Ajijaakwe: November 2017

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Tilework done again for now, but no water to the kitchen yet. Scary stuff today; appointment next week. Sales/shares (including registries) badly needed.

Tilework done for now (there will be a small amount yet to do in the kitchen for two shelf areas and the island once Tony and Reynaldo get them built). The bathroom backsplash is now done, which covers up that gap behind the sink nicely.

Still no water to the kitchen; there was a problem with the holes drilled for the faucet, plus no one told us we needed an air gap for the dishwasher. With luck, we'll be able to use the sink by the end of the day tomorrow, but the dishwasher has to wait for Monday, when the part is supposed to be here.

This is a more difficult day. Good as the news is about no buildup or blockages in my heart, there's still the question of what "this" is, and it's still damned scary. I've had a protracted episode today, and I'm just breathing my way through it as best I can (with some help from the nitro and the Omeprazole). It really does seem to be vasospastic, which would seem to indicate (given my long history of Raynaud's and migraines), lupus or something similar. Oddly, that no longer scares me; I've lived with this diffuse, multilayered, unlabeled complex of autoimmune diseases for so long that I'm fairly confident of my ability to manage it once we can put a label to it. But we're not there yet, and the earliest I can get in (with them making an exception and bumping me up) is next Thursday, the 7th. I hope by then there are some orders for bloodwork, at a minimum.

Right now, though, I'm battling exhaustion and unsteadiness and all sorts of dislocating physical symptoms, and there's not much I can do but breathe. I'm way behind on shipping things out and responding to requests and sending thank-yous, and I apologize. My body and brain just can't keep up the pace I need right now. Wings has taken on a huge workload as a result, because I'm barred from doing . . . well, much of anything at all until we have more definitive answers. Even riding along for the easiest errands wipes me out, and I can't even do basic shopping; Wings also won't leave me alone as a result. So please bear with me in the meantime, and please bear with the cut-and-paste that follows.

Lots of expenses coming down the pike, and we need to make some sales. Given the circumstances, I'm leaving up the donation link, too, and the registries have some new items on then, mostly lower-priced, to replace stuff damaged by the RV or given away when we first moved into it seven years ago. So please share the links:

Wings's direct PayPal link;
Wings's site, for sales;
Wayfair gift cards, to replenish all the furnishings that the RV has destroyed in one way or another.
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).
Partial registry #2, from Wayfair. Still waiting for them to resolve this fulfillment/shipping problem they have with their site. Even so, I've added some things (kitchen/dining room stuff mostly), most of which are comparatively reasonably priced. Now, it's going to be mostly odds and ends that make this place more liveable, because of the sheer volume of stuff destroyed by too many years in the RV (e.g., by the oven and stovetop, by the wiring, by the water, by the mold, etc.), or that we simply gave away seven years ago because we had no room and no place to put them and despaired of ever being able to use them again. But about Wayfair, and VERY IMPORTANT: They make it possible to crowdfund each item. So if you'd like to help, but the prices are too much for one person? You can kick in 20 bucks, or ten, or five, on any one item; many small donations can add up to one item.

As I've also been saying, I am still catching up, and will be now for a while. But this is the holiday season, and the sales/commissions from these few weeks are what keep us alive throughout the whole long winter and spring months (to say nothing of what's in the offing medically), so please continue to share the links. And please refer folks to Wings's site (and if you have an endorsement, too, so much the better). I'll be trying, slowly but, I hope, steadily, to get caught up over the course of this week. We have some massive expenses coming down the pike, and a lot of testing yet to be done before I'm out of the woods. So please keep sharing all our links. For now, I'm just so damn grateful to be alive, to have a healthy heart, to be back home with the love of my life and our dogs, the whole world is beautiful. Thanks again, to everybody, and we love you all.

#ThrowbackThursday: An Avatar of Prosperity

It's #TBT at The NDN Silver Blog, with a work from about eleven years that hints at Trickster identities and powerful forces. It's a cuff that summons the spirit of Serpent, an avatar of prosperity, his scales linked to the waters that are the most obvious marker of abundance in a high-desert climate.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This piece sold long ago, of course, but if the style speaks to your spirit, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; Wings can create a version uniquely your own. Also as always, sales are very much needed (especially now), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Water in the kitchen tomorrow! Yes, I'm home, and it's the best news, but a lot of testing (and expense) yet to go. Sales/shares (including registries) badly needed.

