Oh how I love SUNY-Geneseo

I cannot tell you all how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place. Shelley, I know you always tell me not to use CAPS, but I just can't help it. My office is funky and historical. I have two "adjoining" rooms linked by a door, and I even have a window that is now in the middle of summer covered with ivy. The building that the Com Dis and Science Department is in reminds me of a MacBride Hall at Iowa. There is a bell tower that chimes on the quarter hour and it is beautiful. In fact, we can hear the bell tower from our house and it is a very comforting sound. My office is right by the tower. The people in my department are such wonderful, warm, and well-integrated souls. Dr. Metz (my hero) just won Honors of the American Speech and Hearing Association. Dr. Mackenzie (the tallest audiologist in the world) is amazing, hard working and just a good person. Bob (Dr. Owens) aka "Chuck Norris with better politics" makes me smile. I got to meet Dr. Schiavetti, emeritis professor, and have another one of my academic crushes. The other two Lindas (Linda House, dept. chair) is great, and the Clinic Director, Linda Deats, I swear never walks anywhere, she is just constantly running. Bev Loftquist is the best and I am excited to work with her, Wendy Metz and Cheryl Mackenzie are two gems... I haven't met the others as yet. Oh and the administrative assistants ROCK. They are so helpful and so supportive which is such a wonderful switch. Stacy has been my right hand and already realizes how directionally challenged I am and Monica is my co-chocoholic. Right now, since nobody knows I am officially here, I am getting a lot done for Iowa. I still need to get my classes ready...yikes.

I also love the town. I can get to work, the post office, the bank, the downtown, the kids school in 5 min by bike or 10-15 minutes on foot. People here are friendly, hard working and just plain cool.

Here is a photo of the building I work in. So I grew up close to Sturgis, SD, and now I work in Sturges Hall. Kind of fun. The line points right to my ivy-window. It is not an Ivory Tower, but it might just as well be.

The Eleven as Adults and my Papa and his Bro

Joseph, Edward, Karl, Francis, David, Ruth Ann, Mary, Paula, Guy, Shirley and Michael. Whew. It is kind of like saying supercalifragilisticexpialadocious!

Robert and Donald (Bob and Don)

The family Biographer

Thank goodness for Patty! Patty is my cousin daughter of my Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary. Aunt Mary just passed away on July 2nd, the day of my mother's funeral. My mom thought the world of Aunt Mary and I know those two spirits are comforting each other right now, with Aunt Mary B. Smile ladies! This photo is of Patty and her husband Dave, who now live in Ohio. Bless you Patty!

More family

This photo is of three of my cousins. Ruth Ann (daughter of Ruth Marie and Karl), Katie (daughter of Fran and Mary B. Hardick) and Katie's daughter, Rachael

A Huber-Haffner Family Reunion

The boys and I took a road trip today to West Falls, NY (50 miles to our west) for a family reunion. My Father's nephew, or my cousin Karl Huber and his wife Barbara hosted the event. So my father had three siblings--Ruth, Robert and Mary B. (all now gone). Ruth and her husband Karl, had eleven (count em) children. Joeseph, Edward, Karl, Francis, David, Ruth Ann, Mary Cecilia, Paula, Guy, Shirley and Michael. ALL of those "kids" ny first-cousins were present. This is a poor photo of them when they were young, and I will also post a current photo soon.

Kira our Dear-a has a Shiner!

Playing on the father-daughter softball team that Nathan organized (it is composed of the little girls he used to coach who are now grown up) Kira gets a nasty shiner. She told me she was disappointed that there were no "ball seam" marks on her face. I am fine that there are no more marks on my sweet-one's face. She had to use the "bye-bye boo boo" ice pack that Solaire gave her.

Front and Inside

I was horrified to realize we don't have air conditioning, but then I realized we don't need it! This climate is so great. It gets cool in the evening so if we close up the house on hot days, no problem. Also it just doesn't get that hot here! See the "tree" circle? I'm going to make that all flowers. Also the first "project" will be to rip out the carpet in the living room and replace it with a wood floor.
All in all, I LOVE THIS PLACE!

Photos of HOME

Airshow (this was just a small part it was really very, very good.







