After years of hiding my furniture under afghans, quilts, and throws, it's time. Out with the old and in with the new. Except I don't want the new to look old within two days, which is exactly what might happen. This is the old. Skye started the shredding years ago. Then Kensi came to live with us and joined in the fun. I tried deterrents. Nothing worked. I tried slip covers. There's a reason they call them SLIP covers. They slip all over the place. What's uglier? Clawed furniture or bunched and twisted cock-eyed slip covers? It's a toss-up. Lately I just threw blankets over everything. Why buy new when Kensi's just going to use it as another scratching post? (She has three of the real things and uses them all, so redirection isn't the trick.) Because the old chair has lost so much stuffing and has gotten so saggy, it's no longer comfortable. Hubby would rather lie on the wood floor than lounge in his recliner. So I went shopping. I haven...

I'm running a little behind lately. Being out of town (out of STATE) for over a week will do that to you. Back on July 4, Hubby and I flew out to Durango, Colorado, by way of Denver, to visit my best friend, Leta Burns, who had helped me with the details of No Way Home . While there are no immediate plans for a follow-up to Zoe Chambers' New Mexico adventure, I'm definitely not writing off the possibility. Maybe even a short story to revisit those characters. That makes this a research trip. Right? RIGHT? Yes. The flight was lovely. While I was hemmed in for the Pittsburgh to Denver leg, I had a window seat for the flight over the mountains to Durango. Still snow-capped in July! We arrived safely at the Durango Airport, where Leta picked us up for the 45 minute drive south to what's become my second home: Aztec New Mexico. Prettiest drive ever. Meet our housemate for the trip. Elsa is Leta's fur baby. She's shy--run first, ask questions lat...