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!"

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

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.