Over the years, Eric has proved that his love for me has no boundaries.  I love Halloween but I am a big baby on the scary stuff.  I can't do haunted houses or watch most full blown horror movies.  He helps me create a holiday I can enjoy.  Since the birth of our daughter, who is now 5 years old, I have had her to blame for our PG celebrations, but even before that he was catering to my sensibilities.  He has missed a lot of movies he'd like to see because I cannot stomach the gore or tension.  Our yard is all carved pumpkins, tombstones, and cheese-cloth ghosts instead of the 'house under zombie attack' that I know he dreams of.
This year we went to a family friendly haunted hayride.  I expected friendly ghosts and inanimate scenes but instead we were chased by relentless zombies and screamed at for help by a woman caught in a sickening trap.  As an antidote, we went to Yesterland Farms Saturday and Boo at the Zoo (Caldwell in Tyler, TX) on Sunday.  We will watch Shawn of the Dead on Thursday after taking Gwendolyn to the mall for trick-or-treating.
I don't want to embarrass Eric so I won't show you the Man-man costume he wore out to a club when we were dating or the bio suit that had to substitute for the 28 Days Later infected he had in his head.  You'll just have to take my word on it that they were awesome.
This year takes the cake.  Gwendolyn wanted to be a 'spooky but pretty zombie monster with stitches and a pretty dress' like the ones on Monster High.  We don't watch it but we've seen it around enough to know what she was talking about.  Eric and I planned our costumes accordingly.  I think, as a family, we nailed it.




In case you can't see our company name tags - He is Dr. Franklin Stein, a Lab Tech at Reanimax and I am Hulda, his executive Igor.  Most kids didn't get it.  Gwendolyn did because she told everyone she was our creation.

Please understand that, not only did we attend a function dressed this way where other families were equally dressed.  We went to a Mexican seafood restaurant where we were the only ones in costumes AND the only non-Spanish speaking clientele.  The waitress thought our getups were so funny that she invited us to their Dia de los Muertos party.

1. Kleenex – allergies, colds, weather changes – there are so many reasons to keep a box of these in the house.
2. Lysol Wipes – I love these little wipes.   They are great all the time, but especially during the cold/flu season.  I use them to wipe down remotes, door handles, counters, and whatever is within wiping distance when someone is sniffling in my house.
3. Airborne – We discovered when we swapped influenza around last winter that Airborne did a great job at helping us feel better sooner.   Now, if someone’s sick in the house, the others use it to boost their immune system.   The sick family member can use it to help how they feel and to give their immune system a small boost when they feel better.   
4. Gatorade – hide a couple bottles of this or your favorite electrolyte drink in the back of the cabinet.  When the stomach illnesses hit, keep them hydrated in a pinch.   If they don’t like the taste use it to make them some quick Popsicle treats.  It also gives you more use out of those fun Popsicle molds you bought this summer.  Or was that just me?  Make sure you keep drinking water and some of your favorite juices stocked up, too.  
5. Teas – A little cup of hot tea can help relax and soothe them into rest and it makes the throat feel better.
6. Don’t forget to stock your winter medicine cabinet.    My choices are Dayquil for daytime sniffles, Nyquil for night time sniffles, and Pepto Bismol.   We always have Tylenol around as well.  Every family is different so I'm sure other mama's have their favorites as well.
7. Ramen noodles and soup for something light to eat that also is a bit of a comfort food.  

What to talk about this month?  I could bore you with pictures of the Cub Scout camp out with my son or the parade that he was in the following weekend but I won't.  You might get sick of seeing the same kid over and over.  LOL!

So I will talk about the importance of girlfriends in your life.  As most of y'all know, I live in a town, Lindale, in East Texas about 15 minutes from Tyler.  I'm also a stay at home mom.  You would think that my life made; I can write all day, read whenever I want and not have to worry about anything.  You would be so wrong.  I barely have time to write with everything that I've got going on.  Between an active 3rd grader, a house to run, blogging/reviewing duties and working for Entangled, I barely have time for myself, much less writing.  When I lived in Gun Barrel City, I can honestly say that I had no friends.  No one to talk to at all.  I worked in another town and GBC was so closed minded about outsiders that after almost 6 years of living there, I cried for joy when we moved to Lindale.  I realized some mistakes I made but then thought to myself, you know, it was their loss that they didn't accept me.  Not the other way around.

Here's where girlfriends and their importance comes in...I need them like I need to breath.  Now, I know you are probably thinking to yourself, surely you have friends in Lindale.  Yes and no.  Its tough when you are at least 10 years older (I'm 46) and everyone that you know still works outside the home.  I fit somewhere in the middle and I'm still trying to find that middle ground.  I had such a great time getting to know the moms in Brian's Cub Scout den while camping.  Nothing brings you closer than sweating, getting rained on, eating bad food and trying to contain a bunch of 8 yr olds on a camp out.  LOL!  Trust me on this.
I live for Mondays when the den meets.  While the boys are doing their thing, the moms and I can actually talk about things.  And guess what...its not about books, blogging, reviewing or being online.  Yes, they know what I do and have no problems with it.  Woot!  What we talk about is life in general.  Our kids, husbands, the price of gas, school, whatever suits us.  I know that sounds quaint to some people but I need the break from being online, etc. and on Mondays I can.  Its nice to know that even though I'm an older mom, I still have the same concerns, questions and attitudes that other moms have and we can actually talk about them and even have a laugh or two.