We have a partial kitchen counter! Which means that by this time tomorrow, we will at long last have a working kitchen sink. And a dishwasher, for that matter. The tile guys also got the baseboard filled in in the blank spots, although they still need to be grouted, and got the backsplash placed in the bathroom (also to be grouted tomorrow):

Photo copyright Aji, 2017;
all rights reserved.

This was not originally planned; it came about because of the screw-up with the sink (i.e., a failure to listen to me multiple times when I said that it was going to be a pedestal sink, and a failure to use any common sense in noticing that a vanity would never fit anyway, and so the cutout in the wall was far too large). But the backsplash is really pretty.

And yes! I'm home. We got home late last night. My chest and torso are all mottled red and white with irritation and inflammation from all the leads (EKG and telemetry units) attached to me over the last three days. My arms are black and blue from all the needles everywhere. My right wrist is also puffy from the needle in the artery. They did do the cardiac catheterization on me yesterday, although many hours later than anticipated, because several emergency cases came in throughout the day, as in people keeling over from a literal MI and needing immediate intervention. They finally took me back between 3:30 and 4 PM, and the prep probably took 20 minutes. The cath itself took 20 minutes, tops. The recovery was supposed to be an hour, but it took 20 minutes.

Why?

Because it turns out there's NO HEART PROBLEM! Despite my incredibly horrible, early-fatality-filled family medical history with heart problems, my heart is EXTREMELY healthy. They gave me a very low dose of anesthetic (because I'm very susceptible to side effects), with the result that I was awake and alert through the entire cath. Yes, I felt everything, although the drugs did numb stuff up substantially, but every insertion through the artery was twingy, and a couple of times it was quite painful. Still, it was worth it; now they go through the wrist instead of the groin, and pain and recovery are both greatly lessened by it. I had three warrior women, one of whom was Diné and whose traditional name was very close to exactly that, assisting and watching over me, and the male doc was very skilled. When he was done, he walked around to the other side of the gurney and leaned in so that I could see the big grin on his face. He said, "You're going home! You have a beautiful heart. Your heart is perfect, your arteries are perfect, you have no blockages or buildup, and you're going home tonight."

And I bawled from sheer relief.

Of course, what this now means is that it's something else, and we have to find out what. Now that I don't have to worry about an incipient MI in my sleep, it means that I could focus on what I actually felt rather than what it might be, and I have a pretty good idea of what's at play here (a combo of esophageal stuff, probably some herniation, and autoimmune-induced hypoglycemic issues all combining for some very bad things that mimic MIs). At any rate, I'll be trying to get in to see my new doc within the week, and we have to get to work on other testing and blood panels. By the way, the stress test results that they couldn't decipher, the thing that sent me down to Lovelace in the first place? breast tissue artifact. My heart ultrasound, conducted down at Lovelace, also came back perfectly clear. (And I also apparently do not have a-fib, which is what got my mother, so that's a huge relief, too. My heart rhythm is apparently very strong and steady.) But it's a lot to deal with yet, and it's going to be a lot of expense.

Also, I'm beat. Three days forced to go with very little food and water (for various procedures), the 4-hour ambulance ride for the transfer, the disruption generally, and then the cath? I hurt everywhere (my arm and chest ache internally from the caths in the arteries), and I feel ridiculously weak and wrung-out. We had to take care of some errands today, and I did almost nothing, and I can barely move now. At least I slept last night, without fear of never waking up. Even so, my concentration is trash right now, so the rest is cut and paste. Please pray for an easy time of it for both of us while we're here, and for a good result (and that I get out of here sooner rather than later; I want to rest at home). Lots of expenses coming down the pike, and we need to make some sales. Given the circumstances, I'm leaving up the donation link, too, and the registries have some new items on then, mostly lower-priced, to replace stuff damaged by the RV or given away when we first moved into it seven years ago. So please share the links:

Wings's direct PayPal link;
Wings's site, for sales;
Wayfair gift cards, to replenish all the furnishings that the RV has destroyed in one way or another.
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).
Partial registry #2, from Wayfair. Still waiting for them to resolve this fulfillment/shipping problem they have with their site. Even so, I've added some things (kitchen/dining room stuff mostly), most of which are comparatively reasonably priced. Now, it's going to be mostly odds and ends that make this place more liveable, because of the sheer volume of stuff destroyed by too many years in the RV (e.g., by the oven and stovetop, by the wiring, by the water, by the mold, etc.), or that we simply gave away seven years ago because we had no room and no place to put them and despaired of ever being able to use them again. But about Wayfair, and VERY IMPORTANT: They make it possible to crowdfund each item. So if you'd like to help, but the prices are too much for one person? You can kick in 20 bucks, or ten, or five, on any one item; many small donations can add up to one item.

