Champion News

A brilliant day in Champion!

A Champion Christmas Potluck

Christmas greetings came from Wes and Suzie Freeman, hillbillies at heart, living down in McKinney Texas. In her lovely card she says they are still kicking. Champions, Royce and Jody Henson, celebrated 61 years of marriage on December 13th. They live in Springfield, but have long Champion roots and leanings. Herbie Johnston, whose birthday is the first day of winter, has had a nice thing happen. He fiddles in the Possum Trot Band which has been nominated for Album of the Year with SPBGMA Midwest (Society for the Preservation of Blue Grass Music in America). They will be performing at the awards show and convention January 10-11, 2020, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City.

It was a packed house for the Champion Christmas pot luck luncheon. Butch came in sporting a new hat, something like a business man’s Stetson, but not quite. It needs a feather. Charlie Lambert asked if he could have it, since he had come out without his own chapeau. They did not strike a deal, but it was a pleasant get together nonetheless. The Prominent Champion had to leave before the festivities were under full swing. He said he had women waiting on him. “Hand and foot?” he was asked. He indicated that it was more like women waiting on him to do things. Deward’s granddaughter and her husband are in the perpetual fence repair business (not for hire). They were regaled a few nights earlier by a bellowing, growling bear in their very yard. A noted local woodsman affirmed their suspicions and suggested that the bear was female advertising her presence. Three times she roared, enough to put a chill on a person. Beverly and Alvin Barnhart have bears in their neighborhood too. It is good to see Beverly feeling better. The Partells (too blessed to be stressed) made their long journey back to this favorite place for the day. There was Reba, wearing different colored shoes, though no one noticed. Leslee joined in the music to sing “Star of Bethlehem.” Thanks to a gracious host for providing such a lovely place for a couple dozen Champions to share good food and the pleasure of fellowship. It was a brilliant day in Champion inside and out!

We are fortunate enough to live in a part of the country where wildlife is abundant. Deward’s daughter was a big fan of the bald eagle, which we are seeing in Champion already this year. Deer are still plentiful in the area even though there was a record harvest this firearm season. Alternative deer hunting season is from December 26th to January 7th and archery season goes all the way to January 15th. Alternative methods allow the use of muzzle-loading firearms, center-fire pistols, air-powered guns, bows, cross bows and atlatls. The Elks club in West Plains has, so far, collected more than 1200 deer hides that are used to make professionally crafted gloves for Veterans in wheelchairs. If you skin your deer yourself and want to participate, a local drop off location is Hub Beverage in Mountain Grove at 503 West 3rd Street. It is a worthwhile program. We are increasingly charitable at this time of the year. There are many in need even in this ‘good’ economy, so look around and help where you can. Ho ho ho!

There was a good turnout for the Douglas County Health Department nurse on Friday morning at the Champion Store. Shelby comes once month to check our blood pressure, helping us stay healthy. It is a valuable amenity for the community. As old friends gather after an absence of almost any length, frequently the ‘organ recital’ begins right away. This is particularly true of our aging population. Our serious health concerns wind up being foremost in our thoughts, so they spill out in conversation. Sometimes we get some relief from talking about it and listening to other people’s ills may help us be grateful that our own situation is not so bad. Suffering in silence may be a prescription too hard to fill, so just try to keep your organ recital short. Sympathy and compassion can be expressed in a heartfelt, “There, there,” and the conversation can go on about the weather, politics, or grand exploits of grandchildren.

Icy roads kept our Skyline R2 School closed on Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday was the date set for the annual Christmas program, so it was postponed until Friday. Look for a good report next week as it is sure to be another of Ms. Casper’s triumphs. She does a wonderful job with the student’s art and music classes and the community does a wonderful job supporting our precious little rural school. A winter break for students and teachers gives them a chance to rest up for a new start and a chance for ongoing fun until the bell rings again.

