Missing Christmas

Prince Mikey enlisted in the Navy this year, and he won't be home for Christmas. But he wasn't home last Christmas either. Just disappeared with the dog. Called his cell, left messages. His brother called him, my sister called him. No response. We knew where he was, with Kim at her cottage. Still, he could have called to send wishes. Text even?

This year, he's writing letters. Even says "Love you Mom" in closing! He reassures me that he's healthy and warm, and thanks me for sending things. Boot camp is good for him! He's been named Education Petty Officer and the guys call him "Teach." He says that's better than Old Man, since he's 10 years older than most of them.

My friends tell me this will be a life-changing experience for him, that he will emerge respectful and kind. I'm thinking, he won't change THAT much! I just hope he finds a purpose and direction for his life - and he can keep being a brat.

Tribute to my Uncle Joe

Kings Landing owner Joe Piechura will be missed
A genial host
By Phil Foley
Staff Writer

DEERFIELD TWP. -- Less than 12 hours after returning home from the hospital, Joseph A. Piechura, 88, passed away in view of the lake where he'd spent nearly the last four decades, with his family nearby.
Piechura and his wife, Peggy, and two other couples bought Kings Landing Kampground on Miller Lake in 1972 and over the next 37 years the Piechuras became a summertime fixture in Deerfield Townsip. As recently as June Piechura could be found in the store still selling penny candy to kids or making cotton candy.
"My parents were social people," said their son, Craig.
"My dad was big and loud, quick with a smile and a teasing joke," he added. "He loved his family and he loved life. When we were kids we'd invite friends into the home where we grew up in Warren, and they'd be surprised to see him singing a song -- and screwing up the words in the process. He was the kind of guy who'd give you the shirt off his back. But don't cross him. He was no pushover."
The son of Polish immigrants, Piechura moved to Detroit from Pennsylvania, with his mother, Cecilia, and his four sibilings following the death of his father, Michael.
At 18, the year before the U.S. entered World War II, Joe went to work the assembly line at Chrysler's Warren Truck Assembly. Like most of his generation, the war interrupted his life, and he served in the Army as an anti-aircraft gun mechanic. He rose to the rank of sergeant and fought his way to Germany by war's end.
After the war, Piechura returned to the assembly line and worked his way up to become a superintendent in management at the plant before retiring in 1979. Craig said his father was a hard working man, who at one point held a second job as a mechanic at a car dealership in addition to his day job at the Dodge plant.
Along the way Piechura and his wife raised five children Paul, of Farmington, Craig (Louise) Piechura of Milford, Rick (Kelly) Piechura of Clarkston and Kathy (Jay) Piechura-Couture of Deland, Fla., in their Warren home.
Camping enthusiasts, Joe and Peggy became partners in the campground at Miller Lake in 1972 with Ed and Jane Clark and Al and Betty Ross, before becoming sole owners of the park. Craig noted that owning a campground isn't for everyone, and eventually the Clarks and Rosses lost interest and sold out to his parents.
For years, said the younger Piechura, his parents spent their summers at Kings Landing Kampground in a small trailer, with his father coming up from Warren on the weekends until he retired. They eventually put in a double-wide overlooking the lake, and after Joe retired, like many of their contemporaries, the Piechuras spent their winters in Florida.
Craig said his father a became well-known, well-liked, figure in the community north of Lapeer due to the popularity of his lakefront campground, picnic grounds and store. He recalled the park held annual events such as Fourth of July fireworks displays and pig roasts, corn roasts and Halloween celebrations.
Some campers are third-generation regulars at the park. "Mom and dad watched people grow up, have kids of their own and bring them back to the campgrounds," said Craig. He noted that his father, through the campground, touched the lives of literally thousands of people in Lapeer and Southeast Michigan.
Two years ago, realizing that the workload, like their ages, was rising, the Piechuras brought in Columbiaville residents Fred and Helen Monreal as partners in the campground business. Craig said his mother, at 85, plans to continue on at the campground.
About six weeks ago, said Craig, complications from diabetes and a heart condition took his father from his beloved campground. Tuesday his family brought him back to Kings Landing from the hospital for home hospice care, and before dawn Wednesday he passed away.
Along with his children, Piechura is survived by six grandchildren: Katy, Lance and Jody Piechura; Cecilia Lazar; and Alex and Kendall Couture as well as two older sisters, Helen Vanacek of Attica, and Adele Bobiney of Rochester Hills.
JA funeral mass was planned for Saturday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lapeer, followed by burial in Flint. His son noted that one of his father's friends placed a vial of beach sand from the campground in his father's casket.
"He was a tough old guy," said Craig, "but he was a real sweetheart."