The Spirits of Caprice

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work featuring gentler spirits and seasons for a time of tumultuous change. Our days here are now marked by visitations from the spirits of caprice, and they have much to teach us.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed (especially after two hospitals in three days), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Banisters and a countertop! Waiting, waiting, for the OR. Sales/shares (including registries) very much needed.

I was gone all of yesterday, of course, but the crew was rocking. Tony and Reynaldo got the newel posts set and the banisters installed on the stairs. No balusters yet, but I think that's what they'll be working on today. Supposedly there's snow at home right now, although the weather map can't always be believed.

Floyd and Gary got the tile laid on the one existing cabinet, too:

Which means that, at least in theory, we'll have a working kitchen sink sometime tomorrow. And that will go an indescribably long way toward making my life easier.

Which is good right now.

We're in the room, waiting for me to get put on the cath-lab rotation. Mine is not considered emergent for these purposes, so I'll be bumped in favor of any and all ER cases that come in in the meantime. The good news is that the technology has now advanced so much that the procedure itself is generally far less invasive (and much safer), takes only about 20 minutes, and doesn't involve the unpleasant many-hours' recovery process of lying flat on one's back, unmoving, that used to be required. If it turns out that whatever was showing up on the imaging was indeed a small blockage, they'll take care of it right then, on the table — no need for two separate surgeries anymore, one to diagnose and one to treat. And they emphasize that it could still be nothing at all — breast tissue or impingement from something that normally should be farther below — in which case we'll back almost to square one, diagnostically. But given my family history and its presentation, better to rule it out or take care of it now. If it IS cardiac, I will have been very, very lucky: A lot of people don't ever get these kinds of early warning sings, especially women, and only find out when they're hit with a truly massive cardiac event.

They also want me to have/do/take a bunch of other things after this is all over. New meds, but also a sleep study, because the ordering doc us reasonably sure that I have sleep apnea (and I've known for a while that that's likely), and for someone with my cluster of issues (not least the AI stuff), that has the potential to do serious damage to my heart. ::Sigh:: more money. But I'm listening to Wings, who keeps telling me to worry only about getting this done and being able to get well, and that we'll figure all that out somehow later on. I need to keep my BP in the nice low range it's been in except for the incident on the 10th, so I've mentally kicked that particular can way the hell down the road.

I wrote Wings's post last night, so that I could get it up this morning before they take me into the OR. Not a lot of sleep, massive headache from the meds, no food and water, and my concentration is trash right now, so the rest is cut and paste. Please pray for an easy time of it for both of us while we're here, and for a good result (and that I get out of here sooner rather than later; I want to rest at home). Lots of expenses coming down the pike, and we need to make some sales. Given the circumstances, I'm leaving up the donation link, too, and the registries have some new items on then, mostly lower-priced, to replace stuff damaged by the RV or given away when we first moved into it seven years ago. So please share the links:

Wings's direct PayPal link;
Wings's site, for sales;
Wayfair gift cards, to replenish all the furnishings that the RV has destroyed in one way or another.
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).
Partial registry #2, from Wayfair. Still waiting for them to resolve this fulfillment/shipping problem they have with their site. Even so, I've added some things (kitchen/dining room stuff mostly), most of which are comparatively reasonably priced. Now, it's going to be mostly odds and ends that make this place more liveable, because of the sheer volume of stuff destroyed by too many years in the RV (e.g., by the oven and stovetop, by the wiring, by the water, by the mold, etc.), or that we simply gave away seven years ago because we had no room and no place to put them and despaired of ever being able to use them again. But about Wayfair, and VERY IMPORTANT: They make it possible to crowdfund each item. So if you'd like to help, but the prices are too much for one person? You can kick in 20 bucks, or ten, or five, on any one item; many small donations can add up to one item.