A Champion great niece and recent college graduate will enjoy her birthday on December 27th. She plans to fiddle around Champion again soon. Eli Ogelsby, Champion grandson, has the 30th for his big day. His little sisters will help him party. His great Uncle General waited until the last day of the year to have his birthday—ever the procrastinator. Arvin Schroeder will be one year old on New Year’s Eve. He is a big music lover, seems to favor the guitar. The year ahead will be full of learning and growing for people Arvin’s age and, hopefully, for the rest of us as well. Resolutions for the New Year are for people who wish to improve themselves in some way. Perhaps we can all live a little healthier, be a little more productive, a little more kind, patient and forgiving. We will give it our best effort. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your friends in Champion-Looking on the Bright Side!

If the sun had come out on Monday, it would have had us over-dazzled. Each twig dripped with pearls that would have been short-lived diamonds with just a little sunshine. It is beautiful for folks who can look at it through a window or just step out to take photographs, but our farmers are out there in it, doing what has to be done. Our mail carriers are out there too. Everyone be safe. Chances of a white Christmas in our neighborhood seem pretty slim, with highs mostly in the 40s and 50s and lows in the 20s and 30s forecasted for the rest of the year, but who knows? After a cold, slick start to the week, Champions will be grateful for the warm up and hopeful that all those who are traveling home for the holidays will have safe travels to and fro and happy reunions.

Kennedy Hinote’s birthday was overlooked the last time The Champion News acknowledged birthdays, so we hope you had a happy day, Kennedy. She is a second grade student at Skyline R2 School. Seventh grade student, Destiny Surface, and second grader, Rachael Prock, share the 20th for their special day. That is also a day of significance for charming Mary Goolsby and for Herbie Johnston. Everyone will sing that song to them at the Vanzant Jam on Thursday. Maybe they will play Herbie’s Tune, which has another name and, some say, words. Paige Jonas, in the second grade, will celebrate on the 21st. She is in good company with Chris Dailey and with Lena’s sweetheart. He will fiddle around to make her smile and the Vanzant bunch will sing to him—in G. The 23rd has kindergarten student, Chase Cauthron, sharing a birthday with his Dad and with neighbor, Sharon Sikes, and with Butch Stone. What a bunch! Christmas Eve was the birthday of Sarah Emaline Putnam Hector, who was born in 1885. She was the kind of grandmother every kid would like. So is Granny Grunt (Joann Anderson), and she was born on Christmas Day. Celebrate!

Every day is somebody’s birthday. There were 3,788,235 children born in the U.S. in 2018, the lowest number of births in 32 years. The birth rate has been declining at about 2% per year over the past four years. It makes us wonder what things will be like in a few years with an aging population and fewer young workers to sustain key social systems. Young people are paying attention and want to be optimistic about the future before they plan their families and, for many of them, optimism is a far reach these days. We wish them all good luck. Meanwhile, we have adopted Champion granddaughter, Greta, putting forth effort to make things better. She endures some scorn, but hope is she will continue to inspire her generation. After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean two times, she will be home in Stockholm for Christmas and will take a break to rest from her world traveling activism. Her younger sister, Beata, is 13 and is said to have inherited their Mother’s magnificent singing voice. It will be a beautiful holiday for the Thunberg family all together again. Local families were caught on the internet singing “I’ll have a blue Christmas without you…” The older folks in The General’s big family circle knew the words, but all the young folks had to read them on their phones. It is strange to think that there are grown-ups who are not well acquainted with Elvis. Time must be marching on. We are being able to record memories in ways that were not possible a few years ago, and while that is a blessing, we are somehow more connected and less connected at the same time. Sometimes it is lovely to turn everything off and be still in the moment. Enjoy now.

Cletis Upshaw

Friday Shelby, of the Douglas County Health Department, will be in Champion to take our blood pressure. Shelby is there from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. helping us to stay healthy. There is a lot of hustle and bustle this time of the year, lots of reasons to be grateful and joyful, but the holidays can be hard on people who are missing loved ones far away or missing those who have passed on. Laine Sutherland reports that her Uncle Tom Sutherland passed in his sleep at his home in Branson Friday. He was 88. There will be a Graveside Service for him in Denlow on Thursday, the 19th, at 2PM. She said, “He was a good man.” He will be well remembered and much missed.

