In New Jersey, there is the most loyal reader in America for this website. My home page Stats function shows the countries and map regions where people have viewed these pages, and the map suggests that someone in your state keeps showing up. Or maybe it’s all of your neighbors, and y’all are taking turns? Thank you! As Dr. Jordan Peterson says, That’s not nothing.

And, not to worry: the state and map area is all I know about you, or any of you. This is a very small potato blog with a tiny readership. Being noticed in any way by anybody anywhere is something to cherish. After a day at work, it’s a source of wonder to come home and log in to the world map stats and think Oh look. Hello New Jersey!

By the way, The Garden State has a special place in childhood memory. Back on Long Island, Mom & Dad took car drives on Sundays. A very early recollection is going all the way out to some New York scenic overlook, maybe on the Hudson River, to a picnic place with mounted binoculars. You could drop in a dime and turn a crank and the binoculars would show you five minutes of the Jersey shore! While the little timer ticked we took turns with the viewfinder and exclaimed at how pretty it all was way over there.

New Jersey: a pay-per-view state! How special is that? I dreamed of going there one day with pockets full of dimes, enough to view all of the sights. Some day.

Dear New Jersey Reader: Thank you for keeping the light on out there. I’ll aspire to keep this light on here too.

Blessings, Mary