Terrifying.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; alll rights reserved.

Big storm. Short but seriously heavy rain, and we were both trapped in the studio, unable to get back to the house to shut the windows. Luckily, the angle of it was such that despite nearly every window being open, not a drop of rain got in. The more interesting part of that photo, though, and by "interesting," I mean "terrifying," is that that's what that shot should look like . . . well into October. Even scarier is the fact that the arrival of fall color and atmospheric change hasn't ameliorated the oppressive heat.

And this has been a fucking DAY, terrifying and simply murderous in equal measure. For starters, I got NO sleep last night/this morning. None.  ZERO. And I had to be up at 6:30 so we could be across town for an early appointment. That's guaranteed to destroy my day, because with my particular complex of autoimmune diseases, the very worst thing for it is lack of sleep; it jacks my pain levels into the stratosphere, where they become completely untouchable. And I get, oh, roughly 1 night's sleep out of every 3, and those other 2 are very often like this, not "just a little" sleep, but literally none at all.

We had a doctor's appointment for Wings, and then she wanted him to get labs [all routine; it's just to get baselines for new meds], so we took care of all of that, plus a trip to the pharmacy, the post office, and the grocery shopping that I haven't been able to do in far too many weeks. Then it was unloading everything, wiping it all down, putting it all away, working on today's NDN Silver post, evening chores [feeding animals], and getting dimensions and photos of six new pairs of earrings, four Warrior Woman pins, and a pendant that will be an honor gift for someone. Needless to say, my pain levels are off the charts particularly hands, back, hips, knees, and feet now], and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it. By the time I got back in from the studio, I was practically fainting from exhaustion. I've got a sugar hit in my system now and I'm currently swilling coffee [which will not remotely keep me awake tonight], and I might not pass out just yet.

But the pressure from all of these immediate expenses is unrelenting. In theory, it seems that we might be able to get the truck part replaced toward the end of this week, but who knows; we haven't heard a damn thing again. I'm getting annoyed, because we need the truck working properly for my medical stuff in Santa Fe later this month. Add to that that we know it's going to be at least another grand for the labor, probably more; another grand for my own cancer screening scans coming up fast now in August. And it'll be at least $4K to take care of the permanent fix to the roof, materials and labor combined, and that will need to be done in September at the latest. The expenses from last year and the first half of this year broke us so badly that we're still way behind on everything. I have GOT to put a big chunk on our tax bill, which is weighing heavily on me constantly. [You wonder why I don't sleep? Like most of the last week? And last night, again? Apart from pain, that's one BIG reason.] 

Over the next day or so, I'm hoping to get the 4 Warrior Woman pins, the 6 pairs of silver and stone earrings, and the 3 new gemstone-bead pairs of earrings up. I had planned to do it tonight, but I don't expect my brain to stay functional long enough; it already feels like a puddle of goo. But there's already lots of new work on the site from just the last couple of weeks: 

• Art Deco Labradorite cuff here; 
• Art Deco purpurite cuff here [already sold]; 
• triangle wire youth bangle here; 
• Art Nouveau vine pattern-wire youth bangle here; 
• small Art Nouveau pattern-wire bangle pair here; 
• malachite butterfly/leaf-wing earrings here; 
• Picasso jasper earrings here [very haunted Gothic stones! sold!];
• a big solid silver classic cuff here; 
• anew wristband in shades of moon and night here; 
• new vintage-style naja earrings here; 
• seven new pairs of the gemstone-bead earrings and one new pair of inverted naja hoops are up at the very beginning of the Earrings Gallery;
• and another new cuff is also here. 

And I need to sell them all, because I still need to make sales at a rate of at least two per week for the rest of the year for us to catch up [and that's just breaking even]. So: GO BUY! PLEASE! Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (Amazon cards are probably most useful at this point); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim year, this one already far worse than the last, we really need to get 2024 onto a better footing, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2024; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.