Full of holes.

Photo copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved.

There's a metaphor in that photo. It's beautiful, yes, but it's what happens when the hoses for the pump develop holes. My entire life is full of holes right now, and everything that keeps me going is leaking out faster than I can replace it.

I've had virtually no sleep. This last week was sheer hell on far too many fronts, and Wings is working far too hard on things we're supposed to getting help with. And the two people who were supposed to be here today to work? Didn't show, which means I had to drop everything and go out to help him load sandbags, because when you get the water, you can't let the chance go by, even if it means you can't do anything else. And there is so much that Wings needed help with today, badly, and yet here we are. It doesn't seem to matter how well we pay or how well we treat folks (and believe me, it's very well on both fronts); when we need them, no one's around.

I'm so discouraged right now, and I don't see any way out. I still haven't paid the $1,100+ bill, because I remembered today that the insurances were due, and those are hard and fast deadlines. Also another medical thing and some other bills, and we've already sent $1,800 out the door this morning, and I just want to weep. Everything I tried to set aside for future testing is dissolving in front of my eyes, and that doesn't even get at the plumbing and wall repairs still to come (or the lawn mower). I'm still suffering this invasive, full-body reaction to the steroids. My pain levels are completely out of control, unresponsive to such pain meds as I'm allowed (which isn't much, but it usually takes the edge off; not today, though, and a lot of that is due to the fact that I can't sleep, from, you know, the pain and inflammatory response and the breathing issues). I'm about an inch from dissolving myself, and I can't, because there's so much work to do, and so many things that have to be paid. 

I've got to make some sales NOW to cover all of this, so what follows is all the cut-and-paste: sales here; testimonials here; wishlist (such as it is still) here. Thanks to the two folks who sent in testimonials; once again, I'm going to try to get them up tonight, although it all depends on how the rest of the day goes. We need more folks to send them in, too. Wings dropped his new bead pieces (two necklaces; four pairs of earrings) a few days ago; you can find the summary post here. Please share their individual links, and be on the lookout for the other new works, especially the belt, which he hopes will be done finally this week. He also has two new cuffs (which, if all goes well, will drop later today or tonight, so please be on the lookout), two new necklaces, and a pair of earrings in the works. [Edit: Also, his new beads are waiting at the P.O. box here, as noted above, so he will no doubt have more in the new series of necklaces and earrings soon, four of the latter of which dropped yesterday, here; these are from a U.K. lapidarist, and they are a phenomenal selection, so please share them, as well.] And while I spend every spare moment chasing those sales, there aren't many spare moments for me these days, especially with my ongoing breathing issues and whatever else is going on that they haven't identified yet. So please, help us get the word out. I've got to bring in more sales somehow.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.