I don't know how lousy I'll feel coming out of the OR, nor how long I'll be here: If I go back early, they could conceivably let me go late today; if not, I probably won't be home until tomorrow. Even so, as I've also been saying, I am still catching up, and will be now for a while. But this is the holiday season, and the sales/commissions from these few weeks are what keep us alive throughout the whole long winter and spring months (to say nothing of what's in the offing medically), so please continue to share the links. And please refer folks to Wings's site (and if you have an endorsement, too, so much the better). I'll be trying, slowly but, I hope, steadily, to get caught up over the course of this week. Thanks again, to everybody, and we love you all.

Red Willow Spirit: A Trickster Wind

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's this week's edition of Red Willow Spirit, with a combination tribute to and warning against the treacherous, capricious spirits of the season. It will be a Trickster wind here today, one fit for the company of Coyote and Raven and the spirits of weather and storm.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. It's all photos today, and as always with Wings's work, they're available for purchase in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. Also as always, sales are very much needed (especially with the hospital/surgical bills looming), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday, November 27, 2017

News is good and bad both. Pray for SF and a good result. Shares/sales needed.

Home and marriage. I won't be back to the former for a couple of days yet.

The news could be worse, but it's not great, either. I'm being transferred as soon as they can find a spot for me, either to Santa Fe or to Albuquerque. Pray for the SF, please; ABQ will be logistically a lot worse.

The good part is they can't definitively see a blockage, but only evidence of ischemic activity. Could be vasospastic and not cardiac, but the way to know for sure is a cardiac cath, so I have to go have it done. I am not at all happy, but I also don't have a choice.

Please pray for SF, and for an easy time of it for both of us and a good result. The rest is cut and paste, because I don't have the focus right now for anything more. Lots of expenses coming down the pike, and we need to make some sales, so please share the links:

Wings's direct PayPal link;
Wings's site, for sales;
Wayfair gift cards, to replenish all the furnishings that the RV has destroyed in one way or another.
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).
Partial registry #2, from Wayfair. Still waiting for them to resolve this fulfillment/shipping problem they have with their site. Even so, I've added some things (kitchen/dining room stuff mostly), most of which are comparatively reasonably priced. Now, it's going to be mostly odds and ends that make this place more liveable, because of the sheer volume of stuff destroyed by too many years in the RV (e.g., by the oven and stovetop, by the wiring, by the water, by the mold, etc.), or that we simply gave away seven years ago because we had no room and no place to put them and despaired of ever being able to use them again. But about Wayfair, and VERY IMPORTANT: They make it possible to crowdfund each item. So if you'd like to help, but the prices are too much for one person? You can kick in 20 bucks, or ten, or five, on any one item; many small donations can add up to one item.

As I've also been saying, I am still catching up. But this is the holiday season, and the sales/commissions from these few weeks are what keep us alive throughout the whole long winter and spring months (to say nothing of what's in the offing medically), so please continue to share the links. And please refer folks to Wings's site (and if you have an endorsement, too, so much the better). I'll be trying, slowly but, I hope, steadily, to get caught up over the course of this week. Thanks again, to everybody, and we love you all.

Monday Photo Meditation: Trickster Returns

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for an unsettled and season and its disruptive spirits. This is the time of year when Trickster returns with his kind and clan, and we must be ready, wary, and focused on the road ahead.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, Wings's photos are available for purchase in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. Also as always, sales are very much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Back in, at least until tomorrow. Good vibes and shares/sales needed.

Photo copyright Aji, 2017;
all rights reserved.

Posting this again as a source of strength for myself.

I'm back in the ER. Woke up at 3 with issues, by 5 it was clear they weren't going away, and Wings drove me in himself. He's back home for the moment (many hours later) taking care of the animals, while I wait for them to put me in a regular room. They're admitting me overnight and doing a nuclear stress test in the morning. The good news is that my enzymes are still normal(!), so no transfer to Albuquerque, and no cardiac cath (at least none imminently, anyway). Everyone's baffled, and depending on tomorrow's results, attention turns to BG, AI stuff, and a few other options (esophageal, gallbladder, etc.).

