April 13: Dedicated to New Jersey

My socially solo physically distant 

"I didn't expect to be able to walk today 

due to dangerous weather advisory 
from 6 am to 6 pm 

so I worked on cleaning up our patio instead" 

is dedicated to New Jersey. 

State of my birth. 

State where I lived until I left for college 

(after that I moved to NYC)

State where my mom lived from 1963 until her death, 

just 18 days after 9/11. 

 

The Garden State. 

(Shut up! 

There are good reasons why that's Jersey's nickname. Have you ever tasted a Jersey tomato? I rest my case.) 

Bruce Springsteen. 

"Jersey Girl" (by Tom Waits, not Bruce). 

Yeah. I'm a Jersey Girl. 

As of April 7, there were 208 COVID-19 cases 

and 15 deaths in Livingston, where we lived. 

Other municipalities have it worse, I know.

But this, for me, is close to home.