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"OK, Now I Understand"

January 7, 2013

I kept sitting there thinking & trying to understand it. Year after year,
"Why?", I asked the Universe.
Then it hit me, then it came to me & I smiled.
Everyone kept telling Jim she was ready, that it was time. Jim kept saying, "no, not yet. I want to surprise her. I want it to be finished & perfect. I want it to be just right." "OK", they said,"but get going. We can't wait forever. We miss Billie & we want her with us."
Jim had picked out a prime lot, deep in the pines, right at the water's edge. It was a beautiful, crystal clear lake full of German brown & rainbows. He was building a cozy log cabin he'd designed especially for Billie. It featured hand carved timbers, plank floors, built-in nooks & cupboards. It was beautiful & a true labor of love. Jim wanted to do all the work himself & build it just right. However, it was taking forever!
One day there came a knock at the front door. Jim had been up all night finishing some detail work on a built-in cupboard. He was exausted & sleepy. He stumbled to the door where the relentless knocking was coming from & opened it to find a yard full of loved ones grinning and eager.
Jim raised his eye brows & scratched his head.
Beacher stepped forward & spoke, "James H." he said, "we want our Billie now. No more delays! We're all eager & ready to see her, to have her with us. We're all here to help! We can all swing a hammer & use a paint brush." Jim was silent & serious as he looked out over the sea of faces in the front yard. All waited for his response. Then Jim's stern expression melted, a gentle smile appeared as he felt the out pouring of love & generosity from everyone there. "OK", he announced in a loud voice. "Grab a hammer guys or a bunddle of shingles & lets finish this up!"
Everyone pitched in. Jim's brothers, Billie's mom, old neighbors. There were colleagues & students. Even Durwood showed up with a box of nails! It was indeed a labor of love. Jim was moved as he watched his gift to Billie come together. Everyone was in the spirit!
There was much laughter & celebrating as the finishing touches were completed. The crowd of friends & family turned to Jim, pleased with their contributions. Jim thanked each & everyone, then spoke, "Now wait right here everbody." Jim turned...swooped down & scooped up Miss Billie. In the blink of an eye she was there! She was home & standing tall & straight, now held in the spirit of so many loved ones!
What a reunion! The whole mountainside felt alive with music & voice. The celebrating lasted all night. Then as the dawn began to brighten the sky, the crowds started to head on home, to their personal place of contentment.
Billie & Jim were left standing on the front porch of their cabin waving good-bye to the very last of their guests.
As sunrise filled the sky, Jim grinned at Billie. He squeezed her with a hug, then grabbed his fishing pole & headed down to the lake.
Billie laughed & shook her head. She sat down in her varnished rocker & breathed easy! She was smiling from ear to ear. The sparkle was back in her eyes. She was relaxed & ready for this new begining. Her wide grin now changed to a soft smile as she looked beyond with such pride. Her thoughts were now of Jamie & Bart & of her grandsons. Her strength of heart now found in their images & accomplishments. She was truely proud of them all. They were her beautiful legacy left behind. Billie was pleased. She felt gratitude & blessed by all of her family & friends, those who looked after her & enriched her life through the years.
Billie laughed out loud as she remembered everything about everything. all the details of growing up & all the important memories that shaped her life, all vivid & fresh again, not a single detail lost!
Billie's spirit was ful of joy. She felt whole again. She whispered to each of us, "Have faith. Lean on this faith & on your beliefs. Celebrate forever & find peace in the Universe. We're all in this together. We're all here to teach & learn from one another. Make the most of it!"
Then Jim hollered from down at the lake, "Damn it Billie, quick, bring me the net, I swear I've got a four pounder on the line!"

Ode to Billie George

December 4, 2012

To teach or not to teach was never really an option,

She started young, had lots of fun, each class was an adoption.

With all her kids she worked them hard and loved them just as much,

She shared her life without thinking twice, she had a magic touch.

 

Her home was where you settled in for discussions full of meaning,

Where meals were more than gourmet food, there also was the cleaning.

The morning coffee with ice cream topping was a ritual and a pleasure,

And the fondued Elk with your choice of sauce was something you would treasure.

 

Of course you’d have some chores to do, as a person in her keeping.

You’d paint the house, or mow the lawn, to earn your nights of sleeping.

Oh the scale was tipped, without a doubt, but always in your direction,

She’d give you much and then some more, ‘twas part of her perfection.

