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CHAMPION – September 30, 2007

        By all accounts the Champions who attended Farmers Day in Norwood were much impressed and pleased by the whole thing.  In the hustle and bustle of the music and the horses, the mechanical mule, pets in costumes, old cars, cute Shriners in cute red cars, and the Clowns, a prominent Champion was separated from her family.  They didn’t meet up just precisely as planned.  Younguns who fancy themselves these days as being somehow the more reliable family members might have jumped to conclusions and put themselves to a lot more trouble than was necessary.  Worry warts can take the fun out of almost anything and even after they’ve got things figured out, sometimes they just can’t let go so they have to talk and talk about how worried they were, and where all they had to drive and to what lengths they had to go and so that’s what the memory winds up being: not that there was a Great Farmers Day, but a day that So and So got ‘lost.’  Why, she wasn’t lost at all!  Somebody just jumped to conclusions and didn’t look around.  She did have a very good time, however, and she also had her heart filled up that her children love her so and are concerned.  A Champion said that the things that make people so special is that they are so strong and so fragile.

        Phoebe Ward was host to family and friends in a celebration of Madelyn Jean Ward’s first birthday on Friday, Sept .28^th.  Madelyn’s birthday is actually October 10^th. and others celebrating on that occasion were those girls Linda Kaye and Karen Fae, whose birthdays are the 4^th of October.  Attending the soirée were Russell and Sue and Dean Upshaw, Robert and Sharon Upshaw, Michael Upshaw and Elva Upshaw.  Debora (Upshaw) Barker and Kyle Barker were also in attendance.  Linda Krider Watts and her sons Dillon and Dakota were there from Tennessee, together with Richard and Kaye (birthday girl) Johnston, as well as Josh Ward’s Grandparents and his brother Charlie.  Kenneth and Juanita Anderson also attended as did Staci Krider and Dustin Cline, Tanna Jo, Foster and Kalyssa Wiseman, and Fae and Lonnie Krider also enjoyed the fun. Family!  It’s a Champion Thing!

        It was a good thing Phoebe had the get-together for the families, because Kaye and Richard are off on their way to the Brixie Reunion this year being held in Lumberton, N.C.  They will have a wonderful time with folks who have frequently come to this part of the world for the Reunion.  While they are there, Richard and Kaye will wander over toward the Atlantic Ocean just to give it a gander.  It’s a beautiful sight, if kind of unsettling.

        The 26^th of September was the Harvest Moon.  “The night was mighty dark, you could hardly see, because the Moon refused to shine.  There’s a couple sittin neath the willow tree for Love they pine.  The little gal’s kind of scared of the dark, so she says, ‘I think I’ll go.’  The boy began to sigh, he looked up in the sky, and told the Moon his little tale of woe.  Oh!  Shine on!  Shine on Harvest Moon up in the sky!  I ain’t had no Lovin’ since January, February, June or July.  Snow Time ain’t no time to stay outdoors and spoon, so Shine On, shine on Harvest Moon, for me and my gal!”

        Linda’s Almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood says that the 3^rd through the 10^th will be excellent days for harvesting.  So any of those Sweet Potatoes, green beans, peppers, tomatoes, squashes, and other things Clever Champions may have growing could be brought in with the expectation that they will store well.  Some are just getting some greens planted and hoping for some mild weather so they will ‘make.’  Some have seen solid black woolly worms and think that’s a bad omen for a hard winter.

        Some think a hard winter would be a good idea.  Champions are resigned to getting what they get.  They do not subscribe to the notion that the possibility of a bad outcome should necessarily stem the tide of Optimism.  Anything could happen!

        A note has come to the Champion News mailbox from Chimaria Escondida of Piedras Negras, MX.  She says, among other things, “It’s good that you people in Champion write to that boy soldier SSGT. Raul Moreno.  How is he?  I hope he is ok.  It is my understanding that you people in the US spend about a Billion Dollars a week on the war in Iraq.  Where do you people get that much money?  How many of your soldiers have died over there now?”  Ms. Escondida goes on with more and more questions.  The Champion response has been:  “Dear Ms. Escondida,  Thanks for your letter.  Perhaps you would like to drop a line to Champion’s soldier at raul.morenojr(at)us.army.mil.  He will appreciate it.  We will too.  We haven’t heard from him in a while.  The other part of your question was put to a knowledgeable Champion who says that the United States government is borrowing those billions of dollars a week from the governments of China, Japan and South Korea.  It will be repaid with interest on the installment plan by US taxpayers over the next one hundred years.  That is to say, Ms. Escondida, if your grandchildren are US Taxpayers, their grandchildren will be the parents of the people who are getting close to paying off the debt.  (Meanwhile it is hoped that they do not need health care, education or infrastructure).”  It is to be noted that this Informed Champion is sort of a cynical grouch.  Champion has All Kinds!  The answer to another of her questions:  As of September 29^th, three thousand eight hundred and three US service personnel have died in the conflict in Iraq.  Ms. Escondida seems sort of fractious, but she has indicated that she joins Champions in sending Love and Gratitude to those serving everywhere.

        “The Headless Cobbler of Smallett Cave” is turning out to be an entertaining read!  This part of the world is rich in history and lore.  It doesn’t have to happen in some exotic far away place to be interesting.  Actually, a Champion reported that whole area over there around Springcreek is kind of ‘spooky!’  It has also been learned that L.L. Broadfoot’s book, “Ozark Pioneer” is about to be republished!  The J.P. Harlan Memorial Museum in West Plains has an extensive collection of the works of this artist/historian, whose goal was to illuminate and emphasize the contributions of the Pioneers of the Ozarks to the overall success of the Nation.  The Pioneer Descendents Gathering down at Yates this week end promises to be an illuminating affair.  Few citizens, even Champions!, could ‘hack it’ if put to the tasks of surviving and thriving in the relative hardship of conditions prevalent in this area just a hundred years ago.  History is thought to be the Key to the Future.  It is a gift to have a chance to look into the past.

        Someone asked about the Tea Party at the Little Green Bean House.  It was reported to have been just delightful.  The sandwiches were very fancy, there were many flowers and green beans growing on the Little Green Bean House and there were many Frogs in attendance.  It turns out that Frogs Eat Flies and that is just the best possible thing for an out-door Tea Party!

        Excellent tea party, birthday party, or other kind of party news is welcome at Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  Rhetorical or any kinds of answerable questions (consider the source) are welcome at Champion News.  Henson’s Store in downtown Champion is a good place to spill beans about anything.  Nothing gets reported from the Store without Authorization!  Rest easy in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!