I'm hyperalert because of all that's going on, but also very, very tired. And I can only really type with my right hand because the ox monitor is on my left, so this will be what would normally be tonight's post, and it'll be cut-and-paste. Lots of expenses coming down the pike, and we need to make some sales, so please share the links:

Wings's direct PayPal link;
Wings's site, for sales;
Wayfair gift cards, to replenish all the furnishings that the RV has destroyed in one way or another.
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).
Partial registry #2, from Wayfair. Still waiting for them to resolve this fulfillment/shipping problem they have with their site. Even so, I've added some things (kitchen/dining room stuff mostly), most of which are comparatively reasonably priced. Now, it's going to be mostly odds and ends that make this place more liveable, because of the sheer volume of stuff destroyed by too many years in the RV (e.g., by the oven and stovetop, by the wiring, by the water, by the mold, etc.), or that we simply gave away seven years ago because we had no room and no place to put them and despaired of ever being able to use them again. But about Wayfair, and VERY IMPORTANT: They make it possible to crowdfund each item. So if you'd like to help, but the prices are too much for one person? You can kick in 20 bucks, or ten, or five, on any one item; many small donations can add up to one item.

Born of the Earth

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work that links us to our whole world. We are people born of the earth, and from her heart grows our life and breath and very existence.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed (::sigh:: more medical bills coming), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Part of the land. A slow weekend, but working on it. Holiday commission season is here, so shares still needed.

From yesterday. You should see it from the road. We had to run a couple of errands today — picking cedar, a run by the post office, a short trip to the market — and from the highway, before you hit the curve? It's fully visible, and yet it blends in so perfectly to the environment that it takes a moment to bring it into focus. Between the plaster and the deck, the colors are the same as those of the land and trees and mountain slopes right now. It feels like it's part of the land here.

Yes, I'm taking it slowly. Mostly, I just ride along. I was able to do a few things here (that involved mostly going back and forth in the house, no lifting or anything), but my BG is still seriously low, and neither brain nor body is back to real function yet. (Dinner's going to be simple in the extreme tonight: buffalo tacos.) All that said, it's been a wonderful weekend in other ways, because the chance to live together, here, in our house, as husband and wife has been nothing short of pure joy.

But once again, pretty much everything below this point is just going to be cut and paste, because my brain can't even focus enough to figure out what might be wrong/out of date/otherwise inapplicable. Please just ignore whatever doesn't make any sense (probably a lot of it). Whatever happened two weeks ago has ratcheted up the problem with brain fog in a fairly significant way, and by this time of night, my cognitive abilities are already packing it in. Just know that I will be late and I will miss everything and none of it is intentional, but I just don't have the resources right now to fix it. To be clear, I am better. I'm also not taking it for granted. But this whole thing has loused up my ability to focus and function, and there's no magic wand for that but time and recovery.

As I said last night, I think — think — we'll be mostly okay on donations for the next few weeks (and thank you, thank you, dear friend), but I'll leave the link below anyway. More important are sales — if you want to commission something for the holidays, now is the time to get it in — and the other stuff. And I know that I have some commissions to get back to folks on, and I hope I'm caught up enough on everything this weekend to do that; apologies for my tardiness with everything, but the events of a week and a half ago threw a massive wrench in the works across the board, and I am slow getting back on my feet and to everything that needs doing. I will continue to be slow, and will continue to miss things, at least as long as it takes me to get through all the testing that I need, so please bear with me. Trust me; no one's as frustrated by it as I am, but I'm working my way through everything step by step, per doctor's orders. In the meantime, here are the cut and paste of the links:

Wings's direct PayPal link;
Wings's site, for sales;
Wayfair gift cards, to replenish all the furnishings that the RV has destroyed in one way or another.
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).
Partial registry #2, from Wayfair. Still waiting for them to resolve this fulfillment/shipping problem they have with their site. Even so, I've added some things (kitchen/dining room stuff mostly), most of which are comparatively reasonably priced. Now, it's going to be mostly odds and ends that make this place more liveable, because of the sheer volume of stuff destroyed by too many years in the RV (e.g., by the oven and stovetop, by the wiring, by the water, by the mold, etc.), or that we simply gave away seven years ago because we had no room and no place to put them and despaired of ever being able to use them again. But about Wayfair, and VERY IMPORTANT: They make it possible to crowdfund each item. So if you'd like to help, but the prices are too much for one person? You can kick in 20 bucks, or ten, or five, on any one item; many small donations can add up to one item.

