From the Second-Story Roof’s Eave

In the 1970s our home had one rotary phone on Dad’s desk. We were not allowed to use it without permission. Sometimes when I had finished all my chores, I would ask Mom if I could call my best friend, Jenea, who lived next door, to see if she wanted to come over and hang out. Mom would tilt her head to the side and ask why I wouldn’t just run next door. Most days I did just that. However, sometimes Mom would let me sit in Dad’s oversized office chair and call Jenea from the rotary phone.  

My fingers would meticulously dial each number: 3 7 4 2 2 2 8. I would wait in great anticipation as it began to ring. Once Jenea answered, we would talk for a while as I spun around in Dad’s chair – feeling like I was a super important person having a super important conversation. Moments after hanging up, I’d sprint outside to meet Jenea!

For many years, I shared a large second-story bedroom with two of my sisters. One summer, Mom shook up the bedroom assignments and I was assigned to the bedroom with a second-story window facing Jenea’s second-story bedroom next door. It wasn’t long before we realized that with an open window to let a few breezes in, we could hear each other talking. Bedtime became one of my favorite times of the day. Jenea never understood why it was so early, but she would head up to her room when I went to mine and we would talk to each other each evening. Sometimes it was a bit hard to hear each other as we were trying not to talk too loudly for fear of being muted by parental forces.  
I realized at (too) young of age how simple it was to remove the screen from the window and climb out onto the second story roof eave. We talked every night for what seemed like hours. I felt safe perched on the roof eave and at peace divulging my deepest thoughts to my friend.

During this time, my spiritual progression was focused on learning that prayer is communication between us as children on earth and our Father in Heaven. I experienced this as we prayed together as a family in our home multiple times each day. 

My parents wanted each of us to try and understand how personal the relationship can become between us and God. The concept became crystal clear to me once praying was likened to talking with a good friend. I learned we can tell Heavenly Father anything we want and that He loves to hear about the things that make us happy and the things we are worried about. I could easily nod in understanding. This is EXACTLY how I talked to Jenea each night.

As summer came to an end, I received another bedroom reassignment. It turns out nighttime roof chats had been reported to a couple of parents and with school beginning soon, apparently my bedtime routine needed to be altered…  

I had been challenged to try praying to Heavenly Father as if I was talking to a friend. With my nightly ritual of discussing EVERYTHING with a friend being abruptly modified, I was willing to try talking to my Father in Heaven instead of Jenea. It was different, and yet the peace I felt in talking over my joys, struggles and all things in between was comforting. I loved the familiar feeling that Someone out there thought I was important, and that my thoughts, hopes, struggles, and dreams were worth listening to…

-JC

Andes Mints Topped Chocolate Sugar Cookies

1 cup soft butter
½  cup vegetable oil
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
¾ cup cocoa (I use 6 Tablespoons regular, 6 Tablespoons dark)
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter, oil  and sugars with an electric mixer on medium-high for 1 minute or until fluffy. Hand stir in eggs and vanilla; don’t overmix. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until fully incorporated. Add 2-3 Tablespoons more flour for high elevation. Scoop out approximately 24+ 2” balls of dough. For a richer flavor and smoother texture, form cookie dough balls, flatten slightly and refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake. Place on greased or parchment paper on an aluminum cookie sheet.  
Bake at 350 degrees for 12+  min. 
Immediately pull from oven and place 2 Andes Mints on top of each cookie. Place a drizzle of white melting disks melted and mixed with a few drops of green food coloring onto melted Andes mint. Swirl with the back of a spoon. Let set. Share!