by Gail Jackson

Merry Christmas to Desert Saints readers and friends. May 2008 be filled with wonderful new reaching outs, adventures and opportunities. Especially may you have peace in your hearts. Peace that is offered by the Lord. Peace that is so increasingly needed as the world around us becomes increasingly unpeaceful.

With greatly mixed feelings Dave and I have decided that this should be my last column. I am simply too busy living life to write about it. It has been a wonderful five and one-half years writing for Desert Saints Magazine and working with the Ellis family. It has been a growing and rewarding opportunity. It has been fun!

I entered marriage, 45 years ago, totally unprepared for the realities of homemaking and child rearing. I could sew. I couldn’t cook. I had never babysat. While not wealthy, money had never been an issue. I was a new convert to the Church. Homemaking meetings, now Enrichment meetings, taught me much. Necessity taught me more! Six children in 11-1/2 years! Money has always been an issue. I have tried to share what I have learned through my columns, classes, and short books. All simple.

I have shared our family’s ups and downs over the years with the hope that by sharing the bad as well as the good, there would be something offered in the column that might touch, teach and help you with your situations. I’d like to leave you with an update of where things currently stand with the family members we have mentioned at one time or another— subject to change at any moment as we all know.

As the end of our two years as family history missionaries approached, Dave and I wondered what was in store for us. We didn’t wonder long. Before our release date we were called as service missionaries to work in the Humanitarian Room at the St. George Deseret Industries. We ended one mission on Saturday and started the next on Monday.
We have gone from serving the dead to serving the living – both situations where individuals are in great need. Serving the Lord is wonderful!

Our son Brin, who we have written about in past columns by me and articles by Dave, just received his two year chip from Alcoholics Anonymous. Both our son and AA are wonderful. As his body has been purged, we have seen his fogged mind clear. We know sobriety is taken and treasured one day at a time and we continue prayerful and cautiously hopeful. We have nothing but admiration for those who face these terrible addictions and work towards overcoming them. We will be forever grateful to the drug court program and on-going counseling provided for those in crisis. Utah does not just “throw away” their addicts. Utah really tries to help.

While Brin is no longer in drug court, we continue to work with its family support group and its members. Dave’s small book for loved ones of those suffering from addictions “The Best Help is No Help,” which evolved from a Sacrament Meeting talk on agency and accountability, continues to have a life of its own, making its way to several states. We have it printed on demand and are up to 300 copies. We feel it was inspired and pray it is offering some guidance.

Our two, still single, screenwriter sons have submitted a film to the Sundance Festival and have their fingers tightly crossed. They haven’t sold a script in a couple of years and are getting mighty hungry. It has been fascinating watching them learn and grow in the crazy movie business.

The three oldest children and their families are well and busy. Our 10 grandchildren all play soccer, as did our five sons. The oldest is a senior and the youngest just turned four.
Dave still plays with all of them every chance he gets although they take it a little easy on him these days. I used to worry about him dropping dead on the field but finally decided that he would at least die happy. When I mentioned it he said he’d only be happy if he were shooting a goal at the time.

For years I worried about possibilities or what if’s. I have finally (usually) learned to appreciate each day and take them as they come. I trust the Lord. I try to make the most of each opportunity and to be thankful for the moment. This is where my happiness lies. I love life.

And I love cookies! Here is a very simple recipe with almost endless variations. Enjoy.

1 - 18-1/4 oz box Betty Crocker Super Moist cake mix, any flavor (I’m sure any brand will work)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir, by hand, dry cake mix, oil and eggs in a large bowl until dough forms.
3. Roll balls in powdered sugar and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cooking sheets. (The dough is sticky so you can also dust your hands with the powdered sugar if desired, and you actually form the dough into a ball rather than rolling it into one.)
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until center is just set. They will not look done but if you cook them until they do, they will be hard.
5. Remove from pans after a minute or so and cool on wire racks.

If any are left over, store them in a zip lock bag to keep them soft. I have had success with freezing them.

Applesauce can replace the oil or half of the oil. The spice mix with all applesauce replacement was great. They state applesauce or half applesauce and half oil also works well with the other flavors but I can’t vouch for that. I have so far tried devil’s food, lemon, strawberry and cherry chip. We loved them all. I have added chips to some. Nuts to others. Someone mentioned adding quick oats or raisins, too.