ONE BAD APPLE DISH

Marie's Salad

2012-01-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

Dissolve:
1 - 3 ounce package of raspberry gelatin
1 cup hot water

Add, including juice:
1 package of frozen raspberries

Allow to set in large, flat dish.

Meanwhile, dissolve and chill until syrupy:
1 - 3 ounce package raspberry gelatin
1 cup hot water

When the first gelatin is set, spread with 1/4 " layer of sour cream. Pour second batch of gelatin on top and set.

When ready to serve cut in squares and top with:
Spoonful of sour cream
Pecan nuts

Jay's Drum Solo

2012-01-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you David!

2012-01-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Wayne and I want to thank David Osmond, son of Alan and Suzanne Osmond, so much for filling in while Wayne is recuperating. David is not only handsome, bright, and multi-talented but also our genuine, down-to-earth nephew. We also want to thank Valerie, his wife, for being such a great support. Valerie is so gorgeous, sweet and personable but also an amazing entertainer herself. Wow! She can really sing too! We love you both!

Amy's Article is on Divine Caroline!

2012-01-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Amy is really excited that they posted her article on DivineCaroline.com
If you like her article she would really love it if you would click "LIKE" on the website.

CLICK HERE to view Amy's Article on DivineCaroline.com

Crazy Wayne's Still Crazy!

2012-01-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

How do you like this attire? Michelle helped Wayne pick out his shirt on a Caribbean cruise, Joe and Michelle bought him the pants to match while on their trip to Equator and someone gave him the hat that matches perfectly. It would be fun to discover who gave Wayne the fun hat. Does anyone know?

Wayne's checking on the tool sale that ends at Sears tonight.

Wayne is home!

2012-01-24T23:14:00.003-07:00

Wayne came home from the hospital today and is doing great! Grandpa gave man's best friend, Rascal to Noah. Noah said that Rascal HAD to sleep with him so he wouldn't be scared. (Sometimes he is scared of the noise the trees make outside his bedroom window).

Later Sarah checked on Noah and this is how she found him.

So cute!

Jimmy and Jay Brighten the Day!

2012-01-23T22:56:00.001-07:00

Sarah and I were visiting with Wayne today at the hospital when in popped Jimmy and Jay with man's best friend. Wayne has been getting some tests done and the great news is . . . He's still CANCER FREE!!! We'd also like to thank Merrill so much for changing his busy schedule to join The Brothers for the next few shows to give Wayne some time to recuperate. Wayne's keeping the hospital staff in stitches. Ha!

Thank you so much for your concern and prayers!

Kate Perry and Russell Brand: What Went Wrong?

2012-01-18T23:58:00.000-07:00

By Amy Osmond Cook

The fairy tale marriage of Katy Perry and Russell Brand is over, fourteen months after it began. Katy and Russell join the ranks of celebrities whose wedding nuptials were . . . temporary. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries lasted only 72 days. Britney Spears and Jason Alexander lasted two.

We’ve all heard a jumble of less-than-educated guesses as to why many celebrity relationships don’t last: “They spend too much time apart.” “They have sex scenes with other people.” “They’re too obsessed with themselves.” “They only care about fame.” But what are the real reasons for so many celebrity break-ups?

According to Judith Wallerstein and Sandra Balkeslee, authors of The Good Marriage: How and Why Love Lasts, all good marriages have one thing in common: Both partners feel respected and cherished.

In a study of 50 married couples who described themselves as “happily married,” Wallerstein identified nine building blocks that created a foundation for a good marriage, which we can condense into three major take-home recommendations for a happy relationship: (1) create your own space; (2) fireproof; and (3) go organic.

Create Your Own Space

Happy couples carve out their own little piece of the universe—a place where onlythey have the final say. They listen to mom-in-law pontificate about the advantages of hardwood floors, but choose carpet if their partner has a penchant for shag.

Happy couples enjoy each other’s company but support independent hobbies. They watch Vampire Diaries together—of which separate viewing constitutes a personal betrayal—but also welcome independent golf trips and weekends at the spa. In essence, they build togetherness, but foster autonomy.

