Kristi Towe came up from Arkansas to decorate her Dad’s grave for the holidays, and now that she has a small SUV, she can go on back roads again. She said, “We took Fox Creek Road northeast from Denlow, as Mom had never been that way. We stopped at the Racetrack Hollow monument, but I also took her to the spring that never runs dry…really delicious water! Robert Hall told me how wagons would line up to fill barrels and other containers when the summer was hot and many wells were dry. He’d fill milk jugs with this water and take it back to Washington each year.” She asked if anyone could tell her about the memorial at the spring. Perhaps Sharon Sanders knows about that, or, surely, The General knows. When asked, he said that Brad Loveless had told him that the memorial was placed in memory of a man who had been killed working at the gravel pit which was just a little farther up the creek.

Thanksmas is a made-up word that encompasses whatever you have in mind during the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Skyline eighth grader, Emma Webster, had her birthday on the 4th of December, also reported last week to be that of Lorelai Day, but her big day was on the 3rd. She and her brother Wade Day attended the Vanzant Jam on Thursday and seemed to have a good time. Having a good time, Levi Crownover, a prekindergarten student, and sixth grader Michael Hall enjoy the 5th every year for their birthdays. Chris Tharp has been relishing the 8th for quite a number of years, and Richard Johnston has had the 9th for his day since 1955. Skyline’s Mrs. Karen Tamblyn also celebrates on the 9th. The 10th is for second graders Levi Hall and Westin Nava. Wishing all you Champions beautiful days!

The internet has shown us that Pat Smith and her daughter, Jessica Puangnak-Glossip, have been having beautiful days in Israel. They are shown strolling the streets of Jerusalem, at the Garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives, and many other historic and religious sites, including the Gates of Hell. Champion friends will be interested to hear their accounts of their amazing adventure.

Our Champion sailing daughter has completed her ocean crossing and has been enjoying her time in Puerto Madryn in Argentina. While Bark Europa is headed on to Antarctica, she enjoyed the great street party on Saturday as Argentina advanced to the quarter finals in the World Cup of football (soccer), which will be played against the Netherlands on Friday. Locally, hopes are that our KC Chiefs will fare better against the Broncos than they did against the Bengals. Still, they are nine and three—not bad. More locally, it will be a joy to see the thousand daffodils planted in the park next spring. The Community Foundation of the Ozarks provided the bulbs and the Ava Bears Baseball team, the coach, the mayor, and school superintendent did the work.

It was a treat to run into Linda Keys last week. She and Marjorie Carter ran the pawn shop on the square in Mountain Grove for many years. Linda says she misses seeing all their friends and customers.  The sisters were always great supporters of the Skyline VFD. It was nice to visit with another great supporter of the VFD, Beverly Barnhart. She has had a rough patch that included several broken bones and bouts of pneumonia, but she had a cheerful laugh on the phone, and hopes are that she will have a speedy recovery and lots of good wishes sent her way from her Champion friends and neighbors.

Joella Bates made a beautiful archery-themed quilt which was won by Gena DeAn Potter Flores in the drawing. The proceeds of the project will help the Norwood Archery students attend Archery Camp. It is a quiet sport, except for the thump thump. Skyline archers have begun their practices and their first Archery Tournament will be in Norwood on Saturday, December 17th in the Norwood bus barn. Connor, Paige, Elizabeth, Kennedy, Grace, and Juniper will shoot at 10:00. Everyone else is at 11:00. Practice precedes positive performance. Practicing is going on for the Skyline Christmas Program which will happen at 6 PM on December 15th. Whether or not you have children or grandchildren attending our wonderful little rural school, the program is always full of the spirit of the season and the whole community is welcome and encouraged to attend. Thanksmas has much to offer Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

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