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I don’t think of it as being ‘Stuck in Lodi’ Tania Azzam Hutchins We’ve all heard the song, “O Lord, stuck in Lodi again!” When I moved to Lodi back in 1985, my older brother would tease me about that song. At first I took it good-naturedly. After all, there aren’t a lot of towns with their own “theme song,” right? But when the joking persisted, I decided to show my brother just what it meant to be “stuck in Lodi.” Every four years, it is my turn to host Christmas for my side of the family. Each of us tries to go all-out and present a Christmas that has the usual components of food and gifts — but contains elements of fun as well. So, as my time once again rolled around, I devised a plan. I would discover some interesting facts about this town and showcase them for the holidays! First, because my brother had been startled by the train coming down the center of Lodi Avenue, I placed a toy train track down the center of the dining table. Next, to represent the vineyards found throughout this community, I draped silk grapevines as garland around the house. Then I discovered some interesting facts about some of the local businesses. For example, A&W Root Beer had gotten its start in this town; Bruno’s Peppers had a business here; and everyone knows that General Mills is a prominent business in this area. So, I made up “treat bags” for each guest. The bags contained such things as boxes of General Mills cereal, jars of Bruno’s Peppers and bottles of A&W Root Beer. Several years ago Lodi used to hose an annual Labor Day picnic called Field and Fair Day. Fortunately for me, the theme for that particular year was “Stuck in Lodi, and We Love it!!” When I explained my plans for the holidays, I was able to obtain several of the promotional buttons. These were given out to each guest to be worn during the festivities. I also went to the Chamber of Commerce and got some “special” items such as a pin and baseball cap that toted the Lodi logo on them. These items were given to my older brother in particular. Christmas was a lot of fun that year. Everyone had a good time, but also learned something about the community where I live. My brother even provided mood music by bringing me a cassette tape which had been taped with repetitive versions of the Credence Clearwater Revival song that had prompted our friendly jesting! There is a subtle irony behind the entire story as well. Not only do I currently live in livable, lovable Lodi, the inspiration for the CCR song, but when I married my husband in 1987 my new last name happens to be one that anyone from around this area easily associated with Lodi. You see, my last name happens to be Hutchins — just like the street in Lodi. Lodinews Home | News | Sports
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