Katy and Russell certainly had autonomy, but they had trouble staking a claim and prospecting together in the gold rush of marriage. Katy’s parents may have been toxic. Russell may have sown his seed in places it didn’t belong. But certainly, as time went on, it became clear that the couple didn’t have a real sense of “place.” They failed to make the transition from “you and me” to “us.”

Fireproof

To prevent a house from burning down, you take certain precautions. You blow out the candles before you leave the room. You don’t leave the dishrag next to the gas stove. And you certainly don’t let your three-year-old play with matches.

Happy couples fireproof a relationship in much the same way. They create a safe place for conflict by avoiding inflammatory communication like name calling, stonewalling, or derogation. They deal with an issue specifically and avoid making blanket statements. Pizza on the wall after Monday Night Fooball? Game on. But it doesn’t snowball into, “You don’t pull your weight in this relationship.” And the pizza on the wall five years ago after a bachelor party? Off-limits.

As Katy and Russell’s marriage progressed, it was clear that they lacked fireproofing skills. According to Rick Mahr, a music executive and friend of Katy, their communication skills needed an overhaul—they fought almost every time they were together. It was clear that their reactions to life’s stresses were creating a wedge (not the hoped-for solidarity happy couples experience) as they spent more and more time apart, even on holidays.

Go Organic

There’s something about growing your own food that makes you appreciate nature’s magic. It’s exciting to see the first tendril break ground, then another, and another. And when those sorry little tomato plants in chipped clay pots are weighed down with ripe, red fruit—well, that’s something to celebrate, especially when you find out how much better homegrown tomatoes taste than their store-bought lookalikes.

Much the same way, happy couples know that a relationship needs constant nurturing—emotional, sexual, and social—to grow. If even one of these areas is neglected, the relationship can become diseased and die. Happy couples rally when they’re really too tired for sex, because their partner is in the mood. They say, “You do not look fat in those jeans” for the thousandth time and still manage to sound sincere. And they laugh at the same old story that their partner has been telling at parties for years, even when everyone else groans.

It is clear that Katy and Russell felt passionately about each other; but their frequent fighting and long stints apart prevented them from cultivating a relationship in which they both felt respected and cherished. (Russell’s tweeting of unflattering pictures of his wife probably didn’t help matters, either.) Their relationship withered because they weren’t able to give it the nutrients it needed to grow.

Conclusion

Now, there’s no doubt that Katy and Russell are exceptional people. They exude talent, personality and charm. Perhaps the time wasn’t right for this couple to make a go of it, or perhaps they still have more to learn about creating happy relationships. But we can learn from their all-too-public divorce. Create a space for your relationship, fireproof it, and cultivate it into something special.

Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D. is a faculty associate at Arizona State University, where she teaches Communication and English classes. She is the publisher of Sourced Media Books and co-author ofHope After Divorce and Full Bloom: Cultivating Success. Amy and her husband, Jeff, have five children. For more information about Amy, please visit amyosmondcook.com.

CLICK HERE to visit the original post and please click "Like" if you enjoyed the article.

Wonky's Book Worms

2012-01-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

THE TREE OF LIFE

One of my favorite parts of our reading was the vision that Lehi and Nephi saw in a dream and the interpretation. Above is an artist's depiction of the vision.

I want to apply this vision in my life. The rod is the word of God and I must hold on to the commandments taught by the prophets of God and the scriptures. Only when I hold on to the rod, walk on the straight and narrow path and don't let go, can I gain the love of God through the atonement and receive Eternal life.

I need to be careful that I don't get led off of the path by the vain imaginations and pride of the world or by those that aren't keeping the commandments like found the people in the large and spacious building. I need to make sure that I don't let go of the rod because of wickedness and fall into the depths of the river or the depths of hell. I need to hold on tightly to the rod and not be blinded by the mists of darkness or the temptations of the devil.

