Bitter, dangerous cold. A big unexpected bill, and more in the offing. Sales needed consistently now (subscribers and shares help, too).

Photo copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved.

That was yesterday afternoon. Today is much worse. A scant dusting of snow overnight, but the clouds have mostly moved on; it's blindingly bright, and the wind is a scalpel made of ice. High winds all day today, and probably all night, too, making for a day when it's literally dangerous to be out of doors.

I'm frustrated beyond description with this day as it is. I was supposed to start the laundry room floor, but it's too cold not to have a fire in the small woodstove, so all I can do is the vinegar today (the Stone Glamor can only be applied with lots of open windows, a fan, a mask and gloves, and no fires nearby). There will be one, maybe two coats of vinegar, and one, maybe two coats each of the Stone Glamor and the sealer. Which means the plumbers can't come back for at least a week, because we won't have enough warmth for me to do them consecutively. Also, Sherm hasn't shown yet, so I have no idea what the wall repair is going to set us back. I am cranky in  the extreme, because no one will let me get anything done without a thousand and two interruptions for stuff that could wait, and none of this is paying the bills.

On top of that, we got hit with a $700 bill yesterday that I wasn't expecting and can't put off, so I have to make enough sales this weekend to allow me to pay that on Monday. Ordinarily, the sales and commissions we get this time of year are what see us through six long hard months of winter (but that has not the been the case the last couple of years); on top of ordinary winter cost of living and now this construction mess, I have more tests upcoming soon on top of the tens of thousands of dollars' worth of medical debt already trying to drive me into an early grave. Time is short for the holidays, so if you have special orders, get them in to me now so he has time to create them for you. He's got several small pieces in the works, plus two or three large ones (at least one that falls into the "extremely high-end" category), and I'll be posting those as they get completed, so some days will have more than one post for the day. For now, though, I'm so far behind on this day (and on the week as a whole) that I'll never catch up, so most of the rest is cut-and-paste.

There's also a change to the links in the list: I've moved the gift cards for Lowe's and Amazon back up to the top of our Amazon wishlist, because we're at the point where more things that need finishing on the house require purchases we can't afford. Finally, if you're contemplating commissions for holiday gifts, now is the time to get hold of me, because the creative process takes time. Wings can create something spectacular for you, unique to you or to the recipient of it. Also, briefly, a note on the site itself: In an effort to get current inventory up front, I've reordered the first pages of several of the galleries, so you will see a mix of high-end pieces, some of which have already sold, plus inventory currently on offer, both new pieces and less so.

Most of my attention has to be focused on bringing in money, through sales or subscribers or any other means, because the bills don't pay themselves, either, and the heavy burden I'm carrying on that score is inhibiting my ability to heal in a not-insignificant way. Please share these routinely:

• My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds) (and if you subscribe today you won't be billed until January 1st for December);
• Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
• Wings's direct PayPal link;
• A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount);
• Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of animal and household stuff;
• 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).

Please share the links. We're now officially into holiday order season, because commissions take time, so if you're planning on holiday gifts, please keep Wings's work in mind. And given what we're up against, we won't turn away donations, either, because we simply can't afford it.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.