Protest is not the opposite of peace.   
Violence is not the answer.
Violence breeds violence which breeds more violence....which increases animosity and distrust which increase the likelihood that the types of situations that spawn protests will occur. 
And the downward spiral continues.
Violence exacerbates the problems it purports to protest. 

Anger at injustice is natural and right. injustice should upset us.
Violence is not the answer.
Peaceful protests have changed the world.
Gandhi.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jesus Christ.
There are non-violent solutions to the our nationś problems.

​We are a civilized society.   There are civil solutions.
Our laws are just.   And, if  they are not just, there are ways to change them.
Let us be ruled by laws, not mobs.
Give justice a chance to take her course. 
Let us contribute to the solution, not to the problem.

COVID blessings continue to accumulate on the Hislop Happy Half-Acre.    

For years (maybe four years….), every time we get a heavy rain a water spout develops right over our bed.    Because cuddling with a bucket is less than ideal (nearly impossible, in fact), nocturnal rainstorms evict us from our bedroom.   Fortuitously we live in a desert (UT is the third driest state in the USA) so this does not happen very often.    But still….

But, as an indirect result of COVID, not any more.   Motivated by a dripping ceiling and enabled by a titch of free time, Lance solicited bids from a variety of roofers.  Now, thanks to a Latino crew with a reasonable bid and a strong work ethic, we have a new roof.   

For years (more than four) our bathroom has needed painting.  The paint on the wall behind the sink was gone and the baseboards could not be cleaned.    Now, as a direct result of COVID, our bathroom is brilliant white again.   [Notice the baseboards behind the smoking toilet...They were bad!]   With his additional time, Lance found a gallon of white paint when he organized the under-the-stairs storage space.   Chick, who is awake during normal hours now because his graveyard shift at AutoLiv has been cancelled until at least June, painted the ceiling and walls.  And I, motivated by the fact I did not have to buy paint and empowered by Chickś help, tackled the baseboards.

For years and years and years (more than a decade) we have played with the idea of putting a coin-operated grain dispenser (like the ones they have at the zoo) at the bottom of our pasture.   [A well used, paved walking/bike trail parallels the south end of our property; people consistently stop to interact with our animals.]  Thanks indirectly to COVID, that happened.    Grace, who has lots of time now to scout ksl.com, found a double-sided candy dispenser for sale and brought it home.   Every day Grace puts grain in the right dispenser and big bubble gum balls in the left one.  For $0.25 trail goers can either buy grain to feed the sheep or get a gum ball.   The grain side is empty every day but it seems to be giving lots of grain for the quarter.   Saturday there were 2 quarters on the grain side and $4.75 on the bubble gum side. She is making a slight profit on the gum.  Somehow she convinced me to buy the grain so its cost does not appear on her spread sheet.  More than money, she LOVES seeing people interact with her sheep and the value of her joy far exceeds the price of the machine, the gum, and the grain.

Also for years (three years to be exact) our carpet has needed cleaning.  We have to clean the carpets when outside temperatures are at least 65 degrees F because the plants have to out to make room for the carpet cleaner to come in.  I simply did not get around to it two years ago and last year I had to cancel it because I injured my thumb and could not move the plants out.   This year my thumb works and, thanks to COVID, I also have plant-hauling helpers so, thanks to Clean Green Carpet Company, I now have clean carpets.  

Best of all, thanks directly to COVID, all of my immediate family is under the same roof and awake at the same time.  Grace does her virtual receptionist job from a bedroom in our basement.   Chick helps Grandpa at his cabin, Grandad in his garden, and me paint bathrooms and roof facia as he collects unemployment.   Miles does virtual school in our living room, will start his virtual internship with Hill Air Force Base on June 1st, and runs, literally, every day in preparation for cross country season.   Lance and I teach at our respective junior highs via computer and teach each other literally via experience.  (Twenty-five years of marriage and we are still very much learning how to do it.)  And, most recently, the cancelation of Utah´s Shakespeare Festival brought Tanah home.   She is learning to love living in our basement and we already love having her here.   [Incidentally, she is actively job hunting so if you know of anyone who is hiring beautiful, talented young adults, please let me know.]

Yes, yes, yes.   We are still counting our COVID blessings and the balance is definitely in our favor.    We thank God for our blessings….and we pray for those whose COVID blessing balance is not so favorable.   God bless us all!

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