I can receive the strength to withstand persecution and not be ashamed by staying on the straight and narrow path, holding on to the rod, and by studying and following all the commandments of God. When I do get off of the straight and narrow path or let go of the rod of iron, I need to quickly repent in order to get back on track and eventually I hope to be worthy through the atonement of Jesus Christ to receive the most sweet and most precious blessing that we can receive which is receiving Eternal Life and living with God again.

Vote for Nathan!

2012-01-14T18:46:00.001-07:00

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR NATHAN

"Laugh Lines" for the Kindle and Nook

2012-01-13T14:47:00.001-07:00

Today is a lucky day! Wayne and I celebrate every Friday the 13th because we were married on Friday the 13th. Wayne's book "Laugh Lines" is available for the Kindle and Nook today. Take a look! What a perfect day for the book to become available for the Kindle and Nook on Amazon.com.

CLICK HERE to go directly to "Laugh Lines." You can look inside the book and read a couple of chapters or find a joke to tell your friends tonight. Thank you Amy and Sourced Media Books for making this available to us.

"Kathy's Book Worms"

2012-01-10T23:30:00.003-07:00

For Christmas all the kids and grand kids gave me a Kindle. Since Wayne has an IPad that the kids gave him last year for Christmas, I probably wouldn't ever buy myself a Kindle. I love it! I've already read a couple of short books and downloaded a lot of other free books so I'll have plenty to read on the UK tour. If I have something to read, I don't get bugged with all the hurrying around to just sit and wait. Ha! I'll have something to do all the time. I bought a light to go on the top of the Kindle so I can read in the dark too. There usually isn't enough light at the venues to read backstage.

Mother Osmond had a big briefcase that she called her "busy box" and she always took it on tour with her. She included all kinds of different activities to keep herself busy. She would love to ride on the bus and cut out recipes from magazines, do a little needlework, write in her journal, etc. Now I know why she took it everywhere with her. She was never bored or annoyed.

When I put in the words "busy box" and "Olive Osmond" into the google search engine, the beautiful Sunshine and Happiness Marie doll came up as a link. This is one of Marie's beautiful porcelain dolls that has herself dressed in a contemporary costume with a busy box. I didn't know that Mother Osmond gave all her kids a busy box so they'd have something to do while traveling.

I asked Wayne about it and he said that he requested a briefcase to carry all his school books, assignments, and journal, etc. We probably have all done that for ourselves, our kids and/or grand kids but just never gave it a cute name like "busy box." Doesn't that make it sound fun!

Do any of you have a Kindle? What books have you downloaded that you love? Please share with us if you have read something that you think we would all enjoy. I did read some classics in Branson and on the Christmas tour using Wayne's IPad. Now I won't ever have to interrupt him from searching online for new tools or from doing his Sudoku puzzles.

Help us celebrate Jay's birthday!

2012-01-09T15:47:00.001-07:00

Are you having a birthday this year? Please join us for a celebration of Jay’s 57th birthday. . . and we’ll celebrate your birthday too! Vegas will also be the official kick-off for the The Osmond Brothers’ final 50-city tour in the U.K. Come join us following their shows at The Orleans.

When and Where:

Jay’s Birthday - Friday, March 2, 2012 (immediately following The Osmond Brothers 8:00 PM show) at The Orleans in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cost per Person:

$75.00 – Includes: Pizza, birthday cake, autographed photo birthday card from The Osmond Brothers and a birthday gift.

Activities:

The Osmond Brothers will be making the rounds – visiting each table of guests. We’ll play Osmond-themed games with prizes. There will be an exciting raffle you won’t want to miss. A listening party for a couple of the tracks on The Osmond Brothers new CD – all new material! And be a part of our Funky Hat Contest – create a hat that you wear to the party – make it

gorgeous, funny, give it a theme, get creative! A special prize will be awarded for the most outstanding hat creation.

Registration:

YOU MUST RSVP BY FEBRUARY 11 if you will be attending the Jay-riatric Celebration! E-mail terri@jayosmond.com by February 11th to reserve your spot at the event. Put JAY-RIATRIC CELEBRATION in your e-mail subject line, and include your full name in the body of the e-mail. (You may also contact Terri with any questions about the event.)

