Lodi

On social media in the Philippines, the word "lodi” is a popular interjection, a fad at the moment. It is actually "idol" spelled in reverse. It is used as an exclamation or an ovation punctuated by, “Wow!” 

That’s exactly how I’d describe Lodi (pronounced lo-dye), my second favorite city in the US, the other being the place where son #2, his wife, and son live.

Lodi is best known for being a center of wine-grape production that earned its nickname, Wine Country. But there are many other plantations there as well. Driving to the center of the city, you behold endless farms and ranches—as far as the eye can see.

The city’s commercial area is quaint, reminiscent of the places of old America, described in many novels. If you are a wine lover, you can go to a wine store and have a taste, with diced or sliced cheese.

During weekdays, the tree-lined roads are almost deserted, a perfect setting for a sentimental homecoming of a long, lost love; or where one finds grace swirling with the wind in wide open spaces.

Lodi makes you wax poetic.

Or perhaps, I am just a small-town girl at heart. And Lodi makes me re-experience the days when the air was cleaner, the sky was bluer, and the people, kinder. 

“And I'll stride freely through wide open spaces as I look for your truth and your wisdom; Then I'll tell the world what I find, speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed.” Psalm 119:45-46 (MSG)