April 28, 2008
CHAMPION—April 28, 2008
Champion merry-makers expecting the May-pole to be hoisted up in the Square for a riotous celebration of the arrival of Spring instead are reminded that May Day is International Workers Day. The celebration had its origins when the American Federation of Labor adopted the historic resolution that “eight hours shall constitute a legal day’s labor from and after May 1st, 1886”. It was the beginning of a long and difficult struggle for the Labor Movement and Champions more than a hundred years later acknowledge being the beneficiaries of those efforts. Country people know that a ‘man must work from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done.’ There have been some controversial struggles in that arena as well, but Champions generally try to stay out of other people’s business. As Ms. Powell says, “That’s their possum. Let them wool it.”
In Champion a little touch of frost is just what some things need to make them sweet. Spinach doesn’t mind, nor turnips, nor broccoli. People with dirty hands need to ‘hold their horses’ just a little longer when it comes to planting tender things. It is difficult, but local wisdom says that it can frost clear up until the tenth of May! Champions have their fingers crossed that the fruit trees survive this year. Linda’s Almanac over at the Plant Place in Norwood says that the first and second of May will be good for those late underground crops and for vine crops and setting strawberry plants. The third and fourth will be ‘barren days,’ but then the fifth and sixth will be good for those above ground crops again. Truck loads of manure are going from here to there and tillers are churning the soil. “Pullin’ weeds and pickin’ stones We are made of dreams and bones Need a place to call my own ‘Cause the time is close at hand.” That is a ‘ditty’ discovered in researching ‘apple blossom time.’ Most of the rest of the results of the search had to do with the Andrews Sisters’ song, “I’ll Be Seeing You in Apple Blossom Time.” It is very romantic and kind of maudlin in its sentimentality. Champions don’t mind ‘sentimental,’ but they are not much for ‘maudlin.’
“Has J.L. come yet?” one old Champion calls out to the other. The high point of the day for a lot of Champions is when the mail comes. ‘J.L’ is the nickname for an unpredictable mailman. He is always welcome (mostly) whenever he shows up. He recently brought a note from Champion’s Tennessee friend, Darrell Haden, giving Douglas Holt permission to make a tape of “All the Late News from the Courthouse,” for an interested Champion. Mr. Holt had e-mailed that he just happened to have the record of Professor Haden’s song that he would share with permission. Darrell writes, “I remember when Douglas Holt was a young man growing up on Springcreek. I knew and appreciated him, his father and grandfather. Doug is a cousin of Douglas County’s most famous old fiddler, Bob Holt. Bob and I went to grade school together at Silver Shade in the late 1930’s.” Sharing music is a Champion activity.
A message from the hyper-vigilant, critical, Champion grammarian points out an error in the use of the possessive in the sentence apologizing for the error in subject and verb agreement the previous week. While an oversight committee is a lovely thing, fear of making an error is one of the great stumbling blocks to creativity and productivity. Champions forge on unafraid!
An e-mail from Kenneth Henson arrived saying that “Hovey does not remember the dirty in-side-out t-shirt story, but does remember growing up dirty and ragged! Glad that Ruby is feeling well, tell her hi. Growing up she was known as ‘Ole Rub.’”
One of the request for the first song in The New Champion Songbook came from a lady in Mountain Grove who has the same last name as the street on which she lives. Across the back of the envelope she wrote, “Remember our Service Men, Women and Freedom.” Staff Sergeant Ronald C Blystone, 34, of Springfield, MO was killed in Iraq last week. He was the father of three children and was on his fourth tour of service in Iraq. Champions extend their Love and Gratitude to him and his family, joining with the rest of the Nation in doing so.
A Wannabe Champion who hopes to gain the status by marrying a native is a good yarn spinner. He was heard recently talking about a distant cousin of his. This cousin several times ‘removed’ (that is to say that he is the cousin of his granddad or some such) and lives off over in Tennessee. Jeff is the cousin’s name and he is reported to be a serious yarn spinner himself. “When he closes one eye and starts to shaking his finger at you, you know you are going to be there for a spell.” This fellow is very talented and has had a great exciting life full of many truck wrecks and near misses. He is afraid of wild pigs but will go into a cave after a bear with a pistol! The distant cousin of a man like that will be welcome in Champion!
An old Champion music lover has just had her eyes opened! She had long heard about a song called “When The Work’s All Done This Fall,” and thought that it would be about the futility of life and that one might be putting off important parts of living today for a time in the future that would never come, because country people know that the work is never all done. She had never heard the song and still has not, but the words fell into her lap the other day and it turns out that it is a cowboy song. “A group of jolly cowboys discussing plans as ease…” One of them said that he had broken his mother’s heart when he left home and though it had been many years since he had seen her, after the round up is over and before his money is all gone he’s going straight home to see his mother. Now that is sentimental! Old Champion mothers always love it when their children come home!
Champion’s great friend and neighbor, Esther Wrinkles, spent the winter piecing a quilt by hand that she has offered to the Skyline Area Volunteer Fire Department for the August Picnic. It is an extraordinary piece in rose, pink and burgundy in a traditional eight pointed star pattern. (Many Champions just sat around the fire all winter and have nothing to show for their time except for a few extra pounds.) Bonnie Mullins from over in Kansas e-mailed for a picture of the quilt and said, “ I am….cousin to most of Denlow and Champion people and I’ve been around the Champion Square many times, although some of my memories of Champion might make all my cousins renounce me.” Perhaps some of those intriguing memories can be coaxed out of her!
Zach Alexander’s grandmother, who is a real Champion, emailed what some advice about dealing with the burdens of life. One of the things she suggested was, “Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.”
Send May Pole pictures or requests for pictures of the Rose Pink Star Quilt or copies of “Keep on the Sunnyside,” to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717. E-mail intriguing memories, good advice or examples of local sentimentality (nothing maudlin please) to Champion News. Wool a possum (quietly) on the porch at Henson’s Store in downtown Champion on the north side of the square and get a copy of the first song in the New Champion Songbook. The proprietor only has three copies left, but can get more. All the time, more Champions are Looking on the Bright Side!