Payment:

Please make your payment online at www.osmondgeneralstore.com by February 11th!

A portion of your event ticket price will benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

Wonky's Book Worms

2012-01-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

How is your reading coming in the Book of Mormon? Wayne and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it again. Every time I read the scriptures something new pops out at me. There are so many different ways that I can apply what I have read this week to myself. I'll mention one way and hopefully you will mention some of the others in your comments.

Keeping the commandments of the Lord are so important. I must keep the commandments of the Lord if I am to understand the things of God and be blessed. Lehi was commanded by the Lord to take his family and leave Jerusalem. Lehi's sons, Laman and Lemuel were lacking in faith, had no desire to know of the mysteries of God, didn't know of the dealings of God, complained and didn't believe their father, Lehi.

Nephi had a great desire to know the mysteries of God and prayed to the Lord to know that what his father, Lehi, said was true and the Lord visited him and softened his heart that he did believe his father's words. Nephi also told his brother, Sam, what the Lord had manifested unto him and Sam believed Nephi. Laman and Lemuel wouldn't believe their father, Lehi, or their brother, Nephi.

How can these brothers be so different when they are all children of the same parents and in the same family?

One of the main differences was that Nephi always kept the Lord's commandments and Laman and Lemuel were like those wicked people that were left in Jerusalem.

"And thus Laman and Lemuel being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.

Neither did they believe that Jerusalem, that great city, could be destroyed according to the words of the prophets. And THEY WERE LIKE UNTO THE JEWS WHO WERE AT JERUSALEM, who sought to take away the life of my father."

Nephi prayed to the Lord in behalf of Laman and Lemuel because they didn't believe their father, Lehi or him. The Lord answered Nephi's prayer.

"And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.

And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands."

And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren." (1 Nephi 2:19-20, 22)

Because Nephi kept the commandments of the Lord he knew knew and understood the things of God and was blessed.

Please share a way you can apply what you have read this week to your life. Thank you.

The reading this week is 1 Nephi Chapters 8 thru 15.

Wonky's Book Worms and An Apple a Day Bunch

2012-01-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

NEW READING CHART

Pat mentioned in the comments that the reading chart doesn't have February 29th on it, so they have redone the chart.

CLICK HERE to go directly to the new chart.

HOW OLD ARE YOU REALLY?

Franki had a great suggestion to help our group, "An Apple a Day Bunch," with our healthy lifestyle changes.

CLICK HERE to take the REAL AGE test. I haven't had a chance to enter all my information in the test yet or I'm hesitant to see my real health age? Ha! I am going to do it! I think this will be really good to motivate and keep us on track with our healthy lifestyles along with helpful information and tips.

Thank you Pat and Franki!

So Cute!

2012-01-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

We had a fun and busy day with Noah and Emma while Sarah was working.

What Your Gifts Say About Your Relationship

2012-01-02T15:37:00.001-07:00

By Amy Osmond Cook

When it comes to gifts, I am an expert–at receiving them. I love gifts of any kind from other people. (No, I’m not going to buy myself a $285,000 pink Bentley like Paris Hilton did last year.) The problem is, when it comes to giving gifts, I am a nervous wreck.

Gift giving represents two things: (1) that you care about a person enough to give a gift, and (2) that you know a person well enough to give something that he or she will like. Mess one of those up, and it does some damage to your relationship.

Take, for example, the gift I gave to my husband five years ago. We were newly married, and I wanted to get him something personal and meaningful. He loves golf, and he’s a funny guy–so I thought the trick remote control golf ball (that you can move when your opponent is about to swing) was going to be a hit. I waited in anticipation as he opened the box and saw a momentary look of confusion before he masked it with a smile. He thanked me and said that he loved it, but the damage was done. In that one look, I knew that my gift had tanked.

