some of the first things that go into close up combat.  Bob is proud of his son and conceals the concern that he has for his well-being with the assertion that he is very conscious, capable, competent and courageous.  The Love and Gratitude that Champions extend to all those serving in the dangerous parts of the world can be well spent on Bob and all the parents, children, spouses, sweethearts and friends of those are out in harms way at the behest of the Nation. 

Champion neighbors over in Vanzant are experiencing some change.  The Junction Store known as Plumbers Junction has been sold to a guy named Jack from Florida.  This last Friday was reported to be the last of Ms. Pauline’s fish fries…though there might be one more yet.  It was said that they were packed in the place about standing room only.  Thursday’s Jam Session had also been a big deal.  They say that the Jam Session will continue to be a weekly event.  Last week, in addition to the regulars, Back Yard Blue Grass and some special others played.  Esther Wrinkles said that there were sixteen musicians and that it was a lively gathering.  The Orange Blossom Special featured Wayne Anderson’s famous train whistle and then D.J. Shumate made the fiddle whistle till the whole place was rocking.  A preacher’s wife danced with her girlfriend a quick dosie doe and the joint was jumping.  East Enders know how to do it.

Many Champions are working on their garden clean up. They are planting bulbs and applying mulch.  The weather has been good for the outside work and the evenings find the canning, drying and preserving going on for the last of the harvest.  Those folks who planted their spinach and lettuce a while back will just cover it up a little when the weather gets cold and continue to enjoy it and the collard greens.  This is a good time of the year to plant flowering shrubs and perennials of all sorts.  Linda’s mums are really pretty this year and she has good information about what grows best in this part of the country.  Charlene had a beautiful and productive garden there at the Plant Place this year.  They say if you see a pretty garden there is usually someone in it.  Charlene’s hard work paid off for her in a big way.  Thomas Hardy wrote about November’s Flower, the chrysanthemum (mum) “Why should this flower delay so long to show the tremulous plumes?”

Answer that question or ask one at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367 Norwood, MO 65717 or at Champion at getgoin.net.  Get on over to the Temporary Annex of the Historic Emporium to describe how happy you are.  The Annex is on the West Side of the Square next to the Loafing Shed.  From there the re-creation of the Emporium can be clearly viewed.  It is golden.  It is Champion—Looking on the Bright Side.