As I've also been saying, I am still catching up, not only from the health issues (I'm still not allowed to do anything but walk here and there to keep everything circulating properly; no, I'm not lifting anything, not maintaining anything but a gentle pace, not letting myself get stressed over anything as much as [super]humanly possible at this point), but also from the pace of the construction and the wedding. Wings is taking very good care of me, and I am taking care of myself, too. But this is the holiday season, and the sales/commissions from these few weeks are what keep us alive throughout the whole long winter and spring months, so please continue to share the links. And please refer folks to Wings's site (and if you have an endorsement, too, so much the better). I'll be trying, slowly but, I hope, steadily, to get caught up over the course of this week. Thanks again, to everybody, and we love you all.

Gratitude and Being

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for times of prayer and thanksgiving. In our way, it's a work for every day, since for us life is gratitude and being, inextricably bound together in a single beautiful braid.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday, November 24, 2017

One image I keep forgetting. Also two weeks in, and better today, but it's all relative. Work resumes Monday.

I keep meaning to post this, and keep forgetting. Our wedding vase holds pride of place in the nicho next to the stairs. It was made by Wings's cousin's ex, and was a gift from her daughter (his second cousin) and family.

Two weeks ago today, I thought I was gonna die. Literally. Since then, we've managed a wedding, and a whole bunch of house/construction-related stuff, too. And today was the first day where my cardiovascular system cooperated enough to allow me to feel, in a BIG way, the accumulated AI pain of the last two weeks. As screwed up as that is, it's actually good news. It's VERY good news.

But it wipes me out. Like, completely. I have to stay awake another half-hour to take care of She-Wolf's glucose testing/insulin shot/food, and then I'll likely crash. "Crash" is not really metaphorical these days. I am feeling every second of my age and then some, and I still have all the testing to undergo whenever they manage to get it scheduled. Until then, I'm pretty much prohibited from most of what I used to do. It's one thing to work through constant pain and fatigue; it's another entirely to work through (and trigger) an impending cardiac event. I really don't think it will turn out to be cardiac; my money's on a mix of AI and hypoglycemia, but I can't take that chance.

So everything below this point is just going to be cut and paste, because my brain can't even focus enough to figure out what might be wrong/out of date/otherwise inapplicable. Please just ignore whatever doesn't make any sense (probably a lot of it). Whatever happened two weeks ago has ratcheted up the problem with brain fog in a fairly significant way, and by this time of night, my cognitive abilities are already packing it in. Just know that I will be late and I will miss everything and none of it is intentional, but I just don't have the resources right now to fix it. To be clear, I am better. I'm also not taking it for granted. But this whole thing has loused up my ability to focus and function, and there's no magic wand for that but time and recovery.

As I said last night, I think — think — we'll be mostly okay on donations for the next few weeks (and thank you, thank you, dear friend), but I'll leave the link below anyway. More important are sales — if you want to commission something for the holidays, now is the time to get it in — and the other stuff. And I know that I have some commissions to get back to folks on, and I hope I'm caught up enough on everything this weekend to do that; apologies for my tardiness with everything, but the events of a week and a half ago threw a massive wrench in the works across the board, and I am slow getting back on my feet and to everything that needs doing. I will continue to be slow, and will continue to miss things, at least as long as it takes me to get through all the testing that I need, so please bear with me. Trust me; no one's as frustrated by it as I am, but I'm working my way through everything step by step, per doctor's orders. In the meantime, here are the cut and paste of the links:

Wings's direct PayPal link;
Wings's site, for sales;
Wayfair gift cards, to replenish all the furnishings that the RV has destroyed in one way or another.
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. It's not complete; I've added a few more kitchen-y items, but there'll be some later additions, too.
Partial registry #2, from Wayfair. Also not complete, but there are more items to be added there, too, once I get them to resolve this fulfillment/shipping problem they have with their site. Now, it's going to be mostly odds and ends that make this place more liveable, because of the sheer volume of stuff destroyed by too many years in the RV (e.g., by the oven and stovetop, by the wiring, by the water, by the mold, etc.), or that we simply gave away seven years ago because we had no room and no place to put them and despaired of ever being able to use them again. But about Wayfair, and VERY IMPORTANT: They make it possible to crowdfund each item. So if you'd like to help, but the prices are too much for one person? You can kick in 20 bucks, or ten, or five, on any one item; many small donations can add up to one item.