 

And Jim, of course, had married well, to the gal with two men’s names,

He held her reins with an open hand, and proudly shared the fame.

They modeled their unselfish ways to kids, Jamie and Bart,

Who shine on with the Daniel name, full of passion and of heart.

 

And last, and least, we must recall, the pets under their care.

The dogs, the steeds, a cat named tat, were also tendered there.

Whether riding on a barebacked horse or petting a mournful pup,

The menagerie was a part of life, part of an overflowing cup.

 

We, the mighty few who took refuge there are a lucky group indeed.

We found a place where love prevailed and urged us to succeed.

We found ourselves, with her help, of course, as she guided with her teaching.

Here advice was sound, on the nose in fact, and never felt like preaching.

 

Though not our mom, and no bloodline shared, it’s hard to believe that’s true,

We were lucky kids with a second mom, who loved us through and through.

We will miss you dear Ol Lady D, but we’ll raise our glasses high

To our Texas star, who raised our bar, we lovingly say goodbye!

                                                                                                            Steve Carroll

My Friend

December 2, 2012

In Spring of 1955 Chuck and I bought our first home, a small new 3 bedroom, two bath house, on Naomi Street, here in Redlands. A few months latter a family moved in across the street, they were from Texas . . . I don’t know if I had ever met anyone from Texas before.

From the beginning it was a good fit. They were teachers like me, Chuck and Jim shared a love for fishing, hunting, and the outdoors. They had a daughter, Jamie, who was just a few months younger than our three year old daughter Sharon.

A few months after the Daniels’ moved in Billie gave me a Baby Shower as I was expecting our second child. I remember how surprised I was that someone I had known for just a short time would do such a nice thing for me. I soon came to understand that was just Billie being Billie. Her life was filled with generosity given to family, friends, and strangers.

One day, about a year after our son Craig was born, Billie knocked on our front door smiling, all aglow, and exclaimed, “I have something to tell you!”
“You’re pregnant!” I replied, not waiting for her answer.
“Yes!” she said.
And We hugged.

The next August, Billie gave birth to a beautiful, bouncing, baby boy . . . Bart. The cast of characters for our little story was now complete. Billie made Sharon and Jamie matching outfits for their first day of kindergarten, and on their last day in high school they went to school together, again dressed in matching outfits. Bart and Craig’s mischievous exploits around Poppy Road are legendary in our family’s lore, they were in Boy Scouts, played Water Polo, and still vacation together with their wives every year. Whether hunting deer locally, fishing in Utah, or the annual expedition to Colorado to hunt elk, Jim and Chuck always partnered up. Through the years Billie and Shirley took the children to plays, Disneyland, and school activities.

Over the years our family bonds grew stronger. There were camping trips together and many memorable social events at 333 Poppy Road, where Billie was always a wonderful cook, and a perfect hostess. Through the highs and lows, the celebrations and crisis, the daily experiences of life, Billie radiated a quiet strength, a confidence, and a sincere caring, to all those around her. I found her to be an inspiring example of what it means to be a wife, a mother, a teacher, and a friend.

Blessed

November 28, 2012

I was lucky; the Daniel’s lived across the street from us when I was born. 
They were my second family, a positive presence always there.
As my #2 Mom, Billie bandaged my wounds, and comforted my soul. 

My first year at RHS, Billie offered to take me to school--even though she knew mornings were not my best time of the day.  Every morning she was there in the green campered Chevy pickup, coffee cup in hand, a twinkle in her eyes, and that unique smile that was all her own.  Because I was not yet conversational at that time of the morning, little was said, but I still remember it as being a really good way to start the day.

As a Junior I took Drama 1, feeling I needed to find out for myself what this Old Lady Daniel thing was all about.  At some point Billie suggested subtly that I might like reading and doing a play report on one of her favorite plays, Cyrano de Bergerac, by Edmond Rostand.   To only my surprise it ended up becoming one of my favorite plays too.  Billie knew I would make a connection with Cyrano, who lived life knowing that physical characteristics were insignificant, and a man’s true value comes from how he lives his life--every day.  I performed the nose soliloquy for my final project, but it was a different Cyrano speech that I still carry with me every day.   Here is part of that speech:

"I go caparisoned in gems unseen,
Trailing white plumes of freedom, garlanded
With my good name – no figure of a man,
But a soul clothed in shining armor, hung
With deeds for decorations, twirling – thus –
A bristling wit, and swinging at my side
Courage, and on the stones of this old town
Making the sharp truth ring, like golden spurs!"