V-A-C-A-TION in the summertime

While the Queen is loving the moderate temps in the royal state of MI, she longs for sun, sea and sand. Therefore, let it be known -- the bags are packed for TEXAS. Little sister is hosting the bigs this week at her mansion in Mansfield. She's already fixin up a batch of her famous spicy chex mix, and gettin the boat and jet ski in prime condition.

Her husband and manservant Tony will chauffer the three sisty uglers (as our daddy used to call us, and yes we do have self-esteem issues from this) wherever we want to go, which will include a trip to Steinmart! He'll carry us to Target too for the sister discount. Nancy's daughter Lindsay is coming along too. I called Karen yesterday and told her I was bringing a boyfriend....................... just not mine! Lindsay's Biff can't be without her. Little does he know we'll make a manservant out of him too!

When the three sisters are together, we sing! Two of our favorties are "whisper a prayer" and "titanic." Mostly we laugh, and laugh, and laugh. Did I mention we can get loud? We were once shushed at the fourth of July fireworks -- for laughing too loud. I swear.

Celebrity Deaths

OK -- the Queen feels compelled to weigh in on the three celebrity deaths of the last couple of days, and the ONLY thing that has my sympathy is that Gen X may be mourning the loss of its collective youth. (OH BOO HOO)

Start with Ed McMahon -- he was a chummy schlummy sidekick for Johnny Carson, heh, heh, heh. Star search was cool, Publishers clearinghouse was a strange spokesperson gig. All in all, the guy had a good run and was probably worth some coin.

Farrah? ALL the guys loved Farrah in 1976. ALL the girls wanted that flip-banged long-haired look! She shouldn't have quit Charlie's Angels after the first year, because her acting career wasn't stellar after that. But she was a one name wonder - FARRAH! No denying she was beautiful -- even as a 60-something. Anal cancer must have been horrible, humiliating, and painful. We should mourn her death, as we mourn everyone who dies from this disease.

The Queen cannot possibly conjure feelings for MJ's passing. Was he talented? Absolutely. Was he sick in the head? ABSOLUTELY. Did our culture allow him to take advantage of young boys, his celebrity and wealth? Without a doubt. Shame on us for allowing the emporer of pop to go so long without clothing. He's wearing a suit of a different color now.

Overshare

The Queen was not amused when today a quiet, to the point of mute, commoner decided to dump his recent woes at the foot of her throne. This shopkeeper and others like him come together monthly to swap secrets of their trades in hopes of becoming rich someday. The Queen hosts these meets to spread the wealth. Seems this shopkeeper had missed the last meet and felt it his duty to spin a tale of suffering for the Queen's what... forgiveness? ... entertainment? The Queen is unsure...

Alas, the shopkeeper found himself in hospital last month due to internal bleeding. Through self-discovery, he sent the doctors on a search of ruptured piles. "Oh dear!" said the Queen, with an instinctive sphincter spasm, and a certain wince on her face. Yet, on he went to describe his anorectal condition, and on... and on...

"Be well!" said the Queen and tried mightily to escape. The once quiet commoner had felt the power of share, and things in the group may never be the same.

QIT - Queen in Transition

Queen had to pack up her treasures today. Been stuck in limbo land of the lost island of misfit toys for the past 18 months after the new library opened at Walsh. Not sure where they'll stick me while the old library is renovated into faculty offices. Tis discomfiting to not have a home. But thankful to have a job, and one that I love at that.

Prefer to be in a place of hustle and bustle - keeps my senses keen. When I first moved to the office in the old library, there was enough commotion I kept rockin. Once the library moved into its new, clean and very modern space, and I was left in the dead zone, I find I must get up and get out so as not to fall into a zombie-like state. Hopeful more people will come with this move.

Already missing the special features of the current little castle. The built in shelves are a perfect place to display crown jewels. Two sets of cupboards are alongside. Good hiding places for piles of junky jewels that seem to accumulate.