Now, before you get all pouty and think that I don't love my online friends, you would be wrong.  I love them with all my heart and always will.  I need that physical connection with people since I don't work in a cube anymore.  I need to know that I can still be in social situations and not make a fool out of myself, hold an intelligent conversation and in truth, be valued.  Yes, valued as a mom...not a writer/blogger/reviewer.  Remember, I stay at home most days.  In fact, the only time I leave the house is to take and/or pick up Brian from school so Mondays are golden to me.  I can be a mom, a friend, a listener and leave my alter ego (Harlie) at home.

After living in Lindale for over a year, I'm still trying to find my groove but at least the friends that I have made here accept for who and what I am.  They are friendly, open and it feels good to share a laugh or two when standing in the latrine line on a chilly Sunday morning.  Yes, true story within the camp out that maybe one day, I'll bore you with.  LOL!

Until next month...Happy Halloween!

I've thought about homeschooling for a long time--way back to when my nineteen-year-old daughter was a little shy thing (she still is). I thought about it again when my now sixteen-year old daughter was wreaking havoc in the classroom. Now, I am preparing to finally take the plunge.

It isn't that our school system is terrible--we live in a pretty wealthy school district. My daughter had an ipad and an itouch for her use in kindergarten. Lots of computers in the classroom. A phenomenal teacher. A clean school. A decent schedule. Seventeen first graders in her class and a teacher plus an assistant.

So, what's the issue? Partly, it's just me wanting more time with my little one. I see how fast they grow up and go off to college. Is that selfish?

And yes, common core curriculum and the loss of science and art education play into it, too. I want to teach with Legos and Minecraft (yes, there are lesson plans!). I want to spend more time traveling (that means time in travel, not necessarily time-travel, though I'd do that in a heartbeat if I could).

So why am I so scared? I'm afraid I will totally screw up. Is this a reasonable fear? Maybe~

So, I'm spending the rest of this school year preparing to homeschool next year (my sixteen-year-old graduates high school this year, so we'd be completely out of the system). Here in NC, we have a HUGE-MONGOUS homeschool network. There will be playdates and fun, too.

I just need to be brave!

How about you? Have you ever homeschooled, or thought about it? If you've homeschooled before, what was the absolute worst thing about it? (I can see lots of good things...)

have a fab day~
Kerry Vail
w/a Kerry Adrienne

www.kerryadrienne.com
https://twitter.com/kerryadrienne
https://www.facebook.com/pages/KerryAdrienne/216668511686869

Okay so I've never been one to give much thought into owning a gun.  I liked the idea of having a gun around.  I felt safer knowing there was one in the house.  I mean come on I live in the South, it's practically a law to own a gun down here and I'm all about following the law. ;-)

But I never gave much thought into myself owning and operating a gun.  I don't know why I mean I've been around them all my life.  My dad is a retired police officer so he ALWAYS had a gun around whether it be in the house somewhere or on him while we were out grocery shopping.  My mom and step dad always had guns around for whatever reason.  I was in JROTC in high school so I learned how to shoot air rifles and such but again I never gave much thought into having a gun of my own, that was until my hubby brought it up in a conversation one day when he mentioned he would be out of town for a few days.  He said he would feel more comfortable when I was home alone if I had and knew how to operate a gun plus it would be something he and I could do together.  My interest was immediately peaked.

I applied for my gun permit and eight short weeks later I was approved.  We went to my parents who happen to have a huge back yard and decided to let it rip and have some fun.  I was terrified.  I had never in my life shot a handgun.  EVER.  My hands were shaking and my stance was all wrong but hubby and my dad taught me how to stand and how to aim and before I knew it I was having a blast! 

My hubby had already bought me a 22 handgun.  It was HUGE but he assured me there were no worries.  He had already taught me the basics of how to load it, chamber it, and the safety so all that was left was shooting it.  It took a few tries but it came to me pretty quickly.  It became addicting very fast.  The feeling of empowerment was amazing. 

 






Members Only, Book One

She knows it’s wrong. Cyn shouldn’t have feelings for fraternal twins Jared and Chris, her best friends. She shouldn’t want them to tie her up or strap her down, to take her one at a time—or together. The only way to control her taboo desires is to write them down and lock them away in her diary. Guys like Jared and Chris could never be interested in someone like her, or in the kind of sex she craves.

But Jared and Chris have read her diary, and sweet little Cyn is in for the shock of her life. The brothers not only own a members-only BDSM club, they want her. Need her. And now, with their unlimited funds and an entire establishment devoted to fulfilling her darkest pleasures, they’re going to claim Cyn for their own.

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A Romantica® BDSM erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

 Buy Links below and others on the TIC webpage along with an Excerpt and Video