Oft in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Fond memory brings the light
Of other days around me.(1)

Memories...we like them...and we need them. And as those words of Thomas Moore remind us, we are comforted and instructed by them. That is why a day such as this is a GOOD day.

I have WONDERFUL memories of Oakdale. I remember our first night together - a covered dish dinner, our Erin just one week old (and now a sophomore in high school), and Emily Beamguard insisting that I sing. I remember that Christmas party and the incredible gift of the television for our den. You were aware that I had gotten wind of it prior to the big night, so you wrapped up a junk TV, and had it dropped with a great crash as it was being brought in. Big laughs all around. Then the REAL TV (suppose…