Backyard looking toward the house
and the next is looking from the house Our little shed can be seen in the other view

Happy July

Well I miss my mom. There are so many times I have wanted to pick up the phone to tell her something. It is very hard to lose your mom. I loved the service--it was comforting and soothing and the funeral home was beautiful plus it had the same view that my mama had for the last 7 years of her life. Sue had some of the cremains put into a silver, tear-drop "vault" necklace and I got it this week. It gives me such comfort to wear it as it sits next to my heart. I will say I am a fan of cremation, however and for the record, cremate me.

Connor and I got back to Geneseo on Monday evening. It was a warm night and we found that Trevor had joined a soccer team, had spent the night at a different friend's house each night and had "managed" the movers. He did a wonderful job, and although he made friends with the movers and maybe let them slack a bit too much, we are slowly getting all the things where they need to go, save for Connor's trundle part of his bed. I can't work out how to get that up the stairs, even IF Trevor is strong.

Here are photos of the rooms that I have all ready, and of the outside of the house. We have mowed once and tomorrow will need to do it again. Geneseo is BEAUTIFUL. The weather is wonderful and it gets cool every night. We don't have air conditioning, but we don't NEED it. This week was the air-show and the town festival. We met many of our very nice neighbors and are settling in well.

Rapid City Journal

Mary Virginia Finnegan Staikoff
RAPID CITY - Mary Virginia Finnegan Staikoff, 83, passed away peacefully at her home in Rapid City, after a short battle with leukemia. Virginia "Ginny" was born on Sept. 8, 1924, in Buffalo, NY, the third child of Mary and William Finnegan. She was educated in Buffalo during the Depression, and was married to Donald Edward Haffner in 1944. For several months she traveled around the U.S. with her husband during his first months back from WWII. She was a devoted mother and homemaker. She and her husband and family moved to Pompano Beach, FL, in the early 1960's. She moved to Rapid City, with three of her four children, in 1964. Virginia worked for several businesses in Rapid City, Corner Construction, Mills Drug, Stephenson's Music Company and in later years, Buckingham Wood Products. Virginia married George Staikoff in 1972. They were active in several mixed double bowling leagues and golf leagues. Throughout her life Ginny was known for her candor, her common sense and her ability to look at life through a long, wide-angle lens. She was courageous and used humor as a buffer to offset the curve balls that life threw at her. In her later years, she and her husband, George, traveled to Europe and visited many historic sites. After the death of her husband, she resided at Holiday Hills Estates and remained independent until her final days. She had many friends at Holiday Hills. Ginny was a passionate Democrat until the last and was always concerned with the issues of the common "Joe." And in the Fjord, I see blue sky, the water, the trees, I see my mother's eyes and I feel her presence. Her will, her determination is in my blood driving me to seek beyond the ordinary. To strive to touch all that seems untouchable. And to answer "yes" to the question, "Did you do your best?" Ginny is survived by her son, Mark (Tara) Haffner, Hot Springs; two daughters, Sue (Robert) Lenz, Rapid City, and Linda (Nathan) Spencer, Geneseo, NY; her daughter-in-law, Carla Haffner, Orlando, FL; and her stepson, Ted (Lynn) Staikoff, Black Hawk; eight grandchildren, Kirsten Haffner, Zach (Lissa) Haffner, Eli Haffner, Christopher (Tammy) Lenz, Stephanie (Eric) Lenz Brown, and Kira, Trevor and Conner Spencer; six great-grandchildren, Sophia, Natalie and Eialeah Haffner, Morgan Lenz and Dakota and Amelia Brown; two step-grandchildren, Laurie (Shane) Murray and Timothy Staikoff; three step-great-grandchildren, Derrick, Madison and McKinna Murray; and her brother, Neil (Dale Lantvit) Finnegan, Palm Springs, CA. She was preceded in death by her husband, George, and her eldest son, John Lawrence Haffner. Memorial Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 2, at Serenity Springs Funeral Chapel, with Father Dan Juelfs officiating. Inurnment will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. In lieu of flowers, you may send memorials to the Hospice of the Hills. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.serenity springsfuneralchapel.com. Published in the Rapid City Journal on 7/1/2008.
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Link to video memory

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1iXVl9Y1xY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1iXVl9Y1xY