Packing provided little pleasures remembering the gift giver and the picking of a new possession. Funny how a little whim of buying one tiny plastic crown a few years ago has become a fully disfunctional obsession for everything queenly in such a short time. And it's not just me. Oh no. Friends find crowns -- they buy them or email links for me to buy.


So while not exactly dethroned, I am throneless, and must find a spot fitting for a queen. Fresh hell would be a doorless half-walled cubicle with no space for visitors - and I do have them!

For now, the treasures can stay in a box at home until a new special spot is found.

Scrapbookin

Finally finished an album of Prince Dan's football career. Newspaper clippings mostly, I had saved from his sophomore year on. Turned out pretty well. Now the decision is, save it here, or let him take it home?

Surprising, there were a lot of pictures with Princess Laura in them! They didn't date in high school, but they were in band together.

I'll post the rest of the pictures on my picasa pages.

I might be a hopeful cynic

Snapshot Report
Cynicism
33
According to your responses, you are generally the type of person who believes in the goodness of humankind. You give nearly everyone the benefit of the doubt (at least until proven wrong), and will often accept what people say and do at face value instead of making conjectures about their motives. You will at least try to find the good in even the most difficult of people, and are willing to place your faith in others. Unlike their more positive counterparts, pessimists have a lot of difficulty trusting others, believing that most, if not all people have hidden agendas. Tempered with that necessary dose of skepticism, your fairly trusting and accepting nature is refreshing, and likely provides you with a much more balanced and upbeat perspective overall.

Queendom

I've found the perfect website that blends my world of work with my queenliness. Queendom has dozens of tests for personality, winning the lottery, sales skills, you name it! One of my classmates found it, and put it on her blog. We had to do a blog in my leadership class this semester. I started mine on leadeership tests, then switched it to help for displaced workers since so much of my work is focused on putting together workshops for the unemployed. Now, everything comes together. Queen of Royal Cove + leadership tests = Queendom.com!

Extended Resume for an Extensive Career

One of the last assignments in my grad class this semester is to create an online portfolio and an extended resume. It's making me feel very old.

I've been at my current job 8 years, and the one before that for 13 years. Not much advancement in my career moves; been a "director" for 25 years. Certainly there have been new challenges, and I've taken on new projects, but my resume looks dull. The fact that I convinced a conservative board of directors to spend $10,000 on the organization's first website was HUGE in 1997; but seems silly today. Can't even link to it - the organization doesn't exist anymore.

That's probably why I strongly believe that should be running a queendom.

Facebook 25 Random Things

1. Poking a hole in the toe of my sock makes me nuts.
2. I have a fabulous collection of crowns and queenly things.
3. Had my pichur took with the O-fficial Sweet Potato Queen.
4. I had the lead in almost every play in high school
5. Once upon a time I was very skinny.
6. I love nuts and berries.
7. I made more friends when my kids were in high school than when I was in high school.
8. The best laughs are with my sisters.
9. Short hair probably does look better on me.
10. For over 40 years I’ve had the same best friend.
11. I’ve read all of the Stephanie Plum mysteries.
12. Sting’s music is very sexy to me.
13. My kids make fun of me, but I know they love me.
14. Vince Lombardi is the name of our dog.
15. Scrabble is my favorite game.
16. I’m not the oldest student in my grad school class.
17. The two people who knew me best in my 20s are dead.
18. My maiden name is Jewell.
19. When I was 22 I got married, when I was 32 I got divorced.
20. Most of my clothes are black.
21. Ten hours of sleep is easy for me.
22. Marching bands make me smile.
23. I used to waterski a lot.
24. I lived in Washington DC in the 80s.
25. There are three green rugs in my bathroom.

Superbowl 1984

The 1984 Superbowl was held on January 22. I know because I gave birth just hours after the game ended. Mike and I watched the game at the home of our friends Kenny and Helaine. There were a lot of people there. Robyn already had Jake - he was born a couple weeks earlier; and Linda had yet to have Allison. (she was born Feb. 1) We had a very close group during our time in Maryland. Three of us were pregnant at the same time. We have a great picture from New Year's Eve at the Montgomery Village steak house, three big bellies in our fancy maternity finery.



I sat like a blob through the entire game. Then as soon as it was over I picked up all the trash, did all the dishes, and essentially "nested" at someone else's house! I drove home and put the intoxicated hubby to sleep on the recliner only to start labor as soon as I got into bed. I gave the drunken daddy a couple more hours of sleep, but grew excited to get the baby delivered!



