Winter is here; 100% chance of snow tonight. We won't be in before winter. Shares are badly needed.

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

I'm throwing this post up here now, because I'm going to have to be offline most of the day helping Wings. We're both still battling this bug, and he needs a reprieve from some of the labor, as well as help getting the next stage of commissions and inventory-building projects organized so he can devote his energy to creating them.

The forecast for us (which, I should note, is distinct from the town of Taos, which sits at just enough lower an elevation to have a couple of informal snow lines between us and it) is for a 100% chance of snow tonight. It's supposed to continue into Monday. The wind this morning is incredibly, bitterly cold. 

The weather is going to impede progress on the house rather substantially. So, too, is our inability to raise funds in the face of the terrible results of November 8th; people are worried about their own futures two months from now, and understandably so. I'm faced this morning with getting my head around the fact that we're going to have to spend a seventh winter in this rickety tin can. I'm not doing so well right now.

All that said, a friend of ours (by "ours" I mean most of you reading this) is facing what is truly a matter of life and death, and on Monday, I'm going to ask you to support what's needed there. Some other folks will follow suit.

In the meantime, I'm not asking anybody who's already given to give more. I AM pleading with you, though to share our links on a literal daily basis right now. Call it begging; I don't care. But the ONLY thing that will get this house completed is getting those links in front of OTHER people, people who might have resources and an inclination to help out a pair of strangers. Yes, I know "daily" is a pain in the ass. Literally NO ONE is more tired of this than I am, but I have no choice in the matter. People frequently ask me how they can help us. Here's how you can help:

1) ON A DAILY BASIS, share the link to our YouCaring page via the widgets provided, including the widget code that gives you this:

You'll find this code and the other widgets under the link "Other Ways to Help" on the page itself, just above the "Supporters" list. Please use FB, Twitter, e-mail, word of mouth, everything at your disposal. Tell them there is currently a $1,000 match on offer.

2) ON A DAILY BASIS, share the link to Wings's Web site. Again, please use all methods. And if you own some of Wings's work, please include a testimonial endorsing it.

3) If you DO own Wings's work, please send me a testimonial that I can post on the Web site. Again, lots of folks ask how to help us. Lots of folks tell me privately what Wings's work has meant to them. Almost no one offers up a public testimonial with permission to use it in this way. It would help.

4) If you're considering commissioning holiday gifts by Wings, CONTACT ME NOW. We're running out of time for him to design and create, and for me to ensure pre-holiday delivery. Normally, this is our busiest season of the year, and what helps get us through what are long hard winter months. This year, it's also helping to fund construction of the house.

We are profoundly grateful to everyone who has helped us get to this point. I've been saying consistently, however, that we have a long way to go. I'm not sure most folks realize just how much is left to do. It's very, VERY long, and very costly, and on this particular morning, it seems as out of reach to me as ever.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.