As I've also been saying, I am still catching up, not only from the health issues (I'm still not allowed to do anything but walk here and there to keep everything circulating properly; no, I'm not lifting anything, not maintaining anything but a gentle pace, not letting myself get stressed over anything as much as [super]humanly possible at this point), but also from the pace of the construction and the wedding. As promised yesterday, today was indeed a quiet Thanksgiving, but one filled with the kind of gratitude that defies words. So please continue to share the links, and given that the holidays are essentially here, please refer folks to Wings's site (and if you have an endorsement, too, so much the better). I'll be trying, slowly but, I hope, steadily, to get caught up over the course of this week. Thanks again, to everybody, and we love you all.

Friday Feature: Existence, Untranslated

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with both a post and work that leaves the Black Friday/Native American Heritage Day dichotomy entirely behind. Both feature a warrior, a leader, and a towering ancestral spirit, all of which remind us on this day that we are, and we are existence, untranslated.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Thursday, November 23, 2017

A quiet Thanksgiving, but a wonderful one.

Our wedding arbor tonight. Wings hooked the lights back up for the holiday.

Aside from taking hay to the horses down the road, today was a day for taking it easy, mostly. And when I say "taking hay," I mean that Wings did all the work and I rode along in the passenger's side of the truck. Yes, it's the next thing to impossible, but I'm following doctor's orders and the dictates of my body, so no one (none of you, nope, zip it, zip.it.) needs to keep up with this public mom routine, because I am doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.

That extends to Wings lifting the turkey in and out of the oven, too. I scaled way back this year because of my immediate health issues, so it was a very small smoked turkey, wild rice and cornbread stuffing (homemade, which I can do mostly sitting down in the kitchen, with crumbled bacon and scallions and cranberries and pecans), the rest of the cornbread on the side, and baked herbed Japanese sweet potatoes with zucchini and yellow squash. We eat late on holidays, and I feel better at the moment than I have in quite a while. And my blood glucose is freaking 90, so they'll be having to test me for hypoglycemia-related issues, too, and I'm going to be spending the weekend tracking it and making some additional dietary changes in the process. Ischemia can be caused by insulin reactions, as my whole family knows all too well.

For now, I'm just happy. Happy and grateful to be alive, to be married to my soul mate, to live safely and love each other in a warm, solid house. There isn't much I can ask for beyond that; with good health and protection, it covers pretty much everything we want and need. I spend every single day thanking the spirits and powers and people who make sure we're safe, and this day is no different from any other in that regard. We are both profoundly grateful, and profoundly happy, too, on this night.

As I said last night, I think — think — we'll be mostly okay on donations for the next few weeks (and thank you, thank you, dear friend), but I'll leave the link below anyway. More important are sales — if you want to commission something for the holidays, now is the time to get it in — and the other stuff. And I know that I have some commissions to get back to folks on, and I hope I'm caught up enough on everything this weekend to do that; apologies for my tardiness with everything, but the events of a week and a half ago threw a massive wrench in the works across the board, and I am slow getting back on my feet and to everything that needs doing. I will continue to be slow, and will continue to miss things, at least as long as it takes me to get through all the testing that I need, so please bear with me. Trust me; no one's as frustrated by it as I am, but I'm working my way through everything step by step, per doctor's orders. In the meantime, here are the cut and paste of the links:

Wings's direct PayPal link;
Wings's site, for sales;
Wayfair gift cards, to replenish all the furnishings that the RV has destroyed in one way or another.
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. It's not complete; I've added a few more kitchen-y items, but there'll be some later additions, too.
Partial registry #2, from Wayfair. Also not complete, but there are more items to be added there, too, once I get them to resolve this fulfillment/shipping problem they have with their site. Now, it's going to be mostly odds and ends that make this place more liveable, because of the sheer volume of stuff destroyed by too many years in the RV (e.g., by the oven and stovetop, by the wiring, by the water, by the mold, etc.), or that we simply gave away seven years ago because we had no room and no place to put them and despaired of ever being able to use them again. But about Wayfair, and VERY IMPORTANT: They make it possible to crowdfund each item. So if you'd like to help, but the prices are too much for one person? You can kick in 20 bucks, or ten, or five, on any one item; many small donations can add up to one item.