Compliments of Butch Stone, Charlie Lambert is sporting a classy chapeau. It is a small straw number with a rolled brim and a jaunty feather. It looks like it has a fascinating history. Asked about Homer Hale and his fiddle in a flour sack, Charlie said he and Homer played many a square dance together and that Homer could play all night and not play the same song twice. Like as not, there are more folks around here who could tell stories about Homer and probably some about Charlie or any number of other interesting characters. We often think of Cletis Upshaw and all the stories he could tell. It was said of him that he ‘knew where the bodies were buried,’ and, by that, he knew all the pertinent history that was to be known in these parts–home. We miss him. Come down to the wide, wild, wooly banks of Auld Fox Creek with your stories and reminiscences. Join in the reverie—Champion! Looking go the Bright Side!

 

A person looking for a unique and useful Christmas gift for a special person might wander into The Champion Store to find a handmade bird feeder. It is made of cedar and hardware cloth with a hasp and harrow closure on its hinged cover. One old Champion has been using one of these feeders since 2013. He says it has held up well, it is easy to fill, and the birds really like it. Well worth $35.00. It was made by Tim Scrivner who lives over at Vera Cruz and who has been a strong supporter of the Skyline School over the years. As a matter of fact, all proceeds from the sale of this feeder will go to the Skyline School! He has also donated a cedar bluebird house. It is pretty enough to use as inside décor, but it will last for years out on a fence post somewhere. Tim asked if we were still collecting Always Save, Best Choice and Box Tops for Education bar codes and coupons. Absolutely! Send them by mail to Skyline School, Rt. 72 Box 486, Norwood, MO 65717, or drop them by during school hours. There is a collection spot for them at the Champion Store as well. You could bring them with you to the Christmas program which will be on a Tuesday this year–Tuesday the 17th. It will be another of Ms. Casper’s great productions and an experience the kids will not forget. Whether or not you have children or grandchildren in school, it is a joy to watch the youngsters perform. Christmas goes all the way back to our own childhoods, quite a way back for some of us. Memories are in the making.

Ava Bears

Riley Bethurem lit up the internet on Saturday night, via her Great Aunt Linda Clark, when she opened the championship day of the Tri-State Basketball Tournament in Willard with a splendid acapella rendition of the National Anthem. She is the great granddaughter of Joann and Wayne Anderson. Music flows through this family. Riley has a beautiful voice. Aunt Linda said, “We’re all so proud of Riley, but I just know how proud Daddy and Brenda would have been of her singing like that. I know Daddy would have told her before she went up to sing…the same thing he would always tell Brenda and me….’You walk up there, lay your ears back and sing!’ It made it sound like he was talking about one of his old hound dogs, but we knew what he meant and was wanting us to do.” As for Grandma Linda, she also has plenty of reasons for pride. Her granddaughter, Maddie is a cheerleader for the Ava Bears. Linda and Gene and Granny Grunt were all up at the Show Me Bowl in Columbia, along with much of Ava, on December 7th, rooting for Maddie and the Bears. Later, Linda posted on her Facebook page, “I can’t say enough about this group of young people. They have played their hearts out all season. They have set such a good example on and off of the field. They have won and then finally lost their last game at State with such integrity.” She included a photo and said, “….they were lined up to receive their Second Place at State award, and the large group of Ava Bears fans applauded them like they had just won the Super Bowl. However, when I was the proudest of our team was when the other team was getting their award for First Place and their small group of fans wasn’t applauding very loud, and our players turned around and tried to stir up more applause for them. They did this after such a lopsided game and being beat by a team with players that were way bigger and had been recruited to their private school from the whole St. Louis area with a population many times over the size of Ava or even our whole county. Our team still respected them and gave them their dues. That, my friends, is class! I am so proud of our Ava Bears!” Well said.

