It's pretty, but it doesn't produce anything.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Yesterday's so-called "weather," and today, thus far anyway, it's more of the same. It's pretty, but it doesn't produce anything. And that is getting more dangerous by the day.

I had such high hopes for the new year, in defiance of all evidence to the contrary, but January wins again. We're not going to make it out of this month in one piece, not without some really good sales today and tomorrow. My stress levels are back off the charts, and I'm so mad at so many different causes of this mess that I can't see straight. 

I'm also leaving up what I wrote yesterday about my worsening illness, because most folks don't understand what it is I'm dealing with on a daily basis, and they need to. Because as I said, I'm struggling more by the day. Lupus does a variety of nasty things to the human body besides just chronic pain and fatigue, and mine, of course, went perpetually undiagnosed and therefore untreated for a full quarter-century. There's a lot of residual damage already, I have no doubt. But lupus can affect both the smaller connective tissues like those in the hands (and my thumb joints are constantly slipping now, which means I'm dropping things just as constantly and losing fine-motor-skill function), and also the longer muscles, tendons, and ligaments. I've been battling plantar's fasciitis for years, but nobody could be bothered to investigate WHY. Turns out, it's a common effect of SLE, and so, unfortunately, is damage to the longer tissues like the hamstring. I'm now dealing with both: contractures in my left hamstring trying to form, and pain so bad in the ankle, heel, and side of the sole of that foot that walking is becoming a serious problem. To that end, Wings suggested I put a good-quality under-desk exercise machine on the wishlist, and thank you from the bottom of my heart (and feet) to whomever already bought it, because right now? I can barely walk to the studio. Sometimes I can't even do that.

On top of that, I'm dealing with severe chest pain, which is not my heart, but pleurisy and constochondritic pain, both of which are rampant in SLE. I do, though, have a lot of other chest pain and breathing problems from it, and those seem to be worsening. I also have to worry about organ damage, and the big concern at the moment is kidneys, because the meds can also affect them. But kidneys, eyes, lungs, heart, liver, pancreas, spleen, etc., etc., etc. — I am now officially at risk for organ damage and failure, and it's one reason why I'm SO determined not to come down with COVID; it will indeed kill me.

These are newish concerns now, and they're adding to my already considerable stress. This is our most expensive month of the year (followed very closely by July, and that's not even counting April, which is tax month, in this). And there are still bills yet to pay to get us out of this month in one piece, never mind the rest of the year, so I have GOT to make some sales this week. I need help. I can't do this alone; hell, I can barely walk most of the time right now. I have three days left in which to sell enough to cover about a grand worth of expenses due before then, never mind shop for groceries and supplies.

Six new pieces since the weekend: A new hook bracelet yesterday, with a fabulous flame-red Rosarita heart, here; you can see the new gemstone beadwork set, the next in his Elementals series, here; the really phenomenal big works from Saturday are here. Those other two new pieces I mentioned last Monday night are both up here and here. More hearts are in the works for Valentine's Day including another hook bracelet and a pair of earrings. And we urgently need to sell them all. Please share, and buy if you can.

Links are here, and there's new work up, with more to come this week:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the other ladder and the elliptical);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to cover all this staggering outlay somehow and get us through twelve whole months of a new year, plus put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring. And there's lots of fabulous new work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.