Some teachers teach math, some teach history, and some teach drama. 
Billie George Daniel taught much more.

Kind, considerate friend and teacher

November 27, 2012

I think our families first met at the Methodist Church maybe about when our oldest daughters were in Jr. High or beginning high school.   Outside of Sunday, I don't believe Billie and I had much personal contact until we were both asked to help with the "Fractured Follies" -- a benefit to raise money for the Redlands Community Hospital.   Jean Geelan was co-chair. of that first Follies.  The director came from New York with his own show and musical score and we rehearsed solid for 3 weeks with community volunteers who performed as song & dance chorus people.  The five Follies were held in 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971, & 1973.  Billie danced in the chorus one year and was stage manager in another one -- I think it was 1971.  

In 1970 she called me and said:  "I think a high school of this size should be doing a musical but I don't know anything about the music side of the production.  Would you help me?"   I immediately said I'd be happy to do that.  She had also contacted two others to assist her:  Verne Cooney,  the assistant pastor in our church, and Amy Leeming, an actress from England living in Redlands.   Billie chose a small show "The Boy Friend" and wisely asked Amy to help as Amy had played the lead in this show in England.   This first show was given in Grace Mullen Auditorium as Clock was having some renovations done.  However, the show was so successful that she later repeated it in Clock.  This was the beginning of a long run of highly successful musicals Billie produced at Clock from l970 to l980.

Wilbur Showalter was the choral director for those first few years but he was reluctant to do this so I often ended up teaching the choral parts and I was so surprised one year to see my name listed as "choral director" in the program and that was so nice of Billie to recognize me that way.   I loved working with her.  I would always be there in Clock at 3:15 when school was out and would not even leave that piano bench sometimes until 9 or 10 at night and some nights later as I remember walking out with Billie at midnight.  She always had to stay late to clean up the place for classes the next morning.    We had this kind of schedule for 2 1/2 months -- that was the time she allotted for musicals.  I remember her saying once that the school was doing a study on the number of hours each teacher/department spent and they fully expected the results would show that the sports dept. would have the most hours because of all their extra after school activities, games, etc.   Well,  to everyone's amazement it was Billie's drama dept. that put in the most hours!   I wasn't surprised as I was there myself seeing that for ten years of her shows and loved every minute.

One of the most successful musicals she directed was "The Music Man" and she even used a LIVE horse on stage to pull the Wells Fargo Wagon!!   I think that show sold more tickets than any other which was pleasing to me as my daughter, Nancy, played the female lead of Marion, the librarian.  When the Associates of the Redlands Bowl needed a benefit that year, they asked Billie if she would produce "The Music Man" again but this time in the summer when school was out.  Billie, true to her fashion, agreed to produce the show again and again the show filled Clock auditorium for several nights.  It was really full -- the entire second balcony was even sold out & we were setting up card table chairs way up there at the top by the lighting booth!!  It raised a huge amount of money for the Bowl and all thanks were due to Billie -- it could not have been done without her!  And, of course she got no financial reward -- she donated all her time!

For the last renovation of Clock, my daughter, Nancy, and Billie were co-chair. so here was Billie (after retirement) still working for the drama dept.   My daughter was a good one to be a co-chair. as she often hit me for money!  I know we paid for all the carpeting and light fixtures throughout and I don't remember what else. This was something we could do so we were happy to help out.

Billie was such a very kind and considerate friend.  When we were rehearsing "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", I had to fly up to N. Dakota because of a family illness.  Billie understood the stress I was under at that time and she did such a lovely thing -- she dedicated that show to me and had my picture on the program along with her words of dedication.  A very kind and loving gesture on her part.  And that was Billie -- her heart was so large and full of love.   Those of us privileged to know her will never forget her and that's a terrific legacy for a super wonderful woman.  I considered it a privilege to work with her and will always remember her loving concern for everyone lucky enough to know her.

Sincerely,

Harriet Talbert

The Best Christmas Ever

November 14, 2012

            I read the comments about Billie, and saw the limit: 392 characters.  And I’m thinking, 392 characters – that’s approximately how many days I lived under Jim and Billie’s roof, with their children, Bart and Jamie.  Well, 392 characters just won’t cut it, so I needed the story page. 