Greta Thunberg

Adopted Champion granddaughter, Greta, is also showing real class. She was part of the 500,000 (half a million!) activists meeting in Madrid on Friday to discuss the condition of our climate. She speaks as well as Riley sings. We are proud.

While a bunch of fans were up in Columbia on December 7th, another bunch was over in Springfield cooking up a surprise 85th birthday party for Jean Farbin. Wander into Jean’s Health Way in downtown Ava to find out if it was really a surprise and find out how much fun was had. Jean has been meeting our health food needs in Ava for a long time. She has fans and knows she is appreciated.

We have a chance on December 7th every year to remember that date in 1941, ‘that will live in infamy,’ and to express appreciation to our World War II Veterans. They have been dubbed ‘The Greatest Generation,’ rightly so. We are losing more of them every day, and a great loss it is. Still, all our Veterans have stepped up to the challenge–putting their Country before themselves. Would that were a concept embraced by all our public servants and elected officials.

There is something about the air quality when it is humid and warm (50’s) in the winter, after all the leaves are down, that makes every distant vista spectacular and every near landscape inviting. The winter colors are subtle like old oil paintings, but vibrant in their depth and breadth. Now that we do not have to take our film to the drug store to get it developed, we can save hundreds, thousands of photos on little SD memory cards. It gives us the freedom to take as many pictures as we like. Of course, sometimes it is good to leave your camera behind and just stand there and see that everything is beautiful in its own way. Come down to the wide, wild, wooly banks of Auld Fox Creek any time for a visual delight. On the last Wednesday before Christmas, the 18th, Champions will gather and welcome visitors to a mid-day Christmas celebration. It will be a potluck with music and the chance to meet old friends and make new ones. Maybe there will be someone who can fill in the blanks about Homer Hale who used to carry his fiddle in a flour sack and could play anything if you could whistle or hum a few bars of it. Friday the 20th will be the day Douglas County Health nurse, Shelby, will be at the store from 8:30 to 10:00 in the morning taking our blood pressure in Champion! Looking on the Bright Side!

 

 

The wind and rain have taken most of the leaves down out of the woods, revealing home places that we may have forgotten were there because of lush spring and summer vegetation.  It turns out that we are more densely populated than we may have thought.  A nighttime ride along a ridge road in Douglas County shows the countryside sparkling with front porch lights in areas that were dark thirty years ago.  Since 1980 the population of the county has increased by about 1700 people, but with that increase we still have 2300 fewer people than were here in 1940.  Back then there were many small subsistence farms and factory jobs in towns.  Times have changed, but the splendor of the countryside is always present.  Winter colors are sensational.  The fog has its brilliance.

Cinco

Cinco is a lovebird who lives down near Vera Cruz.  Her special human celebrates his birthday on December 8th.  The 9th is for Richard Johnston who was born in 1955.  Mrs. Samantha is an aide at our Skyline School.  She and Mrs. Karen, Skyline’s bookkeeper, also enjoy the 9th.  The 10th is for a celebrator of un-birthdays and for two Skyline pre-kindergarten students, Westin Nava and Levi Hall.  The 11th belongs to a Coyote, the gentle trickster, now Kai, up in Portland and to Loretta, one of The General’s lovely daughters.  The 9th, 10th and 11th belong to three prominent lawyers in Ava.  Name them if you can.  Up in Champion North, high on the hill, Xue celebrates her very big coming of age day.  Enjoy the work of Shannon Alexander Photography at www.shannonalexanderphotography.blogspot.com.  You will want him to take your picture.  Shannon shares the 14th with Xue and a couple of extraordinary people who have passed on—Spike Jones and Judy T. Ing.  Amanda Mastin and Jesse Ing share the 16th for their special day.  They are dynamic, good-looking young people who do not know each other, but they have friends in common.  Happy Days!