Fast forward five years. After watching him play golf (a lot!) and listening to his golfing adventures with his buddies (a lot more!), I would never give him a remote control golf ball. I now know that, for him, the rules of golf are sacred. A serious golfer never tries to move an opponent’s ball–especially for a laugh. It violates one of the cardinal rules of sportsmanship. (So does laughing at someone when he shanks his shot — I found out the hard way!) My gift bombed because I didn’t know my husband well enough. I knew that he loved golf, but I missed the intricate details.

Stories like mine are a dime a dozen–a woman receives a vacuum cleaner from her husband, and she runs to her room and cries. A man receives a toolbox and feels ashamed that he doesn’t know how to use the tools inside. For better or worse, we attach special meaning to gifts, especially over the holidays. So if you want to put some currency in your partner's emotional bank account this holiday season, buy .

1. Something intimate. Take note if your partner voices his wish list for Christmas. If he cares enough to say what he actually wants, paying attention to that will make him feel valued and understood. If he doesn’t have a Christmas wish, try to find something that will have special meaning between the two of you. Still have those Angels tickets from your first date? Frame them!

You can also make a gift meaningful by giving to something your partner cares about. For example, many celebrities, like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, care deeply about charitable causes and prefer donations to their favorite charities to extravagant gifts.

2. Something valuable. Take this relatively. If you want to take your relationship to the next level, give your partner something that says, “You are so valuable to me, I would sacrifice anything to have you in my life.” That’s what women hear when their boyfriends buy them expensive jewelry or spend all day helping them cook. It’s not the money or the time, exactly–it’s the fact that someone would sacrifice to give them something beautiful or meaningful. You don’t have to be like Nick Cannon and buy your significant other a $400,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom or pull a Jude Law and buy your love a $200,000 diamond-and-sapphire ring, but it should be better than the pack of bubble gum my friend got from her boyfriend one year.

If you’re like me, gift giving is a nail-biting phenomenon. That said, if you give your partner something meaningful and valuable, you can move that relationship dial to the next level. Then again, you could always take your chances and buy a pair of two-person mittens that Chelsea Handler and Chuy are sporting this year!

Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D. is a faculty associate at Arizona State University, where she teaches Communication and English classes. She is the publisher of Sourced Media Books and co-author of Hope After Divorce and Full Bloom: Cultivating Success. Amy and her husband, Jeff, have five children. For more information about Amy, please visit amyosmondcook.com.

CLICK HERE if you like the article. Amy would love you to go to the original post and click on "LIKE." Thank you.

Scripture Challenge

2011-12-31T01:27:00.003-07:00

Can you read at least 1 scripture verse for 365 days straight in a row without missing???

Would you be interested in joining a scripture challenge group to help us read our scriptures every day? We will start on January 1st. Let's see who can go the longest time straight in a row without ever missing a day reading their scriptures. The minimum is to read at least 1 scripture verse a day. The day that you forget to read at least one verse, record how many days that you did read straight in a row and then start over. We'll see who can read the most days straight in a row during the year 2012.

If you are interested in participating, then comment below with your name so we know who wants to be included in the Scripture Challenge. That should get us in the habit of reading our scriptures every day.

To print off a full sized chart you can go to the link below. You might also like to enlarge this chart for even easier reading.

Click here to download the full sized chart. Thank you Julie for sharing!

An Apple a Day Bunch

2011-12-30T21:12:00.001-07:00

On Monday, January 2nd, I'm going to start keeping track of my healthy eating again. Anyone want to join me? I'm at an all time high because I haven't been keeping track of what I eat or how much and haven't been exercising either. Oh well, It's time to start over.

Since we are going to the UK for over 2 months I'm going to use the "Lose It" application on my IPhone to keep track of my food intake. I've been enjoying all kinds of fast food, catered food, snacks, etc. on the Christmas tour and it really wasn't worth it. That's easy for me to say now.

Any new ideas for me? Please post if you want to join me again on my healthy lifestyle journey. Hope you have all been doing better on your healthy lifestyle than I have been, especially during the holiday season.