            Jim and Billie had a friend named Harold McDaniel, who started a program called Upward Bound.  I was, literally, a nobody from nowhere, working at San Bernadino City Garage, for $40 a week, most of which went into glue to sniff.  I found myself in the middle of the parking lot, surrounded by buses, with absolutely no idea how I got there.  I ran out of glue, so I sniffed gasket sealer glue instead.  At the age of 17, I was rapidly on the way to destroying myself.  If it wasn’t for Upward Bound and my being introduced to Jim and Billie after the program, this story would not be being written.

            They took me in, enrolled me in Redlands High School, gave me the same rules and the same freedoms as their children.  I couldn’t understand why.  Here I was, in the most beautiful surroundings I’d ever been in, in my life, being respected by somebody that didn’t even know me.  (I’m not preaching, but I think they understood that those that are well do not need physicians, only those that are sick.)  Mine was a broken heart, and they saw it.  I became part of their family.  That could not have been easy for them.  It was a time in their life of great stress, but you’d never have known it.  They never let me know it.  They just loved me, nurtured me, brought me back to life, and made me believe I could pull the sword out of the rock.  That house became my Camelot.  I’ve never had to consult my address book to remember 792-2962, and I’ve always known that the doors of 333 Poppy Rd were open to me. 

Many years later (about 1985), married, with two little boys, we’d run across a patch of hard luck, and became food vendors, selling fresh roasted peanuts and yogurt shakes.  We’d decided to spend the winter in Quartsite, AZ at the gem and mineral show.   Everybody loved our peanuts, at least the aroma.  But if you could find a person there under 65, without dentures, to buy a bag of peanuts, you were lucky.  We had come to our wit’s end, and Christmas was coming on.  Billie and Jamie came to visit, and invited us for Christmas.  Now I hadn’t seen them for years, but it didn’t seem to make a difference.  It was like we were just picking up where we’d left off a week ago, but now we had our two boys.  We didn’t have any money to go Christmas shopping, but just being there was enough for the boys.  Jim and Billie fell in love with them. Billie taught Bobbin how to make Christmas stockings, and set her loose in her well stocked sewing room. Billie and Jamie entertained us with a private performance of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”.

 On Christmas morning, there were not just presents in the stockings, but under the tree, for the boys and us too!  Among the presents were new Birkenstock sandals to replace our worn-out ones.  How did they know the size?  The numbers had long been worn off.  Turned out they had ‘borrowed’ them while we were sleeping and made templates to match at the Birkenstock store! 

            I guess the ending of what I’m trying to say can be found in the Bible, Proverbs 31:10-31, about the virtuous woman.  I think, on that Sunday morning, when Billie passed, God was smiling when he met her. 

 

Love, Peter and Bobbin and the children

A Great Teacher - A Great Lady

November 11, 2012

Billie has been an inspiration to me since I first met her over 30 years ago. She was tough but was so loving and unselfish. She helped so many people get through some of the most difficult times in their lives, both in and out of class, and she did it with the utmost respect.

I had the pleasure of visiting with her along with 2 other RHS drama classmates back in July. She didn't know who we were but we had a wonderful time bringing up memories for her. Her words were minimal but her sassy haircut and little glimmer of a smile or a wink that came through when we brought up Throckmorton or how good looking Jim was was all who she ever was and it was beautiful.

What I discovered after that visit was, once again being the great teacher, she taught me in just one quiet afternoon that it's the process of the journey not the end that makes you a better person and that you must give it all you have, no wimping out. Thanks for your ever constant teachings, Billie. You are in my heart forever.

Respect

November 10, 2012

  During the sixties, Billie Daniel was the teacher who taught me so much by how she treated us....the teenagers who were dealing with assasinations, the Vietnam War, and the general turmoil of the times.  Billie taught me by trusting me.....a friend was leaving for Vietnam, and for the first time in my life, I realized how serious his departure was.  She let me leave her class, and I think, she lent me her car to drive to his house to have a proper good-bye.  On another note, the junior class used to cook dinner at Billie's house for the seniors in the drama department.
She trusted me in terms of the recipe I proposed, gave me money to shop at Sage's for the dinner, again with the loan of her car.  And finally, many years later, my husband and I, living in Carmel, received a phone call from Billie.  She and Jim were attending  conference at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, and she asked if they could stop by for a visit.  Of course, they could, and we were so honored that they took the time and had the interest to visit with us and our boys.  A truly amazing woman, Billie Daniel!

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