With Christmas on the near horizon we are again privileged to watch George Bailey, via James Stewart, endure an existential crisis and be restored as he was shown the real impact of his life on his family, his community, on the world.  “It’s A Wonderful Life” was made in 1946, just after the war, where Stewart had flown twenty combat missions as Commanding Officer of the 703d Bomb Squadron.  He had a stellar military career, remaining in the USAF Reserve until he retired as brigadier general in 1968.  Biographers say that he suffered from extreme PTSD and that it evidenced itself in the emotional unraveling of George Bailey.  Perhaps the role gave the actor some cathartic relief.  We found him sympathetic in every part he played always.  He was a good guy.  Lionel Barrymore played some kindly characters over the years, but in this movie he was Mr. Potter—a warp, twisted, old man.  We are reminded that he kept the $8,000.  Those war years and postwar years were hard times for many people.  A far flung Champion relates to us that hard times make strong people.  Strong people make easy times.  Easy times make weak people.  Weak people make hard times.  It goes round and round.  Sometimes it is difficult to see just where we are in the cycle.  Share your opinion on the matter at champion@championnews.us or drop a line to The Champion News, Rt. 72 Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  It can be a real treat to go to the mail box.  Our postal carriers will be overworked this season, so a note of thanks or a cookie or two might let them know they are appreciated.

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we went–all across the nation for the purpose of giving thanks.  Travel was difficult for many and hopes are that everyone made it back home to resume routines on Monday morning.  It was worth the trouble for the feast of family closeness and for the fun and fulfillment of long standing friendships.  By now most of the leftovers have been consumed.  The internet took a leap and patted its foot to “Dooley was a good old man he lived below the mill” as Tennessee and Champion cousins got together with a great uncle for a jam.  Music is one of those ties that bind.  Tammy (not Louise, though Louise is a lovely lady), a recent visitor from Washington, plans to come back next year for another deer hunt with her Dad, another family tie made of a shared experience.  The month ahead will be chock full of hopes and plans and expectations, of memories and nostalgia.  Enjoy it as it unfolds.  Recent rains may have the creeks up, but it will still be a beautiful trip to the wide, wild, wooly banks of Auld Fox Creek, even if you have to go the long way around.  Soon the Christmas tree will be up in the Historic Emporium on the North Side of the Square.  The atmosphere is always festive around the ancient wood stove that has warmed generations of Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

 

Champion Preschool Art

Friends and families will gather together all across the country this week for the great feast of Gratitude.  We can learn when the National holiday of Thanksgiving was declared and by whom.  We can study the various legends that speak to its origins.  We can be grateful every day for our friends, our families our homes and good fortune.  Much of that feeling of gratitude comes to us as we compare our lot to so many much less fortunate.  Thankfulness is best exemplified in a willingness to lend a helping hand.  There are lots of ways to do that.  The smallest act of kindness can have far reaching results.

Last week we were expressing our thanks to our Veterans and those serving in our military today.  Jacob Casper is a member of the National Guard.  He was kind enough to join in the Veteran’s program at Skyline School last Friday, resplendent in his dress uniform and an inspiration to Skyline students.  The Champion News called him Jason instead of Jacob—an error for which we apologize.  Our old friend, Esther Wrinkles, who wrote for The Herald for more than 50 years, once advised that making a mistake might provide an occasion to revisit a subject.  We will take the opportunity to again thank Jacob and all those who are serving now and all our Veterans.  We can enjoy our National holiday in safety and security thanks to them.  While we are at it, we can thank Jacob’s mother.  Mrs. Casper is the art and music teacher at Skyline.  The hallway galleries there are always a reflection of her ability to inspire our young artists.  We can look forward to another of her splendid musical productions when the students present their Christmas program in a few weeks.  Time is rushing by.

Champion Luxe Krider has her birthday on December 2nd.  She has been doing that since 2014.  Skyline fifth grade student, Emma Webster, celebrates on the 4th.  Bobette Spivey has her big day on the 5th.  Also enjoying the 5th is third grader, Michael Hall.  Ed Bell and Zack Godshall enjoy the 6th.  They do not know each other but they have family in common.  The 7th is shared by Ethel Leach and Noam Chomsky.  They are not acquainted either.  He is a noted American cognitive scientist and historian.  One of his great ideas is that if we do not believe in freedom of expression for people with whom we disagree, we do not believe in it at all.  Chomsky will be 91 years old on his birthday.  Ethel will be much, much younger.  She is a local historian and can tell you a story about almost any local individual or their uncle or grandma.  She has a great smile and a good memory for the birthdays and special occasions of all her friends and family.  She sends nice cards.