Wonky's Book Worms

2011-12-30T03:14:00.013-07:00

BOOK OF MORMON
READING SCHEDULE

We are going to read 1 chapter a day or 7 chapters a week to be finished with the book by Wayne's Birthday in August.

(The Book of Mormon in the photo is an 1830 original edition.)

Nephi Chapters 1 - 22 (January 1 thru January 22rd)

2nd Nephi Chapters 1 - 33 (January 23th thru February 24th)

Jacob Chapters 1 - 7 (February 25th thru March 2nd)

Enos (March 3rd)

Jarom (March 4th)

Omni (March 5th)

Words of Mormon (March 6th)

Mosiah Chapters 1 - 29 (March 7th thru April 4)

Alma Chapters 1 - 63 (April 5th thru June 6th)

Helaman Chapters 1 - 16 (June 7th thru June 22nd)

3rd Nephi Chapters 1 - 30 (June 23rd thru July 30th)

4th Nephi (June 23rd)

Mormon Chapters 1 - 9 (June 24 thru August 1st)

Ether Chapters 1 - 15 (August 2nd thru August 16th)

Moroni Chapters 1 - 10 (August 17th thru August 26th)

CLICK HERE to read the Book of Mormon in English. To read in a different language, click on the same link and then go to the very top right hand of the page on the blue boarder and you will see the word LANGUAGES. Click on your native language to read and listen to the Book of Mormon.

There are also other options you can choose from to listen, print, or download the Book of Mormon on each chapter next to the text. Having someone else read the book to you while you follow along is really helpful if you aren't familiar with the pronunciations of the names in the Book of Mormon. I'm excited to go through the Book of Mormon with someone reading it to me so I will learn how to pronounce all the words correctly.

Wayne and I are excited to start reading the Book of Mormon on Sunday, New Years Day. We hope many of you will read along with us. Some of you who aren't members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seem nervous or hesitant to read the Book of Mormon but you will soon find that there is a special spirit that you will feel when you are reading the Book of Mormon just like you feel when reading the bible.

Please post a comment if you are going to participate and email us at wonkthedonk@gmail.com for any private concerns or doctrinal questions.

Happy New Year!!!

Share your Christmas with us!

2011-12-28T19:01:00.003-07:00

On Christmas afternoon my parents, sister, brother-in-law and anyone else in the White family that could come, met at our house. The big hit was a white elephant gift game. It's the first time that we have played with gifts, but have used candy bars before. Wayne and I went around the house and found items that we thought might be funny, fun or we didn't want or need anymore. We wrapped them up in colorful wrapping paper or gift bags with bows.

We put them all in the center of the family room and passed around two dice. You could pick a gift if you got doubles or the two dice added up to 7 or 11. We all watched while a person opened up a gift. The next person that got doubles or a 7 or 11 could take one of the gifts that had been opened or choose another gift in the center. When everyone had one gift they could trade with others.

Grandpa kept ending up with feminine gifts and it was pretty funny watching him try to trade with one of the girls. Before we started the game, everyone knew that they had to take home whatever they ended up with, but I still found a couple gifts left behind. We had a few extra gifts for those that couldn't come, so the children ended up with more than one gift. They thought that was really great - especially Aili. She kept raving on and on about how much she loved the game.

There are a lot of variations to this game. Usually every person brings a white elephant gift to a party and then they are exchanged. That way there would be exactly the right number of gifts. Please comment and share a tradition or something new that you did this holiday season that you enjoyed. It's fun to share ideas with each other!

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season!

2011-12-28T01:19:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T00:54:00.003-07:00

Marie's Sugar Cookies

2011-12-23T00:03:00.000-07:00

Cream together
1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar

Add and beat well
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine and add
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
Alternating with
1/2 cup sour milk

Pack tight into a butter carton. Refrigerate overnight.

Slice and bake 375 degrees

(Taken from "The Osmond Brothers' Mother's Cookbook," by Olive D. Osmond)

Ice Cream Time by Maia and me

2011-12-22T22:31:00.001-07:00