AND TREVOR TURNS 16!

During a week that made political history (Trevor yawns about it) he turns sweet 16. We celebrated by going to Rochester so Trevor could pick out his present (a new air-soft rifle, what else?) and then on the 27th we went to dinner with our new friends, the Lynch family. My how time flies. It seems as if Trevor was just a huge "lump" or bullet in me! Here is Trevor with his new buddy Michael and Connor looks on.

Don't the Spencer's have an older son?

YES! His name is Trevor, but he is elusive and hard to "capture." He is a very handsome lad, however and he is doing very well. His days are filled with soccer practice, and he doesn't even "throw" any more during the conditioning part of practice. Since the arrival of Nathan on Tuesday night, Trevor also spends a great of time helping his dad with acclimating to Geneseo. "No Dad, we recycle that." "Yes dad mom only makes me mow the front lawn and she mows the back for exercise." "Dad, mom is not going to be happy that you lost part of her prized vacuum cleaner, you better give her back a massage tonight or you will be in the dog house." Anyway did I mention how much we love this kid and how proud we are of him? He has made so many very good friends and has adjusted so well to this move in a mature and positive manner. Plus he was an absolute life saving blessing to me all summer long as I attempted to be a "single" mom. Trevor was always there with a calm word, or encouragement or even a funny story. Thank you so much Trev.

Marlea made my day!

So it has been a very good and productive, albeit emotional week. I have been in classes the last two days learining SUNY G's online course management system "MyCourses" and it has been cool. I had a very crass post on this blog yesterday by a disturbed individual, and my sister and I were quite rattled and hurt to the core by it. (now that feature is disabled, we've gained perspective thus problem solved). I got home from work tonight to find a box between my screen door and storm door. It said "Live, Cut Flowers." Well I had ordered some bulbs, etc to plant in the "tree circle" of previous post, an I was thinking, "Oh no, why did the company cut my flowers...or "uh oh" I thought I was ordering bulbs for lillies and such, maybe I checked the wrong box." To my utter suprise, I opened the box and the most beautiful summer boquet met me. How breathtaking. I read the card and it was from a very special lady, Marlea O'Brien from my Iowa job. I burst into tears. I have regained my composure, but if you look carefully in this photo, you can see the "ptosis" on my right eyelid as a result of the crying jag! Ooops!

Connor Rides on a B-U-Teeeful Geneseo Summer Day

Another one bites the dust

Oh Johnny Boy

You were much too good to be true
too beautiful
too intelligent
too incisive
too tempting and tempted
The arrogance shone from the blue in your eyes
seducing
Now the collective sighs of Iowa drift into the air
the disappointment lies in bitter stagnating pools of spit
Alas, I am not suprised, only sad
that I called it

MAMMA MIA MANIA

(You can stop the music-video widget by clicking on the "play" button.)
Why was Mamma Mia the PERFECT movie? Because it mixed the songs I literally grew up with into a storyline that was romantic, touching, optimistic and fun, and it pushed all my hot buttons. Background-- in 9th grade Robin Selgeby and I were chosen to go to Red Cross Leadership Training Center somewhere up by Devil’s Lake, ND. We were so excited and we even rigged up a dance routine for the talent show and were dubbed “Dancing Queens” ala ABBA. While there, we both got huge crushes on Witt Pauley, a camp counselor with cherubic blonde curls. I, however, was astute enough to know that he was the “victim” in the drowning scenario training scheme. Boy did I run fast to get to the lake for that emergency (there was CPR involved!). That summer and the next ABBA was THE band for this girl. I bought the 8 track with the money I made working at Stephenson’s Music Store, and I played it over and over on my stereo. Those songs…ahhhh heaven. I swear I can still smell the coconut butter suntan lotion I wore while listening to those songs. I love every minute of the movie and I find the actors to be so natural and so full of joi de verve... but some special parts included when Merril’s character, Donna, runs through the chateau singing and all the village women drop what they are doing to sing and dream with her. We all need dreams. Of course I cried when Donna sings “Slipping through my fingers” as she gets Sophie ready for the wedding. Ohhhh I need to see this movie again and again with my Kira, with my Nathan and with all the people I love!

Prairie Women

prairie women
strong, quilted together
by the barren stark grasses

they are the husk of the life out there
and when their partners are
silent, they endure via
shared confidences, faith and
simplicity

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.
Guest Book • Flowers • Charities

Link to video memory

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

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

Funeral to be at Serenity Springs Chapel 10:00 am Wednesday

3808 Sheridan Lake Rd
Rapid City, SD 57702
(605) 718-3900

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