Greta aboard La Vagabonde.

The day was pleasant enough Wednesday for the Champion mid-day jam to take place on the porch.  It was a little breezy but not too cool.  Two young beginning musicians joined the group–Briley on xylophone and Bella on ukulele.  While they were learning a little about playing with other people, the older people were all thinking about when they first began to play.  Music is a lifetime endeavor and it is lovely to see youngsters starting out early.  Arvin was back to hear some of his favorite songs.  The Vanzant Bluegrass Hall erupted in applause on Thursday at the entry of fair Lena Bell and her long time fiddling beau.  It was a happy reunion making for another enjoyable evening.  After the holiday, the jam will resume every Thursday at the Vanzant Community Building—pot-luck at 6:00, music 7:00-9:00.  Everyone is welcome.  Bring your acoustic instruments and your voice to sit in or come just for the fun of it.  Louise, a visitor from Washington State, had attended the jam the previous week.  Her Dad said that she had been surprised and pleased at the friendliness of everyone she met, not just at the jam but in the whole area.  He made a point of taking her sightseeing down on the wide, wild, wooly banks of Auld Fox Creek to the Re-creation of the Historic Emporium.  He calls it The Champion Mall and will tell you that he once got lost looking for the North side of the Square in Downtown Champion.  Louise had her first successful deer hunt and an overall good visit, so expectations are that we will see her again.

As to the matter of last week’s question, “Why is it not a mark of highest honor for the rich to pay taxes?”  A reader responded, “Charity is a cold grey loveless thing.  If a rich man wants to help the poor, he should pay his taxes gladly, not dole out money at a whim.”  That is a quote from Clement Attlee, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951.  Those were tumultuous times, even as these seem to be.  Still, we have many reasons to be grateful.  Send your thoughts on the subject, your lists of blessings, your ponderous questions or your favorite method for making sweet potato pie to champion@championnews.us.  We wish everyone safe travels over the holiday.  Sunday was the eleventh day for adopted Champion granddaughter, Greta, and her Dad to be onboard La Vagabonde, now out in the middle of the North Atlantic, about half way to their destination.  That is not the kind of travel most of us will ever experience, but any trip that brings you to a celebration of Love and Gratitude is a good one.  There will be photographs taken and much reminiscing together with expressions of hope for a good outcome to the world’s troubles.  Optimism is a staple in Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!

A frosty Champion morning.

Skyline Veterans Day

Skyline Veteran Mr. Prock

The freezing, blowing, unpleasant weather on Veteran’s Day caused Skyline R2 to close early that day, so their Veterans’ Celebration was delayed until Friday afternoon.  Mr. Prock, himself a Veteran, put together a great program that started with the Pledge of Allegiance.  At its conclusion, eight men stood in a line while the whole student body and many visitors filed passed them to shake their hands and thank them for their service–seven Veterans and Jason Casper, a current member of the National Guard.  Champions thank them all for their service and we thank the great little school that is providing this kind of important civic understanding to our young people.  These kids will remember participating in this program and what it all means.

