March 26, 2007
CHAMPION – March 26, 2007
In Champion the first day of Spring was graced by a delightful downpour. Oh! Rain! Rain with no thunder and no big winds or falling hail! Sweet Rain! Soaking into the ground, percolating down to the wonderful water table. Champions are among the truly fortunate people in the world to have such an abundance of good water. Somebody said not to go bragging about it because nothing is guaranteed. True, but then somebody else said that when things are good there is at least as much obligation to recognize it and to talk about it as their is to gripe when things go badly. So. Life is good in Champion. Love and Gratitude abound. Spring is in the air. Manure of all kinds (cow, horse, chicken, rabbit, and possibly others) is being worked into the soil together with ashes and lime, or compost, rotten sawdust, sand, bone meal, blood meal, Epsom salts, clay, sea weed, and/or other things such as worm castings and bat guano where available. Some soil is jut being turned over and other soil is having seeds poked down into it with no other fanfare. Wilburn likes to use the triple seventeen. Whatever the method, Champion is a real garden spot. There is reported to be a recording of James Brixey singing the “No Till” Song. The recording has been misplaced, but as soon as it surfaces the words will be reported here and the song added to the Missouri Song List. Jonathan Swift, in Gulliver’s Travels said, “Whoever can make two ears of corn to grow—would do more service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together.” If Gulliver were to have traveled over to Champion he might have gained some valuable corn raising information and might have spread some good political philosophy.
Politics is a touchy subject everywhere in the and a subject best avoided. “Accurst be he that first invented war.” Christopher Marlowe said that in Tamburlaine the Great, Part I, Act 2, Scene 4. There is talk that there will be a war Memorial dedicated to the Civil War veterans buried at the Denlow Cemetery. There are approximately 28 Union Solders there and one Confederate. The dedication is scheduled for Memorial Day of 2008, however the Saturday before this Memorial Day will mark the kick off of the project. The Denlow Cemetery Committee has built a splendid pavilion on the grounds of the church. The cemetery is the resting place for survivors of many wars. As of March 26, 2007 there have been THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THREE United States Service People who have lost their lives in the current conflict. Great Britain has lost one hundred thirty four of its service people. Other Coalition forces have lost a total of one hundred twenty four people. No accurate count has been made of the number of Iraqi fatalities, military and civilian. The current estimate according to . . . is . . . Somebody said, “Hate the War but Love the Warrior.” Just because the flag draped coffins are not being seen on the nightly news does not mean that our precious soldiers are not dying. Champions are full of Love and Gratitude for those who have served and continue to serve Our Country.
Wood smoke hangs heavy in the deep hollows flowing in on wind currents like water. It’s hard to tell where it is coming from sometimes. The Forest Service and Conservation Departments do controlled burns on a regular basis this time of year. Firefighters are on alert constantly and Champions appreciate the willingness of those Volunteers to keep the community safe.
Champion and its neighboring communities are once again stepping up to be of service to each other. There is to be a Pie Supper benefit for Rita and Larry Hicks on the 21st of April at the Skyline School. They are having some tremendous medical bills. Dale Melton, a friend of the family, had a brain storm and started talking about a benefit and a very short time later it is a ‘go.’ Already there are tickets at the Champion Store and at The Plant Place in Norwood for a drawing on a beautiful queen size Rose Quilt made my Mrs. Violet Melton. The drawing will be held at the Pie Supper. Actually, the supper will consist of chili, Freetos, crackers, onions and cheese. Deserts will be auctioned off from the stage. There is a “Three For One” deal going on. That is to say that the first pie to bring $500.00 in the auction will see a corresponding pie in the face of Van Kelly (or his appointed representative), and one in the face of Dale Melton, and if that were not enough Farel Sikes will take one! These are some solid and sweet citizens.
It’s a lovely thing to see people reaching out to ease the suffering of others. It is a heartbreaking thing to be unable to replace the terrible losses that dear friends experience. To build a little home deep in the woods and to raise a family there and then one day to have the woods disappear is devastating. Life goes on, but it will never be the same. Compassion might be appreciated but it doesn’t make shade and a person can see straight through it and watch cars go down the highway. Healing is a long term thing. Let it begin.
Three postcards have arrived in the Champion Items mail box this past week. One is from Champion’s friend, Darrell Haden. It is very complimentary and suggests a listen to the song “Rock Salt and Nails.” This came to his mind as a result of the mention made of the Ice Cream Maven from over by Vanzant. Another card came from a far flung traveler out on a splendid musical adventure. From Atlanta, he says, “When you think of me, know that I am prosperous and fortunate beyond measure.” He also noted that the post card was bent up before he put it in the mail. (So the mailman is not to blame.) The third card is kind of a mystery. It must have been mailed from Ava and it is titled “Little Town With A Big Future” Poke Salat Days, Ava, MO. It’s an interesting drawing of people on the square there. The message is: “A family by name of Latent might have lived some distance South of The Wolf Pen Holler some years back. They had a raft of kids and the oldest two were twins—a boy and a girl. Their names were S.T. and Chimmey B. Any information about what has become of them would be appreciated. They stayed mostly to themselves.” There is no signature and no return address. Inquires in the neighborhood among long time residents have been unproductive to this point. Anyone who knows of these folks can contact Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717, or e-mail to Champion News, or leave word at Henson’s Store in the Mall at Champion. Odes to Spring or to Rain, political perspectives, smoke signals, good neighbor gossip, songs for the Missouri Song List or idle chit chat also welcome.
