Genealogy/family

Alzheimer's took my mom’s voice. I am giving it back, composing music using her poetry.

One day I will write my own lyrics. For now, it feels satisfying to give my mom a voice, after it was taken from her. I’m using Logic Pro, plus Spitfire’s BBC symphony sampled instruments, and my voice. Read on Substack Her words continue to inspire me. Read more →

Neva's thoughts on dying. Lots of laughing, here.

This is an excerpt from a much longer interview of my mom’s mom, Neva Daniel, who died 25 years ago on March 23, 2000. Her thoughts continue to inspire me. Like me, she was a college professor. Like me, she was obsessed with journaling and encouraged others to write. Read more →

Tim and Holly's 2024 Holiday letter to the universe

It’s been a few years since we’ve put together a holiday letter, and hope we can catch up a little bit with this one. We continue to be so grateful for each other, our families and friends and the abundances in our lives. May peace increase in the world in the year 2025. Read more →

For my uncle David Daniel on his 80th birthday

Happy 80th birthday to my brilliant and frequently hilarious uncle, David Daniel! I still have my uncle's birthday card to my mom, in which he writes so affectionately: How could I have a sister who is so OLD? How could you DO this to me? Cracks me up every time.... Read more →

Sketches of Neva by Peg

She went chanting e.e. cummings in the hallway at 8:25 before class, giving us the faces called flowers and the dancing mountains and darling, giving everything away because keeping is nothing and darkness. "I know what it is to be old and striving after the unreachable,” she said, risking the big failures, going out too far. “The beauty, the glory is the not knowing until you try and the persistence.” She touches living passionately. Read more →

Neva Daniel: never to old to go back to school

This excerpt from one of my ancient diaries caught my eye for a few reasons. I remembered how Neva was always getting into the next exciting thing, regardless of her age. Lately I have been wondering if I should go back to grad school, and feeling too old at 58. Neva was always into something new. Ira Progoff's intensive journaling. A Course in Miracles. Anything by Angeles Arrien. She insisted on getting aquainted with this "interesting young Indian fellow" who turned out to be Deepak Choprah, before he got famous. And when Neva was 80, according to my mother, she became enamored of Eugene Gendlin's Focusing technique .  My mom was impressed that Neva flew from Colorado to Chicago to learn from Gendlin himself. At age 80. Read more →

For Juneteenth: a student essay from the Mather School for Colored Girls

Here is my transcription of a handwritten student essay I found in my grandfather’s things. The year is likely 1938-1943. My grandparents worked for the Mather School for Colored Girls, a school which aspired to give young black Gullah islander girls an education that was equal to whites at the... Read more →

Beaufort SC, 1938: The Mather School for Colored Girls: folk songs and games

Searching for another Kumbaya: In the late 1930's, my grandfather Norvel Daniel was proud to be the superintendent of The Mather School for Colored Girls, which aspired to give young Black women the same quality education as whites. My grandmother Neva Daniel also taught at the school. Norvel, my grandfather, loved songs and singing. He became fascinated with the students' songs and tried to collect them. After all, this is where Kumbaya came from. Here are all the materials I could find from his scholarly notes on their songs. I've tried to share these with anyone who is interested. Read more →

Neva Ruth (Monroe) Daniel interview 1997

Neva's transcript, transcribed by Holly Phaneuf Erskine, Neva's grand daughter Sept 1997, Glenwood Springs, CO If you want to hear Neva's voice, this 1997 interview can be also heard in the files below, divided into three parts: NevaDaniel0997-Part1 2 NevaDaniel0997-Part2 NevaDaniel0997-Part3 You can also listen to a different 3-part interview... Read more →

"Journal Writing is Rolfing in Reverse"

"Journal writing is rolfing in reverse," wrote my grandmother Neva Daniel 44 years ago in Media & Methods. Most of us might not recall rolfing--a massage technique that was supposed to liberate memory and emotions. Neva was suggesting that liberating memory and emotions through journaling massaged us physically in some... Read more →

The Watersweeper and the dwarf

Does anyone remember The Watersweeper and the Dwarf in downtown Glenwood Springs, CO? As a little girl in the 1970's visiting Glenwood Springs and my grandmother Neva, I LOVED to go to this magical store. Finding unique crafts fashioned by local artists. The store had a water feature in it... Read more →

Eulogy for Judy (Daniel) Wadyko, my mom

Play mom’s phone message by clicking either link below: Download Beautiful day mom message Beautiful day mom message "Hellooo Tim and Holly! How are you? How is your world there, and your movie? Your weather and your friends and family? You, yourself from head to toe? All are part of... Read more →

Round About Katahdin by Ronald L Gower (AMC Bulletin) 1927

My great great grandfather John Lester Chisholm, or "Chis", is mentioned in this little book, Round About Katahdin by Ronald L Gower. I hate for old books to be out of print and out of circulation, so I thought I would get this one digitized and available for Katahdin fans... Read more →

For Juneteenth, a gift from my grandparents Norvel and Neva Daniel

For Juneteenth I'll share how my mom's parents were braver than I think I could be. Working for the Mather School for Colored Girls in the 1930 aiming to provide equal education to young Gullah girls, right after a time where, I was reminded by one of the Mather museum... Read more →

A musical mystery: do you recognize these wedding songs?

Musician people, I am curious about the origins of these two songs. If you play the audio, (clink on the bars to do so below) I have one sung by my late stepfather Mike Wadyko, and one sung by my mom, also recently deceased, Judy Wadyko. I found an audio... Read more →

A baseball mystery

Here is a baseball mystery. I am sports-incompetent, but my great grandfather here, John Lester "Chissy" Chisholm, (my dad's mother's dad) played, to my dad's recollection, for the Boston Braves and Chicago Cubs. In the picture here my dad says he is wearing a "Haverill" (Mass) Jersey (middle row, third... Read more →

Interview of Neva (Monroe) Daniel

Neva's transcript, transcribed by Holly Phaneuf Erskine, Neva's grand daughter Sept 1997, Glenwood Springs, CO INTERVIEWER: so let's begin with a little bit of your family history. Where and when were you born, who were your parents, and go from there. NEVA: All right, I was born in Marceline, Missouri,... Read more →

In memory of John Erskine

March 18, 2022 It's my father in law's birthday today. John passed away in March 2019 and he inspired me a great deal in writing my latest book. John is Koyper the wise spaceman, telling us to appreciate each moment. So today brings up all sorts of wistful thoughts. John... Read more →

I've been fired from the best job ever

After seven years of being power of attorney for my mom, and most of the time loving the job, I have been fired. I've been expecting this of course. It was gentle, but I'm not liking it. Most of the time I am fine, but grief will hit me out of the blue like a lightning bolt. Read more →

The 2020 Erskine Annual Winter Solstice Report

This is Tim and Holly Erskine's way, way, way too long end-of-2020 letter to friends and family. Read more →

Anniversary materials

I used to go through old-fashioned calendar books when I was a kid and in the back there was always this section listing appropriate gifts for anniversaries. Paper, linen, silver gold, etc. Remember those? Read more →