Several of our Skyliners have birthdays coming up.  Caleb Barker, a 4th grade student, and 8th grader, Abby Whittier, have the 17th for their special day.  It is said that Dean Brixey was once a student at Skyline.  He has grandchildren attending now and has his birthday on the 18th.  Elva Ragland went to school in Champion and Julie January enjoyed some homeschooling.  Both have birthdays on the 19th.  The dynamic mother of Skyline Alumni, now known as ‘Grandmother, Dear,’ has the 23rd for her tie-dye celebration.  Seventh grader, Faith Crawford, and former Skyline teacher, Lannie Hinote, now basking in Mountain Village, Alaska’s relative warmth, share the 26th.  That happens also to be the special day of young Thomas Jarnagin, John’s grandson, who will be four years old!  Carolyn Nunn Harvey and Uncle Al, the Lonesome Plowboy, share the 27th.  They never met each other but they have a birthday in common, as well as some loose connections.  Billy Strong is in the 5th grade.  His day is the 29th and Lane Watkins, 6th grade, has the 30th for his big day.  All you current and former students, you teachers, grandparents and people with loose connections, you Champions, may your days be pleasant ones as your friends and families acknowledge you.  Eat that happy birthday cake and ice cream.  Celebrate while you can.  Life goes by fast!

Arvin Schroeder is a fan of music.  He likes “Twinkle Twinkle,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “This Old Man,” and any number of tunes of that ilk.  He will have his first birthday on December 31st.  It is a treat for jammers to play for him.  He happened in to the Historic Emporium on Wednesday and got an ear full.  He paid for it with smiles.  Another music lover is Glenn Branstetter.  He has been making it over to the Vanzant Jam on Thursdays for a while and seems to really enjoy himself.  He had a long history with the Kitty Clover Potato Chip Company traveling up and down 14 Highway and other roads delivering Kitty Clover potato chips to all the little country stores and schools.  Now days a person can purchase a Vintage 1983 Kitty Clover Potato Chip can on the internet.  On the can it says “All natural, no preservatives.”

Veterans Day flag folding demonstration.

Shelby, with the Douglas County Health Department, will be in Champion from 8:30 until 10:00 on Friday the 22nd doing blood pressure screenings.  She will also be at Skyline School on Tuesday, the 26th, from 8:45 to 10:30.  It is a genuine amenity to the area.  It may be that the more of us who show up for Shelby’s visits, the more she and the DCHD will be able to help us take care of ourselves out here on the wild, wide, wooly banks of Auld Fox Creek.  Out on the wide Atlantic, adopted Champion granddaughter, Greta, was on her sixth day onboard La Vagabonde. That is a 43 foot catamaran being sailed by some nice Australians who are taking Greta to Spain. On Monday they were north of Bermuda, heading for the Azores.  She said they had some rough weather but that she is very happy and comfortable.

A distant, thoughtful Champion writes in with some good questions.  “Why would someone who has billions of dollars prefer to hide that money in off-shore accounts when he could be bragging about how many taxes he paid to nourish his own part of the world?  Why is it not a mark of highest honor?”  That question sort of jars a person’s head.  If he has three billion dollars and pays one billion in taxes, then he can say with pride, “‘My billion dollars in taxes provided a home and health care for every Veteran, improved infrastructures, increased teacher’s pay and resources, helped farmers, countless old people and sick people, protected the environment, and on and on.”  He can say that and still have two billion dollars.  America is the Land of Opportunity with the understanding that there is no limit to how good things can get.  Another person, who has been reading “Reason To Stay Alive” by Matt Haig, chimes in over the internet to say that happiness is not very good for the economy.  If we were happy with what we had, why would we need more?  Still, we cannot sell an anti-aging moisturizer unless we have people worried about aging.  We cannot sell insurance unless people are worried about loss.  People buy the new smart phone to keep from feeling left behind.  Who profits from our anxiety–from our worry?  It might be that guy with the billions.  Feel free to send your thoughts on the subject or your own head jarring questions to champion@championnews.us  Matt Haig says that to be calm and comfortable with our own non-upgraded existences is kind of a revolutionary act.  That is the way it is with us in Champion–Looking on the Bright Side!