We got to the DC hospital with plenty of time to spare, but not enough time for the doctor to make it. My guess is that he was at a Superbowl party himself. My Superbowl baby was born on January 23, an icy day in Washington DC. Now he's 25 and married. I sort of hoped that he would one day play in the Superbowl. But I'm happy with the three years in high school he played in the Silverdome!

Threes?

If it's true that deaths come in threes, then I've had my three and deserve a respite. I adamantly declare that I've had enough of people and pets dying. I'm done, I'm sad, my whole body is sad. I loved my dad, though he was the hardest one of the three to be around. I loved my Mary, and really admired her fight right up to the end, but we didn't see each other every day. The damn dog was part of my every day. Even at work I was thinking about him when I had to brush dog hair off my clothes.

So I hereby declare that noone close to me can die for quite a while so I can recover.

Vince

Our dog died today, two years after the vet said he had six months. He was a giant yellow lab and once belonged to my ex-husband. Prince Mikey brought him home after their dad died. He's been here five years and was almost 14 years old. I'm allergic to dogs, and this guy shed like torrential rain. But he was such a sweet old dog. I loved him, groomed him, walked him, fed him. He was gentle with kids, only barked when a stranger was at the door, came when called (most of the time). Just wanted to be loved. He slept on my bed when Mike wasn't home. He loved to be chased around our little condo with his toys. I had a stuffed Detroit Lion that roared, and that became one of his favorites. I loved seeing him run around with the lion in his mouth and I would say, "look, even my dog can beat the Lions!" My heart is broken.

2009

Here we go - it's already 11 days into 2009 and I'm still not done processing everything from 2008. I'm becoming more and more feeble-minded - or I've just lived through one hell of a year. Maybe both? Here's what I wrote on the first of last year, and I'm surprised I didn't write anything about the wedding or weddings that consumed the first nine months of 2008.

I've got a lot to do in the next ten years. I have to stay healthy because they don't deserve to lose another parent too early. I have to get my finances in order because I don't want to be poor. I'm nine credits into this master's degree, so it would be good to finish - and keep the 4.0 I've got going so far.
I'd like to move to a warmer climate and hope the boys won't be too far away so that we can always be together at holidays. I hope to go to Paris or Rome or both. I'd like to visit Las Vegas and Honolulu too. I would really like grandchildren, and I'd like to still have my parents around. They are 76 and 78 now, and going strong! I'd like my brother to get his act together - that would certainly increase the life expectancy of mom and dad.

I haven't done much to be healthier; I still need to get my finances in order; I have 12 credits done and a 3.9 gpa and am enrolled again this winter semester. Thinking more and more about the warmer climate as I look at 10 inches of snow, another week of below zero temps after having spent the last week of December in sunny Florida.

Still plan to visit Paris, Rome and Honolulu, went to Vegas -- BORING. Still want grandchildren, will wait patiently. Don't have both parents around. (see earlier post) Brother still needs to get act together.

Started 2008 with Dad and college roommate Mary. Ended the year with both of them gone. Luckily both were at the wedding and could share in my very happy time. I wish Mary had a better spot in my girlfriend picture, she was ready to end the night though, and I made her stay for the picture. She's in the very back row, last one on the right.

For 2009

I am so thankful that Prince Dan lets me share in his life, and I will do what I can to help him start anew with Laura now that they are back in Michigan. I just wish that Prince Mike would understand that's all I need and want from him. He probably does understand, because he withholds it like a weapon. But I will do what I can to help him be a grown-up, because he resists that as much as he resists my love. I will also encourage my mother's independence. She's smart and capable and she needs to boost her confidence. The crazy thing is - she's totally dependent on me one minute, then tells me what to do the next!! I need to remember these things with my own children.

I'll look for baby steps to improve my health, bought vitamins yesterday! And pay down the credit cards - $10,000 less debt by this time next year, since I'm not paying anyone's tuition or car payments or weddings. Only three weddings on the horizon for this year, compared to last year's five; and two graduations - Lindsay and JJ.

Most of all, I will let my girlfriends know how much they meant to me through the year, good times and bad. All the chicks in that picture, including my two sisters, helped me and my family in some way this past year, and I love them dearly for it.