#ThrowbackThursday: A Dance Older Than Time

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

It's #TBT at The NDN Silver Blog, with a throwback only to this past Sunday. It's a very special work, a pair of earrings commissioned by a dear friend to complement some of her existing jewelry, a pair made from truly timeless material engaged in a dance older than time itself.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. These were a special order, one that will not be duplicated, but Wings has more of the material shown here. If it speaks to you, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; he can create something uniquely your own. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Share Request, [Alleged] Voting Edition

I have a few new photos, but I'm too beat to do battle with my laptop, and these days, getting images from camera to laptop is a war.

After trying for a month, I finally "voted" today, by which I mean Wings drove me in to the County Clerk's office and I filled out a provisional ballot, along with sundry forms and affidavits, because between the post office, the clerk's office, and the state Board of Elections, they lost my absentee ballot. I shit you not; after all the years I've lived here, the post office suddenly decided that I didn't, and "returned" it. Except that they didn't, according to the Clerk, who says that as of the end of last week, they had received exactly one, count it, 1, ONE absentee ballot returned as undeliverable, and it was of course not mine. I have NEVER, NOT EVER, had trouble casting a vote the way I do in this county. Every single time, it's something. So ::shrugs:: I dunno whether my vote will even be counted. Which infuriates me, because I've been trying to get my goddamn absentee ballot since the first week of October.

At any rate, it's as done as I will be permitted to do it.

And so, I have precious little to show for the day, even though I was swamped with stuff all day long.

I also have to get this glass problem solved, and the manufacturers and sellers make it damn near impossible, especially for someone like me who cannot just get away to go let them try the hard sell on me in person. For now, the lower story is mostly papered and wired, at least. The guys will be working tomorrow and half a day on Friday (to make up for being off yesterday), and presumably I will have some photos of the actual plastering process early next week. [For now, my beloved adobe bricks are already almost entirely covered, and I miss them.] 

We are going to need shares, LOTS of them, to deal with the many (ridiculously costly) phases that make up this allegedly final stage. Shares of our YouCaring page via the widgets provided, especially the widget code from the purple box at lower right that produces the running tally above. Shares of Wings's Web site, which pays the bills and helps fund the construction, because there's no way the YouCaring pages do it all, believe me. And folks contemplating commissions of work to give as holiday gifts should contact me ASAP, because time is fast getting away from us all; Wings needs to be able to get orders into the pipeline now to be sure of having them completed and shipped in time for Christmas/Yule/Solstice/etc. 

Many thanks to everyone for your help thus far. My schedule remains unchanged, except for the workload to ratchet upward as the daylight ratchets downward. I honestly don't know when I'll have anything like temporarily-uninterrupted time again, much less actual free time. I'm behind on absolutely everything in life, so please bear with me.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 

The Fire

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

We are the fire, last time, this time, next time.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

The Way of the Water

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's Wings's newest work, one that embodies elemental spirits and the powers they possess. It's a pair of earrings that embodies the way of the water, and its tendency to go where it will.

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



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

All Souls' and Trickster Spirits

This has been a day for trickster spirits. The ravens appeared en masse with the dawn, some forty or fifty of them. Coyote has brought his entire clan and moved in close, the better to taunt the dogs with their songs. Heaven only knows what spirits walk tonight, at the end of this Day of All Souls.

It has not been an easy day, this one. It would have been made much harder yet had we had to have to crew here. Given the nature of the day, Wings told them to take it off; they'll return bright and early tomorrow to get back to the plaster prep work.

I'm not sure how we're going to make this all work.

The glass alone is ridiculously expensive, so much so that I see no alternative to going to big box store that we all hate. We've done our best to keep our business local, but sometimes, that's just not possible. This looks like it might turn out to be one of those times.

Compared to the glass, the plastering will be minor. The septic system? ::Shrugs:: It and the windows and doors are all the work of the devil right now. Not even a full day into it, and this month is already shaping up to be constant stress, powered by an equally constant hemorrhaging of money.

We need shares. Consistently. Daily. Shares of our YouCaring page via the widgets provided, especially the widget code at lower right that produces the running tally shown above. Shares of Wings's Web site, which pays the bills and helps fund the construction. For folks considering holiday commissions, I need you to get hold of me now so that I can get your projects into Wings's workbench queue; it's November first, and time is officially short.

I also need about ten more hours in each day, and the energy to use them for work rather than sleep.

I'm guessing that the last is out of reach. I'm hoping the others aren't.

Many thanks to everyone who's given us a hand thus far. The remainder of this week will be, if anything, more swamped than the last few have been; tomorrow's going to be incredibly busy from the moment I get up in the morning. We've got to push through this compound stage, both in terms of fundraising and in terms of getting the work done before winter weather moves in to stay. And in the meantime, I still have to keep all the other balls in the air. Speaking of which, Wings's latest will be posted tomorrow morning, so keep an eye out for it (more new work to come later in the week, too).




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Baptism

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

And baptism becomes its opposite, a shedding of artifice, a reclaiming of self. 

We are.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Indigenous Arts: Souls and Spirits

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the first November entry in our series on Indigenous Arts, and the first as part of this year's celebration of Native American Heritage Month. In light of the date, today's post features an exploration of souls and spirits, as a part of the observance of All Souls' Day.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. The photos featured are, as always, available for purchase in the usual three formats. The other items are a mix of items sold and still available; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.