Skyline Percussion Orchestra

Old Glory

Almost everyone we know is a Veteran or is the child, grandchild or parent of a Veteran. We have 438,100 Veterans living in Missouri 9.4% of the population—here in Douglas County about 12%. This week well-deserved special attention is devoted to them as we celebrate them and their families for their commitment to protect and serve our country. We look forward to reading Skyline R2 School’s winners of “Patriot’s Pen” essays and extend our thanks to Mr. Prock, Skyline’s own Veteran. He spent time in the middle-east in recent years. “Join the Navy and see the world!” was a recruiting slogan in the past, but it turns out that joining any branch of the U.S. Military is liable to take you anywhere in the world. And when our Veterans come home, they bring with them a greater understanding of our place in the world. Their experiences ‘over there’ may make them more understanding of other cultures and certainly more appreciative of the land they pledge to support and defend. Sometimes Veterans do not want to talk about their time there, but sometimes they do. It does not hurt to ask, and it is never inappropriate to express gratitude for their service. A grateful Nation owes an everlasting debt. May we pay it in full! The fast moving cold front, complete with ice pellets, snow, rain, dropping temperatures, and strong winds, caused officials to close school down at Skyline at one o’clock on Monday and to cancel school for Tuesday. There was to have been a Veteran’s celebration, scheduled for 2:30 that would have included music, patriotic speeches and a demonstration by Mr. Prock about the correct way to fold our Flag. The celebration may have been canceled, but, hopefully, the reason for it stays in the consciousness of our young students—voters and soldiers of the future. Meanwhile, Champion cattle gathered along a barbed wire fence for shelter.

Skyline’s PTO Fall Festival was a splendid success. The chili was fantastic and the support shown by the community for our important little rural school is commendable. We live in a good part of the world. This wonderful, warm week-end was busy for many as they brought in fire wood, drained hoses, set faucets to drip, filled the bird feeders, insulated dog houses, checked the flue and anti-freeze and chinked drafty windows. The glorious week-end had one Old Champion ignoring the signs, planting garlic during the wrong moon phase as indicated by trusted farmer’s /planter’s almanacs. It is to be noted that many a successful gardener adheres to the do-it-when-you-can philosophy. There will yet be days warm enough to shovel that good stuff and to nourish the garden with insulating leaf blankets.

If we have leapt directly into winter, we did not get much in the way of autumn. Marty Robbins sang “When the Work’s All Done This Fall.” It is a ballad of the combined versions from Norman Blake and Doc Watson, a poignant story of a cowboy determined to get home—home to his Mother. He had left under her protest and had strayed long and far. Just as he recognized his error and his longing for family and for home, tragic fate intervened. It is the kind of sad song that touches the hearts of every sentimental hillbilly, cowboy, or lumberjack, salt sea sailor, baker, farmer, grocer or grandma. The world is full of poignant tragedy. If the opportunity presents itself to help ameliorate suffering, it is a Champion notion to do so. Admonitions aside, music opens doors, hearts and thought processes. Enjoy. Sing loud, on key if you can, but don’t let that stop you.

Winter seems to have come upon us quickly, but we will have days warm enough to let us get a little something done. Our adopted Champion granddaughter, Greta, is off in North Carolina having good conversations about the difference between weather and climate and other associated realities. It is funny. It is sweet that people, who love each other, yet believe opposite things about politics, religion, climate change or chili recipes (beans or no beans), still can care about each other. They still hug and laugh, make thoughtful inquiries about each other and say, perhaps just to themselves, perhaps with eyes rolled, “Bless her/his heart.” The wild vicissitudes of the weather might give some of us an opportunity for those inside wintertime projects that we consider on sunny days–gluing that broken vase, dusting or organizing those photographs, photo documenting spider webs or deer through the window, purging old files, practicing our favorite songs, tidying the pantry, catching up on correspondence, reading, trying new recipes or old ones, napping, ad infinitum. It is an excellent set of circumstances that allows a person to choose how his day goes. Farmers, firefighters, military personnel, postal carriers, EMTs, health care providers, volunteers for Meals on Wheels, law enforcement people and many others…lots of people have to do their jobs regardless of weather conditions. Some of them, during the course of busy days, can stop in at the Historic Emporium on the North Side of the Square for coffee, conversation and a warm-up by the wood stove that has warmed and comforted generations of Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

Champion cattle huddle by a barbed wire fence.