Life in Lodi

Life in Lodi: It’s Finally Come to This

February 15, 2010

It’s been a long time coming. Many years, in fact. After all, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the denomination of which I was a member for the first 50 years of my life, has been discussing, debating, and postponing taking a stand on the issue of sexual orientation for more than 20 years. For […]

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Signs of the Times: No One Escapes the Economic Crisis

January 4, 2009

No one is immune from the impact of America’s current economic crisis. Last night I enjoyed dinner and conversation with a group of long-time friends. We decided to enjoy Chinese food from our favorite take-out restaurant, Chop Chop, a Lodi Avenue fixture for more than 40 years. We gathered at the home of one friend […]

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I Heard the “D” Word on Christmas Day (Part One)

December 25, 2008

“The loss of a place isn’t really so different from the loss of a person. Both disappear without permission, leaving the self diminished, in need of testimony and evidence.” (Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo) In The Power of Place, published on September 3, 2008, Becca challenged her readers to “write about a place you’ve […]

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Remembering 9/11

September 11, 2008

That’s what Alan Jackson asked us in song shortly after September 11, 2001.

Each year, the anniversary brings back the memories, images and sense of being unable to awaken from a horrifying nightmare.

For us Baby Boomers, there have been a lot of moments during our lives which cause us to periodically query each other about our memories and perceptions of world-altering events. Where were you when …

John F. Kennedy was assassinated?
Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated?
Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated?
Neil Armstrong walked on the moon?
Nixon resigned?
John Lennon died?
Ronald Reagan was shot?
the space shuttle exploded?
the 1989 quake hit?

“Where were you when the first plane hit?” Note that no one ever asks quizzically, “What plane?”

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Signs of the Times

September 1, 2008

~~ One of the Top 5 Picks of the September 5, 2008, WOOF Contest Contestants ~~ I saw it coming, but made up my mind I would hold out until BigBob said something. And then, a few weeks ago, he asked the question: “Is there really any point in continuing to subscribe to the newspaper?” […]

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An Independence Day Reflection: “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…”

July 4, 2008

I have an ongoing love-hate relationship with “the little village of Lodi,” as Paul Zimmerman referred to it regularly when writing about local events in the Lodi News-Sentinel while I was growing up here in the 1960’s and ’70’s. Last night was our annual “Celebrate America” event at Hutchins Street Square. You couldn’t ask for a […]

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Life in Lodi: The Village Has a Real, Live Hero

May 13, 2008

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a “hero” is a “person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.” There is a genuine hero residing right here in the little village of Lodi. Sam Huffman is just 20 years old, but fellow Lodian and […]

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Life in Lodi: The Pickle Makes Small Town News

April 3, 2008

Remember Lodi’s dancing pickle featured on Wordless Wednesday on February 26, 2008? A couple of weeks ago, this blurb appeared in the Lodi News-Sentinel’s Cop Log: A pickle — the dancing human kind who works for Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop — was blocking traffic. An officer arrived and advised the pickle. On Tuesday evening, as part of […]

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Happy Birthday to Livable, Lovable Lodi

August 27, 2006

There were big doings in the little village known as “Livable, Lovable Lodi” this past weekend. The city celebrated its 100th birthday and there were lots of activities commemorating that milestone. I participated in three of them: The Lodi Community Band performed at the kick-off ceremony at the historic Lodi Train Depot on Saturday morning […]

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