As I've also been saying, I am still catching up, not only from the health issues (I'm still not allowed to do anything but walk here and there to keep everything circulating properly; no, I'm not lifting anything, not maintaining anything but a gentle pace, not letting myself get stressed over anything as much as [super]humanly possible at this point), but also from the pace of the construction and the wedding. As promised yesterday, today was indeed a quiet Thanksgiving, but one filled with the kind of gratitude that defies words. So please continue to share the links, and given that the holidays are essentially here, please refer folks to Wings's site (and if you have an endorsement, too, so much the better). I'll be trying, slowly but, I hope, steadily, to get caught up over the course of this week. Thanks again, to everybody, and we love you all.

#TBTT: A Better World Into Being

It's #ThrowbackThanksgivingThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a meditation on the meaning of the day, and tribute to a work from seven years ago. It's also a reminder that this day need be neither of the extremes typically on off, not a choice between the binaries of gluttony and grief, but a day for balance, and for working to birth a better world into being.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. These sold seven years ago to a dear friend whom they suited perfectly, but if the style speaks to your spirit, Wings can (subject to finding appropriate stones) create a version uniquely your own; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

A Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it, an-otherwise-blessed day to those who don't, and best wishes for a happy and harmonious winter and holiday season to our family, friends, and clients, from Wings and me.

~ Aji

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

The other married couple who lives here, a very long to-do list, and a little rest for the weekend. Sales/shares always needed.

Yes, that would be them: our pair of red-tails. The female follows me around here, and lies in wait to greet me when I'm out. They're family now, and this is their home, too. She's a warrior, and she reminds me to be one when I need to be.

Speaking of which, Marcos got a lot done this week, and Floyd and Gary will be here on Monday to tile the top of the existing kitchen counter. And then . . . running water in the kitchen! Probably Wednesday. Not as soon as I'd like, but at this point, sooner than I expected. I'm just grateful they can come out on Monday.

I think — think — we'll be mostly okay on donations for the next few weeks (and thank you, thank you, dear friend), but I'll leave the link below anyway. More important are sales — if you want to commission something for the holidays, now is the time to get it in — and the other stuff. And I know that I have some commissions to get back to folks on, and I hope I'm caught up enough on everything this weekend to do that; apologies for my tardiness with everything, but the events of a week and a half ago threw a massive wrench in the works across the board, and I am slow getting back on my feet and to everything that needs doing.

In the meantime, the cut and paste of the links:

Wings's direct PayPal link;
Wings's site, for sales;
Wayfair gift cards, to replenish all the furnishings that the RV has destroyed in one way or another.
Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. It's not complete; I've added a few more kitchen-y items, but there'll be some later additions, too.
Partial registry #2, from Wayfair. Also not complete, but there are more items to be added there, too, once I get them to resolve this fulfillment/shipping problem they have with their site. Now, it's going to be mostly odds and ends that make this place more liveable, because of the sheer volume of stuff destroyed by too many years in the RV (e.g., by the oven and stovetop, by the wiring, by the water, by the mold, etc.), or that we simply gave away seven years ago because we had no room and no place to put them and despaired of ever being able to use them again. But about Wayfair, and VERY IMPORTANT: They make it possible to crowdfund each item. So if you'd like to help, but the prices are too much for one person? You can kick in 20 bucks, or ten, or five, on any one item; many small donations can add up to one item.

As I said last night, I am still catching up, not only from the health issues (I'm still not allowed to do anything but walk here and there), but also from the pace of the construction and the wedding. There hasn't been any choice to maintain the pace I did over Friday and especially Saturday, but it has wiped me out as badly as the construction has our finances, so I'm not good for a whole lot right now. I thought I was tired before; I had no idea. And nope, no cooking happened today, so tomorrow will be a quiet Thanksgiving, but one filled with the kind of gratitude that defies words. So please continue to share the links, and given that the holidays are essentially here, please refer folks to Wings's site (and if you have an endorsement, too, so much the better). I'll be trying, slowly but, I hope, steadily, to get caught up over the course of this week. Thanks again, to everybody, and we love you all.

The Medicine of Being

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work that manifests as a map of our world, one now as much gold as what remains of the green. It's a reminder, too, to look to the center of all things, and to be grateful every day for the medicine of being.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

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